Activity: Creating Artwork to Explain Environmental Change, by Karen L. Wolf

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Overview

Students will create 3 panels of paper art that depict 3 stages of change regarding their environmental and historical topics. The art may be somewhat abstract or incorporate photos. Students will be exposed to the work of Andy Warhol and Eric Carle in order to generate ideas for their compositions.

Purpose and learning goals

• Students will express knowledge of local scientific issues and their histories and values through art.
• Students will learn to "see" and understand the facts, aesthetics, and values behind environmental issues.
• Students will present their findings and art visually, verbally, and in writing.

Prerequisite knowledge

Students need to have begun researching topics and collecting photos and diagrams, etc., so they have a place from which to begin their "paintings." (See background Information.) Artwork can be created without experience, but some exposure to the arts is helpful.

Intended grade level

9 - 12

Time involved

One week for preparation and class time

Alignment to standards (for entire unit)

Boulder Valley School District Standards, aligned with Colorado Model Content Standards

• Geography:  2.1, 2.3, (3.2), 4.2, (4.5), 5.1, 5.3, 6.1, 6.2
• Science:  3.1, 3.3, 4.1, 5
• Language Arts:  1, 2, 5
• Visual Arts:  1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 4.1, 4.3, 5.1

National Science Education Standards

Science

• A. Science as inquiry:
  • Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• C. Life science:
  • Interdependence of organisms
• F. Science in personal/social perspectives
  • Environmental quality
  • Natural and human-induced hazards
  • Personal and community health
  • Population growth
  • Science/technology in local, national challenges

Geography

• Environment and society
  • How human actions modify the physical environment
  • Changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution, and importance of resources
• Human systems
  • The process, patterns, and functions of human settlement
• Places and regions
  • The physical and human characteristics of places
• The uses of geography
  • How to apply geography to interpret the past
  • How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future

Background information for the unit

1. Elements and principles of art; creating a composition with paper and paint
2. Basic geology
3. Ecosystems
4. Basic biodiversity and botany
5. Pollution, and other water and air issues
6. Census information
7. Resources
   • www.prb.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PRB/Educators/Human_Population/Population_Growth/Population_Growth.htm
   • archives@denver.nara.gov
   • www.colorado.gov/dpa/
   • www.bbc.co.uk/nature/environment (search: population growth)
   • www.nationalgeographic.com (education)
   • www.warhol.org
   • www.eric-carle.com
   • www.basin.org
   • Boulder CO Public Library (Carnegie branch, has thousands of historical photos that can be photocopied)
   • Louisville, CO Public Library (search for Louisville photographs)
   • Lafayette, CO Public Library
   • Lafayette library: microfilm reader (Lafayette News...)
   • Centennial History of Survey and Settlement (book on Lafayette, CO)
   • Ancient Denvers (book on environmental changes)
   • From Grassland to Glacier (book on Colorado ecosystems)
   • National Geographic (magazine) Vol. 195, No. 2, February 1999, "Biodiversity: The Fragile Web"
   • Eric Carle: Picture Writer (video, 1993 by Searchlight Films)
   • Poison in the Rockies (video, 1990 by Bullfrog, about mining in Colorado)
   • Exploring Art (textbook, 1992, Glencoe Division of Macmillan/McGraw Hill Publishing Co.)

Materials

• Computers with internet access and a printer
• Paper and pencils
• Art-quality tissue paper
• Art paper (white and colored), heavier painting paper if available
• Newspaper (to protect surfaces)
• Scissors
• White glue
• Water and cups
• Brushes
• Paper board, foam board
• Acrylic and watercolor paints (any quality)
• Cleaning supplies
• Photos (real and/or copies of), etc.
• Resources: Books, etc.

Preparation

• Collect study census information, local history, biodiversity activity, and information on Andy Warhol and Eric Carle, etc.
• Collect samples of artwork, including Carle's storybooks.
• Collect resources students can use in the classroom.
• Collect materials for art project.
• Make samples of artwork panels, if time permits.
• Before biodiversity activity, prepare grid outside following the instructions in the activity.

Student sheets/guides

• Artist information (if one prefers to make a handout or students can take notes). See Warhol and Carle websites.
• Option: For art concepts, use activities/questions from Exploring Art .
• Show Eric Carle's video, if available.
• Option: Use the lesson plans from www.warhol.org

Procedure

Introduction

• Discuss how art communicates values
  1. Ask students questions about environmental values
  2. Present artwork that relates to the environment and communicates values (for example, Albert Bierstadt, formal, and Eric Carle, modern)
• Explain the art project and the goal of "seeing" the aesthetics of nature using modern artists' techniques.

Body

• Andy Warhol
  • Samples of work and messages
  • Techniques: Photos and screen printing
• Eric Carle
  • Samples of work and messages.
  • Techniques: Painting tissue paper with acrylics, making textures, saving paper, cutting to make shapes and create forms and pictures.
• Explain how to "paint" with photos and watercolor, to create a Warhol effect.
  • Apply paint to various parts of photos to achieve effects.
  • Design layout to express environmental situations, changes, and values.
• Explain how to "paint" with tissue paper and/or acrylics.
  • Use acrylics to paint white paper. Let it dry.
  • Create scenes with the painted paper.
  • Tissue paper: Use paintbrush to apply to glue & water mixture to the background surface and add layers of tissue papers to create effect (such as a landscape).
• Pass out materials.
• Choose environments to "paint."
  • Practice landscapes and close-ups outdoors using tissue paper.
  • Practice indoors with photos and watercolor, as well as acrylics and tissue or absorbent white paper.

Conclusion

• Share works and discuss what was effective. 
• Students will write a positive comment about their partner's or other classmate's works.
• Begin to plan how to depict 3 stages of the topic through the techniques practiced.

Reflecting on the activity/ideas for assessment

1. Rubric for grading presentations of research and art
2. Student self-evaluation questionnaires
3. Participation checklist and/or points for all steps/activities in unit

Key questions that may be asked with 'Look fors'

• To get started, ask your school or local librarians to help you gather resources from libraries in order to provide students with resources for your area.
• Photos can be photocopied from books and at libraries with historical archives. Students can use paints to create the aged look of the originals.
• Contact libraries and state or local historical societies for information and assistance.
• Contact local environmental agencies for information about research topics. Students can do this too.
• Invite visitors to speak about related topics.

Extensions and applications

• Art project can transfer to humanities curricula.
• Relate science issues to American literature and authors who have focused on nature.
• Extend values presented through the projects to future change. Students can generate their own personal goals for conservation, etc.
• Include field trips and guest speakers regarding geology (the FlatIrons in Boulder), water (reservoirs and open space), pollution, or local history, etc.

Adaptations for special needs

• Provide a simplified list of criteria for research report
• Allow more time
• Provide examples for each step of the unit
• Students with physical disabilities may need more individual help with the paper and paint art creation

Related activities (Also see Extentions and applications above)

• History projects
• Ecosystem changes
• Biodiversity activities: See the Colorado Division of Wildlife programs, courses and resources, including Project Wet, Project Wild, and activity trunks, etc.

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