"One's Place in Art History"

Instructional Objectives/Expected Student Outcome:
TSWBAT:
-develop an appreciation for art history and general visual-arts literacy.
-access and use information and technology to solve problems and produce products.
-use critical thinking skills to select, research, imagine, apply, and synthesize and also to provide a written explanation.
-develop a stronger sense of self-awareness, reflection, and esteem.

Materials & Resources: access to artworks (prints, books, internet), digital camera, computer with Adobe Photoshop, color printer.

Procedures/ Art Production: Students’ interest in art history will be sparked by having them literally jump into a painting! Everyone will have the chance to peruse a wide array of famous artworks from history. Each student will ultimately choose a favorite masterpiece as a self-portrait environment. They will be required to cite the reasons behind their choice in writing (as a typed written response.) Using Adobe Photoshop cut-and-paste techniques, students will combine a scanned or downloaded image of their artwork with a digital photo of themselves posed to fit into the composition. The teacher will provide a brief introduction of the process to the class as a whole, and share past student examples. Then students will take turns on the classroom’s single computer, in a sort of domino-type chain of helping one another. In other words, a student who needs help will be assisted by the previous artist.
Photoshop Basics: To merge two images, one will select the lasso tool. Then an outline will be drawn with the mouse around the student’s face or figure on screen in the digital photo. This portion of the photo is then moved over and dropped into the painting. The face or figure should be enlarged or reduced to scale, and the color adjusted to harmonize with the tones of the painting.

Evaluation Criteria: “One's Place in Art History” Rubric