The Power of Images

LESSON: “The power of images” Multi media presentation
Subject Area: Art technology
Grade level: 9-12
Time frame: 3 weeks

At the beginning of the lesson the class will participate in a discussion about how art can be used to express the artist’s opinions, feelings, emotions, and stance on political and social issues. Examples will be displayed showing how artists in the past and present have used their art to support, protest and express their feelings in regards to various political and social issues (photography, sculpture, paintings, cartoons, animation, collage, propaganda posters etc…). The class will learn how artists manipulate and use color, value, texture, and images to create a specific mood in their work. Students will analyze various examples of art that were influenced by political and social issues and discuss how the artist worked with the elements and principles of design to project their feelings. The class will also discuss why artist like Dorthea Lang, Diego Rivera, Dan Eldon, Pablo Picasso, and Ben Shawn chose their medium and how the artists used the medium to express their emotions and reinforce their message.

Students will view selected music videos and discuss what mood or emotion is projected in each video
The class will be divided into groups of three to four students. The groups will have 2 options to choose from:

Option #1: Using Multimedia Lab V software, the group will create a 2 minute multi-media presentation that expresses their feelings towards a political or social issue in the school or community (bullying, peer pressure, eating disorders, sports, academics, propaganda, the war, or any other school appropriate issue) The students will use digital photography, video clips, drawings, paintings, cartoons etc. to compile their presentation. The presentation must also include music to help set the mood.

Option #2: Using Multimedia Lab V software, the group will choose an emotion or mood (anger, fear, sadness, joy etc.) and through the use of digital photography, video clips, drawings, paintings, cartoons etc., they will compile a 2-minute abstract multi-media presentation to the class. The presentation must include music.

Using a rubric provided by the teacher, the class will evaluate the group presentation.

LESSON OUTCOMES
The students will learn how to use values and color in their images to express a mood, feeling or view.
The students will explore the power of images for the purpose of self-expression.
The students will experiment with cropping and viewpoint to create emphasis and emotion.
The students will explore digital photography techniques: blurring, field of focus, lighting, exposures, micro and macro photography
The students will explore the impact of various multimedia techniques, video clips, still photography, drawings, animation etc…
The students will explore the process of sequencing images to create a flow that corresponds to the music and emotion of the subject matter.
The students will learn how to manipulate images using Tool Factory software
The students will learn how to use Multimedia Lab V to create a presentation utilizing several different medium, digital photography, video clips, music, drawing, animation, etc…

Academic Standards

Art Production: 9.1 The students will create a 2 minute multi media presentation using digital photography, video clips, drawings, paintings, collage, music, Tool Factory software and Multimedia Lab V.

Art History 9.2 The students will recognize the art of Dorthea Lang, Diego Rivera, Pablo Picasso, Ben Shawn and Dan Eldon.

Art Criticism 9.3 The students will review presentations in class and critique using a rubric provided by the teacher.

Art Aesthetics 9.4 The students will write a journal entry in the space provided at the bottom of the rubric that describes how they feel about each presentation.