Brief description:
Today, teachers will begin class by demonstrating proper collage technique through a group demo, while also demonstrating what the box should look like at the end of the day. The students will begin constructing the outer layer of their box by using these magazine and photo collage techniques. Students will be shown artist Hannah Hoch from the Dada movement who incorporated collage in her work as inspiration for today’s studio materials as well as to the meaning of symbols and how to use them in collage.
To Know: Declarative
- Students will know the proper technique of collage.
- Students will identify collage artwork and artists in the Dada movement.
- Students will show an understanding of how to convey a message through strategic placement of images.
- Students will have ideas on how to rebel against social injustice.
- Students will know how to preserve their identity in today’s society.
Vocabulary
Rebel (verb): to reject, resist, or rise against some authority, control, or tradition.
Stereotype: Often inaccurate, simplistic generalizations about a group that allows others to categorize them and treat them accordingly.
Collage: The technique of pasting various materials typically unassociated with one another, such as newspaper clippings, parts of photographs, etc. together on a surface.
Symbol: A letter, figure, or other character or mark used for representing something like a thought, memory, etc.
Dada: Also known as Dadaism, is a cultural movement that primarily involved the visual arts, literature, and graphic design. Dada activities also included public gatherings, demonstrations, and publication of art and literary journals. Dada focused on the rejection of prevailing standards in art through anti-art cultural works.
To do: Procedural
- Students will use glue to collage the outside of their box.
- Students will complete at least 40-50% of the exterior of the box.
- Students will find and cut out more images if there aren’t enough to cover their box.
- If the students have not done so and wish to, the students will need to stain their boxes in the beginning of class.
Materials and Resources
- Artist Exemplars (Duchamp, magazine clippings of collage art)
- Example visual- different types of coverage with collage
- Vocabulary List
- Teacher examples (prototypes)
- Demo box ready to be collaged onto
- Modge- Podge
- Glue brushes
- Trays for the glue
- Cigar box for each student
- Extra magazines and images for students to use
- Powerpoint presentation on collage and Dada
Goal and MSC Focus – Grade _10__ ELO Objectives
2.A2. Creative Expression: Inspired by selected works of art from different times and places, the student will create an artwork that explores a contemporary cultural or social issue.
3.A1. Creative Expression: Within the context of a given or chosen art problem, the student will select media and experiment with processes and representational skills, exploring a range of ideas that can be expressed with different media.
4.B2. Creative Expression: Having analyzed the work of several artists, the student will create a series of works based on implementing information gained from the study to address form, theme, and context.
Essential Question:
How can the use of collage, photomontage, or assemblage be used to convey an idea or message?
Lesson Objective:
Students will learn how to utilize the proper technique of collage and symbolism to begin constructing the exterior of their identity box through photo collage.
Formative Assessment:
While the students are working, I will walk around and assess their work. I will make sure that they are not using too much glue or that they are using enough. If some students just look like they’re gluing random things down without though, I will stop and ask what the message is that they are trying to convey. I can ask them to explain to me how they can make a powerful statement to the viewer using visual images.
Preassessment/Drill:
What is collage? What can you use in a collage?
Introduction/Motivation/Discussion:
(Powerpoint presentation): I will have a brief introduction to Dada and artists who used collage to convey a message about the war. I will focus mainly on Hannah Hoch and the many messages she has embedded in her collage, Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada Through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch of Germany. After a quick study of this piece and her interest in rebelling against politics and gender equality, I will connect it to their boxes. How does this relate to you now? Are there things in today’s society that you want to change? How can you portray this on your box?
If the powerpoint presentation does not work or we need more time to discuss their ideas, I will lead this discussion.
Take out your clippings and found objects that you have collected for the exterior of your box. Categorize and separate them if you have multiple themes. Can you label each group of images into the injustice or expectations that you are trying to suggest?
Q: “Do your images and objects make sense in the themes of your box? If not, then you need to reflect on what you want to convey and think of a way to depict it. Don’t just find random images to glue down if it doesn’t make sense.”
I will ask the students to share and discuss what sort of ideas they came up with for their boxes. How are you rebelling against certain injustices? What injustices do you experience and how will you show that on your box? What images and objects did you find to represent this?
Teacher Demonstration:
This will be a slightly informal demo since the students will most likely know the basics of gluing. I will focus mostly on careful placement of images to strengthen the composition.
- Have a cigar box ready for demo. It will be pre-stained and ready to collaged onto. I will also have photos and magazine/ magazine clippings ready to be assembled onto the exterior.
- Before gluing, assemble pieces onto the box. Experiment and place the images in different positions and places on the box without glue. Think about where to place the images to create a strong message or to make it visually pleasing.
- After you are pleased with your composition, begin to adhere the images to the box. Use a brush to brush on glue onto the back of the image.
- After placing the image onto the box (glue face down), you may want to brush on glue onto the top of the paper as well.
Check to see if any edges are coming up. If you want the image to be glued down completely, make sure to cover the entire image with glue to prevent the image from coming up.
Activity/Work Period:
The students will then spend their work period on gluing their 2-D elements onto the exterior of their box with Modge- Podge.
Students will go to the back room to retrieve their boxes and organize their photos and clippings. While the students are experimentally placing their images onto the box without the glue, I will pass out a couple trays per table (or one per pair) and pour out Modge- Podge. A paintbrush will be given out to each student.
The students will glue when ready.
For students who finish early, they can begin to think about other elements to attach onto their exteriors such as 3-D elements or drawings/ paint. There will also be books, images, and magazines on Dada, assemblage, and collage art that can be looked through for inspiration and motivation.
While the students are working, I will be walking around and assisting anyone who is stuck on what to do. I will check that students are not just gluing random things down and that their images have meaning.
Accommodations:
If some students are not ready to glue and assemble at this time (if their box is still wet from staining or do not have enough images), then I will have some magazines for the student to continue their search for images.
If a student works quickly and completes the exterior of their box quickly with their photographs and magazine clippings, then the student can begin to plan on using paint, drawings, and 3-D elements to their exterior.
In addition, if students are stuck and need inspiration, books and images will be available to look through for inspiration.
For students with 504 and IEP, allow a lot of work time to ensure completion. Perhaps make sure that the students have a smaller surface area to cover so that there is time for them to complete the assignment.
A video on Hannah Hoch’s collage, Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada Through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch of Germany, is on the Powerpoint. If there is extra time at the end of class or during their work time, I can play it for them to watch.
Photos of Lesson:
Students diligently looking through magazines for their collage
Ms. Sieloff even joined in on the fun!
Clean up (5 minutes):
When it is time, I will have the students clean up. Students can take their trays and throw them away. Brushes need to be taken to the back room to be rinsed off in the sink.
If there is a lot of unused Modge- Podge that can be saved, I will ask the students to bring that to the jug to pour back in. All other trays of Modge- Podge will be thrown away.
Any scraps of paper will be recycled.
The boxes will be stored in the back storage room of the classroom until the next class. If some are still wet, newspapers will be placed underneath the boxes to avoid mess.
Closure/ Summary:
What did we do today, did we do it well, did anything happen that we weren’t expecting?
How many of you got 40-50% of the outside of your box covered today?
If we haven’t done so, we can have a quick discussion on a volunteer basis on what ideas the students came up with to show on their box.
Don’t forget to continue searching for interesting images and objects for your box- 3D elements will be used next class. Think outside the box!
Teacher Reflection:
Mai-Ly's Reflection:
This lesson went better than expected. We did not meet our objectives as I had planned. We had asked the students to go home over the weekend to find 2-D images to collage onto the outside of their boxes. However, only two or three students came in with their envelopes full of images while the rest of the class had not thought twice about the assignment. Because of this, we were thrown a curve ball and had to adjust our plans. We spent the class looking through magazines to find images instead of getting most of the boxes done.
My opening powerpoint seemed to go well. There were not behavior issues and the students seemed to be engaged in the discussion. I wish I had shortened it and worked with how much time we had left, since Ms. Sieloff took the first 15 minutes of class to speak to them about a different social studies assignment. Shortening the presentation and moving it along quicker could have allowed the students to have more work time.
From walking around, I could tell that most students understood that the images they were finding were images that represented the stereotypes and social injustices that they personally face. I think that explaining what my box meant during my demonstration helped reiterate this. Many did not thoroughly think about the composition and placement of their images as I had mentioned. Once they had found an image and cut it out, they immediately glued it on their box without second thought.
Megan's Reflection:
For her first time teaching high school age students, Mai-Ly did wonderfully! We were thrown off a little due to the fact our mentor teacher took the first 15mins with the students, but Mai-Ly was able to think on her feet, and cut out some material from the powerpoint. During her discussion, the students were engaged in the discussion, there were only a few students talking (the same few that were talking during my presentation) which is something I feel that Ms. Sieloff doesn’t address, therefore acknowledging it as visiting teachers might be redundant. I feel that the students didn’t get as much work time as we had planned, but this was due to fact that we got started late. Mai-Ly’s presentation gave the students an idea of why they were doing collage, which I feel was necessary, so not showing it wasn’t an option. Perhaps the presentation could have been cut down even more, but the students were engaged, and participated accordingly. Since many students forgot their images, or wanted to cut out more, they spent the majority of class cutting, and sorting through magazines, getting behind in work. We told them they would have to come in during their spare time, and cut, so that they could finish their collage in the first half of next class. Mai-Ly did a great job under such time constraints, giving a very short demo to reinforce the student’s understanding of modge-podge and collage.
