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Introduction to art on Guam (Part 1 of 3)

Subjects

Art, History, Social Studies, Music

Grade-level

Elementary, 3-5
Middle School, 6-8
High School, 9-12

Time required

40 minutes

Materials required

  • Flipchart or chalk board
  • Markers or chalk
  • Classroom internet connection
  • Computer and projector

Related background reading

None

Related documents

None

Related links

Guampedia: Art entries

Lesson Plan

Description

With this lesson students will recap the many forms artistic works may take. They will then list examples of these types, and in the process, examine whether they have overlooked local artistic traditions. A classroom discussion will then delve into reasons why local art forms are important.

Objectives/Skills

  • Students will recap the types of art with which they are familiar.
  • In listing examples of artwork, students will become aware of their familiarity, or lack thereof, of artistic works on Guam.
  • Students will discuss what makes artwork “important,” and why these reasons may or may not help local artwork.

Questions or Assessment

  • What are some of the many forms art may take?
  • What examples of artistic works am I most familiar with?
  • What sort of artistic works are present on Guam?
  • Am I familiar with these on-island artistic movements?

Procedure

Teacher prep
None

Brief Exercise to Overview “Art” (15 minutes)
Over the course of the year, your class has most likely covered numerous forms of art. This section will help students recap what they have learned, and in turn, position them to begin thinking about how these same art forms may exist on Guam.

  1. Ask students to list the first things they think of when they hear the word “Art.”
    • List these terms on the board. Do not worry about right or wrong answers; this is more of an exercise to get them to warm up to the term “Art” and to begin thinking about their personal relationships with art.
  2. Ask students to list different types of artwork.
    • List these types on the board. Encourage students to think outside of the box. Guide the class to cover a diverse number of art forms: paintings, sculpture, performance art, cinema, theater, dance, music, etc.
    • Emphasize to students that art may take numerous forms.

Beginning to Think About Art on Guam (20 minutes)

  1. Ask students to list specific examples of artwork.
    • List these examples on the board. Most likely, students will neglect to list many (if any) traditional crafts.
    • After listing examples on the board, if students have not cited many traditional craft examples, ask them why they may have overlooked artwork? Responses may range from “they’re not important enough and don’t count” to “we’re too familiar with them.” If students have actually cited numerous local examples, congratulate them and ask what prompted them to list examples originating from Guam.
    • Encourage students to openly discuss why they did (or did not) include local examples on their class list. There are no right or wrong answers. Prompt students to think about the “importance” afforded established works of art, and what qualities should make a work important to them.

Recap (5 minutes)
Recap what we’ve done and learned in the lesson:

“We’ve listed numerous, diverse types of art forms, and provided examples of each. In the process, we came to realize that it’s easy to overlook the rich local artistic traditions. We discussed reasons for this, and tomorrow we will delve further into the many art forms on Guam.”

Ask students for their favorite parts of the lesson.