Lesson Plan: Art Around Us 2

Print version of this lesson plan or all three.

Diversity of art on Guam (Part 2 of 3)

Subjects

Art, History, Social Studies, Music

Grade-level

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

Time required

45 minutes (This may be extended and separated over two days.)

Materials required

Flipchart or chalk board
Markers or chalk
Classroom internet connection (optional)
Computer and projector (optional)

Lesson Plan

Description

With this lesson students will be introduced to the numerous, diverse forms of art that exist on Guam. By observing these art forms, students will understand that art movements are not the exclusive domain of Europeans, but that the history of Guam is rich with artistic expression.

Objectives/Skills

Having previously listed examples of art work, students will now be introduced to local examples of dance, ceramics, graphic arts, music, etc.
Students will watch video examples of artistic works on Guam. (optional)
Students will discuss other forms of local artwork with which they are familiar.
Students will be tasked with profiling a local artist.

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
Set-up a projector to a laptop with an internet connection. (optional)

Overview of art on Guam (20 minutes)
Ideally, you will be able to use a computer and projector for this section. However, most classrooms do not have these accommodations. Should this be the case, you may make copies of the images referred to in this section and share these copies with the class (either in the front of the classroom, or by distributing individual copies to each student). Additionally, you may also wish to skip the video portion (part 2 of this section), and replace it with another section that focuses on images.

Once the computer is connected to the projector and working, visit Guampedia.com, and go to the “Art” section (currently also linked on the front page).
Play the clip of Kantan Chamorita.
- Ask students if they find this to be a form of art. Encourage them to discuss their familiarity with it, and their opinions of Kantan Chamorita as an art form.
Show some images from the Carving entry.
- Again, ask students if they view this as a form of art. Guide students toward accepting these examples as forms of art.
Allow the class to pick another section within art. Go through the images with them, and quickly read over some of the information in the body of the article.

Sharing personal (10 minutes)
Having used Guampedia to show examples of different local art forms, now ask students to share their own knowledge of local artwork.

Encourage students to share stories about artwork done by family members (quilts, necklaces, etc) and friends (poetry, paintings, bands etc.).
If students appear stuck, suggest they think about items they have seen when visiting CHamoru Village.
Encourage students to think broadly. Are Fokai t-shirts examples of art? Malafunksion musical skits? Sinangån-ta poetry slams?

Homework assignment (10 minutes)

Have students, while at home (and ideally over a weekend), find and profile a local artist of their own.
Depending on the age and skill-level of the class, you may choose to have students write a paper, prepare a short formal presentation, or simply prepare for a casual “show-and-tell” type presentation.
Encourage students to be creative in selecting their artist profiles. Any art form is permissible. Also encourage students to select an artist whose work they find moving.

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

“Yesterday we listed famous examples of artwork. Today, we’ve expanded on this list by seeing similar examples of local artists. We then discussed our personal experiences with art on island, and even discussed whether some newer forms of expression can be considered ‘art’ (e.g. t-shirts, radio skits, and slam poetry). For your assignment, please profile a local artist who moves you, and be prepared to share it with the class.”

Ask students for their favorite parts of the lesson.