Ingrid Schmidt: ECA731 Year 9 / 10

This is a unit of inquiry of Visual Arts lessons designed for Year 9/10 secondary school students, with the theme of Appropriation and Sustainability. Sustainability and respectful use of resources is a factor we need to consider with every aspect of present-day living. It is undeniable that our way of life needs to be adjusted if we are to maintain an acceptable level of existence. Students receive teaching about this from foundation onwards and the concept of ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ is a familiar one. With sustainability, a VCAA cross curriculum priority, in mind, Appropriation as an art movement that marries nicely with using existing materials to assemble new artworks. Old books are inexpensive or free and are easily altered and used as materials to make new art. The assemblage aspect of this unit of inquiry is easily provided for as every household has a drawer of paraphernalia that could be appropriated by students for assembling a new artwork. This unit of inquiry is also financially strategic, particularly if your art department budget will be depleted by another inquiry requiring expensive supplies.

The Victorian Curriculum content descriptors for visual art for Year 9 – 10 are all addressed in this unit of inquiry and are as follows:

In an ideal situation, these students would have spent their previous secondary schooling years (Level 7 – 8) focusing on their proficiency with mediums and techniques. They would have an emerging knowledge about different art forms. The focus for student learning in years nine and ten would be to work toward determining their personal style while refining related art skills. With an emerging understanding of the techniques to use a variety of mediums, an awareness of different art form options in expressing ideas through art making, students extend their knowledge of reputable artists and their understanding of art elements and principles. Students’ progress to discerning, and becoming consciously aware of the subject matter that has significant meaning to them that they express through their creative process and resolved artwork. This puts them in a well prepared position to undertake VCE studio arts.

Each of the five lessons begin with a short ‘Respond – Theory’ component and are followed by a longer ‘Making – Activity’ section, with the exception of lesson 3. The third lesson informs students of the modern art movement of Pop Art, Dada and Appropriation art in greater detail, via a You Tube clip and the pedagogy of questioning. This is followed by a You Tube clip about Assemblage art. This You Tube clip serves as a Segway into producing a piece of art influenced by these movements which students proceed to plan on paper. This is a task where students can follow their own creative trajectory. The only condition of the task is that the artwork should be able to be suspended or hung up for display in the school foyer. This is to enable learning about curation to address the content descriptor of ‘Present and Perform’ Create, present, analyse and evaluate displays of artwork considering how ideas can be conveyed to an audience (VCAVAP044) and ‘Respond and Interpret’, Analyse and interpret artworks to explore the different forms of expression, intentions and viewpoints of artists and how they are viewed by audiences (VCAVAR045) (VCAA, 2019).

Lesson 4 provides students with an example of contemporary appropriation through a music video and a collage of assemblage art examples displayed on the interactive white board for inspiration. Majority of this lesson is taken up with time to progress with creating their assemblage artwork. The final lesson, number 5, informs students with learning about curation. The student’s ‘Making – Activity’ for this lesson is collaboratively analysing and curating their body of work for exhibition in the administration foyer of the school.

The physical contexts that are involved in this unit include embodied experiences (found object installation, drawing, assemblage sculpture construction), digital learning (watching videos, digital photography), collaboration (‘book pages’ small artwork activity and curation of artwork), small group work (discussion about the message of the inquiry), face to face engagement where teacher discusses progress with students and guided questioning.

The first lesson kicks off with learning about art history, spliced with a little shock value as students’ are informed about Duchamp’s Fountain. The lesson moves swiftly on to the arranged collection of objects installation produced by photographer, Jim Golden. This serves as a Segway into an embodied experience where student select and arrange an installation of supplied found objects provided by the teacher. They then photograph their own arrangement and appropriate the work of other students. The lesson then flows onto photocopying and altering the photographed images to produce an original artwork.

Suggestions are included in each lesson to streamline learning for the purpose of differentiation and inclusive learning. Direction for extending students that are engaging strongly with the tasks are also included. These considerations have been made to progress all students along their learning trajectory.

Assessment is achieved through diagnostic, formative and summative strategies. In lesson 1, students work is photographed after installation contribution and after photographs of appropriated work has been developed. Comparison of the two works for diagnostic assessment reveals students’ level of understanding of concept of appropriation. Lessons 2 and 3 provide the teacher with formative assessment as they engage in conversation with students about their progress. At the close of lesson 4, the teacher photographs the suspended assemblage art produced by the students as a source of summative assessment. Information gained from assessment informs the teacher of areas of learning that require more explicit teaching which can be addressed in subsequent units of inquiry.

The pedagogy of questioning and dialogic pedagogy are highly compatible for teaching art. Churchill et al informs us that ‘Dialogic pedagogy requires participation in substantive conversation: sustained, purposeful talk about topics that matter’ (Churchill et al, 2011, pg. 260). This culture of respectful relating with students is well worth cultivating.

In the High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS) the pedagogy of questioning is defined in the following way: ‘it engages students’, stimulates interest and curiosity in the learning, and makes links to students’ lives. It unfolds opportunities for students to talk together, discuss, argue, and express opinions and alternative views, Used effectively, questioning yields immediate feedback on student understanding, supports informal and formative assessment, and captures feedback on the impact of teaching strategies’ (HITS, 2017, pg. 22-23).

Ingrid Schmidt: Year 9 - 10 Sustainability and Appropriation User Guide

Ingrid Schmidt: Artist

OVERVIEW OF YEAR 9 / 10 Sustainability and Appropriation User Guide.

Explore and express ideas

Visual arts practice

Present and Perform

Respond and Interpret