The Art of Sport
Mural of Sports by Joseph Rugolo ca. 1937-1938
Carolina Reese University of Florida ARE 6247 Spring 2011
Overview of Unit The Art of Sport unit explores celebrations of humanity by specifically addressing why people participate in sports and how art is influenced by sport.
There are several reasons why people
compete in sports including health, enjoyment, competitive impulse, inner drive, etc. In this unit, students will examine the human desire to participate in sports. The goal is to make it personal to them. It’s not about a particular sport, such as America’s past time love of baseball, but rather what makes us enjoy the physical exertion of playing a sport. For those students who do not participate in sports, they can research the biographies of famous athletes and try to learn what drives successful athletes and why they love what they do. Thus, the big ideas we would focus on would be health, humanity, competition, and personal achievement. Essential Questions: 1. Why do we play sports? 2. What emotions do we feel when we play a sport? 3. What does playing a sport mean to you? 4. How can sports inspire artists? This is an important unit because teenagers in one sense or another have personal knowledge of sports. They either play a sport, know someone who does, admire a certain professional athlete or even have a crush on an athlete. This unit personalizes this connection by not emphasizing the glamour of sports or the popularity of professional sports, but rather by getting at the core of the human desire to compete and be physically active. Unit Goals: By participating in this unit, students will be able to: (1) describe the human satisfaction, joy and even hardship that come with playing a sport; (2) interpret and judge the human connection to sports in works of art that they create as well as art made by contemporary artists; and (3) express their own ideas and connections with sports through works of art.
LESSON 1 - WHY DO WE PLAY? GRADE LEVEL OF STUDENTS: Middle School: 6-8th grades. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LEARNERS: Middle School students are aware of the presence of sports in society. At this age, they are starting to join organized sports in school and are mature enough to understand the emotionally complex nature of engaging in sport. Even for those who don’t actively play a sport, students are aware of the societal importance we give athletes in our visual culture. Some students at this level begin taking Philosophy in the 6th grade and are thus engaging in philosophical debates and high-level thinking. Students at this level begin to have a preoccupation with realism. They have anxiety about producing artwork that looks real and thus need encouragement and motivation to view art as a representation of their feelings. It is assumed that the students participating in this lesson have either played a sport at some time and can articulate their experience with playing a sport or have watched a sport and can articulate their experience as a spectator. RATIONALE: Sports are played all over the world, connecting us across countries, languages and even religions. There is a reason the World Cup is watched worldwide. This lesson is important because it sets the stage for artistic creation. It will help students connect with the emotional side of sports and use that emotion as inspiration to create. Students will take what they have seen and discussed and apply it to their own experiences with sports in an effort to find inspiration for creating their own 2D artworks. HISTORICAL/CULTURAL CONTEXT: This first lesson will include two videos about the Para Olympic Athlete Aimee Mullins. She was born without fibular bones, and had both of her legs amputated below the knee when she was an infant. With the help of prosthetics, she learned to run eventually setting world records at the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta. While in college at Georgetown she became the first double amputee to compete in NCAA Division 1 track and field. She has since collaborated with designers and artists (whom she inspired with her story) to change the perception of amputees. This lesson fits into the bigger picture because students will get to hear from an athlete about the challenges, emotions and struggles of competing. More importantly, her story and competitive nature is what inspired artists to
work with her and create works of art inspired by her. These videos and the discussion that will follow them are a good introduction into the humanity of sport. Brian Fox is a sports artist based in Massachusetts. As a child, Brian loved to draw and play sports. He learned to combine his passions by making artwork and asking the athlete to autograph it. Athletes started commissioning pieces and soon he was in business. Today he has clients such as the NFL, NHL, Walt Disney, and his newest project is with Mixed Martial Arts Fighter Georges St.Pierre. SUNSHINE STANDARDS: Students will (1) use research and contextual information to identify responses to works of art; (2) understand how knowledge, skills, and attitudes gained from the visual arts can enhance and deepen understanding of life; (3) know how different subjects, themes, and symbols (through context, value, and aesthetics) convey intended meanings or ideas in works of art; and (4) uses two-dimensional and three-dimensional media, techniques, tools, and processes to solve specific visual arts problems with refinement and control. OBJECTIVES: By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to: (1) describe the human emotions (satisfaction, joy and even hardship) that come with playing a sport; (2) articulate how their interest in sports inspires their creativity; and (3) create a 2D artwork expressing a personal experience when playing a sport. MATERIALS: Computer, Projector and Internet access for video viewing and research, notebooks for journal entries, 8.5 x 11-inch white paper for preliminary sketches and contour drawings, 9 x 12-inch drawing paper, oil pastels, and drawing pencils. (Possible alternative media include watercolors and/or markers) PREPARATIONS: Use the Internet to pull up the two videos on Aimee Mullins and the video on Brian Fox. If the TED site is blocked at school, access video on YouTube or download it at home, save it and replay at school. Gather images from other sports inspired artists on the computer to show via a video projector.
INTRODUCTION: Begin the lesson with an introduction on sports. Ask students if they like sports and get some students to tell the class which sports they like to play. Introduce the lesson by telling students what we will be doing and what the objectives are. Ask students: o
Why do people play sports?
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What emotions do we feel when we play a sport?
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What does playing a sport mean to you?
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What does watching someone else play a sport mean to you?
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How can sports inspire artists?
List the questions on the board and record some of the student answers. PROCEDURES: !
Students will gather and watch the three videos. The first 2 are about Aimee Mullins, the double amputee Para Olympic athlete. The first video addresses how she became an athlete and what it feels like for her to compete as an amputee. The second video discusses the artistic influence her Para Olympic career has had on artists. They have been inspired by her drive and have created works of art as a result. The third video is about sports artist Brian Fox. He talks about his inspiration to create art about sports, how he got started and how he created a business as a sports artist based on a lifelong passion. Video #1 http://www.ted.com/talks/aimee_mullins_on_running.html Video #2 http://www.ted.com/talks/aimee_mullins_prosthetic_aesthetics.html Video #3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gfmm4LaYQ8&feature=related
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After the videos, the class will engage in a discussion. o
What did you think about Aimee Mullins’ story?
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How did her story make you feel?
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How is she different from other athletes?
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How were artists influenced by Aimee’s story?
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How did Bryan Fox become an artist?
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How do sports influence Bryan’s art?
Following the discussion, one student from each table will go up to get paper for the table and one tray of oil pastels per table. In the meantime other students should pull out any individual drawing
materials they have in their bags such as their drawing pencils. !
Students will begin by writing about their thoughts and feelings on sports. They should answer the following questions in their introductory note.
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What do sports mean to you?
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What sports do you like to play or watch?
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Why?
Upon completing the introductory note, students will begin preliminary contour drawings. Two students will model for the class in different action sports poses. The rest of the class will practice drawing the different poses. This should take no more than 2 class periods.
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After the practice contour drawings, we will do our final drawing in oil pastels. The student can pick one of their contour drawings to draw from and will create a final oil pastel drawing complete with details and backgrounds. Students should try and express one of the emotions from their introductory note in their final drawing. This should take 2 class periods.
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Periodically, students will refer back to their introductory note and see if their drawings are expressing one of the emotions they wrote about in their note. Ask them orally to explain if their goals are being met. If not, discuss how to redirect.
DISTRIBUTION AND CLEAN-UP: Distributing materials for this lesson should take no more than 5 minutes. 1 student from each table will be called up to collect drawing paper for the rest of the table as well as one tray of oil pastels will for their table. The same person will collect the oil pastels and bring them to my desk at the end of class. Papers and drawings will be stored in students’ mini-portfolios. Sketchbooks and journals will already be with students. CLOSURE: Students will show their mini-portfolio, which will hold their sketches and oil pastel drawing for this lesson. The key points that will be reviewed will be (1) the discussion of the videos; (2) a review of the sketches; and (3) a critique of the final drawings. In the critique I will look for completeness and an expression of emotion with regard to sport. The class will attempt to interpret the sport being played in the drawing and what if any emotion they feel from looking at the drawing. ASSESSMENT: Oral Assessment: How well can the students orally articulate what sports means to them? After viewing the videos, how
well can they articulate the inspiration sports can have on art? Did the students participate in the discussion and make a connection between sports and art? Drawing Assessment: How successful were student able to express a sport using oil pastels? How well were they able to use color and shape to express emotion in their drawings. Did their drawings fill the page and have detail? EXTENSIONS: (1) Students can write a narrative story about an experience playing a sport. (2) Students can research a famous athlete who is particularly inspiring and write a story about them with accompanying illustrations. (3) Aimee Mullins talked about being able to choose which legs she wants to wear. Students can use their imagination and draw a “Superhuman” with invented body parts that would help them play their sport better. VISUALS:
Aimee Mullins’ cheetah legs in artist Matthew Barney’s Cremaster Cycle.
Aimee Mullins’ leg collection from her TED Talk.
Bryan Fox Images
Sketch
2004
Saratoga horse race
SAMPLE:
The weathered runner’s feet…
LESSON 2 - A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS GRADE LEVEL OF STUDENTS: Middle School: 6-8th grades. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LEARNERS: Middle School students are aware of the presence of sports in society. At this age, they are starting to join organized sports in school and are mature enough to understand the emotionally complex nature of engaging in sport. Even for those who don’t actively play a sport, students are aware of the societal importance we give athletes in our visual culture. Some students at this level begin taking Philosophy in the 6th grade and are thus engaging in philosophical debates and high-level thinking. With the popular use of technology, camera phones, photography, and social media, students often enjoy taking and sharing photographs. Photography is an accessible media, which can be used to create art. It is assumed that the students participating in this lesson have either played a sport at some time and can articulate their experience with playing a sport or have watched a sport and can articulate their experience as a spectator. It is also assumed that students have access to a camera of some kind, either a point and shoot, or a camera phone. If not, a limited amount of cameras can be checked out from the school overnight. RATIONALE: While its origin has been debated, the phrase “A picture is worth a thousand words” is still popular today. It relates to the idea that a complex idea or story can be contained in one single image. Fine Art Photography is another medium in which we can express emotion and convey an idea. Students will explore the basics of photography; discuss how photography can be considered art and how sports can inspire fine art photography. Students will learn how to frame and capture a moment that they consider to be artistic and sports inspired. HISTORICAL/CULTURAL CONTEXT: Legendary photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson believed that a camera was like a sketchbook. It is another way to visually express emotions. In his 1952 book of images he
was quoted as saying “There is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment.” When describing this moment in the Washington Post in 1957 and addressing the creativity of photography he said, "There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative," he said. "Oop! The Moment! Once you miss it, it is gone forever." SUNSHINE STANDARDS: Students will (1) use two-dimensional and three-dimensional media, techniques, tools, and processes to solve specific visual arts problems with refinement and control; (2) understands what makes various organizational elements and principles of design effective and ineffective in the communication of ideas; (3) knows and uses the interrelated elements of art and the principles of design to improve the communication of ideas; and (4) understands how an artist’s intent plays a crucial role in the aesthetic value of an object. OBJECTIVES: By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to: (1) recognize photography as a medium with which to create art; (2) use sports as the inspiration to create fine art photography; and (3) compose a successful photograph. MATERIALS: Computer, Projector, Internet for fine art photographer examples, and digital camera or camera phone. PREPARATIONS: Print the Photography vocabulary and handout for the class. Make enough so that there is 1 per every two students. Laminate if possible. Load Henri Cartier-Bresson’s webpage from http://moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2010/henricartierbresson/#/themes/12/280.html and Michael Starghill’s webpage from http://www.michaelstarghill.com/portfolio/G0000e0TUnzXtimg#I0000Nnh6Bnw3o5s and show on projector so class can look over images. INTRODUCTION: Begin the lesson with the quote by photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson,
“There is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment.” Have his exhibit of photographs from the MoMa website on the projector. Tell the class that the quote was stated by the legendary photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson and discuss the quote and begin a discussion about photography. Scroll through the images and ask students: o
What do you think this quote means?
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Why do we take photographs?
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Can photographs be considered art? Why or why not?
PROCEDURES: !
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Students will gather to look at Photographer Michael Starghill’s images on the projector.
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What is happening in this picture?
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What do you think the photographer was trying to convey?
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What emotions do you see?
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Do you think Michael’s photographs are art? Why or why not?
Pass out the photography vocabulary and composition handouts. As a class go over each composition element of the handout. Pick one student to read each element out loud and pause for questions after every element making sure the class understands.
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Explain that in the next class session students need to bring their cameras, camera phones or check out a camera from the school and bring it to class.
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During the next class session, the class will venture outside the classroom and take photographs around the school grounds. Students are free to shoot any subject (without disrupting other classes) and are instructed to practice following some of the 10 compositional elements we discussed in the last class. This is a full class period devoted to practicing the compositional elements we learned.
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The teacher will come around to each student, look through their images and give them feedback and guidance on their images.
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Return to class 10 minutes before the end of the period and introduce the final project for this lesson. Students will use their experience with sports (they should refer to their note in lesson 1) as inspiration to shoot a sport inspired art photograph. o
Students may take several photos but will pick 1 final photograph, which will be uploaded onto the projector and shared with the class in the critique.
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Photograph needs to contain at least 3 of the elements of composition discussed in class. Students will be required to articulate which elements are in the photos and what decisions they made to compose their final photo.
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Photographs should convey a sports moment or emotion involved while playing a sport.
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Students have 2 class periods and may also work at home. They need to email the image to the teacher so he/she can have it ready for critique.
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Students can work together and model for each other’s photos if necessary.
DISTRIBUTION AND CLEAN-UP: The only distribution during this lesson is the handout during the composition lecture. This should take a couple of minutes and students can drop the handouts at the front of the class on their way out. Students will bring their own cameras and those who need to check out a camera from the school will have to make arrangements the day before. CLOSURE: Students will turn in their images via e-mail or USB device. Photographs will be shown to the class via projector and the class will critique them. The key points that will be reviewed will be (1) the discussion of photography as art; (2) effort and participation during the practice photography day; and (3) a critique of the final photograph. In the final photograph I will look for at least 3 elements of composition covered in the handout, and an expression of emotion with regard to sport conveyed in the photograph. The class will attempt to interpret the photograph and what if any emotion they feel from looking at it. Students will also be asked to print an 8x10 copy of their final photograph and place it in their mini-portfolios.
ASSESSMENT: Oral Assessment: How well can the students orally articulate their opinion on photography as art? How well can they describe the final photograph and substantiate their artistic decisions with regard to composition? Photography Assessment: How successful were student able to convey the emotion of sport using photography? How well were they able compose a photograph? Is their photograph clear and focused? EXTENSIONS: (1) Students can take their photograph and write a creative story to accompany it for a major magazine or newspaper. VISUALS: Michael Starghill’s images from his webpage: http://www.michaelstarghill.com/portfolio/G0000e0TUnzXtimg#I0000Nnh6Bnw3o5s Henri Cartier-Bresson’s images from his exhibit at MoMa: http://moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2010/henricartierbresson/#/themes/12/280.html SAMPLE:
LESSON 3 – Wire Sculptures GRADE LEVEL OF STUDENTS: Middle School: 6-8th grades. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LEARNERS: Middle School students are aware of the presence of sports in society. At this age, they are starting to join organized sports in school and are mature enough to understand the emotionally complex nature of engaging in sport. Even for those who don’t actively play a sport, students are aware of the societal importance we give athletes in our visual culture. RATIONALE: In order to round out this unit and give students a the chance to express their sports inspired art in several mediums, students will now move from 2D to 3D by making wire sculptures. This lesson works to help students experience a different medium and grow as artists by encountering new problems that come with 3D work. Students will learn to manipulate wire and solve design and structural problems that may arise. HISTORICAL/CULTURAL CONTEXT: Wire sculpture is a folk art that has been around for thousands of years. Artists continue to challenge themselves creatively to work with metal. About 400 years ago, wireworkers from the Slovakian region used wire to invent creations we now deem household items such as birdcages, wire baskets, trays and other kitchen utensils. While these may seem non artistic, the creativity involved in making these continues with artists such as Alexander Calder who create beautiful works of art using wire. Wire is one of the mediums of art more readily found around the house. One can use everything from chicken wire from the back yard to telephone wire. This makes wire sculpture a great introductory medium for students to make 3D work. SUNSHINE STANDARDS: Students will (1) use two-dimensional and three-dimensional media, techniques, tools, and processes to solve specific visual arts problems with refinement and control; (2) create twodimensional and three-dimensional works of art that reflect competency and craftsmanship;
and (3) know how the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes can be used to enhance communication of experiences and ideas. OBJECTIVES: By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to: (1) recognize wire sculpture as a medium with which to create 3D art; (2) use sports as the inspiration to create a wire sculpture; and (3) learn to manipulate wire successfully and master the tools needed to create a structurally sound wire sculpture. MATERIALS: Computer, Projector, Internet for wire sculpture examples. Wire cutters and needle nose pliers. Possible alternative tools include a soldering iron and solder to be used solely by teacher if students need additional structural support for their sculpture. Students are also required to bring their own galvanized steel wire in 24 gauge and 18 gauge, goggles, sketchbooks, drawing pencils and contour drawings from lesson 1. PREPARATIONS: Load Alexander Calder’s page from http://calder.org/home.html and have ready on projector to show students some of his wire sculptures. INTRODUCTION: Begin by looking at Alexander Calder’s page and observing specifically the wire sculpture category. Discuss the sculptures by asking the following questions: o
Why would an artist want to use wire to sculpt?
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What kind of effect can wire sculpture achieve?
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How does it differ from the other two mediums we’ve used in this unit? (2D Drawings and Photography)
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What can an artist achieve with wire that they can’t with a 2D Medium?
At this time go over safety instructions and introduce each tool.
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Each table will get one wire cutter
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Each student should have a pair of needle nose pliers
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Each student needs to wear goggles at all times when working with and especially when cutting wire.
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Only the teacher made solder. If a student needs to fuse metal, ask the teacher and he/she will solder the piece for them.
PROCEDURES: !
1 student from each table will come to the front and pick up 1 wire cutter for the table and enough needle nose pliers so that each student has one. Students are required to bring their own goggles, galvanized steel wire, sketchbooks and drawing pencils.
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Students will pull out their contour drawings that they made in lesson 1 and work with those to make a drawing proposal of their wire sculpture in their sketchbooks.
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Using their final contour drawing, students will begin to cut and form wire to follow the shape of their contour drawing. Students will have to consider whether they will want the sculpture to stand freely, have a base or not. This may take 2-3 class periods, as students will run into structural problems they’ll need to solve or may need to start over.
DISTRIBUTION AND CLEAN-UP: Distribution should take no less than 5 minutes, as only 1 student from each table needs to collect the wire cutter and pliers. The rest of the materials will be with students already. Clean up however may take about 10 minutes. The same student will collect wire cutters and pliers and put them back at the front of the classroom. The class will then have to pick up all the small pieces of wire on the table, roll up unused wire and put away all of their supplies.
CLOSURE: Students will show their wire sculptures and the class will hold a small exhibit. Students will walk around the room, observe their classmates sculptures and the class will discuss using the following questions as a guideline. o
How did working with this medium differ from the other two in this unit, drawing and photography?
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What was the most difficult part of working with wire?
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How did you tackle these challenges?
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What would you do differently in the future if you had to work with wire again?
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How did you feel about working in a 3D format?
The key points that will be reviewed will be (1) were all safety rules followed; (2) how well does the wire sculpture follow the contour drawing; and (3) and participation in the closing discussion. ASSESSMENT: How safely did the student work with the materials? How closely does the wire sculpture follow the contour drawing? How well did the student handle problems and work to solve them? Is their sculpture complete and structurally sound (does it fall apart or can it stand firmly on its own)? Does it fall apart or look flimsy and unfinished? EXTENSIONS: (1) Have students research other wire sculptures on the web. (2) Have students write a brief explanation of their work as if the piece was on exhibit in a museum. Print the explanations on cards and place them next to each student’s sculpture. VISUALS: Alexander Calder’s images from his webpage http://calder.org/work/category/wiresculpture.html
SAMPLE:
UNIT CLOSURE: This unit has given students an expansive look at how sports can inspire the creation of art. The goal at the end of the unit is for students to reflect on all they have accomplished. The best way to do that is to exhibit their work for the class to see and have the students themselves record how much they’ve learned from the unit. Each student will place their contour drawing, oil pastel drawing, photograph, and wire sculpture in chronological order. Students will then fill out a self-assessment where they will answer questions about the impact that sports has had on their artwork, how sports inspired their work and whether they are satisfied with their effort (see Appendix E for self-assessment). The teacher will record individual grades and assign a grade for the self-assessment to close out the unit.
Appendix A - Bibliography “10 Top Photography Composition Rules,” Photography Mad, http://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/10-top-photography-composition-rules “Aimee Mullins on Running,” Filmed on February 1998 for TED, http://www.ted.com/talks/aimee_mullins_on_running.html “Aimee Mullins and her 12 pairs of legs,” Filmed on February 2009 for TED, http://www.ted.com/talks/aimee_mullins_prosthetic_aesthetics.html Alexander Calder’s website of artwork with wire http://calder.org/home.html “Bryan Fox Sports Artist,” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gfmm4LaYQ8&feature=related “Bryan Fox Studios,” http://www.brianfoxstudios.com/index.html Elizabeth Berrien- The Wire Lady http://www.wirelady.com “Henri Cartier-Bresson The Modern Century,” Museum of Modern Art, http://moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2010/henricartierbresson/#/ “Henri Cartier-Bresson,” Wikepedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Henri_Cartier-Bresson “Michael Starghill,” http://www.michaelstarghill.com/portfolio/G0000e0TUnzXtimg#I0000Nnh6Bnw3o5s “The Decisive Moment”, http:// w w w.cathedralcatholic.org/faculty-resources/128/57/CartierBresson%20Decisive%20Moments.doc
Appendix B - Rubric for Lesson 1: Why do we play?
Criteria Understanding of concept
Incomplete
Satisfactory
Excellent
Student’s sketches, notes, and contour drawings did not display an understanding of sports. Student did not convey an emotion within his/her drawing associated with playing sports.
Student’s sketches, notes, and contour drawings displayed a basic understanding of using drawings to convey an emotion associated with playing sports.
Understanding of Process
Student’s sketches, notes, and contour drawings are incomplete. Oil pastel drawings don’t fill page or are aren’t colored in.
Student’s sketches, notes, and contour drawings are complete. Oil pastel drawings fill the page and are both outlined and colored in.
Time/Effort
Student spent little time/effort on this project, was disruptive to other students or turned in sloppy or incomplete work.
Student spent class time working on project. Used time wisely and was responsible for turning in complete project.
Writing
Student did not write exploratory note about what sports means to them.
Student wrote a note about playing sports that was acceptable for the project.
Discussion
Student did not participate in the discussion. Student was distracted or not involved.
Student participated adequately in the discussion. Student asked at least one question and was attentive and involved.
Student’s sketches, notes, and contour drawings displayed an exceptional understanding of the human desire to play sports. Drawings conveyed emotion and were well thought out. Student’s sketches, notes and contour drawings are complete and have thorough experimentations. Oil pastel drawings fill the page, are outlined, colored in and demonstrate detailed attention and focus. Student spent class time wisely and was consistently focused on the project. Project was complete, thorough and detailed, reflecting significant effort. Student wrote a note about playing sports that was in depth and detailed about the meaning of sports in their life. Student demonstrated exemplary participation in the discussion. Student asked several thoughtful questions and engaged actively in discussions with other students and the teacher.
Appendix C – Rubric for Lesson 2: A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words
Criteria
Incomplete
Satisfactory
Excellent
Preliminary Discussion
Student did not participate in the discussion. Student was distracted or not involved.
Student participated adequately in the discussion. Student asked at least one question and was attentive and involved.
Time/Effort
Student spent little time/effort on the practice photography day, was disruptive to other students or didn’t take any practice images.
Final Photograph
Final photograph does not contain at least 3 elements of composition. Photograph is out of focus, or contains no emotion conveyed in sport.
Student spent class time taking practice images. Used time wisely and took several images, paying specific attention to composition. Final photograph contains 3 elements of composition. Photograph is clear, in focus and conveys an emotion associated with playing a sport.
Student demonstrated exemplary participation in the discussion. Student asked several thoughtful questions and engaged actively in discussions with other students and the teacher. Student spent class time wisely and was consistently focused on taking wellcomposed practice photographs.
Final photograph contains more than 3 elements of composition. Photograph is clear, in focus, emotional and exhibits exceptional attention to detail.
Appendix D – Rubric for Lesson 3: Wire Sculptures
Criteria
Incomplete
Satisfactory
Excellent
Safety
Student disregarded safety demonstration and rules, endangering themselves and other students.
Student was attentive during safety demonstration and followed the safety rules, using all materials correctly and safely.
Time/Effort
Student spent little time/effort on this project, was disruptive to other students or turned in sloppy or incomplete work.
Student spent class time working on project. Used time wisely and was responsible for turning in complete project.
Wire Sculpture
Wire sculpture is incomplete, does not resemble the proposed contour drawing or is structurally flawed and sloppy.
Wire sculpture is complete, resembles the proposed contour drawing and structurally sound.
Student was attentive during safety demonstration, followed safety rules by using all materials correctly and went above and beyond to help other students stay safe. Student spent class time wisely and was consistently focused on the project. Project was complete, thorough and detailed, reflecting significant effort. Wire sculpture is complete, resembles the proposed contour drawing and is exceptionally detailed and designed. Sculpture is structurally sound and creatively displayed.
Appendix E – Self-Assessment for Unit Closure Name: Title of Unit: The Art of Sport As you worked on your contour drawings, photography and wire sculpture, you were involved in many different problem-solving skills and were exposed to new mediums photography and wire sculpture. These questions help you describe what you learned from your challenges and your overall satisfaction with your artwork. No answers are considered right or wrong. Please write your answers down on a separate sheet of paper. 1. Describe how you feel sports inspired your artworks?
2. For the contour drawing in Lesson 1, what was your biggest challenge?
3. How did you solve that challenge?
4. For the photograph in Lesson 2, what did you learn about photography as a medium to create art?
5. For the wire sculpture in Lesson 3, how did sports inspire your sculpture?
6. Which artwork are you most pleased with and why?
7. Which artwork would you change if you could and why? What specifically would you do to change that artwork?
Appendix C: 10 Top Photography Composition Rules Vocabulary and Handout Rule of Thirds By dividing the image into nine equal segments you can find the thirds within the composition. Use these grids to position your important elements within one third of the picture plane. Centering an image can seem boring and solitary. Notice how the building and horizon are aligned along rule-of-thirds lines. Image by Trey Ratcliff.
Balancing Elements Place your main subject off-center, using the rule of thirds. However, don’t neglect the other two-thirds of the picture plane. They shouldn’t feel empty. Make sure to “weight” out your main subject with something else less important. Here, the visual 'weight' of the road sign is balanced by the building on the other side of the shot. Image by Shannon Kokoska.
Leading Lines Think about how you place lines in your composition so that you can best influence how the viewer looks at the image. Lines guide us through an image and important to consider when framing a shot. The road in this photo draws your eye through the scene. Image by Pierre Metivier.
Symmetry and Patterns Symmetry and patterns can be anywhere. Paying careful attention to your focal point can create exciting symmetry and artistic patterns. The symmetry of this chapel is broken by the bucket in the bottom right corner. Image by Fabio Montalto.
Viewpoint Think about where you will shoot from (above, below, eye level). Your decision can have massive results on the composition of your photograph. Consider shooting from several angles to best convey your message. The unusual viewpoint chosen here creates an intriguing and slightly abstract photo. Image by ronsho.
Background Pay attention to the background of your image. Is it too busy? Does it distract from the main focus of the image? The plain background in this composition ensures nothing distracts from the subject. Image by Philipp Naderer.
Depth In the same way you would consider perspective and depth in a drawing or painting, you need to consider it in photography. You want to make sure there’s a foreground, middle ground and background so that the image doesn’t look flat. Emphasise your scene's depth by including interesting subjects at varying distances from the camera. Image by Jule Berlin.
Framing Use natural object to frame the picture, this can include trees, archways, walls, holes, etc. They help you isolate the main subject and make the focus more interesting. Here, the surrounding hills form a natural frame, and the piece of wood provides a focal point. Image by Sally Crossthwaite.
Cropping Sometimes the main object is not impactful because it appears so small in the image. Its surroundings overpower it. Try cropping around your subject so it clearly becomes the focus and not your background. Cut out all unnecessary details to keep keep the viewer's attention focused on the subject. Image by Hien Nguyen.
Experimentation The most important tip is to have fun and experiment with your photo composition. Digital photography allows us to experiment with different compositions until we find the perfect one. Image by Jule Berlin.