Title of Lesson: Community Barrier Sculpture Created by: Diana Crespo-Munoz

Grade Level: Overview/Background

The Big Idea/theme for this unit is Place and Space.
High School: These lessons are about having students research and understand different issues happening in their community while learning how to use new
Proficient
materials.
In this lesson, students will learn about an issue that is happening in their community and challenge themselves to address that issue in a
sculpture form.
They will create a sculpture using the materials that are listed.
They will reflect on their work by writing a paragraph explaining their artwork.
They will be sharing their sculpture individually in small groups.

Materials Vocabulary:
Glue, scissors, tape, tissue paper, newspaper, acrylic paint, exacto (Art Sculpture Based): sculpture, symbolism, community, community issues,
knife, paintbrushes, cardboard, and any additional recyclable/ trash negative space, and form.
materials found in your community.

Resources

Contemporary Artists Presentation:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAF-s09wVxw/_0o6FmHy65kjK_4Cut6VDg/edit?utm_content=DAF-s09wVxw&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_m
edium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton
Paper Mache cover: https://youtu.be/-Uas0CAIal4?si=VhceQvKFoAdas1TV
Cardboard sculpture techniques: https://youtu.be/mlOabQ1_98I?si=D6BYlp5ljNCqeKuY
How to make a cardboard sculpture: https://youtu.be/kK-SGFdbNGA?si=6EQ5kYnAfK7cHIOC
Contemporary Artists that will be shown:
Minerva Cuevas “Bridging Borders” Video: https://art21.org/watch/extended-play/minerva-cuevas-bridging-borders-short/
Minerva Cuevas Biography and Artwork Website: https://www.kurimanzutto.com/artists/minerva-cuevas#tab:slideshow;slide:5

Marie Watt's Article: https://museum.cornell.edu/exhibition/storywork-the-prints-of-marie-watt/

Marie Watt’s Website: https://mariewattstudio.com/
Barbara Horiuchi Website: https://www.brhoriuchi.com/

Procedures

Introduction/Inspiration
Step One: Start by having students bring in a picture or object that represents a place in their community that they like.
Step Two: Encourage students to share that picture or object with the class by having them explain why they like that particular place in their
community.
Step Three: Explain the reason why the students were required to do that exercise by introducing the Content/Big Idea in which they will be
creating a sculpture demonstrating a community issue.
Step Four: Afterwards, the teacher will show the class Minerva Cuevas's “Bridging Borders Video” to the class and have students take notes about
that video in their sketchbooks.
Step Five: Afterwards, have students read Marie Watt's article and have them take notes about the article in their sketchbook.
Step Six: Once the presentation is over, give students some time to look over their notes and highlight 3 new pieces of information they learned
about the artists and/or issues that the artists explore in their artwork.
Step Seven: In small groups, have students share with their classmates the 3 new pieces of information they learned.
Step Eight: Afterwards, ask the whole class to just think about a possible issue happening in their community they would like to challenge or
explore in their Community Barrier Sculpture.

Brainstorm/Generate Ideas
Prof.VA: Cr1.1: Use multiple approaches to begin creative endeavors.
Step One: Have students create a “Community Tree Map” by drawing a tree with branches and roots in their sketchbook and placing the name of
their city at the center.
Step Two: For the branches, have students write down 2-3 things they like about their community. (Ex: parks, artwork, different cultural foods,
your favorite places, etc.)
Step Three: For the trunk, have students write down 2-3 things that they feel their community can improve in. (Ex: Having more public
transportation, community parks, community artwork, murals, bus stops, etc.)
Step Four: For the roots, have students write down 2-3 issues happening in their community. (Ex. homelessness, food insecurity, pollution in the
streets, drug abuse, water pollution, gender inequity, lack of mental health care, etc.)
Step Five: Have students focus on the root section of the “Community Tree Map” and select 1 issue that is happening in their community that they
would like to explore and challenge in their project.
Step Six: Once students have selected their issue, have them get a computer or go around their community if safe so they can research and
understand how this issue affects and creates a barrier in their community.
Step Seven: Have students print or take 1 photo of this issue from their community and glue it to their sketchbook as a visual since it will help
them during their sketching process.
Step Eight: Afterwards, have students create 2-3 sketches in their sketchbook of how they would like to visually communicate this issue in their
sculpture. Make sure to remind students that they need to think of ways how they will include symbolism, negative space, and form in their
sculpture too.
Step Nine: Place students in groups of 2-3 students and have them share their sketches, their community issue, and the research they discover.
Step Ten: Afterwards, students should provide each other with feedback on their sketches and provide each other with ideas on the possible
materials they can use to make their sculptures.
Step Twelve: After the group discussion, students will then select which sketch they would like to create for their sculpture project.

Demonstration
Step One: The teacher will introduce the “Contemporary Artists” PowerPoint presentation in which students will learn about 3 different artists and
their sculpture work on how they challenge current social and political issues within their sculptures. (Contemporary Artists that will be shown:
Minerva Cuevas, Marie Watt, and Barbara Horiuchi)
Step Two: After the PowerPoint presentation, the teacher will show additional artwork about these 3 main artists using the website listed.
Step Three: After showing additional work, the teacher will begin to create a community barrier sculpture to show the class how to use the
materials to create their sculpture by showing videos from the resource section.
Step Four: The teacher will begin by talking to students about their city community issue they will visually communicate through their sculpture
through symbolism.
Step Five: The teacher will talk about the required material they need to use in their sculpture which is glue or tape, an Exacto knife, tissue paper
or newspaper, and acrylic paint. Along with talking about the safety of using an exacto knife.
Step Six: Then, the teacher will begin talking about ideas of possible recyclable/trash materials students can use that can be found in the
community that students can use in their sculpture such as plastic bottles, plastic materials, egg cartons, metal, leaves, sticks, pizza boxes, etc.
Step Seven: The teacher will begin to show the different ways students can use cardboard to create the form by showing the students how to
bend, overlap, and cut the cardboard.
Step Eight: The teacher will show the class the different ways they can create form and negative space with the cardboard.
Step Nine: Afterwards, the teacher will give a demo on the mixture of glue and water.
Step Ten: The teacher will then cut up pieces of newspaper and tissue paper too to dip them in the mixture and cover the areas of the sculpture
that need to be covered with a paintbrush.
Step Eleven: Afterwards, the teacher will paint the sculpture and show the final piece to students.
Step Twelve: At the end, the teacher will go over the procedures and rules students need to follow to clean up after themselves.

Process
Prof. VA: Cr1.2:Shape an artistic investigation of an aspect of present-day life using a contemporary practice of the art of design
Step One: The student will gather their ideas through research, brainstorming, and peer discussion for their sculpture
Step Two: Students will be consulting with the teacher for feedback about their ideas and sketches.
Step Three: The students will get approved by the teacher to start creating their sculpture using cardboard and an exacto knife which will be
checked out at the teacher's desk.
Step Four: Students will ask for help and consult with the teacher about the form and negative space of their sculpture in which the teacher will
help students in any areas of difficulty.
Step Five: Once students have the form and negative space of their sculpture, they can begin to create the glue mixture and choose the paper of
their choice.
Step Six: Students will then begin the process of covering their sculpture with their choice of tissue paper or newspaper.
Step Seven: Students will allow the required time they need to dry each side of their sculpture once they finish covering it with newspaper or
tissue paper.
Step Eight: Students using Newspaper will then apply paint to their sculpture.
Step Nine: Student using tissue paper can begin working on the one-paragraph reflection of their sculpture.
Step Ten: After all students have finished their sculpture, they will be given a few minutes to write their one-paragraph reflection paper about
their sculpture.
Step Eleven: Once all students have finished their reflections, they will need to place their sculptures at the center of their table for a gallery
walk.
Step Twelve: At the end, the teacher will then split students into small groups so they can present their sculpture

Reflect
Prof.VA:Pr6: Analyze and describe the impact that an exhibition or collection has on personal awareness of social, cultural, or political beliefs and
understandings.
Step One: All students will write a one-paragraph reflection describing their community issue and how they visually communicate that issue in
their sculpture through symbolism.
Step Two: Once all students finish writing their paragraph, they will get up and do a gallery walk around the classroom to look at each of their
classmates' sculptures.
Step Three: Once they are seated, the teacher will give each student a number 1-5 which will be their small group number.
Step Four: All student will then need to get up and find the table number and group that is the same as their number.
Step Five: Once all students have found their small group number they will individually present their sculpture to their group.
Step Six: Each student must present their sculpture and the community issue that they decided to address along with the materials they decided
to use.
Step Seven: Each group should be given a few minutes to ask any questions or give any feedback to their classmates after they have presented.
Step Eight: Once each group has finished presenting, the class will then come together and the teacher will then take any volunteers who wish to
share their “Community Barrier Sculpture” with the whole class.

Clean up
Step One: Students will have 10 minutes before the bell rings to clean up and put away their sculptures.
Step Two: Students will begin by placing their sculptures on a drying table in the back of the classroom for drying.
Step Three: Students will be required to wash their brushes and paint pallets by putting them away to dry.
 Step Four: All students are required to give back the exacto knives to the teacher to put away once collected.
Step Five: Students will need to either throw away any or cover their mixture of glue and place it in the back of the classroom.
Step Six: Students are required to either throw away or put away their unused tissue paper or newspaper back in the cabinets.
Step Seven: All students are required to wipe down their tables with a wet wipe to get all glue and paint off their tables.
Step Eight: Sweeping will be assigned to two students who volunteer to pick up all paper that has fallen from their tables.
Step Nine: Once students are finishing cleaning up they should remain seated until the dismissal bell rings.

Art Processes Objectives Standards (# and sentence) Assessments (Formative and/or Summative)

Creating Students will generate ideas about issues
affecting their community by learning about
contemporary artists.
Students will create a sculpture that focuses on
addressing an issue that affects their
community by using symbolism to visually
communicate that idea.
Prof. VA : Cr1.2 Formative:
Shape an artistic investigation of an aspect of Researching, brainstorming, photographing, and
present-day life using a contemporary practice of sketching different sculpture ideas.
art of design.
Summative:
Prof.VA: Cr1.1 Create a sculpture using the materials listed.
Use multiple approaches to begin creative
endeavors.

Subject Objectives Standards (# and sentence) Assessments

English Students will write a paragraph on how they 2. Write informative/ explanatory text to examine Formative:
Language Arts: visually communicated and used symbolism to and convey complex ideas, concepts, and Will be writing a paragraph.
WRITING or address their community issue in their information clearly and accurately through the
SPEAKING & sculpture. effective selection, organization, and analysis of Summative:
LISTENING
content Write a well-detailed paragraph discussing the
community issue they visually communicated in
their sculpture.
English Students will present their sculptures in small C. Production (Creating oral presentations and Formative:
 Language groups and talk about the community issue written texts): 9. Expressing information and ideas Present their final and finished artwork.
Development they addressed. in an oral presentation
(ELD) Summative:
Small group presentation sharing their
community issues, significance, and the process
of their sculpture.