Re-Envisioning Our Environment—A Photo Project

The AP US History students at Wood River High School will be creating digital photographs which include the caricature they design.

The goal of this project is for students to communicate their ideas on the impact of human growth and expansion on the environment. Students will be introduced to the work of Hombre McSteez (aka Marty Cooper). Students will also be introduced to caricature drawing and photography composition tips. Students will create their caricature and hold it up so it is included in their photograph, just like Hombre McSteez. Students will select and edit their chosen photograph and upload it. Students will title their work and write an artist statement. Photographs will be printed and displayed in a gallery walk.

Objectives:

• Students will communicate their ideas on human growth and expansion in the local environment.
• Students will learn how to caricature drawing communicates ideas.
• Students will learn composition strategies for taking a good photograph.
• Students will write a three-to-four sentence statement about their artwork.

Basic Lesson Outline:

• Introduce the project and share show slideshow
• Introduction to caricature drawing
• Students practice establishing their caricature
• Introduction to photography composition strategies
• Create caricature drawing on a transparency sheet
• Edit and upload photographs
• Students title their work and write their artist statement
• Students display their work and artist statement, give feedback and discuss 

Art Supplies:

• sketching paper
• pencils
• erasers
• transparency paper
• sharpies
• white paint pens/Whiteout

Other Resources:

• Slideshow to introduce project, related artwork and concepts

Idaho State Learning Standards:

Arts and Humanities: Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work

• VA:Cr1.1.2.la: Shape an artistic investigation of an aspect of present-day life using a contemporary practice of art or design.

 Arts and Humanities: Anchor Standard 2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.

• VA:Cr2.1.lla Through experimentation, practice, and persistence, demonstrate acquisition of skills and knowledge in a chosen art form.

Arts and Humanities: Anchor Standard 3: Refine and complete artistic work.

• VA:Cr2.3.lla: Redesign an object, system, place, or design in response to contemporary issues.

AP US History Learning Objectives: I can…

• Define Wilderness
• Explain how and why migration and immigration to and within North America caused competition and conflict over time. (Thematic Focus: Migration and Settlement)
• Explain how geographic and environmental factors shaped the development of various communities, and analyze how competition for and debates over natural resources have affected both interactions among different groups and the development of government policies.
• Explain how our understanding of "wilderness" has changed over time.

Academic Language:

• Subject area language: wilderness, preservation, conservation, transcendentalism
• Art Language: caricature, composition, line, value, space, rule of thirds, diagonal

Student Use of Vocabulary:

Students will use the words when creating their caricature drawings and taking photographs, when writing about their work, and when discussing their projects.

Student Grouping:

Students will work independently.