VISUAL ART LEARNING SEGMENT PLAN TEMPLATE

Lesson Title: Printmaking and Activism

Age Group: grades 9-12

ENDURING CONCEPTS & GOALS FOR THE LEARNING SEGMENT

Enduring Understanding & Rationale (What do you want students to understand through this learning segment? Why is it
relevant?)
Students will look at the role visual art plays in activism. They will learn about what methods of creating are best
for activist work and explore screen printing as one of those options. Students will gain an understanding of how to
develop a print that shares a clear, direct message with viewers.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES & VISUAL ART STANDARDS

National Core Art Standards Learning Objectives
(list grade level specific number and text) (Aligned with 4 core Artistic Processes identified in NCAS: Creating, Responding,
Presenting, & Connecting)
VA:Cr1 Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and
work.
Students will be able to design a print with a clear message addressing a
● 1.1 I can visualize and hypothesize to
generate plans for ideas and directions community issue/topic.
for creating art and design that can
affect social change. (Ad)

VA:Cr3 Refine and complete artistic work.

Students will be able to edit their designs after receiving feedback from
● I can apply relevant criteria from
traditional and contemporary cultural instructors and peers on the effectiveness of their design.
contexts to examine, reflect on, and
plan revisions for works of art and
design in progress. (P)
VA:Re7 Perceive and analyze artistic work.
● 7.2 I can evaluate the effectiveness of
an image or images to influence ideas, Students will be able to determine whether or not the message of an artist is
feelings, and behaviors of specific clear and direct in their print.
audiences. (Ac)
VA:Re.8 Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
● I can interpret an artwork or collection
of works, supported by relevant and
sufficient evidence found in the work Students will be able to interpret their classmates’ prints by analyzing the
and its various contexts. (P) imagery, symbolism, and text in their work.
VA:Cn11 Relate artistic ideas and works with societal,
cultural and historical context to deepen understanding.
● I can appraise the impact of an artist or
a group of artists on the beliefs, values,
Students will be able to understand the impact that visual art and artists play in
and behaviors of a society. (Ad) activism and societal change.
Assessments: How you will know students have met the learning objectives…
-Topic Research Guide
-Artwork Exploration Google Form
-Quick check-in questions throughout demonstration to check understanding of process
-Reflection questions on rubric
-Assessment of comments during critique
-Comparing thumbnail designs to final design and seeing how the changed it after receiving feedback

Lesson Overview: Scope & Sequence of your lessons to guide student learning…
INTRO PROJECT, Artwork Design Demo days, Artist statement Critique
Printmaking and Research and development: work days to development
Activism Presentation topic research, complete prints
Slideshow with small designing print,
groups thumbnail
sketching, full
scale drawing

PLANNING FOR INSTRUCTION

Activity #1- Introduction
Materials: Vocabulary:
● Screen Printing Intro - super quick, at the end
of class on a Friday to get them thinking over Screen Printing: printmaking process in which you force
the weekend ink onto a surface, through a stenciled screen of fine
● Printmaking and Activism Slideshow material to create a picture or pattern
● Artwork Research Google Form
● Chromebooks Activism: the policy or action of using vigorous
● Topic list campaigning to bring about political or social change.

Instruction Strategies & Learning Tasks

Introduction/Motivation (Review as needed) Demonstration/Modeling

-Discuss why printmaking is a great medium for -Introduce assignment, walk through websites with
activist art students so they know where to look on websites for
-Intro Justseeds and ABW the info they need

Independent Practice Review/Closure

-Students will go through two websites, find an -After everyone finishes their research, they will share
artwork that catches their eye, then fill out the Google their artwork in small groups and teach each other
Form to answer questions about their chosen work about the artwork and the topic it addresses.
-Encourage students to think about the prints they saw
today and what makes them interesting; try to use those
elements when designing their own prints
Teacher Self-assessment/Reflection: (To be completed following teaching)
Activity #2- Design Development
Materials: Vocabulary:
● topic research worksheet- students will complete
this once they choose a topic they want to explore Texture: the way a surface looks or feels
in their art
● designing print Powerpoint- tips for designing a Cliche: an idea, phrase, or image that is overused in
print instead of just turning a line drawing into and lacks original thought
a print
● Thumbnail Rubric - lays out expectations for Slogan: a short, memorable phrase often used in
what good thumbnail sketches look like and advertisements
include. This document is printed out and they
draw their thumbnails on the back Space (positive and negative): the area/space that an
● Pencils object fills, the area around that object
● Chromebooks
● 8.5x11 paper Mark-making (hatching, stippling): using your drawing
● Black permanent markers - regular and fine tool to create texture or value
point
● Photopea/Photoshop/Illustrator (optional- for
students that want to design digitally)
● Erasers
● Compasses, protractors, rulers, stencils, other
design tools students might need
● Transparency sheets
● Printer
● Light table

Instruction Strategies & Learning Tasks

Introduction/Motivation (Review as needed) Demonstration/Modeling

-Demonstrate how to separate a drawing into two

layers while keeping them lined up on the light table

Independent Practice Review/Closure

-Topic Research worksheet, then receive feedback
before starting thumbnails
-Thumbnail drawings, receive feedback before
starting full drawing
-Full-size 8.5x11 drawing

Teacher Self-assessment/Reflection: (To be completed following teaching)

Activity #3 - Screen printing process, work days

Materials: Vocabulary:
● Demonstration Notes - Demo notes so
students can refer to them when working Squeegee: tool used to spread ink across screen
 ● Daily Task Schedule - students will fill out Squeegee side (of screen): the “inside” of the screen
this schedule with what tasks they want/need that the squeegee touches
to accomplish each day, refer to process steps Print side (of screen): the “outside” of the screen that
while filling out touches your print/paper
● Screen Emulsion: a light-sensitive material used to coat
● Emulsion screens. After being exposed to light, the emulsion
● Spatula cures and hardens. Where the black design blocks the
● Scoop coater and/or credit card light, the emulsion doesn’t cure and will wash out with
● Design printed on transparency water, creating our stencil.
● Sink/water Screen filler: a liquid that can be applied to the screen
● Exposure unit like paint in order to fill holes and create stencil. In our
● Screen filler, paint brush class, we will be using it to touch up/fix the stencils we
● Squeegee create in the emulsion.
● Ink
● Transparent ink base
● Containers for mixing/storing ink
● Tape
● Printing Board (plywood, hinge clamps)
● Paper towel
● newsprint
● Paper/fabric for printing on
● Drying rack

Instruction Strategies & Learning Tasks

Introduction/Motivation (Review as needed) Demonstration/Modeling

These demonstrations will be done in small groups.

Because of the technicality of screen printing, I broke
the process down into 6 demos:

-Preparing and coating screen

-Exposing/washing screen

-Prepping workspace and screen for printing

-Printing and clean up

-Two-layer registration

Independent Practice Review/Closure

After viewing the first demo, students will start by
coating their screen with emulsion. Before moving on
to the next step, they’ll watch the next demonstration.
They’ll continue this until they finish all of their
prints

Teacher Self-assessment/Reflection: (To be completed following teaching)

Activity #4 Finishing - Matting, Artist Statement Development, Critique
Materials: Vocabulary:
● Black paper
● X-acto knives Critique Vocabulary - not vocabulary that we
● Metal rulers necessarily go over, but rather a resource so that they’re
● Pencils using art-related language during critique

● Chromebooks

● Google Slides Critique Presentation

● Critique Sentence Starters

Instruction Strategies & Learning Tasks

Introduction/Motivation (Review as needed) Demonstration/Modeling
Start by discussing the purpose of an artist statement
and how it can affect how people understand an -Demo matting process
artwork.

Independent Practice Review/Closure

-Mat print Students will present their prints to the class and share
-Write artist statement their artist statement. Each work will get ~4 minutes of
critique time to discuss the piece.

Teacher Self-assessment/Reflection: (To be completed following teaching)