Lesson Plans for: Learning Lens

• • Human and Machine

  • Students will investigate the complex relationship
    between human and machine. Students will be
    asked to evaluate where the source of value and
    self worth is derived from.

• • Power and Position

  • Students are encouraged to explore the notion of
    power and position as it is represented in Etrog’s
    machine-like images of King and Queen. Students
    will be asked to evaluate and re-evaluate the
    interplay of power and position in their learning
    environment and their own lives.

• • Heart, Mind and Body

  •   In this lesson students are encouraged to explore
      the disconnect between heart, mind and body in
      our society.  As demonstrated in the Walking
      Figures sculptures, individuals use their bodies to
      transport themselves through the environment
      without necessarily connecting their mind or heart to the
      experience.
      With the placement of these sculptures adjacent to a busy rapid
      transit station, it allows the viewer an excellent opportunity to note
      this disconnect of heart, mind, and body in real life.

• • Drawing Inspiration from our Environment

  •   Drawing inspiration from Yvonne Domenge’s
      Sculpture Wind Waves, students are encouraged
      to explore the endless possibilities within their
     natural world. With a focus on winds and waves, students are introduced to the concept that Earths’ Natural Cycles are in constant flux, balancing and regulating its atmosphere. From this entry point, students are asked to contemplate how natures’ activities can inspire our man-made environment. This lesson provides connections to various cross-disciplinary curriculums.

• • Pivotal Perspectives

  •    In this lesson students are encouraged to explore how
       Javier Marín’s giant artistic heads- a Head of Cordoba,
       Vainilla, and Chiapas, can represent the multiple
       perspectives that human beings can bring towards a
       subject- be it history or art.

     

• • Consuming Our Environment

  •   In this lesson students are encouraged to
      think about nostalgic artifacts and needed
      possessions through an environmental lens.

• • A Place to Rest My Head

  • 

        In this leeson the students are encouraged to explore
        the causes and consequences of homelessness and
        housing in an urban setting.

• • Where Minds Meet

  •    In this lesson students are encouraged to explore
       forms and structures of communication and learning.
       The act of coming together and assembling people
       to discuss business, social or other purposes occurs
       frequently. These arrangements can range from the most formalist
       of meetings, incorporating structured rules, to an exchange of ideas
       over a cup of tea and biscuits. The circle formation and equanimity
       of the figures is particularly prominent.

• • Go, Go, Stop!

  •   In this lesson students are encouraged to
      think about taking the time to stop throughout
      their daily routines and appreciate their gifts
      and surroundings. The act of stopping breaks
      the cycle of reaction and opens choices as an option.

      What is the BIG IDEA about "The Stop"? [View Video]

• • How Do We Create “Art”?

  •    In this lesson students are encouraged to
       explore unconventional materials and styles
       when developing visual art. As demonstrated
       in Hema Upadhyay’s matchstick art piece,
       students are prompted to re-evaluate artistic materials and
       the process of artistic expression.
    
    
    

• • Making the Ordinary Extraordinary

  •    In this lesson students are encouraged to
       explore how meaning is made within their
       immediate environment. After viewing the
       artwork, utilizing their surroundings (signs,
       objects, and advertising) students are encouraged to create
       meaning and poems from found words, phrases, and whole
       passages. What is the BIG IDEAS about "Echoes"? [View Video]

• • Equilibrium Unbalanced

  •    In this lesson students will investigate connections
       between political or social commentary and public art.

       What is the BIG IDEA about "Miss Mao"? [View Video]

• • Relating Materials and Product Mathematically

  •    In this piece the artist uses materials to create
       different shapes and forms. Referencing the
       artists work, math teachers have created curriculum
       challenges that incorporates art and calculation.
    

• • Practicing Mindfulness Anywhere

  •    Life can be difficult for youth. They are interpreting
       their world and making sense of their identity. Along
       with this process often comes heightened emotions
       and the pressure to respond. Practicing mindfulness
       is one tool that can help individuals center themselves and
       balance emotional wellness. In this lesson, students are
       encouraged to engage with Zhan Wang’s Artificial Rock #143 and
       reflect on creating an understanding around social-emotional
      wellness that fits their lives.

• • The Gravity of the Situation

  •     In this lesson students are encouraged to explore
       Jun Ren’s Water Series and his approach towards
       humans evaluating nature. In this activity students
       will develop a firsthand understanding of the Laws
       of Gravity and gravity’s physical influence on actions and reactions.

     

• • Building Healthy Relationships

  •    We develop many relationships throughout our
       lives, whether they are between family, friends to
       dating partners. In this lesson, students are
       encouraged to think about the elements that compose
       healthy relationships.
    

• • Respecting our Environment and Fostering Equilibrium

  •    Many believe that nature and life led by mankind
       are interconnected. At times, a sustainable balance
       between our eco-systems and human development
       are in conflict and a sustainable balance can be
       challenging to achieve. This piece challenges students to
       consider how they can respect their natural environments and 
       foster equilibrium.

• • Censoring Expressions

  •    Censorship is all pervasive and all encompassing. 
       Censorship may be deliberately imposed or tainted
       through media, economic, political, cultural, religious
       or other forces, and thus denies voice and
       understanding. Censorship is also a closure in listening; pre-formed
       ideas that block information being received and a clear vision of
       what is. Artists have always struggled to overcome censorship on
       multiple levels, often by directing communication at the
      emotional/feeling side of human experience.
     What is the BIG IDEA about "A-Maze-ing Laughter"? [View Video]

• • Re-evaluating the Immigrant Experience

  •    In this lesson students are encouraged to explore
       the challenges related to immigration and settlement.
       They will develop an understanding of how the
       process of immigration affects students within their
       school and people within their community. The learning outcome
       is to develop and practice empathy towards their peers.

       What is the BIG IDEA about "We, 2008"? [View Video]