Cities in the Classroom - Mary Zigman

Lesson Plan Title: Public Art in the City

 

Overview:  In learning about local government, students will have the opportunity to explore the city, make connections between what they see on the streets with local government. 

Objectives:

Students will be observe and describe the public art they see on a tour of Sarasota City Streets. 

Students will be able to explain how the art gets to the street and the governing ordinances that fund public art. 

Students will reflect on the process. 

Students will create a piece of public art for school grounds and write a proposal.

Time:

2 days

Terms:

  • Public Art
  • Ordinances
  • Public Art Advisory Board
  • Allocation
  • Proposal
  • Aesthetics

 

Strategies

  • Class Trip / Tour of City public Art
  • Presentation by City Official
  • Cooperative Learning
  • Independent Work

Materials

  • School bus
  • City public art guide
  • Art materials
  • Proposal Guidelines

Activities:

  1. On a class trip students will take a walking tour of Sarasota City public art in close proximity to city hall.  During this time, they will make observations on at least four pieces of art:
  • Write the title/artist
  • Describe the piece of art.
  • What do you think the artist was trying to convey?
  • What is your reaction to this piece of art?
  • Take a picture of the art or make a brief simple sketch.


    2.  Students will then meet at city hall with Dr. Smith who is in charge of city art.  He will describe the process by which art is funded through the city and how art is chosen.  Students will record this information and compile it into a booklet along with their observations (sketches, pictures, reactions) on four pieces of city art.

   3. Students will be asked to write a short reflection on the process of gaining public art and will be asked to make suggestions or recommendations on the process.

   4. Finally, students will be required to submit a proposal for their own piece of public to be installed on the school campus.  All students will be encouraged to complete the art discussed on their proposal.

   5. Closure will include circle time discussion of the art, review of the vocabulary used by the city officials, and small group planning for the proposal.  Students will then mimic the process used by city government to approve art to choose the student artwork to be installed.

Assessments:

  1. Finished booklet on the class trip.
  2. Art proposal.
  3. Reflection on the process by which art is installed in the city.