GIVING STUDENTS CHOICE WITHOUT LOSING CONTROL
“Multiple Mediums at Once”
Kati Cook
Kati Cook
Teacher: 20 years
Content Teacher: 6 years
Art Teacher: 14 years
Choice Based Art Teacher: 12 years… in the midst of 13
Personal Email: Imkati.3@gmail.com
School Email: cook.kati@wgmail.org
Twitter: Kati Cook @Cooks_Class
Facebook: Choice Based Art @KatiCookArtTeacher
The Plan
Introduction
Projects for KDG thru 2nd
Gradual Release of 2nd
Skill Days
How I Teach Choice
The Major Documents
Questions and Concerns
Why I Started Teaching Choice Based Art
Why do we teach students art?
To learn how to be creative
To learn to problem solve
To learn an outlet for expressing feelings
To gain an understanding of world culture
To gain an appreciation for imagery
To learn to be patient
100% Differentiation
Below level students are able to choose 2 grade levels below
Advanced students are able to work 2 grade levels above
Average artists are able to work at grade level
Two 6th Grade Students in the same class
How I Teach Choice Based Art
The Book
126 art projects to choose from
Leveled 1-8
15+ Mediums
Diverse List of Artists for Student Discovery
My Documents
Front two pages of Binder for Lesson Planning
Choice Based Binder Template
Project Tracker and Rubric
8 Studio Habits, Tracker, and Rubric
Artistic Process
Assessment and Rubric
Rough Draft & Accountability Sheets
3rd Grade Skill Days
Font and Typeface
Overlapping Succulents
Texture Sheet Activity
Color Wheel Colored Pencil
Landscape with 1 Point Perspective
Figure Drawing
4th Grade Skill Days
Font and Typeface
Shading Forms
Paint Mixing Review- color wheel, tints and shades
Review of Figure Drawing
Directive Drawing Landscape
5th Grade Skill Days
Adding Detail – Tree Video
1-Point Perspective Shapes
Color Mixing Review Pastels
Shading Forms
Directive Drawing Farmhouse
Writing an Artist Statement
Project 1
DRAWING PROJECT
PRE-ASSESS BEGINNING OF YEAR
MINIMAL SUPPLIES
PRACTICE THE PROCESS
PROJECT 2
PAINTING, COLLAGE OR FABRICS
NEW MEDIUMS
FEW MORE SUPPLIES
MORE MOVEMENT
PROJECT 3
SCULPTURE, PHOTOGRAPHY, OR DIGITAL ART
ALL MEDIUMS
ALL SUPPLIES
LOTS OF MOVEMENT
PROJECT 4+
ANY PROJECT WITHIN THE LEVELS
CHOOSE DIFFERENT PROJECTS EACH TIME
THESE STUDENTS ARE MORE SELF-SUFFICIENT
But how can I teach them if I am not teaching lessons
Teaching without teaching (cont)
20 Different Projects at Once
Grade School
You teach grade schoolers the skills they need over the years and they remember them
When students have choice, they are more engaged
If they pick a project requiring a skill they haven’t learned, teach them the skill
If a group of students all want to move to a “new skill” project, stop and give a mini lesson.
Management Cont.
Middle School / Jr. High
At this age, many students have already decided if they like or dislike art
When students choose the project, it is something they WANT to do
While your “on level” to “advanced” students are working independently, you are working 1 on 1 with other students who may need help
One Day in Art Class — January 27, 2023
Another day in class
September 13, 2019
ORGANIZATION
Be as organized as you can possibly be
ORGANIZATION CONT.
ANY QUESTIONS???
The “Buts”
But I have to have a lesson plan with standards
Each project has an outline. Each outline has Learning Targets, GLEs, Vocabulary, Possible Materials, Skills, Background Knowledge/Artist, Instructions, and Guidelines for Assessment.
The Choice Art Unit Plan is a basic plan for your day to day, this covers all projects and each day of work.
But I love to do this particular project
Add it to the binder and teach it when a student chooses it.
If students aren’t choosing the project, you probably like it more than they did.
If it teaches a major skill, save it for a skill day.
But students aren’t learning about all the famous artists
Why do they need to know all the famous artists?
We are teaching creativity, not compliance!!!
The binder outlines refer students to a variety of artists to research.
Our students are learning to be their own artist.
But I don’t have a ton of space in my room
Do choices by mediums, one medium at a time (a few weeks of watercolor, then a few weeks of oil pastel, etc.).
Students choose the content of their art and the style in which to create it.
But how do the students choose projects
The Binder/Book- I print 2 copies of the binder to have in class for students to look through
Google Drive- All class documents are accessible to all students online
Updating Documents- Each time projects are updated they are uploaded to Drive
But I can’t afford all the supplies for all the projects
Buy your normal amount of supplies… students will learn “first come first serve.”
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (Magazines, newspapers, caps, corks, cardboard, wood scraps, etc.)
When students choose, they are more invested and they waste less materials.
If a supply is hard to come by, only post that project when you have an abundance.
Choice Class Rules
Be a person of integrity
Respect yourself and others
Come to class prepared to work
Be as creative as YOU can be– Even if your duck looks like a shoe own it!!!
Have fun!!!
THE WORLD OF DUCK SHOE