Points, lines, and planes

Inquiry Based Lesson Plan

Inquiry : How do you use points, lines, and planes to create a successful design?

Subject: Understanding 2-D Design

Week 1, Day 1-3.25

Sophomore to Junior Level Art Elective

Graphic Design Basics

Concept: How every 2-Dimensional Design can be broken down into 3 simple elements (points, lines, and planes)

Learning Goal: Students become able to see 2-D Designs for their visual compositions and how these ideas can be applied to the world around them. Design is everywhere! Additionally, they will understand how points, lines, and planes can be used to express themes or emotions

3 Class Periods

15 Students per class

Explain how this lesson incorporates the principles of inquiry-based learning.
- Students will inquire about what makes design interesting in the world around them and how a design can be broken down to points, lines, and planes. They will use these activities to change the way they view design and apply it to the world around them.

Explain how this particular day in the unit advances the inquiry.
- Students will participate in an activity to find design around them and break down those designs in a photo to points, lines, and planes.

II. Standards

9.1.8.B. Recognize, know, use and demonstrate a variety of appropriate arts elements and principles to produce, review and revise original works in the arts.

9.1.8.C. Identify and use comprehensive vocabulary within each of the arts forms.

Materials:

PowerPoint presentation prepared by me

Students’ personal devices(cell phones)

Computer with Adobe Illustrator

Essential Question

In what ways can you use points, lines, and planes in design?

General Aims

I want my students to understand/recognize/appreciate, etc. that…

Design is all around them
Much of their surroundings has been intentionally designed
Points, lines, and planes are the building blocks of design
Points, lines, and planes can be used to express moods and themes

Specific Aims

Introduction to Logo Culminating Assignment
- Introduction presentation & handout
- Students brainstorm company type they want to create a logo for
- Start sketching

Procedures:

Assessment:

Introduction/Engagement/Motivation
1. I will start class by a showing students 5 different famous pieces of design. I will them ask them which ones use points, lines, and planes. The answer will be all of them.
2. I will then start a presentation defining key terms of the lesson(points, lines, planes, locus.) I will explain how these elements are the building blocks of every design.
3. I will then ask student some of their favorite company logos. We will look at those logos as a class and I will ask the following questions
  1. What do you like about this logo?
  2. What makes it stand out?
  3. Can you identify the use of points, lines, and planes?

d. See Activity #1

e. Explain assessment assignment, Give them class time to work

Key Questions - See key questions throughout this assignment

Activities
1. Activity #1: Perspective Pictures
2. Students will be assigned to take at least 10 interesting pictures that exhibit points, lines, and planes.
3. I will start with an example of the sorts of images they are to capture,
4. I will then give them 5 minutes to go around the room to do a practice run. They will be permitted to pull put their phones to take pictures.
5. For homework, Students will have to go around their homes looking closely at the details. They will have to changing their perspective to find interesting areas to photograph and crop to create an image they feel represents the use of points lines and planes around them. Images should be:
6. Intentional
7. Contain interesting composition
8. Unidentifiable Subject matter meaning the students did not photograph an object, but the points, lines, and planes the objects display
9. Additionally, they are to edit their photos and write a reflection of this assignment answering the following questions
10. Did you find this assignment easy or difficult? Explain.
11. How does this change your perspective on design in the world around you? If it did not, explain your reasoning?
12. Why do you think I had you do this assignment?
13. They will submit the photos and reflection through a classroom DropBox.

Activity #2 - Assessment

Students will use Adobe Illustrator to create a design using mainly points, lines, and planes in black in white. This image will have to convey one of the words on the following list:

Angry, Happy, Renewal, Anxious, Hopeful, Scared, Calm, Irritation, Tired, Comforting, Loud, Discomfort, Optimism, Energized, Regret, Fear, Peace

Or another word approved by me.

Students will have the opportunity research imagery and pre-existing pieces of art that portray these moods. These pieces will be cited in their artist statements.

Perimeters for this assignment include:

- Black and White

- 8.5x11” sized file

- Written artist statement explaining design and their use of points, lines, and planes within the design(Approximately 1 page typed)

Student will have 1.5 class periods to complete this assessment.

At the beginning of day 4, students will give an informal presentation on their design explaining why they chose to do what they did.

Possible Modifications

Adaptations include:

Having students research images that exhibit the use of points, line, and planes

Extensions include:

Having students take additional images where 2 of the elements may intersect. I.E. A line intersecting with a plain.
Research an artist whose work explicitly uses points, lines, and planes

Closure:

Each student will have an opportunity to print their Assessment design and hang it on a bulletin board and give a brief presentation explaining their design and how they believe they were successful.
I will then explain how we will be adding color to these designs in a future lesson
To wrap up, I will ask the Inquiry question(see pg. 1) to prompt a class discussion