Obsession Unit Plan

6th Grade
Melissa Gerhart
Unit Title: Obsessions
Grade/ Class:
My unit plan focuses on 6th grade. This class lasts 50 minutes and meets every day.
Students at this school might be transferring in from different elementary schools, which
creates a diverse group of students who are at different places learning about art. I will
work hard to not assume that all of my students are at the same level developmentally
which means I need to give adequate instructions to those who may be behind. These
assignments are very appropriate for this age level of students because most of the
objectives of the lessons meet the Missouri GLEs for 6th grade students. This is also
appropriate because students at this age are discovering who they are, what they are
interested in, and how obsessions affect the student personally and in society. I will work
collaboratively with the special education instructors to make accommodations that best
suit each student who might need special adaptations.
Goals/ Rationale:
For the 6th grade unit plan, I think it is very important to address obsessions in our
society. We live in a time where society obsesses over music, celebrities, social media, and
the like. Everyone has obsessions at one point or another. All of these obsessions have an
impact on our culture and says a lot about what we value. I believe it is important that
students recognize the impact of our obsessions. This lesson will help students to explore
the ideas and objects they are obsessed with which will help students understand a lot
about themselves and what they value. I also want to teach these lessons to introduce the
idea of material obsessions being fads that only last short periods of time. Part of my unit is
designed to push students to think about the effect that time has on obsessions. Another
part of my unit focuses on how reproduction and printing allows for mass production,
which has an impact on obsessions. In a different part of my unit students will explore
monuments and honor of important cultural objects of ancient Greek culture. I hope
students will compare the cultures in terms of what we value and honor. Also, I want to
teach this lesson because often obsession and interest lead students and artists to art
making. Often, art is created from a recurring idea, or an obsession. I hope these lessons
will help students find what they are passionate about in their artwork.
Enduring Ideas:
Throughout time and across cultures, artists use obsessions of their own for
inspiration of art.
Throughout time and across cultures, artist explore their recurring obsessions.
Throughout time and across cultures, artists explore obsessions in society and their
culture.
Throughout time and across cultures, artists think about the effects of time.

Throughout time and across cultures, artists create monuments to honor

obsessions.

Essential Questions:
What does your obsessions say about what you value?
What does obsession in our society say about what we value?
Are obsessions usually fads? If so, why?
How have artists historically used obsessions in their art?
How is obsession used in art?
What does the materials/production of the art say about the obsession?
How can the materials/production alter the message about obsession?
How can obsessions be positive or negative?
How do artists honor obsessions?
Students are investigating obsession in the culture they are living in. Students will
discover that the ideas they obsess with tells a lot about what they value and are interested
in. They will be investigating how time and reproduction effects their obsessions. They will
discover that obsessions can be effected by time and can be fads, but can also be relative
obsessions years later. In terms of reproduction, they will discover that printmaking allows
for mass production which makes these obsessions readily available to everyone in their
culture. Also, students will be investigating obsessions as monuments of their society. They
will discover that that artist use obsessions of their culture to create art that honors
important ideas in their society.
Key Concepts:
We are living in a world full of obsessions.
Time effects our obsessions.
Artists often work with their own obsessions for inspirations.
Constraints:
Inevitably, in both levels of instruction, time will a constraint. In order to deal with
this I will need to plan head and adjust accordingly. If something is taking longer than
thought, I will need to extend the time. If the entire unit becomes longer than planned, I
need to let it be as long as meaningful art making is still being produced. Budget could also
be a restraint for me, depending on the budget of the school.
For the 6th grade lessons, I will need access to iPads, printers, and computers for
resources. This could be a constraint if my school does not have these things available for
my class. I might have to borrow some from the library, ask students to bring their own, or
go to the computer lab for the day of research.
Another constraint I may have with the 6th graders is access to a kiln for their statue
project. Hopefully, my school has access to one, but if not I can let them air dry or use a
different material for the project. Because we will paint them, maybe a kiln is not
necessary.
For 6th graders, a constraint with printmaking might be the danger involved. I can
overcome this by purchasing safe tools, easy carve blocks, and most of all having the

students earn a safety card for the tools. I think this would be a good way for students to
prove that they can be safe with the sharp tools.
Cross Curricular Opportunities:
Overall, my unit plan can be connected to history/social studies, science/ earth
science, and literature/English. In my first lesson, we are creating a book based off Maira
Kalmans book My Favorite Things. This connects art and illustration to literature and
books. Students will create their own book including text, which connects to English and
literature. In my second lesson, the students are creating images to put in a time capsule.
Students will be asked to thing about what how the images might be altered if they are not
stored properly when buried under ground. The last lesson definitely connects to history
and social studies as it studies the culture of ancient Greece. The entire unit is reflecting on
obsessions in society and our culture, which relates to current issues and social studies.
Opportunities for Art:
Students will be able to view art at the caste gallery at Mizzou North. Here students
will view art from a historical perspective as well as viewing images from the projector in
class. This discussion will happen before we start the third lesson project. We will discuss
the ancient Greek sculptures and monument in comparison/ contrast to the monuments
the students make. This discussion will be as a class after the monument is finished.
During the second lesson, students will have the chance to VTS. This will help
students view art form a critical and interactive view point. The VTS will encourage
students to look deeply into the art and question what they are seeing and what makes
them think that.
Also, at the end of every lesson project, students will have a chance to share what
they created and discuss it with the class. This is always optional for students in case they
dont feel comfortable sharing everything to the entire class. The students peers may ask
questions and make constructive comments.
Assessment Strategies:
I will have evidence on what my students know and are able to do physically by
their final creations. I will be able to see the craftsmanship and time spent on their projects
by evaluating the book, prints and postcard, and monument. The end projects will be
evidence of student learning craft wise. Here I will evaluate performance of students in
their projects.
Other ways I will be able to see evidence of learning by my students is their
journals/ sketchbooks. Periodically in my unit I ask the students to reflect and respond to
ideas and questions I pose to them. I will be able to see critical thinking in these formative
answers. Although I am not asking for formal answers here, I will understand why my
students are thinking at the time in terms of their art and ideas. This informal question and
answers will help me see if the students are thinking critically.
Another way I will have evidence of learning is through artist statements. On the last
project I ask the students to reflect on their piece and create an artist statement that
expresses those thoughts about obsession.
At the end of the unit, students are asked to create a gallery exhibition where they
will curate a show. The entire class will enter their monuments and they are also able to

enter other pieces done in this unit. An artist statement must accompany all of the pieces.
The entire class will be asked to collaborate and make a show to exhibit their art to the
school. They will set up a time, place, set up, and make decisions similar to what a curator
would do. Also the class will be asked to make a summary of the exhibit to display at the
show. Students will need to advertise and promote their show around school and at home.
This is show me that students are thinking like a serious artist who would be displaying
their art is galleries and in shows.
Unit Evaluation and Assessment:
I will know this unit was a success by assessing the students on their finished pieces,
their reflections, and also their gallery walk. In my opinion, success looks like deep
thinking, which is not always measureable. I will be able to see success by reading the
reflections and prompt answers of my students to see how they grew during the process.
Another way I will know if my unit plan was a success is by having discussions with my
students about their pieces of art. Also, I will give students and expectation sheet, which
they will self-grade themselves on and answer a few questions about their finished pieces.
This will be a summative assessment that will let me see what the students are still
thinking about.