Habitat 

For this lesson, students will consider how a background, habitat, or environment help emphasize the characteristics of an object in a piece of work.  While considering the anthropomorphic objects they created in the last lesson, students will create a personalized environment that will enhance the characteristics of their creature.  This will help students demonstrate how added details and an environment can completely change our understanding of something.  We will show a powerpoint that emphasizes the idea of changing environment as motivation.  Students will then construct (either individually or collaboratively) a 3D environment to place their creature in.  They will do this using gessoed cardboard constructed to be walls and a floor, and paint and mixed media to create the environment. ​

Enduring Understanding

​

• Artists make connections between their art and the world around them by observation.
  I can connect art to the world around me.
• Artists use intent and purpose to create art
  I can make decisions on what I want my art to mean.

Skills

• Students will be able to create 3D objects using mixed media
• Students will be able to write an artist statement describing and explaining their project

Literary Focus

Anthropomorphic/ artist statement 

Learning Targets

• Viewing contemporary artwork examples, students will be able to identify the emphasized characteristics created through the addition of a backgroung
  
• Using their sketchbooks, students will be able to generate ideas and a plan for creating their room
• Using acrylic paint and cardboard, students will be able to create a 3D diorama
  
• ​Using given materials, students will be able to create an environment/atmosphere that emphasizes the characteristics of their object
  
• Using completed artwork, students will be able to evaluate how the artistic decisions of their peers influenced the final pieces.
  

Art Focus

• Place

Documentation

• Pictures, Time lapses​

Documentation

Two Finalized Habitats: 

Here we see how two students collaborated by creating a music-themed habitat for their creature. They were very creative in the way they created speakers and even a disco ball to add detail

This student worked hard to add as much detail as possible. Here you can see how he added paintings, a clock, and even a schedule to the wall in order to illustrate a stronger understanding of his anthropomorphic object

COLLABORATION

Here we see one student collaborating with her partner to decide how the habitat should be constructed

After coming to a decision, the group decided to make two different levels for two different rooms. One object had a lounge area on the bottom, while the other object had a football field on top.

Construction

A student is glueing together her painted cardboard pieces to have a 3D room for her object

Now that the room is constructed, the student creates furniture and other decorations to add into the habitat in order to illustrate her creatures living style.