Positive Perspectives Posters

Positive Perspectives Posters motivates the entire school community. Students use one-point perspectives to create posters that are displayed in the hallways to lift teachers and students spirits and inspire them to always do their best.

Overall Value
Each school has its own unique culture and community. Your students know personally how difficult it can sometimes be to get through the school day, no less the week, month, term and school year. The common, run of the mill motivational posters are generic and impersonal. Your students will make visually dynamic Positive Perspectives Posters that motivate their peers, while making connections between art, math, and English language arts.

1. Each student will make his or her own triangle that has a right angle.
2. Each student will learn how to draw parallel, perpendicular and converging lines using a triangle.
3. Each student will look at historical and contemporary examples of art work that use perspective in their composition.
4. Each student will find connections to perspective in math, ELA and art.
5. Each student will learn how to use one-point perspective to create an illusion of depth in forms, objects, and letters.
6. Each student will design and produces a poster using one-point perspective that will motivate the school wide community.
7. Each student will install their work in the school building.

Day 1

Perspective in Art History and Math

Objectives

1. Students will view samples of perspective in historical and contemporary art to create an illusion of depth.
2. Students find examples of geometric objects in historical images that used perspective.

Materials: Computers with Internet access
Optional: print samples of artwork utilizing perspective to give the illusion of depth

1. Teacher will write the Do Now: What does the word “perspective” mean? Write your definition and/or use the word in a sentence.
2. Students will share their answers to the Do Now. Teacher and/or volunteer students write their responses on the board.
3. Students will go online to http://mathforum.org/sum95/math_and/perspective/perspect.html#artists and read the discussion section, connecting math and perspective.
4. Students will follow the links on http://mathforum.org/sum95/math_and/perspective/perspect.html#artiststo view examples of historical artwork that used perspective.
5. Students will list mathematical objects they can find in Durer’s engraving Melencolia I.
6. Teacher will elicit from students a discussion of the connection between math, art, and perspective (look for common vocabulary such as angle, parallel, perpendicular, vanishing point/zero, infinity, geometry).

Homework
Each student will bring in at least one sample (in newspaper, magazines or printed from the web) of a two dimensional printed piece that gives the illusion of depth through the use of perspective. Each student will use a colored pencil or marker to define where the vanishing point(s) are in the image.

Day 2

A Perspective on Perspective

Objectives

1. Students will do online tutorials to learn how to draw forms in one-point perspective.

2. Students will view examples of words and letters drawn in perspective.

Materials: computers with Internet access

1. Students will go to http://studiochalkboard.evansville.edu/draw.html and do an online step-by-step tutorial on drawing with one-point perspective.
2. Students will go to http://drawsketch.about.com/library/weekly/aa021603b.htm to learn how to draw a box using one-point perspective.
3. Students will go online to http://studiochalkboard.evansville.edu/lp-intro.html to review hints about using linear perspective.
4. The class will discuss and review the basic terminology (vanishing point, parallel, perpendicular, horizon line, angle) and follow hints for drawing with one-point perspective.
5. On the board, teacher will draw a horizontal line with a dot in the middle of it to represent a vanishing point on the horizon.
6. Teacher will call on student volunteers to demonstrate on the board how to make boxes in one-point perspective using a triangle and/or straight edge.

Assessment
Students use pencil, paper, triangle and/or straightedge to draw at least four different size boxes in one-point perspective that meet at the same vanishing point.

Day 3

Accentuate the Positive Perspective

1. Students will view examples of letters drawn in one-point perspective.
2. Students will practice drawing letters in one-point perspective.
3. Students will relate perspective to language arts.

Materials: computer with Internet access, pencil, paper, and triangles or straightedges

1. Teacher will write on board: “How can a perspective be positive or negative?
2. Teacher will elicit from students a time in their life when they or someone they knew had a positive perspective about an event or situation.
3. Teacher will elicit from students a time in their life when they or someone they knew had a negative perspective about an event or situation.
4. Teacher will write the word “MATH” on the board and then elicit from students a list of positive and negative feelings about the word math.
5. Class will discuss “the power of positive thinking.”
6. Class will discuss what it means to have a “positive perspective.”
7. Teacher will explain that they are going to use perspective to create a positive attitude in the school.
8. Each student will use a straightedge or triangle and pencil to follow the instructions on http://mathforum.org/~sanders/creativegeometry/6.2threedee.htm and draw the word “MATH” in one-point perspective.

Homework
Students will think of a word or saying that they think would motivate other students to have a more positive perspective in school. Students make a rough sketch showing that word or saying in one-point perspective.

Days 4 - 6

Put it in Perspective

Objectives

1. Each student will make rough and preliminary sketches for a motivating poster using one-point perspective.
2. Each student will create a final version of a motivating poster using one-point perspective.
3. Each student will install their Positive Perspective Poster in the school setting.

Materials: paper, straightedges and/or triangles, pencils, color pencils
Optional: markers and/or crayons

1. Students will share their homework with the class, explaining what word or expression they chose and why.
2. Students will begin their full-size version of the Positive Perspective Poster, sketching lightly in pencil and using a straightedge and/or ruler.
3. Students will use colored pencils, markers, and/or crayons or other media to add color and complete their Positive Perspective Poster.
4. Students will present their work to their classmates for warm and cool feedback.
5. The Positive Perspective Posters will be displayed in the school.

Homework
Using the art rubric as a guide, students will write a self-assessment of their own Positive Perspective Poster

Relevant Websites

http://olejarz.com/arted/perspective/
Drawing in One-Point Perspective: an interactive Flash step-by-step guide to one-point perspective drawing created by Harold Olejarz.
Level(s): middle and high school
           
http://math.utah.edu/~treiberg/Perspect/Perspect.htm
Mathematics of Perspective Drawing: a detailed, illustrated guide to the mathematics behind perspective drawing, covering such topics as how to use vanishing points, one- and two-point perspective, parallel transformation of points, perspective projections, projective geometry, rotation of vectors, the perspective drawing of a circle, computer graphics and more.
Level(s): high school
           
http://studiochalkboard.evansville.edu/draw.html
Art Studio Chalkboard: Drawing: a series of online lessons in linear perspective, atmospheric perspective. You can go more in depth with these lessons from Evansville University.
Level(s): middle and high school
           
http://mathforum.org/sum95/math_and/perspective/perspect.html
Perspective Drawing: a brief, illustrated guide to learning to incorporate perspective in your drawing from a geometry point of view, covering horizon lines and vanishing points. Has links to famous pictures in art history that use perspective.
Level(s): middle school
           
http://cheeseman-meyer.com/art/tipscurve.htm
Curvilinear Comparison: a very brief but visually dynamic discussion and display of the merits of curvilinear perspective drawing versus traditional rectilinear perspective.
Level(s): middle and high school
           
http://geocities.com/%7Ejlhagan/K9-14/draw_seven.htm
How to draw a letter in two-point perspective.
Level(s): middle and high school

http://mathforum.org/workshops/sum98/participants/sanders/Persp.html
If your math students want to learn more about drawing with perspective or if your art students want to learn more about the math of perspective, send them here.
http://mathforum.org/workshops/sum98/participants/sanders/Persp.html
           
http://mathforum.org/~sanders/creativegeometry/6.2threedee.htm
Illustration of how to draw the word “MATH” in one-point perspective.

http://goal-setting-guide.com/quotes.html
Motivational quotes.

http://drawingnow.com/how-to-draw-graffiti-letters-a-f.html
Animated demonstration of how to draw 3D graffiti letters.

Standards Addressed

Standard 1: Information Systems
Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.
Grade: middle and high school
Subject: mathematics, science, and technology

Standard 2: Interconnectedness: Common Themes
Students will understand the relationships and common themes that connect mathematics, science, and technology and apply the themes to these and other areas of learning.
Grade: middle and high school
Subject: mathematics, science, and technology

Standard 3: Creating, Performing, and Participating in the Arts
Students will actively engage in the processes that constitute creation and performance in the arts (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts) and participate in various roles in the arts.
Grade: middle and high school
Subject: the arts

Standard 4: Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources
Students will be knowledgeable about and make use of the materials and resources available for participation in the arts.
Grade: middle and high school
Subject: the arts

Standard 5: Language for Social Interaction
Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction. Students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners, they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people and their views.
Grade: middle and high school
Subject: English language arts

Tips for the Teacher
At I.C.E. this project was introduced to 6th grade art students during the second half of the year. The students were ready to build on their art skills and learn perspective, but were also familiar with the “mid-year blahs.” Working on Positive Perspectives Posters raised their spirits.

Teach the students how to make their own triangle by cutting a piece of tag board diagonally from corner to corner (most reams of copy paper come with a piece of tag board).

About the teacher
Meryl Meisler is an artist and an educator. She has taught art in the NYC Public School System since 1979. At the Institute for Collaborative Education she is Admissions Director and teaches digital and traditional art. Meryl proudly serves as a teacher representative on the Board of Trustees of The Teachers Network. She has won numerous grants and awards for her teaching and personal artwork.

School
Institute for Collaborative Education, New York, NY

E-mail 
mmeisle@schools.nyc.gov

Subject Areas:  
Art, Mathematics, English Language Arts

Grade Levels 
Grade 6. Can be adapted to any grade level.