Introduction

Art affects our lives in various ways, and changes our perception of the world around us. There are many types of art that do just this impact, our emotions or feelings toward a subject and or an issue. Though art is defined in a broad category as an action that pertains to a deeper meaning, there has been some debate regarding so called “street art” with regards to whether or not it actually is art. This debate can be settled through a philosophical argument and a deep look into the dynamics of what we call art.

Site I

Click on the link below and do the following.

1. Look at each section of the website by clicking on the links on the right hand side of the home page.

-copy your favorite piece by right clicking on the work then by left clicking on copy

-Paste the piece you have chosen into a word document by clicking on the edit menu in word the paste.

2. Write three questions that critique the piece you have chosen below the picture in your word document. These questions should be discript and no longer than a sentence or two.

3. After you have written your questions, get into groups of three or four and pick five questions that your group feels best represents the debate regarding street art.

4. Trade questions with the group next to you and answer their questions to the best of your ability.

5. Write your names at the top of the word document that you answered the questions in and E-mail them to me in a word attached document at the end of class.

http://www.urbanize.org/urb/

Link II

Click on the link below and do the following:\

1. Click on the outdoor link on the left hand side of the home page.

2. Create a concept map by placing the name banksy in the middle and drawing lines to your thoughts, facts you have found, and emotions that you have while looking at banksy's work.

3. Get into the same groupes you where in last week and present your concept maps and collectively formulate an argument for or against this type of art.

4. Write one argument in affirmation, and one argument in opposition to street art when you are done discussing the issue. These arguments should be at least one paragraph and should include a discript thesis and argumentative body.

5. Write your names at the top of the document and send it to me in an attached in an E-mail.


http://www.banksy.co.uk/

Site III

Site Three: Please do the following

1.Please find a web site that interests you that pertains to the topic. This can be done by going to google, yahoo, or wikipedia and typing in street art, stencil art, wheatpasts, or guerrilla art...

2. Find one piece of media that interest you and write one paragraph with factual information regarding it, and one paragraph with your feelings with rearguards to it. Please consider where it is, what media it is, and the message it is trying to convey if any.


Some Places to start:
http://www.banksy.co.uk/
http://www.peterjohnchen.com/image/tid/71
http://www.beautifulangle.homestead.com/
http://www.urbanize.org/urb/
http://www.gammablog.com/gammablablog/featured/swoon.shtml

Project

With the information that you have collected from websites, and your experiences with street art please do the following.

1. Write a three page argumentative essay with your stance on street art based upon the facts that you have collected thus far. Please include at least five sources, two of which should be on the opposing side of your issue. This is an open ended essay so philosophy, sociology, psychology, and anthropology are not only encouraged they should be mentioned at least once.

2. Create a piece that will be no larger than two feet by two feet, and no smaller than eight and a half by eleven that challenges the modern notion of art. This poster may be in any media and can be a wheatpaste, stencil, poster, sticker, or any type of graphic of meaning.

These assignments are due Monday of week four; and since, we will be spending considerable class time on them; there will be no excuses for late papers or critiques.

Picture Link

What Teachers Should Know

The intended audience for this web quest is college students in a lower division course. However, I think that this assignment can be used in many in high school classes also and double as a cool paper art assignment. There is a little critical analysis but I think that high school students can handle a toned down version of this assignment. So this assignment will work for many things.

Learning goals:

1. Create an argumentative essay
2. Force students to plan out a structured argument that is defensible.
3. Use of guided discovery learning to create an argument and approach the subject differently.
4. Use of different media to create art work i.e. paint, inks, papers etc
5. The ability to analyze misconceptions and defend new ideas and arguments in a healthy debate.


Prior skills needed:

The only skills that are needed are a robust knowledge of the Internet and its resources (Google, Wikipedia, academic search primer…, some prior knowledge of how people perceive art and the media, and the ability to write a five paragraph essay. The discussion always follows the writing of questions so the students’ papers will almost be written by the end of the three weeks.

Computer time:

I think that five to seven hours of computer time will be necessary to complete this assignment. The links that I have provided are just a shoe into other links that form an easy introduction to the subject: so therefore, only about five hours to seven hours will be necessary.

Grading rubric: 100 possible points

Paper: 50 points

-Sources in the proper formant, 15

-Grammatically correct paper, 10

-Paper flows well and creates a valid argument, 25


Poster: 50 points

-Poster has is original and well composed, 25

-The poster follows the size guidelines and pertains to the subject matter, 15

-Class critique, 10