UNIT INSTRUCTION PLAN

utilizing the
MU Art Education Lesson Plan Format
Developed by Dr. Kathy Unrath

Name: Alison Caselman

TITLE OF UNIT: Habitats GRADE LEVEL (S):9-12 Grades

NATIONAL VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS

(http://nationalartsstandards.org/sites/default/files/Visual%20Arts%20at%20a%20Glance%20-
%20new%20copyright%20info.pdf):

VA: Cr1.1.8a VA:Pr4.1.lla VA: Re7.2.la

VA: Cr2.2.lla VA:Pr5.1.8a VA:Re9.1.8a
VA: Cr2.3.lla VA:Re7.1.lla VA:Cn10.1.lla

NETS (http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/standards-for-students):
ISTE 1A ISTE 3D ISTE 5B
ISTE 2B ISTE 4D ISTE 6A
ISTE 3C ISTE 5A ISTE 6D

RATIONALE and GOAL(S) FOR THIS UNIT: The rationale for this unit is for students to take the
skills and concepts they have learned in the first five weeks of Computer Art class and create an
encompassing virtual reality by means of Vizor.io, a web based program. This unit will show off their
knowledge of Vizor.io, introduce big ideas into this class, and move away from task-based thinking.
Students will be using their personal experience with habitats and research that they conduct to
complete the lessons within this unit. Throughout the three weeks they will be working on this unit,
students will write blogs/reflections to help vocalize their thinking. I ask students to do this because
this is for an online setting and I am usually unable to be with them as they are working through these
assignments. Students also have the option to vlog their thoughts; however, previous students were
not receptive and have chosen to get a zero instead of vlogging. Now I ask them to blog, to which
they object less and actually complete the task. Vizor.io is perfect for this project because the
students are able to use basic functions to create and explore different habitats while adding in
sound, images, and viewer manipulation.

ENDURING BIG IDEA:

Habitat is the place or type of place where a plant or animal naturally or normally lived or grows. This
is relevant because it is asking the students what their habitat is could give them a new perspective
where they start to see the world around them differently. This can allow them to think about their
living spaces more in-depth rather than just surface value. This unit has multimodal connections
because students are connecting research and images, building creatures with basic shapes, adding
their voice, and inserting viewer interaction into one space that can be manipulated and played with
for a better understanding of the students message.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
To what extent does a habitat define its occupants?
Whats the optimal strategy for maintaining a habitat?
What in imperative in the creation of a habitat?
Is a habitat just about physical attributes or about ones surroundings?
What else could contribute to a habitats development?
How do habitats reflect the values of a culture?

KNOWLEDGE BASE and KEY CONCEPTS:

Students will know:
The history of Virtual Reality (VR) and the latest tools to help create VR.
How to discuss VR headsets, Google Cardboard, Tilt brush, and other tools to help create
virtual reality.
o It is becoming more of a reality to walk through an artwork with virtual reality tools
More information about these contemporary artists:
o Andreas Lie with his double exposure animal and habitats artwork
o Tim OBrien with his detailed, imaginative illustrations that can change what reality looks
like
o Shezad Dawood who used virtual reality to connect the present day with the 1920s and
1960s in Kalimpong, India
How different types of mediums can still create different meanings within an artwork
How to use basic functions of Vizor.io to create a big idea themed artwork (Habitats) within
the program instead of following task-based instructions
Different contemporary artists and how they change actual reality into either a double exposure
image, imagined reality, or into virtual reality

OBJECTIVES:
Students will be able to:
Create a response to The Art Assignment
Research what type of habitat has meaning to them
Create a virtual reality of this habitat using Vizor.io
Produce a voice over as their artist statement
Present and respond to their peers work and ideas.

UNIT AND LESSON VIGNETTE:

Note: This is a unit that I am creating for an online Computer Art class I am teaching this year. With
online education there are no transitions to consider. Our agenda is set up weekly, so Ill be breaking
the unit plan into weeks so it is realistic for my current teaching situation. I estimate students
spending around 3-5 hours working on their art each week (45-60 minutes per day). Each week will
look similar because my students work better when they have a routine and structure that they have
already become familiar with. Students have a Vizor.io account and have already proven that they
know basic skills. Students are also allowed to work in an alternative setting, if they determine that it
better fits their design, and after communicating this to me. These are places to explore what they are
learning about and reflecting on their experience visually and then writing a reflective blog to
accompany their creativity.

Computer Art 1 Class

WEEK SIX
Try to complete all assignments by Friday.

Everything in the Do Column is for points in Student Connect

Week Six assignments will not be accepted after midnight Friday of Week Seven.

Folder Watch Read Do

Week 6 Week 6
Breakdown

Week 6 Virtual Reality Pioneers of Virtual Reality Art
1991 Virtual Reality Is the Most
Powerful Medium of Our Time
A Virtual Reality Journey to a
Remote Corner of the
Himalayas- Shezad Dawood
Tim OBrien About Section and
scroll and investigate his blog
and portfolio
Explore the artist who are using
Google Tilt on this website.
Discover other tools that help with
the creation of virtual reality
Week 6 The Art
Assignment
Analyze the articles you read and the video
you watched. Start a conversation on the
Discussion Board. Reflect on how these
artists are using virtual reality. Are they using
virtual reality the same? Different? Not even
in the same realm? Do the tools you have
read about inspire you? Make you wonder?
Having you wanting to try them out?
- Have your original post be at least 200
words and respond to your peers giving
evidence on why you think this way.
Follow the directions in the video to create
your own double exposed habitat
Programs you can use but are not limited to:
Photoshop, Pixlr, PictsArt, Gimpshop, and
Prisma
Write a blog over the experience
- Must be at least 200 words
Respond to at least 3 peers work
- Points are being removed if you do not
give evidence on why you think the way you
do

WEEK SEVEN
Try to complete all assignments by Friday.

Everything in the Do Column is for points in Student Connect

Week Seven assignments will not be accepted after midnight Friday of Week Eight.
Folder Watch Read Do
Week 7 Week 7
Breakdown

Week 7 Vizor.io Overview Complete the Who Am I Worksheet

Tutorial Research what you believe your habitat is and draw/sketch/write
what you will include in your Visor.io habitat.
- Make sure to explain (either in a blog or vlog) on why you are
making these conscious decisions and what made you think this
was the best for your habitat.
Respond to at least 3 peers work
- Points are being removed if you do not give evidence on why
you think the way you do
Start CREATING you habitat within your Vizor.io account.
- Make sure to remember the skills you learned the first 5
weeks of this class and to look over the rubric to see what
objects there are for this project

WEEK EIGHT
Try to complete all assignments by Friday.

Everything in the Do Column is for points in Student Connect

Week Eight assignments will not be accepted after midnight Friday of Week Nine.

Folder Watch Read Do

Week 8 Week 8
Breakdown

Week 8 Tutorial on how to Finish Working on your Habitat Project in Vizor.io

add sound into - Make sure to remember the skills you learned the first 5 weeks
Vizor.io of this class and to look over the rubric to see what objects
there are for this project
Post the link into the discussion board on Blackboard
Respond to at least 3 peers work
- Points are being removed if you do not give evidence on why
you think the way you do

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND ADAPTATIONS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS:

Differentiate Tools for My Diverse Classroom:
o Text to Speech apps for their readings
o Students using Speech to Text apps for their blogs
o Making sure the materials that students use fit their small and large motor abilities
o Allowing the students to create what has meaning to them and being open to the
unknown outcome.
 Keeping Students Engaged:
o By allowing them to create artwork for personal reflection
o By making computer art lessons more hands on with less text to read
o By giving them the ability to make choices and problem solve for themselves.
Challenge Highly Talented Students:
o Ask them to try an unfamiliar medium
o Encourage them to continue to research the Big Idea and to dig deeper into the
content.
When Students Finish Early:
o One great thing about online education is student can finish early without needed busy
work to keep them from bothering others.
o They need to make sure to login each day for attendance
o Work on other work from previous units
o Work on other work from a different class

ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES: (both formative and summative)

With this class being online, it is hard to really get substantial formative assessments. I am
able to see what they are thinking and the steps students take by reading and responding to their
blogs. How the student receive points is if they hit the word count and stay on topic for their
discussion board writings and explanations of what they did that week. If they do both of these tasks,
100% is awarded to the students.

When students complete The Art Assignment, they will be graded on if their project followed the
objectives within in the video and if their blog was on topic and met the word count minimum.
Lastly, students are graded on responses to their peers and giving evidence why they think the way
they do. If I did not give students points for this task, very little students would look at their peers
work and the sense of community would be lessened.

EXEMPLARS:

http://vizor.io/chriz/c9wdemessestand (Found on Vizor.io website as an example)

http://vizor.io/torquehornet/house
http://vizor.io/caselman/noah-worls-copy
http://vizor.io/wesinschool/bdzrof
http://vizor.io/caselman/habitat-try-2-copy-copy-copy-copy-copy
RESOURCES AND LINKS PAGE
Vizor.io The virtual reality space where students will be creating projects and building this multi-
modal unit.
Links to more information on Andreas Lie: http://www.andreaslie.com/;
https://society6.com/andreaslie; http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/05/double-exposure-animals-
andreas-lie/; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgksg8RqU2k

Links to more information on Tim OBrien: http://www.obrienillustration.com/about/;

http://www.drawger.com/tonka/

Links to more information on Shezad Dawood: http://www.timothytaylor.com/exhibitions/shezad-

dawood-kalimpong/; https://frieze.com/article/shezad-dawood; http://hyperallergic.com/330208/virtual-
reality-journey-remote-corner-himalayas/; https://www.ft.com/content/89bdcff0-7fe0-11e6-8e50-
8ec15fb462f4

VR Tools: http://makezine.com/2016/03/24/makers-introduction-vr-best-software-tools-free/

Tilt Brush Links: https://www.tiltbrush.com/; http://time.com/vr-is-for-artists/

Google Cardboard: https://vr.google.com/cardboard/

Link to my The Art Assignment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCEX5qW4Lu8&t=1s

Websites/apps to create their Art Assignment: http://www.adobe-
students.com/products/photoshop.html; https://pixlr.com/web; https://picsart.com/; http://prisma-
ai.com/; https://www.gimpshop.com/

Virtual Reality 1991: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVn3H93Ysag

Website about Virtual Reality as a Medium: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-virtual-reality-
is-the-most-powerful-artistic-medium-of-our-time

Tutorials made for my students: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs-tilAU6IU&t=3s;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAtbxvesQec

Examples of students have done and can do: http://vizor.io/torquehornet/house;

http://vizor.io/caselman/noah-worls-copy; http://vizor.io/wesinschool/bdzrof;
http://vizor.io/caselman/habitat-try-2-copy-copy-copy-copy-copy;
http://vizor.io/chriz/c9wdemessestand (Found on Vizor.io website as an example)
Who Am I?
Please answer at least 8 of the following questions. Then create 2 more questions that you also think
need to be answered.
Who am I? How do others see me? Who do I want to become? Who can I imagine
myself to be? What are characteristics of me? What do others think of me? Do the
people I hang out with say something about me? Does my culture say things about
me? What about the clothes I wear? Am I religious? Do I want to be? Do I think for
myself or do I just repeat what I hear/read? Would I change my identity if I could? Am I
happy with who I am? Should I strive to be something different?
- For each of the questions you ask, ask yourself why multiple times.
o So, after you first answer the question ask yourself Why? then write down that answer.
Then ask Why? again and record that answer. Ask yourself Why? at least four total
times. Really try to think why you answered the way you did.
o Points will not be given for I dont know answers or something similar.

Question #1:
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Question #10:
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