Product Description
This Betye Saar-inspired steampunk-found object assemblage sculpture project is a perfect middle or high school art lesson for Black History Month or any time of the year. Students look at how Betye Saar creates art using found objects that are symbolic of her life experiences. Students create their own vessels using the steampunk style and inspiration from Betye’s sculptures. Students tell their own “about me” stories with found objects, hot glue, and either acrylic black paint or spray paint. Metallic marker or paint is added to give the aged steampunk aesthetic.
This is a great beginning-of-the-year lesson to get to know your students and get them to understand early how meaning can be created from everyday objects. This lesson is fun and simple, and the results are awesome and expressive. No two are alike. Any container can be used for the base. Old bottles, jars, glasses, and cans all work great.
The work is inspired by African American assemblage artist Bettye Saar. The presentation talks about her use of symbolism to add meaning to her past, present, and future in her art. Students must relate some of the found objects in their sculpture to their own timeline of life.
The Google Slides presentation and handout are fully editable and can be linked to your Google Classroom. You can also print the handout and students can scan the code to see the presentation even if you do not load it to Google Classroom. This is great when students miss a class, are absent, or are in ISS.
Need an Easy to Follow Art Sub Plan?
The included worksheets work great as sub plans, and early finisher assignments, for students on home instruction or in ISS. They are easy to follow with the linked videos and are easy for substitute teachers or self-directed learning when the art teacher is unavailable.
All of my lessons can be shared with your students through Google Classroom or any digital platform and are formatted to work for distance learning or in the classroom. They are designed to save you time and help your students access the tutorials, presentations, videos, or worksheets as easily as possible. You can find more ready-to-go, easy-to-follow, time-saving art lessons in my RESOURCE SHOP.
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