Customized Sneaker Unit Lesson

Content Area:______Art____8____________

Time (Days) 18
	Unit
Theme	Customized Sneaker Design
Genre	Social Justice Issues and Painting
Start Date End Date	September-November
Unit Focus	Students will gather evidence to inform their sneaker designs developing a lookbook. The lookbook will have a central theme or concept. From their lookbook they will create original sneaker sketches based on a social issue of their choice. Choosing one of their designs they will do a final sketch for presentation. The final draft will be painted using watercolors and will be professional quality. Students will gather information from readings, videos and personal reflections about the sneaker industry and sneaker obsession. They will customize their own sneaker with an intentional message.
Assessments/Product	Students will be assessed on the depth and breadth of their lookbook, the quality of their three sketches, and the overall quality of design, presentation and professional appearance of their final drafts. Students will be assessed on their understanding of the social implications and exploitations of the sneaker industry. Students will be assessed on the effectiveness of their shoes message.
Skills and Strategies	SWBAT Students will be able to discuss issues surrounding sneaker culture and sneaker sweatshops and marketing. Students will be able consider issues of exploitation in the sneaker identify the impact of sneaker production on poor communities. Students will be able to design a sneaker with a socially relevant message. Students will be able to use guache with skill and proficiency. Students will be able to customize a sneaker and reorganize its social value by subverting its original market status. Students will be able to evaluate their own as well as their peers shoe design for effective visual communication and consumer appeal and give relevant and helpful feedback.
Standards and Performance Indicators	Students will make works of art that explore different kinds of subject matter, topics, themes, and metaphors. Students will understand and use sensory elements, organizational principles, and expressive images to communicate their own ideas in works of art. Students will use a variety of art materials, processes, mediums, and techniques, and use appropriate technologies for creating and exhibiting visual art works. a) Produce a collection of art works, in a variety of mediums, based on a range of individual and collective experiences. b) Know and use a variety of sources for developing and conveying ideas, images, themes, symbols, and events in their creation of art. c) Use the elements and principles of art to communicate specific meanings to others in their artwork. d) During the creative process, reflect on the effectiveness of selected mediums or techniques to convey intended meanings e) Identify and use, in individual and group experiences, some of the roles and means for designing, producing, and exhibiting art works and discuss ways to improve them.
Essential Questions	How is style created, who/what creates it? How do designers develop a theme or concept for their lookbooks? What is professional quality? How does one achieve it? Who wins/loses when sneaker brands take over market trends?
Language Objectives	Students learn professional design practices and terminology. In addition to the anatomy of a shoe.
Mini Lessons	Lookbook demo Sketching demo Guache demo Sneaker Painting demo Constructive Critique model Sneaker video Just For Kicks (documentary on sneakers and hip-hop culture)
Word Walls	Lookbook Upper/Midsole/Insole//Outsole Toe Box Ankle Collar Last
Homework Activities	Students will be regularly updating their lookbook Regular sketching Paper Research Reflection paper
Resources	Just for Kicks Custom Kicks No Logo Guache Watercolor paper Pencils Erasers Sneakers Paintbrushes Clear Acrylic Spray Paint
Extension Activities	Students will be asked to write a 3 page paper on the a chapter from No Logo and their own relationship to style trends in sneaker comsumerism; including the link between hip hop and sneaker obsession. Students will write a reflection paper on the video Just For Kicks.
Technology
Differentiated Instruction	Students needing differentiated instruction will be allowed to use sharpie marker instead of guache and may reduce their paper from 3 pages to 2.
Professional Development

804 sneakers

Today I had 8th grade classes and both classes finally started painting their shoes. It's taken so long to get to this point that I think we were all a little relieved. Both classes went really well, I think they are starting to see how they can integrate art into their lives in meaningful ways. In their reflection papers from the Keith Haring video- Norma said she was inspired and got help from Richie to start drawing like Keith and Carolyn said "This artist really inspired me to be somebody great... he showed me that if you believe in something strongly enough, you can get your point across...and he showed me art doesn't have to be perfect." It's amazing to see students making these connection to the sneakers we are doing in class. So often I worry that we're doing these things they think are fun- like designing sneakers, but that they aren't making the social justice connections.

Most of their reflection papers touched on the fact that Keith Haring was gay and died from AIDS. I think their respect for art We took time to talk about diversity, discrimination and challenging stereotypes.

804 was quiet for the first time ever and I turned on some music, we listened to Coldplay, Mos Def and Run DMC. I love that they like Coldplay. At the end I made Norma go back and clean out her paint container because she did a really sloppy job. She told me I better give her a pass or she would go to the deans and get me fired. I told her to go ahead, but her new art teacher wouldnt be painting mad hot shoes with them. Then she came back and told me she loves art, and my class is her favorite.

This picture is from a recent trip to the Cooper Hewitt Museum we saw the Design Life Now exhibition. It was a huge success the kids loved it, and so did I; I bought the exhibition catalogue and DIY for Kids.

welcome to room 481