Chuck+Close+Portraiture+using+the+Atlantic+Model

Hi Tina, I have been looking into the project we spoke briefly about with your 9th grade students. I am really excited to start this, I think they will get a lot out of it and have a lot of fun. The steps I’d like to use come fro the Atlantic Model, a research based model that was specifically designed for students to develop visual and media literacy skills. The stages of this Model include Planning, Gathering Information, Interacting with Information, Organizing Information, Creating New information, Sharing and Presenting Information, Assessment and Evaluation. I found this model appropriate for the age group we’re working with because it’s important for them to be invested in the outcome of their own work at this point and having them being graded on their own assessments and evaluations will be a great learning process for them in preparation for higher grade level work. On your first visit, I’d like to discuss Planning, explain exactly what we are doing with them. I am assuming you will go over the nature of the project with them before they come, who Chuck Close is and some basics about him. I will make up a Webquest with sites to helpful to what they need to know about acrylic paints, techniques, use of color wheels, portrait making, Chuck Closes’ styles he used other than grid painting and of course, chuckclose.coe.uh.edu is an amazing resource for this project. Our first portion of class can be spent researching Chuck Close, his works, his influence in the art world and why he is important. The next step, Gathering Information can be done also on our first class but I’d like to use the time with more discussion and let them gather their information for a homework assignment. The second half of class we can use to discuss how the class will create their own “Chuck Close” portrait. We’ll look at other grid paintings and go through the process with them. This way, the third step, Interacting with Information can be done in your art class. I think if we designed a wiki it would be helpful for students to share what they find out and their thoughts and ideas about how they plan to do their own grid painting so it becomes even more of a “class” project with everyone working together. Once you Create the actual paintings in your class, we can have a special class held in the library for Sharing and Presenting the project and we can hang the final piece in the library on display. I think the students will get a big kick out of their art being a permanent fixture here and will take it all a little more seriously once they realize people will be admiring their work for years to come. Then the students can Assess and Evaluate the work they created and can add to the wiki their thoughts about the project, how they could have done it better or differently, how they feel about community assignments vs. creative works made on their own, etc. I’m really looking forward to this project and I think with the Atlantic Model as a guide it will go really smoothly. We’ll probably end up doing this for years and the library walls will be filled with beautiful grid paintings! We can iron out the details of which days we will do what but I’d love to hear your feedback on this. Thanks! -Cara