CCSU Lesson Plan Template—Spring 2017 edition

Student: Host Teacher: None

Class and/or Period: High School, Drawing
Date: 18 September 2019
Lesson Title: Foreshortened Figures

I. Central Focus (i.e., Goal Statement – What Students will know, learn, or understand) Important
understandings and concepts that you want Students to develop over the course of this multi-day
lesson. (Example: 3rd grade lesson on line to communicate the idea of motion) Central Focus should
incorporate at least one or more of the following components: Interpreting Art, Creating Art, Relating
Art to Context)

Students will learn to use foreshortening to create the illusion of a figure receding into the background
through accurate perspective and proportions as perfected by the artists of the Italian Renaissance.

II. Essential Questions – (Central Focus or goal written in the form of a question)

1. How did the artwork of Italian Renaissance artists change through the development and
implementation of foreshortening in figure drawing?

2. How might advancements in foreshortening and perspective methods during the Italian Renaissance
be used to create emphasis?

III. Standards Addressed (National Standards included here)

VA:Cr2.1.IIIa: Experiment, plan, and make multiple works of art and design that explore a personally
meaningful theme, idea, or concept

VA:Re.7.1.IIIa: Analyze how responses to art develop over time based on knowledge of and experience with
art and life.

IV. Learning Objective(s) (What students will overall achieve by the end of the multi-day lesson –
behavioral objective that is observable and assessable)

1. Students will use graphite pencils to draw a figure using accurate foreshortening and perspective to
accurately capture proportions and pose as developed by Italian Renaissance artists.

2. Students will review historical art and the development of foreshortening in Italian Renaissance
artwork to accurately identify aspects of the artwork that are foreshortened.

V. Prior Learning – What Students already know, what they can do, and what they are still learning to
do.

Students already have some prior knowledge of figure drawing, so they can accurately draw figures in
proportion. However, they have not explored figures in foreshortened positions. They do have an
understanding of perspective. So they know how to use diagonals, atmospheric perspecitive, and overlapping
to create space.

VI. Academic Language/Language Function Objective(s) – “Language of the Discipline” used to

engage Students in learning. Sample Key Language Functions include Analyze, Compare/contrast,
Critique, Describe, Interpret, Question (Refer to Academic Language in edTPA guidelines)

Function Objective: Students will apply the use of foreshortening in developing figures in perspective.

Vocabulary Development Objective: Students will be able to define and give examples of foreshortened
figures.

Discourse Objective: Students will describe how foreshortening played a role in the figure drawings of the
Italian Renaissance.

VII. Assessments (note any relevant differentiation) Evaluative Criteria (note any relevant
differentiation)

1. Rubric See attached rubric for criteria on foreshortened

figure drawing.

2. Foreshortening quiz See attached quiz in which students will identify

figures that are foreshortened from a variety of
different portrait drawings.

3. Responding session Students will discuss various pieces of artwork and

demonstrate an understanding of the effects of the
development of foreshortening during the Italian
Renaissance.

VIII. Key Vocabulary – Art terms and/or key phrases used during instruction and taught to students.
Include definitions.

Perspective- a technique for creating the illusion of three dimensional space on a two dimensional surface in
order to create form, and distance

Foreshortening- a technique in which an artist reduces or distorts parts of an object in order to convey the
illusion of three dimensional space as perceived by the human eye according to the rules of perspective

Italian Renaissance- the arts (painting, sculpture, and decorative) of Renaissance period of European history
which emerges in Italy in the early 1400s which coincided with developments in philosophy, literature, music
and science

Day 1: Learning Outcomes – Observable, accessible behaviors that you wish for students to accomplish
at the end of Day 1.

Students will learn to use foreshortening to create the illusion of a figure receding into the background
through accurate perspective and proportions as perfected by the artists of the Italian Renaissance.

Day 1: Teacher Preparation – Day 1 Preparations needed to be completed before students enter the
classroom.

❏ Prepare slideshow of various figure drawings and paintings

❏ Prepare foreshortening quiz to be used at the end of class

❏ Cut paper to 12”x16”

❏ Sharpen Pencils

Day 1: Lesson-Specific Materials

Instructional Materials – Teacher Studio Materials (for Creating Art Targeted Materials (any specific
materials needed during and/or Presenting Art) materials required for
instruction. differentiation, accommodation, or
❏ 12”x16” Drawing Paper modification)
❏ Figure drawing and
painting slideshow ❏ Graphite Pencils

❏ Foreshortening exit quiz ❏ Kneaded Eraser

❏ Artist Drawing
Mannequins

XI. Day 1: Lesson Procedures/ Learning Tasks and Timeline

Times Teacher Actions (include Student Actions Formative

differentiation)
Assessment
Questions

Initiation

Present images of foreshortened figures in Observe and discuss provided What do we notice
dynamic and powerful poses (ie. images of foreshortened figures about the positions
Caravaggio, Mantegna, Raphael) of these figures?
What effect does
Ask students questions this have on you?
How might that be
different if no part
of the figure was
brought forward?

Lesson Development – (Process and What students will do during Questions used
Procedures for conducting the lesson) various segments of the lesson throughout
respective sections
of instruction to
assess students’
learning.

State expectations for today’s lesson Listen carefully

Present slideshow on the development and Engage in thoughtful discussion Class will
implementation of foreshortening on the of foreshortening methods as participate in
figure art of the Italian Renaissance well as be able to identify responding session
aspects of the figure that are in order to
Discuss how advancements in foreshortened. Consider why an demonstrate their
foreshortening and perspective methods artist might have used emphasis understanding of
could be used to create emphasis and the impacts it has on the foreshortening and
viewer Italian Renaissance
art

Instruct students collect materials for their Use student helpers to find and
own drawings that will demonstrate pass out materials
foreshortening

❖ Pencils

❖ Kneaded erasers

❖ Paper

❖ Optional: Artist Drawing

Mannequins

Instruct students set up their subject Set up their mannequin or pose What part of your
remembering to create dynamic poses that in interesting and complex figure drawing will
emphasize foreshortening angles for their drawings for a be foreshortened?
photo for their drawing
How can you pose
the figure so that it
creates a dynamic
piece?

Monitor student learning as they begin Begin with a sketch of the entire How can we bring
drawing their figures during one on one image. Start with large forward the closest
instruction geometric, overlapping shapes parts of the figure?
to create the figure. Then you
--Specifically ask about the shapes they may go in to refine and add What shapes are you
are using to create the figures more details to the figure. using to create a
figure? How have
you created a sense
of atmospheric
perspective with
details?

Have students clean up their materials and Put materials away in their
put drawings in cubbies/folders/etc proper containers

Either hand in or store their

drawings based on the progress
they had made

Closure: Does closure relate to lesson

objectives? Are strategies clearly
outlined? Will strategies enable students
to consider why the lesson is important?

Hand out foreshortening quizzes (see Individually answer Use quizzes to

attached) foreshortening quiz questions gauge student
understanding of
foreshortening and
figure drawings

Commentary on Planning Decisions

In answering these questions explain your thinking AND cite research to support your instructional decisions.
These will typically be answered when you have planned the lesson but before it is implemented.
Why is it important that these students learn this content?

When students understand perspective techniques and the use of foreshortening in drawing, they are better able
to take advantage of the entire picture plane and manipulate it in order to express their own artist voice. During
the Italian Renaissance, artists used these techniques in order to create emphasis through accurate proportions
and the use of interesting and dynamic perspectives.

How does this lesson fit into the current sequence of instruction/unit?

This lesson comes after a lesson in which students learned the accurate anatomy and proportions of a human
figure through the creation of loose, gestural figure drawings. Now they will use those skills to create a figure
that is foreshortened. This lesson provides even more tools for students to use when drawing figures such as the
consideration of perspective and foreshortening. It will be followed by a lesson that encourages students to take
what they had learned from the previous lessons to create a figure drawing that uses dynamic poses and
foreshortening techniques to create a piece that uses emphasis to send a message to the viewers.

Why are the learning procedures you have developed for this lesson appropriate for this particular content?

Students are given the opportunity to understand the development of foreshortening through discussions of art
historical pieces. They will then build upon their new knowledge by using the new techniques they learned to
create their own figure drawings to demonstrate their own abilities and understanding of foreshortening.

Why are the learning procedures for this lesson appropriate for these particular students?

This lesson is for a high school art class, whose students are preparing for either their AP art classes or are
creating their portfolios. During this lesson, the students will learn how to utilize the foreshortening and
perspective in order to create emphasis. This is relevant to these students who are searching for their own artist
voice at this time.

What contextual factors were especially important in shaping your plan for this lesson and how did they shape
your planning?

This lesson would only be possible if the students had some prior knowledge of figure drawing. As long as they
know basic proportions and anatomy, they could move onto the next technique for figure drawing which would
be creating the illusion of space through foreshortening. This lesson could be done with no prior knowledge.
However, it would have to be much longer than a one day lesson in that case because students would need to be
taught how to draw a figure accurately.

Resources
Cite Sources: Provide citations for the sources that you did not create (e.g., published texts, websites, materials
from other educators).

Foreshortening video to be used in slideshow: https://smarthistory.org/foreshortening-explained/

Images of Artwork Include: Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio; Lamentation of Christ by Andrea Mantegna;
School of Athens Raphael
Rubric
1 Lacking 2 Improvements Needed 3 Meets Standard 4 Exceeds Standard

No part of the anatomy of There is an illusion of There is an accurate There is a seamless and
the figure has been foreshortening created illusion of foreshortening accurate illusion of
brought forward through but it is not accurate. created. foreshortening created.
foreshortening.

Anatomy and proportions Anatomy or proportions Anatomy and proportions Anatomy and proportions
of the figure are are inaccurate. are mostly accurate. are accurate.
inaccurate. Some details need
improvement.

No emphasis on any Little emphasis on an Emphasis on an aspect of Emphasis on an aspect of

aspect of the figure aspect of the figure the figure the figure creates a
dramatic composition.

No use of atmospheric Weak use of atmospheric Accurate use of Strong use of

perspective on the perspective on the atmospheric perspective atmospheric perspective
background figure to background figure on the background figure on the background figure
further the illusion of to further illusion of
space space

Final image demonstrates Final image demonstrates Final image demonstrates Final image demonstrates
a straightforward unoriginal viewpoint that an original viewpoint. an original and
viewpoint. There were does not add to the interesting viewpoint that
no considerations for interest of the piece. adds to the interest of the
foreshortened figure. piece.
Exit Slip
NAME: CLASS PERIOD:

In your own words, what is foreshortening?

Circle the element(s) of the figure that are foreshortened in each image

Supper at Emmaus Caravaggio

Lamentation of Christ Andrea Mantegna

School of Athens Raphael

Teacher Exemplar

Reflective Commentary on Lesson Implementation

After implementing the lesson, answer these questions.
What patterns of learning were evident in the data from this lesson?

What worked and for whom? Why?

What didn’t work and for whom? Why?

What are your instructional next steps based on the data from this plan?

As a beginning teacher, what did you do well in planning and implementing this lesson?

As a beginning teacher, what are your next steps to build your teaching skills? (Set a couple, specific SMART
objectives for yourself.)