Unit 2 — Producing
Description
Students demonstrate understanding of how and why art is created by analyzing, interpreting and conveying meaning through the creation of media and visual art. Students learn how presenting and sharing of objects, artifacts and artworks influence and shape ideas, beliefs and experiences. They understand that artists and curators select and prepare artworks for preservation and presentation using various techniques, methods and evolving technologies. Students develop a range of skills and abilities to creatively solve problems and integrate various media and content to develop complex, unified artworks. Through performing various roles in producing media artworks, students develop artistic, design, technical and soft skills including problem solving and collaborative communication.
Essential Questions
- How are artworks cared for and by whom?
- What criteria, methods and processes are used to select work for preservation or presentation?
- What methods and processes are considered when preparing artwork for presentation or preservation?
- How are complex media arts experiences constructed and at what point is a work considered complete?
- How do time, place, audience and context affect presenting choices?
Learning Objectives
- Experiment with and integrate multiple forms, approaches and content to coordinate, produce and implement media artworks that convey purpose and meaning.
- Develop and demonstrate a variety of artistic, design, technical and soft skills through producing media artworks.
- Develop and demonstrate creativity and adaptability through testing constraints and divergent solutions in media productions.
- Analyze and design various presentation formats and tasks in the distribution of media artworks.
- Investigate and analyze ways artwork is presented, preserved and experienced including use of evolving technology.
- Individually or collaboratively prepare and present theme-based artwork for display and formulate exhibition narratives.
- Develop a plan for displaying and conserving final artworks with specific curation criteria.
Supplemental Resources
- Poster board and mounting materials for artwork display
- Folders or binders for collecting and organizing work portfolios
- Chart paper for exhibition narratives and artist statements
- Printed labels and documentation cards for displayed work
- Construction paper for framing and presentation materials
Music - Performing
Media Arts - Presenting
Students examine how artworks reflect cultural values, historical contexts, and diverse perspectives from various societies and time periods.
Formative Assessments
- Discussion about presentation formats and curation decisions
- Question and answer about artwork preservation methods
- Projects involving theme-based artwork selection and display planning
- School-wide displays of student artwork
- End of year show of student artwork
Summative Assessment
Students develop and demonstrate artistic skills through producing media artworks. Media arts are assessed using a digital rubric on a learning management system. Visual arts students develop a plan for displaying and conserving final artworks and select work for presentation, portfolio or collection based on established criteria.
Benchmark Assessment
End of year show of student artwork, school-wide displays, themed exhibition projects
Alternative Assessment
Students may demonstrate understanding through hands-on creation with modified materials, reduced project scope, or extended timelines as needed. Teacher may provide visual examples of artistic processes, step-by-step checklists, or allow response through demonstration and observation rather than written reflection on curation and preservation decisions.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
Students may benefit from visual and verbal scaffolding when planning and executing media artworks, such as graphic organizers for organizing curation ideas or step-by-step visual guides for multi-stage production tasks. Offering flexible output modes — such as verbal explanation, recorded narration, or visual documentation — allows students to demonstrate understanding of presentation and preservation concepts in accessible ways. Breaking longer production and display-planning tasks into smaller, sequenced checkpoints with frequent teacher feedback supports sustained engagement and task completion. Where written reflection is required, consider allowing dictation or abbreviated written responses that focus on key concepts rather than volume of output.
Section 504
Students should be given extended time to complete production tasks and finalize artwork for display or portfolio submission, particularly when using digital tools or preparing exhibition narratives. Preferential seating or a reduced-distraction workspace supports focus during multi-step production and critique discussions. Printed or digitally accessible copies of rubric criteria and curation guidelines ensure students can reference expectations independently throughout the unit.
ELL / MLL
Visual cues, labeled examples of finished artworks, and illustrated glossaries of key vocabulary — such as 'curation,' 'presentation,' 'preservation,' and 'media artwork' — support comprehension of unit concepts and discussion expectations. Directions for production and display-planning tasks should be delivered in clear, simple language with visual models of the process or end product. Encouraging students to draft ideas or exhibition narratives in their home language before translating or discussing in English can reduce barriers to participation in collaborative and reflective tasks.
At Risk (RTI)
Connecting production tasks to students' personal interests, communities, or prior creative experiences helps build motivation and entry points into complex artwork development. Offering a structured framework or partially completed planning tool for curation and display decisions reduces cognitive load while still engaging students in meaningful creative problem-solving. Beginning with smaller-scale or single-medium production tasks before integrating multiple forms allows students to build confidence and competency progressively across the unit.
Gifted & Talented
Students who demonstrate early mastery of production fundamentals should be encouraged to explore more complex integration of media forms, investigate professional curation practices, or propose original constraints and design challenges that push their work beyond unit expectations. Deeper engagement might include researching how evolving technologies are changing preservation and presentation in contemporary art contexts, and applying those findings to their own exhibition planning. Students may also take on mentorship or leadership roles in collaborative production tasks, developing communication and curatorial reasoning skills alongside their artistic practice.