1. What’s the Big Idea? An Introduction LTC 4240: Art for Children FS 2013

2. Why teach BIG IDEAS with Art?
“Artists use their interest in the world of ideas to enter and draw from a wide range of fields and practices. Their work embraces not only visual media and strategies but often includes historical or archival research, writing, scientific inquiry, engineering, and reading, among other pursuits and methods. In this way, the work of contemporary artists supports learning… across subject areas. Employing a process of inquiry, artists and teachers alike can harness the power of human curiosity.”
(Art21, 2013, para. 1)

3. What are Big Ideas?
“Broad, important human issues” (Walker, 2001, p. 1)
Characteristics of Big Ideas:
Timeless
Cross-cultural
Cross-disciplinary
Contain LAYERS of meaning potential

4. The nature of Big Ideas Characterized by: May be expressed as
Complexity
Ambiguity
Contradiction
Multiplicity
May be expressed as
A single term (i.e. “power”)
A phrase (i.e. “meaning & context”)
A complete statement (i.e. “Opposites attract.”)

5. Big Ideas in a nutshell:
Big Ideas are life-centered issues that can be investigated through various content areas.
They are relevant to people in their daily lives.
They are NOT about art (or other content) skills or techniques.

6. Double-check your Big Idea!
Preface these examples with the following statement:
“Throughout history and across cultures, people have…
…been concerned with IDENTITY.”
…examined the importance of RELATIONSHIPS.”
…created & shared STORIES.”
…communicated importance through CELEBRATIONS.”
(Did each of the Big Ideas for this course
pass the test?)

7. Giving PURPOSE & DIRECTION to Big Idea Teaching
Step #1:
Specify KEY CONCEPTS of the Big Idea
you wish to teach. (Don’t try to teach them all!)
Are they broad yet basic concepts that students
must know to understand the Big Idea Unit?
Do they frame what you consider to be the
most important aspects of the Big Idea?
Do they suggest new implications of the Big Idea?
Sequence them from simpler to more complex.

8. Example: Big Idea of CELEBRATIONS
“Throughout time and across cultures, people have communicated importance through CELEBRATIONS.”
KEY CONCEPTS (simple to complex)
Celebrations highlight events, milestones, &
experiences in people’s lives.
Celebrations convey personal, social, & cultural
meanings.
Celebrations reveal what people value.

9. Giving PURPOSE & DIRECTION to Big Idea Teaching
Step #2:
Identify ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS that
your teaching must help students answer in
order to understand KEY CONCEPTS
Large “umbrella” questions that establish your
instructional priorities
Flow directly from KEY CONCEPTS
Do not have a single “right” answer
Sequence these from simpler to more complex

10. Example: Big Idea of CELEBRATIONS
“Throughout time and across cultures, people have communicated importance through celebrations.”
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS (simple to complex)
What kinds of personal, social, and cultural
CELEBRATIONS do and/or have people experienced?
What personal, social, & cultural meanings do
different kinds of CELEBRATIONS convey?
How do CELEBRATIONS reveal what people value?

11. Questions to launch the Big Idea Unit-Planning Process:
What disciplines/content areas are naturally/ authentically connected to the investigation of the Big Idea and how?
What artist & art form best exemplifies your Big Idea and how are they related?
Why/How is this unit relevant to your students and how will it address their needs?
What mandated goals & standards will this unit of instruction enable you to address?

12. INSTRUCTOR EXEMPLAR Big Idea: Personal/Family Stories

13. PERSONAL/FAMILY STORIES
INSTRUCTOR EXEMPLAR
Big Idea:
PERSONAL/FAMILY STORIES
Jacob Lawrence’s book,
“The Great Migration” provided
A SEED FOR INVESTIGATION
SELECTION RATIONALE:
Naturally/authentically connects the Big Idea to other content areas
(Art, Literacy, Social Studies, Science)
“SEED” is a children’s picture book (Literacy)
Lawrence was an ARTIST/VISUAL STORYTELLER (Art )
Lawrence’s Big Idea – THE AFRICAN AMERICAN STORY
(Art & Visual Literacy)
Lawrence’s PERSONAL/FAMILY STORY included
“The Great Migration” (Social Studies)
Migration & PERSONAL STORIES are timeless, cross-cultural,
cross-disciplinary, and layered concepts

14. PERSONAL/FAMILY STORIES
INSTRUCTOR EXEMPLAR
Big Idea:
PERSONAL/FAMILY STORIES
Jacob Lawrence’s book,
“The Great Migration” provided
A SEED FOR INVESTIGATION
ADDITIONAL SELECTION RATIONALE:
Addresses mandated goals & standards
Multiple Grade Level Expectations in Art, Social Studies, Communication Arts, & Science
Multiple Common Core State Standards in ELA

15. ADDITIONAL SELECTION RATIONALE:
INSTRUCTOR EXEMPLAR
Big Idea:
PERSONAL/FAMILY STORIES
Jacob Lawrence’s book,
“The Great Migration” provided
A SEED FOR INVESTIGATION
ADDITIONAL SELECTION RATIONALE:
Offers AUTHENTICITY & RELEVANCE to students’ lives
Common/Familiar experience
Naturally, “organically” flowing connections
Offers DIFFERENTIATION POTENTIAL
Invites INDEPENDENT INQUIRY
Promotes COMMUNITY BUILDING

16. ADDITIONAL SELECTION RATIONALE: Big Idea (& the unit itself) is:
INSTRUCTOR EXEMPLAR
Big Idea:
PERSONAL/FAMILY STORIES
Jacob Lawrence’s book,
“The Great Migration” provided
A SEED FOR INVESTIGATION
ADDITIONAL SELECTION RATIONALE:
Big Idea (& the unit itself) is:
Timeless
Cross-Cultural
Cross-Disciplinary
Layered

17. ADDITIONAL SELECTION RATIONALE: Big Idea (& the unit itself) offers:
INSTRUCTOR EXEMPLAR
Big Idea:
PERSONAL/FAMILY STORIES
Jacob Lawrence’s book,
“The Great Migration” provided
A SEED FOR INVESTIGATION
ADDITIONAL SELECTION RATIONALE:
Big Idea (& the unit itself) offers:
Complexity
Ambiguity
Contradiction
Multiplicity

18. Now, it’s your turn!

19. References
Art21 (2013). Contemporary approaches to teaching: Bringing contemporary art and artists into classroom and community learning. Retrieved from contemporary- art/contemporary-approaches-to-teaching Bain, C. (2008). What’s the big idea? [Powerpoint presentation]. Retrieved from Curr_unit/What%27stheBigIdea.pdf Walker, S. R. (2001). Teaching meaning in artmaking. Worcester, MA: Davis Publications Inc.