**Year 12 Art Lesson Plan: Art History (Contemporary Art)**
**Lesson Duration:** 90 minutes
**Learning Objectives:**
1. Understand the key movements and trends in contemporary art.
2. Analyze the works of prominent contemporary artists.
3. Develop critical thinking and discussion skills around artistic concepts and themes.
4. Create an original piece inspired by contemporary art movements.
**Materials Needed:**
- Projector and computer
- PowerPoint presentation or online resources on contemporary art
- Printed images of contemporary artworks
- Art supplies (canvas, paints, brushes, sketchbooks, etc.)
- Notebooks and pens
- Handouts with key terms and artists
**Lesson Structure:**
1. **Introduction (10 minutes)**
- Welcome and attendance.
- Brief overview of the lesson's objectives.
- Ask students what they know about contemporary art to gauge prior knowledge.
2. **Presentation on Contemporary Art (20 minutes)**
- Use a PowerPoint or an online resource to highlight key contemporary art movements such as Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Minimalism, Conceptual Art, and Street Art.
- Discuss notable artists like Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, Yayoi Kusama, and Banksy.
- Emphasize the diversity and global nature of contemporary art, including perspectives from non-Western artists.
3. **Discussion and Analysis (20 minutes)**
- Hand out printed images of various contemporary artworks.
- Split students into small groups and ask them to analyze specific artworks, considering aspects like technique, material, subject matter, and the artist's intent.
- Have each group present their findings to the class.
4. **Activity: Creating Original Contemporary Art (30 minutes)**
- Provide students with art supplies.
- Encourage them to create their own contemporary artwork inspired by the styles and techniques they studied.
- Remind them to think about what message or feeling they want to convey, and how contemporary artists often challenge traditional norms.
5. **Reflection and Critique (10 minutes)**
- Have students share their artworks with the class.
- Facilitate a constructive critique session where peers can offer feedback and discuss the works.
6. **Closing (5 minutes)**
- Summarize the key points of the lesson.
- Briefly preview the next lesson topic.
- Assign homework: Ask students to write a short essay about a contemporary artist they find inspiring and explain why.
**Assessment:**
- Participation in discussions and group work.
- Quality and creativity of the original artwork.
- Reflection and critique participation.
- Homework essay on a contemporary artist.
**Homework:**
- Write a 300-500 word essay about a contemporary artist who inspires you. Explain why you chose them and discuss one of their works in detail.
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This lesson plan is designed to engage Year 12 students with contemporary art, encouraging them to explore and create while developing their analytical skills.