THEME: SPACE
SUBJECT: VISUAL ART / MATH
ARTIST: JOHN PEÑA
GRADE: recommended 6th-12th grade
 
OBJECTIVES
Students create a site-specific sculpture that responds to an object in your school or community.
Students mathematically plan out how to create an enlarged object, through measurement and multiplication.
Students think about how the size of objects impacts their opinion and viewpoint.
 
KEY QUESTIONS
1. Why is it so compelling to see something small enlarged in size? Is there a metaphor hidden in this idea?
2. Can a small gesture in your immediate surroundings effect lasting change?
3. How is finding something small and enlarging it different that taking something large and reducing it?
 
VISUAL REFERENCES 
1. Word Balloons, (2014) by John Peña
 
ACTIVITY
Students will research and choose a small object in their school or community (under five inches in any direction or something that easily fits in the palm of your hand). Next students will plan how to enlarge this object by a magnitude of five or ten. Using low-tech materials like paper, cardboard, hot glue and basic paints, recreate the small object on a larger scale. Be sure to measure your original object and multiply all of the dimensions to plan out how large your final object needs to be. Once finished, the students will place their larger replica next to the original object they discovered in the school or community.  Make sure you document the process of building, installation and the interactions and responses it produces from fellow students and faculty. How closely were your able to replicate your object?
 
BONUS
Create a larger object that has moving parts. How will you do this? Research automata, pop-ups and other simple 3D movable sculpting techniques to find inspiration for creating your movable sculpture. How does the interactive part of the sculpture change how people respond? How do people passing by know to touch and interact with your sculpture? 

DOWNLOAD TOOLKIT FOR EXTRA BONUS CONTENT!

______________________________

PENNSYLVANIA CORE STANDARDS
VISUAL ARTS
(9.1.6.A-9.1.12.A)
-know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create works in the arts and humanities
 
(9.1.6.B-9.1.12.B)
-recognize, know, use and demonstrate a variety of appropriate arts elements and principles to produce, review and revise original works in the arts
 
(9.1.6.E-9.1.12.E)
-demonstrate the ability to define objects, express emotions, illustrate an action or relate an experience through creation of works in the arts
 
MATH
6th Grade
Numbers and Operations:
(CC.2.1.6.D.1)
-understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems
(CC.2.1.6.E.1)
 
Geometry:
(CC.2.3.6.A.1)
-apply appropriate tools to solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, surface area and volume
 
7th Grade
Numbers and Operations:
(CC.2.1.7.D.1)
-analyze proportional relationships and use them to model and solve real-world and mathematical problems
 
Geometry:
(CC.2.3.7.A.1)
-solve real-world and mathematical problems involving angle measure, area, surface area, circumference, and volume
 
8th Grade
Algebraic Concepts:
-understand the connections between proportional relationships, lines and linear equations

Geometry:
(CC.2.3.8.A.1)
-apply the concepts of volume of cylinders, cones, and spheres to solve real-world and mathematical problems
 
9th-12th Grade
Numbers and Operations:
(CC.2.1.HS.F.1)
-apply and extend the properties of exponents to solve problems with rational exponents
 
Geometry:
 (CC.2.3.HS.A.13)
-analyze relationships between two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects
(CC.2.3.HS.A.14)
-apply geometric concepts to model and solve real world problems