Wasatch Back Student Art Show: Everyday Art

Wasatch Back Student Art Show: Everyday Art

April 14 – May 27, 2012 Main, Garage and Badami Galleries

The Wasatch Back Student Art Show is an annual show that features work from students K – 12 in Summit and Wasatch Counties in Utah. This year, the theme and title of the show, Everyday Art, encompasses inventions and objects that are easy to forget. Computer parts have been turned into sculptures of robots, students have designed their idea of a chair, and cupcake liners have been turned into a lamp! The over 670 students who submitted work this year used everyday objects to this exhibition. The Innovative art work, books about inventors and a family oriented scavenger hunt can be viewed in the Main, Garage and Badami Galleries at the Kimball Art Center though May 27, 2012. School Tours and admission are always free.

Each A.R.T.S tour for the Wasatch Back Student Art Show: Everyday Art exhibit will include a 45 minute guided tour as well as a 45 minute art project. After viewing the work created by students, visitors will be asked to create a new invention or creature using the everyday object, silverware! Students may have time to create 2 or 3 of these inventions or creatures, and if so, will be asked to leave one at the Kimball Art Center for the community wall. Students will leave the field trip with their art project and inspiration for invention!

Background Information

A Time Line of Invention, Innovation and Creation

500 – 1450 AD – The Middle Ages. While there was a suppression of knowledge and learning, the Middle Ages was a period full of discovery and inventing.

1023 – First paper money printed in China
1045 – Movable Type Print in China
1050 – Crossbow invented in France
1182 – Magnetic compass invented.
1200 – Clothing buttons invented.
1289 – Invention of eye glasses.
1290 – Windmills invented.

15th Century - The 15th century gave birth to three major events: the beginning of the Renaissance Era (circa 1453) with a return to research and learning after the Dark Ages; the birth of the Age of Discovery with increased exploration and improved naval ships and navigation methods that created new trade routes and trade partners; and the birth of modern printing marked by 15th century master printer Johann Gutenberg's invention of movable type presses (1440) that made the inexpensive mass-printing of books possible.

1450 – The first polished spectacles are invented for near sighted people.
1455 – Johannes Gutenberg invents the printing press.
1485 – Leonardo DaVinci designs the first parachute.
1492 – Leonardo DaVinci is the first to seriously theorize about flying machines.

16th Century - The 16th century was a time of unprecedented change, the very beginning of the modern era of science, a time of great exploration, religious and political turmoil, and extraordinary literature.

1500 – First flush toilets emerged.
1510 – First pocket watch invented by Peter Henlein. DaVinvi designs first horizontal water wheel.
1543 – Copernicus published his theory that the Earth was not the center of the universe, rather, the Earth and the other planets orbited around the Sun. Called the Copernican Revolution, his theory forever changed astronomy, and ultimately changed all of science.
1593 –Galileo Galilei invents a water thermometer.

17th Century - During the 17th century major changes in philosophy and science took place. Before the 17th century began, science and scientists were not truly recognized. In fact, at first people like the 17th century genius Isaac Newton were called natural philosophers, since there was no concept of the word scientist for most of the 17th century. The intrusion of newly invented machines became part of the daily and economic lives of 17th century folk. During the 17th century, the science of chemistry developed from medieval alchemy, and the 17th century science of astronomy evolved from astology. By the end of the 17th century, a scientific revolution had occurred and science had become an established mathematical, mechanical, and empirical body of knowledge.

1608 – Hans Lippershey invents the first refracting telescope.
1663 – James Gregory and Issac Newton invent reflecting telescope.
1670 – Candy Cane invented.
1674 – First time bacteria is seen and described from under a microscope.
1698 – Steam pump invented.

18th Century - The 18th century began the first Industrial Revolution. Modern manufacturing began with steam engines replacing animal labor. During this century widespread replacement of manual labor by new inventions and machinery took place. This time is also referred to as The Age of Enlightenment, a historical period characterized by a change away from traditional religious sources of authority, and a move towards science and rational thought. The Age of Enlightenment lead to the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolution as well as the spread of capitalism and the increased availability of printed materials.

1709 – Piano Invented
1711 – Tuning fork invented.
1722 – Fire extinguisher invented.
1752 – Benjamin Franklin invents lightening rod.
1755 – Samuel Johnson publishes first English dictionary.
1764 – Spinning Jenny invented.
1774 – Patent for the electric telegraph.
1780 – Benjamin Franklin invents bifocals.
1783 – First hot air balloon invented.
1792 – First ambulance invented.
1794 – Eli Whitney invents cotton gin.
1795 – Preserving jar invented. This allowed better keep and storage of food.
1796 – Small pox vaccine made.
1798 – First soft drink invented.
1799 – First battery invented.

19th Century - The invention of useable electricity, steel, and petroleum products during the 19th century lead to a second industrial revolution (1865–1900), that featured the growth of railways and steam ships, faster and wider means of communication, and inventions with names we all know today. The 19th century was the age of machine tools - tools that made tools - machines that made parts for other machines, including interchangeable parts. The assembly line was invented during the 19th century, speeding up the factory production of consumer goods. The 19th century gave birth to the professional scientists, the word scientist was first used in 1833 by William Whewell. Inventors began to design practical internal combustion engines. The light bulb, telephone, typewriter, sewing machine, all came of age during the 19th century.

1810 – First tin can invented – helped to better preserve food.
1814 – First photograph taken by Joseph Nicephore Niepce.
1827 – Matches invented.
1829 – Typewriter invented.
1830 – Sewing machine invented.
1837 – Samuel Morse invents telegraph and morse code.
1839 – Charles Goodyear invents rubber vulcanization.
1847 – Antiseptics invented.
1856 – Pasteurization invented.
1868 – Traffic lights invented.
1886 – Coca Cola invented.
1893 – Zipper invented.
1895 – Lumier Brothers invent the first portable motion camera. They become the first to present a movie to more than one person.
1898 – Rollercoaster patented.

20th Century - Technology, science, and inventions have progressed at an accelerated rate during the hundred years of the 20th century, more so than any other century. We began the 20th century with the infancy of airplanes, automobiles, and radio, when those inventions dazzled us with their novelty and wonder. We end the 20th century with spaceships, computers, cell phones, and the wireless Internet all being technologies we can take for granted.

1900 – Zeppelin invented.
1901 – First radio transmission successfully transmitted.
1902 – Teddy bears invented.
1903 – Bottle making machinery invented.
1905 – Albert Einstein invents the theory of relativity making famous the equation E = MC2
1920 – Band-Aid invented.
1921 – First robot built. Artificial life begins.
1923 – TV and frozen food are invented.
1928 – Penicillin is discovered.
1930 – Analog computer is invented at MIT.
1940 – Color TV invented.
1943 – Slinky and silly putty invented.
1945 – Atomic bomb invented.
1954 – McDonalds began.
1958 – Hula-hoop invented.
1959 – Barbie invented.
1979 – Rollerblades and walkman invented.

All research and timelines were adapted from About.com

All Grades

Curriculum Ties

This lesson plan uses art, science, writing and history to help students K – 12 better understand how to brainstorm, think and innovate creatively! This lesson plan can be changed for students of any age.

Materials

Teachers should familiarize themselves with a basic understanding of inventions (see invention time line in background information), as well as how to help their students think, brainstorm and work creatively!
Everyday objects – there is a list of ideas of objects below, but any everyday object will work!
Pencil or Pen and Paper
Plain Paper
Crayons, Markers or colored pencils

*If doing the recipe activity, you will need materials to make rice crispy treats, cookies or other foods. This can be changed to work for your classroom. Be careful! Check to see if your students have allergies to any foods!

Intended Learning Outcomes

Help your students understand the process of invention, how to be creative and how to innovate.
Introduce students to inventors who have created everyday objects.
Teach students how to work and think together.
Include writing exercises for students to learn to write scientifically.

Instructional Procedures

The instructor should talk about creative thinking in the classroom from the important aspects below. Explain that all inventions came out of these areas.

Fluency of the production of a number of ideas – take a few minutes to come up with as many ideas as possible, not discounting or discrediting any of them. Everything is a possibility!
Flexibility of ideas – be willing to let others add details and innovation to your idea.
Originality – ideas should be unique and unusual.
Elaboration – ideas should be well thought out and detailed. List as many details as possible about the invention or idea.

To practice this type of creative thinking, allow students to work in small groups of 3 or 4. After students have thought of ideas, allow them to share with the class. It is fun to have them share the entire process. For example, what was an idea at the beginning? How did it change? What did it end up as?
Introduce the SCAMPERR technique for Brainstorming.

Substitute – What could I take instead? What else could this object do?
Combine – What could I add to this to make it do something different?
Adapt – What other idea does this object suggest? What it is used for? What could it be used for?
Minify – Think about the shape and form of the object… what does this do for the object? (Various water bottles, jars or multiples of objects that are slightly different… maybe toothbrushes are great to use, too).
Magnify – What would happen if the object was higher, longer, thicker, thinner, and bigger?
Put it to other uses – Modify. – Think of other places where the object can be used. In a bathtub, in a different room, buy kids instead of adults, by adults instead of kids? Who uses the object?
Eliminate – Take things away from the object, make it smaller, lighter, and shorter.
Reverse – Change patterns, designs, place it upside down, half way over etc… see it in a new light.
Rearrange – What does it look like when it is backwards, forwards, doing the opposite of what it is supposed to do? What if it goes faster, slower?

Bring in everyday objects from around your home or classroom. Ask the students to list many new uses for a familiar object by using the Scamper technique with regard to the object. You could use a paper plate to begin with, and see how many new things the students will discover. Once students have done this as a class, ask them to choose an object individually to analyze using SCAMPERR, creative thinking and Brainstorming techniques. Suggested objects include: Forks, dull kitchen knives, spoons, cups, bowls, zippers, bowls, socks, shoes, jar, pencil, pen, old cell phones.
Allow students to work individually or in small groups of 2, have students choose an object to work with an item to discover its new possibilities.
After each student has worked through the creative brainstorming and thinking techniques, have them choose one of their ideas and expand on in it written form. Ask students to write a paper describing their invention and what it is used for. Remember, elaboration is key here!
Have students read or share their final ideas with the class. Allow the class to vote for the best idea, most innovative idea, and most unusual idea. Ask students which ideas they think should receive a patent!
If you want to continue using creative thinking in the classroom, here are some other ideas:

Write down 30 everyday objects on the board. Have students create new objects by combining the objects on the board to make new inventions. One good example of this is: What happens when you combine a spoon and a fork, you get a spork! Give students a blank piece of paper and have them draw to design the new object. Ask them to give it a name and describe what it does!
Using a story, have students make up alternative endings (imagine the possibilities of an alternative ending to fairy tales, books you are reading as a class, and more!).
Using the English alphabet, have students invent a new letter. What will this letter be used for? Is it a possible sound or what does it sound like? After students have made up their letter, have each student share their letter with the class. Then see if students can come up with one sentence that uses all of their new letters! Remember, the alphabet hasn’t been around forever, someone invented it!
Cooking can be innovative! Give students the same ingredients to make cookies, candies or some other treat! For instance, rice crispy treats would be a great, easy recipe! Don’t tell students how to combine the ingredients and see what innovative things they can do with it. Is there a difference if you combine rice crispy to marshmallow or marshmallow to rice crispy? Are there alternative ingredients that they can use to create new flavors… maybe lemon, vanilla, chocolate, fruits, caramels, sprinkles, and more? Are they willing to add anything unusual to it? Have herbs such as rosemary, lavender, sage, basil and more to see if they will try it! What about making savory rice crispy? Will they add cheese or nuts, bacon bits or another flavor?

Assessment

Students demonstrate that they understand how to brainstorm and think creatively by participating in the lesson.
Students demonstrate that they can work together as a class to develop ideas and encourage creative thinking among other students.
Students understand the SCAMPERR technique and are able to use it individually to create new ideas, innovate and apply it to everyday objects.
Students write to show that they can think creatively, entertain the idea of many possibilities, and use good judgment to rule out other ideas.
Students understand that sometimes, ideas that we don’t first like the best, may end up being a solution in the end. Sometimes inventors go back to ideas years later! (Remind students to always write down their ideas!)
Students communicate their ideas verbally with the class and allow for constructive criticism!
Students participate in voting on ideas to help understand the process of creative problem solving, thinking and brainstorming!