Art 310

Big Idea

Big Idea: Physical Play: Movement, Gesture, and Embodied Artmaking
Key Ideas for Artmaking: Experimentation, Process, and Meaning-Making through the Body

I chose to focus on physical play as my big idea, inspired by Sydney Walker’s discussion in Artmaking, Play, and Meaning Making (2023), because it was the area that pushed me out of my comfort zone in a good way. Walker argues that engaging the body in artmaking invites new forms of awareness and creativity—encouraging artists to “see” differently through movement and tactile interaction rather than observation alone. I think that this will be really great for my students and will challenge them to view art as an experience instead of always focusing on what the end product looks like.

Project Plan

In this project, 6th and 8th graders will explore the artmaking and play list, and examples as Walker presents them. I will also go through examples with them and answer any questions they may have. I will consider these classes specifically for what kind of warm-up exercise will be suitable for the groups of students I have. So for this aspect, I just may have 4 different warm-ups. Students will then translate those movements into more intentional compositions that reflect emotion, rhythm, or narrative etc.

This approach fits naturally into my curriculum’s emphasis on process over product, but it also challenges traditional classroom expectations—where students often equate “good art” with careful control or realism. Continuing to allow them to move, stretch, and even make “mistakes” while learning something new is going to work really well for us. This lesson reframes artmaking as an act of play and embodied thinking. For middle school students developing spatial and self-awareness, physical play is both developmentally appropriate and essential for fostering confidence and experimentation. I say all the time how these kids still need recess, so I am hoping to achieve that kind of feel with them.

Lesson Plan Here: https://www.canva.com/design/DAG3mmO_ghM/fx2Gnvj966p17a3EmHBKDQ/edit?utm_content=DAG3mmO_ghM&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton