Table of Contents

1. The Challenge
2. Range of Activities
3. Process
4. Essential Questions
5. Student Outcomes
6. Evaluation Rubric
7. Curricular Goals

The Challenge

Create a pitch film to convince the local school board to install a new work(s) of public art that will cost $50,000.   The public art should be designed to reflect the character and identity of your school and be significant (even inspiring) to the students, faculty and community. You are attempting to bring something interesting, evocative, stimulating, thoughtful, inspiring, unique and meaningful to the citizenry of your region.

This Challenge begins with research about:

• What the community wants. How will the artwork intersect with the community and how will the community feel about the artwork?
• What the Administration wants. Be sure to explore any perceived issues that they may have with the work (think in terms of safety).
• What kind of ‘public art’ might work in a school setting and where this work should be displayed.

The Challenge continues with exploration. What is good art? How is public art different from private art?

The design needs to reflect at least two different elements of the history or character of your school and your team must include at least one interview in the pitch. The design cannot include or make a reference to the school’s mascot.

• Optional (teachers decide whether or not to include this): Background Paper – Write a two-page paper that summarizes the research that your team did on the school, including a transcript of the interview(s) conducted.

Deliverables include:

• Script
• Pitch Video (this is the only Meridian Stories deliverable)
• Public Art Design, as determined by your teacher
• Background Paper, as determined by your teacher

Range of Activities

• Historical research and community polling/interviewing
• Primary and secondary source data analysis
• Visual conceptualization of text-based ideas
• Script writing to persuade
• Video  - Pre-production, Production, Post-production
  • Directing, Video Editing, Audio Editing

Process

We recommend that this Meridian Stories Challenge take place inside of a three to four week time frame. The students must work in teams of 3-4. All internal reviews by the teacher are at the discretion of the teacher. Below is a suggested breakdown for the students’ work.

During Phase One, student teams will:

• Poll, survey or interview key members in your school community. This research needs to include both administrators/faculty and students. The goal is to explore school identity and artistic ideas.
  • Consider video taping your research efforts: this footage may be useful in your final pitch video.
  • Research the history of your school. What are some of the key stories or events that make up the history of your school? Then select two that your team believes are defining moments and begin consideration of how you would want those stories/events represented visually.
  • See what other works of public art are in the community. Are these works appreciated or dismissed? Explore viable location for this public work of art. Where in the school could this work of public art reside? Inside or outside? What spaces are actually available? Is your team looking to create a permanent display of art or a temporary work? Will the work be touchable? These decisions will have repercussions on the places that are available.
    • The Maine Arts Commission has a database of public art works in Maine that you may want to check out. Also, consider contacting staff members at the Maine Arts Commission for their ideas and input. They have expressed a desire to assist.
    • Search the Internet for some examples of public art from around the world that could serve as inspiration for your team.
    • Consider what materials will be used for the artwork. Will the materials add significance to the work? For example, is your community or school affiliated with or defined by local building materials or other natural products?
    • Informally brainstorm ideas with the information that you have gathered. This is just the first round of brainstorming. However keep in mind this important idea: art, whether public or private, is also personal. Have your team examine the ideas that you want reflected in the final design. The final project should reflect a balanced mix of public need, public desire and personal vision.
    • Decide on a basic outline of visual shots that you will need to tell your story; to create your pitch. This is necessary at the start so that your team can determine when a camera should be present in the process and when it won’t be necessary.

Meridian Stories provides two forms of support for the student teams. Media Innovators and Artists – This is a series of three to four minute videos featuring artists and innovative professionals who offer important advice, specifically for Meridian Stories, in the areas of creativity and production. Meridian Tips – These are short documents that offer student teams a few key tips in the areas of creativity and production. Recommended review, as a team, for this Challenge include:
Media Innovators and Artists	Meridian Tips
On Photography – Michael Kolster On Making Documentaries– Margaret Heffernan On Multi-Media in Theatre– Roger Bechtel On Editing – Tom Pierce	“Creative Brainstorming Techniques” “Conducting an Interview” “Time Management” “Scratch, Geogebra and Sketch Up”

During Phase Two, student teams will:

• Gather, organize and analyze your research data. What does it say should be informing your design? Where does it say this project should be installed? (The results of your research can be presented to the teacher for review and comments, at the teacher’s discretion.)
• Brainstorm your design one more time and decide on a basic approach. When deciding on the approach be sure to discuss issues of safety as it relates to your project.
• Consider re-visiting people to re-interview them about their reactions to your current design.
• Solidify your video rundown. Determine a) what your story is and how you are going to present it visually; b) how you are going to represent the design itself (a hand drawing, a model, a graphic?); and c) your angle to convince the School Board of the merits of your project.
  • Write your script.
  • Begin the final design of your public art project. (The final design is and script outline are presented to the teacher for review and comments, at the teacher’s discretion.)

During Phase Three, student teams will:

• Complete the design work on your public art project.
• Complete the video shooting, scripting and sound recording.
• Complete the post-production.
• Write the Background Paper (if necessary)

Essential Questions

1. What is the best way to research attitudes and gather ideas from a community of adults and youth in order to yield clear direction and possibly consensus?
2. How has information gathered from primary sources – your interviews – enhanced your understanding of your school? How is the information from these sources different from the information gathered from secondary sources?
3. What is the best way to analyze, synthesize and utilize data that is predominantly qualitative and subjective?
4. How do ideas – personal and public – get translated into a work of visual art that stays faithful to those ideas and engages aesthetically? Where are the boundaries between artistic integrity, compromise, and pandering to public opinion?
5. How does a work of art add meaning to your community and to your understanding of that community?
6. What are the challenges of creating a visual narrative that is designed to inform and persuade?
7. How has working on a team changed the learning experience?

Student Outcomes

1. The student will participate in a variety of research methods for the purposes of culling community attitudes and ideas about a given topic.
2. The student will understand how combining primary and secondary sources can help one to reach a more complex and nuanced understanding of the topic at hand.
3. The student will learn how to synthesize information and data from a range of resources into a clear set of guidelines or conclusions.
4. The student will experience the challenges of conceptualizing a work of art that is intended to communicate specific ideas that are premised on a balance of public and personal needs.
5. The student will understand more about the history and character of their school.
   1. The student will understand the significant relationship that can exist between a work of art and the community to which it refers.
6. The student will understand the narrative elements that go into creating a presentation designed to inform and persuade.
7. The student will have an increased awareness of the challenges and rewards of team collaboration.

Evaluation Rubric – Designing and Pitching Public Art

CONTENT COMMAND – Clear understanding of the character and identity of your school. Clear interpretation of the needs of the community in relation to the creation of a public work of art.
Criteria	1 – 3	4 – 7	8 – 10
Historical Content	The historical content is not presented clearly	The historical content is evident, but not presented thoroughly	The historical content is presented clearly and compellingly
Community Research	The research from the community is not substantive	The research from the community is adequate	The research from the community is substantive and persuasive
Resulting ideas about school’s character and identity	The final set of ideas about the school’s character and identity are unclear and not well substantiated	The final set of ideas about the school’s character and identity are clear	The final set of ideas about the school’s character and identity are thoughtful and well documented
STORYTELLING COMMAND – Effective public art design that communicates select messages. Effective media presentation that persuade audience of the need and merits of the featured artistic design.
Criteria	1 – 3	4 – 7	8 – 10
Public Art Design	The Public Art Design does not effectively or creatively communicate the ideas on which it is premised	The Public Art Design adequately communicates the ideas on which it is premised	The Public Art Design effectively and creatively communicates the ideas on which it is premised
Interview(s)	The interview doesn’t significantly contribute to the value of the presentation	The interview services the presentation	The interview enhances the presentation
Overall Narrative Clarity and Persuasiveness	The narrative is hard to follow and unpersuasive	The narrative is presented clearly, but the pitch is not persuasive	The narrative is presented clearly and compellingly, and the pitch is persuasive

MEDIA COMMAND – Effective use of the media to communicate the pitch and actual design
Criteria	1 – 3	4 – 7	8 – 10
Mixed Visual Media	The use of video, stills, graphics and/or text was often confusing and not well matched to the goals of the pitch	The use of video, stills, graphics and/or text was suitable to the goals of the pitch	The use of video, stills, graphics and/or text was engaging, visually interesting and well matched to the goals of the pitch
Sound Design	The mix of music and sound did not enhance most elements of the pitch	The mix of music and sound serviced the goals of the pitch	The mix of music and sound greatly enhanced the goals of the pitch

21ST CENTURY SKILLS COMMAND (for teachers only) – Effective use of collaborative thinking, creativity and innovation, and initiative and self-direction to create and produce the final project.
Criteria	1-3	4-7	8-10
Collaborative Thinking	The group did not work together effectively and/or did not share the work equally	The group worked together effectively and had no major issues	The group demonstrated flexibility in making compromises and valued the contributions of each group member
Creativity and Innovation	The group did not make a solid effort to create anything new or innovative	The group was able to brainstorm new and inventive ideas, but was inconsistent in their realistic evaluation and implementation of those ideas	The group brainstormed many inventive ideas and was able to evaluate, refine and implement them effectively
Initiative and Self-Direction	The group was unable to set attainable goals, work independently and manage their time effectively	The group required some additional help, but was able to complete the project on time with few problems	The group set attainable goals, worked independently and managed their time effectively, demonstrating a disciplined commitment to the project

Curricular Goals

The Designing and Pitching Public Art Challenge addresses a range of curricular objectives that have been articulated by two nationally recognized sources:

1. The new Common Core Curricular Standards – English Language Arts; and
2. The Themes of Social Studies, as outlined by National Council of Social Studies (NCSS).

Below please find the standards that are addressed, either wholly or in part.

Common Core Curricular Standards – English Language Arts

Standard	8th	9th/10th	11th/12th
RI7 READING:INFORMATIONAL TEXTS  Integration of Knowledge and Ideas	Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea	Analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account	Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem
W2 WRITING Text Types and Purposes	Write informative/ explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.	Write informative/ explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.	Write informative/ explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
W3 WRITING Text Types and Purposes	Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.	Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.	Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
W7 WRITING Research to Build and Present Knowledge	Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.	Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.	Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
SL1 SPEAKING AND LISTENING Comprehension and Collaboration	Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher- led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.	Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.	Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one- on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
SL5 SPEAKING AND LISTENING Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas	Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.	Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.	Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
L3 LANGUAGE Knowledge of Language	Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.	Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.	Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
RH2 HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES Key Ideas and Details	Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.	Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.	Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
RH 7 HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES Integration of Knowledge and Ideas	Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.	Integrate quantitative or technical analysis (e.g., charts, research data) with qualitative analysis in print or digital text.	Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.

 

Goals – NCSS  – The Themes of Social Studies

Theme – Individual Development and Identity

Personal identity is shaped by an individual’s culture, by groups, by institutional influences, and by lived experiences shared with people inside and outside the individual’s own culture throughout her or his development. Given the nature of individual development in a social and cultural context, students need to be aware of the processes of learning, growth, and interaction at every level of their own school experiences. The examination of various forms of human behavior enhances an understanding of the relationships between social norms and emerging personal identities, the social processes that influence identity formation, and the ethical principles underlying individual action.

Theme – Individuals, Groups and Institutions

Institutions are the formal and informal political, economic, and social organizations that help us carry out, organize, and manage our daily affairs.Students identify those institutions that they encounter. They analyze how the institutions operate and find ways that will help them participate more effectively in their relationships with these institutions. Finally, students examine the foundations of the institutions that affect their lives, and determine how they can contribute to the shared goals and desires of society.