1. Endangered Species
through Block Printing
Transformative Unit Plan
Fall 2012
Catherine Usewicz

2. Unit Overview
 Through this unit students will begin to explore
endangered plant species. They will be hands on in
choosing the plants that they will work to understand
more at a larger level. Exploration of the issues
surrounding how society has impacted the reason the
species is endangered and the possible ripple effects
that it could make.
 The students will look at what benefits the plant could
provide and create scenarios through their artwork
showing these possible benefits. This unit will also look
at what is happening in the world of Science in way of
genetically modifying plants to create solutions.

3. Unit Goal
 Students will be able to describe the endangered plant
species and the impacts it can have on society and that the
world has had on it through the use of relief printing by
applying ink to a plate that has had the image cut into it.
 A unit assessment will include a gallery show created at the
end of the unit by working to create the title and which
works they will showcase. They will also have to do the
coordination with the botanical gardens

4. Unit Questions
 What makes a plant endangered?
 How can I bring the reasons for this plant being
endangered to a larger audience?
 How does printmaking connect to nature?
 How many different ways can the issues regarding
endangered species be presented?

5. Lessons
 What does it mean to be an endangered species?
1 class session (critical Aesthetic)
 Endangered plant 4 class sessions
 Society’s effects on the plant 4 class sessions
(ecojustice lesson)
 Benefits of the plant 3 class sessions
 Genetically modified 2 class sessions (feminist lesson)

6. Lesson 1
What does it mean to be an endangered species?
 Responding session looking with the students at plants,
and at artists that depict nature and conservation in
their works
 Students will look at how they think plants become
endangered and what is happening in an overview to
cause a species to become endangered
 The students will fuel the questioning and discuss what
their theories are regarding what it means to be
endangered, how a plant becomes endangered and what
can be done
 Assessment will be collection of their thoughts on the
questions within the class session. These will be on a
sheet with clipart from the sites that will be reviewed
and explored during the class session

7. Lesson 1
What does it mean to be an endangered species?
 Sites and artists referenced for this lesson are

8. Lesson 1
What does it mean to be an endangered species?
 What does it mean to be endangered?
 How have plants become endangered?
 What are possible losses society will have if these plants
disappear?
 How have we as a species effected the environment of
the plants and the plants themselves?
 What can we do to help?
 What forms of awareness exist or could exist?

9. Lesson 1
What does it mean to be an endangered species?
CT Standards
 Content:Students will consider, select and apply a range
of subject matter, symbols and ideas.
 History and cultures:Students will understand the visual
arts in relation to history and cultures.
 Analysis, interpretation, and evaluation:Students will
reflect upon, describe, analyze, interpret and evaluate
their own and others’ work.
 Connections:Students will make connections between
the visual arts, other disciplines and daily life.

10. Lesson 2
Endangered plant
 Students will research and pick a plant that they will
create a series of prints with. For the intro to relief they
will use Styrofoam and a variety of colors for inking
 Assessment will be having at least 4 prints completed
and handed in of their plate that they created. Also
turning in the plate and demonstrating block printing
techniques through their prints

11. Lesson 2
Endangered plant
 In the first lesson students will begin learning the
concepts and techniques of block printing and relief
techniques by carving their plant design
 They will create multiple prints exploring colors and
pressure to create the prints
 During the first lesson the students will begin their
research and choose a plant to learn more about and
present
 They will research the name and location, then more
research will be done through the course of the unit

12. Lesson 2
Endangered plant
 What makes the plant that I chose significant?
 What do I want to tell people about this plant?
 Why did I decide to choose this plant?
 How can I create a print that will describe my plant
accurately?
 Will the colors and the layout I choose help in being a
descriptor or will it work to emphasis in a different way?

13. Lesson 2
Endangered plant
CT Standards
 Media:Students will understand, select and apply media,
techniques and processes.
 Elements and principles:Students will understand and
apply elements and organizational principles of art.
 Content:Students will consider, select and apply a range
of subject matter, symbols and ideas.
 Connections:Students will make connections between
the visual arts, other disciplines and daily life.

14. Lesson 3
Society’s effects on the plant
 This lesson the students will be looking at the
relationships that society and the world have with the
plant.
 Students will create a lino cut depicting a cause of why
the plant is on the endangered list. They can create a
print showing what they felt was most significant and
that they want to address.
 Assessment of this lesson will occur through a self
reflection sheet and paragraph written to go along with
one completed print that they will turn in. They will be
encouraged to print multiple copies and choose the one
that is cleanest in printing standards

15. Lesson 3
Society’s effects on the plant
Students will create prints using the linocut process
These prints will demonstrate how what we do and
what we have done has helped to push these plants
into danger
Students will do further research into what has had the
Largest impact on their plant and through the linocut
Process and layouts they will show these impacts

16. Lesson 3
Society’s effects on the plant
 What we have done to the plant?
 How have our values hurt the plant?
 How can I describe through the composition what effects
the plant has felt?
 What are we doing subconciously that is effecting the
plant?
 How does this process of printmaking have connections
to nature?

17. Lesson 3
Society’s effects on the plant
CT Standards
 Media:Students will understand, select and apply media,
techniques and processes.
 Elements and principles:Students will understand and
apply elements and organizational principles of art.
 Content:Students will consider, select and apply a range
of subject matter, symbols and ideas.
 History and cultures:Students will understand the visual
arts in relation to history and cultures.
 Connections:Students will make connections between
the visual arts, other disciplines and daily life.

18. Lesson 4
Benefits of the plant
 Students will create a collograph print depicting the
possible benefits that the plant could provide
 Assessment of this lesson will be similar to lesson 3.
They will create a paragraph to coincide with their print
that they will turn in. These tow lessons can then be
combined when viewed in a gallery setting

19. Lesson 4
Benefits of the plant
 This work of art will begin with the students researching
what plants that have been discovered have provided
 Also look at how plants effect the overall climate of the
planet
 With their research they will create a work of what
benefits these endangered plants could possibly hold
 They will use a collagraph process of printmaking to
create their prints

20. Lesson 4
Benefits of the plant
 What possible benefits could this plant hold?
 What could have been discovered from plants that went
extinct from society’s effects on nature?
 How does collagraph printing add dimension to the
print?

21. Lesson 4
Benefits of the plant
CT Standards
 Media:Students will understand, select and apply media,
techniques and processes.
 Elements and principles:Students will understand and
apply elements and organizational principles of art.
 Content:Students will consider, select and apply a range
of subject matter, symbols and ideas.
 History and cultures:Students will understand the visual
arts in relation to history and cultures.
 Connections:Students will make connections between
the visual arts, other disciplines and daily life.

22. Lesson 5
Genetically modified
 In this lesson the original prints of the plant will all be
placed at the front and students will talk about all the
information provided as to what the benefits each plant
are.
 They will make decisions about combining all the plants
and the pros and cons.
 The final work will be made by students working in pairs
to modify their works by splicing a section of their print
with their partner’s print.
 Assessment of this lesson will occur through turning in 2
completed works per group of 2 or 3. Each of these
works will have parts from each piece and a description
of why they chose which was the main plant and which
was added.

23. Lesson 5
Genetically modified
 Through this lesson students will look at pros and cons
of genetic modification
 At the beginning of the lesson they will look at one print
that they each did during the first lesson and make
decisions on splicing the plants together
 This process will be described through combining the
works of art and create new works
 The students will work as pairs or groups of 3 to put
together their new plants and then talk about the
reasons they work together or don’t

24. Lesson 5
Genetically modified
 How can genetic modification of plants be positive?
 What negative effects can be seen?
 How can this be described through art?
 What as a group did you decide were the pros and cons
of your combination?
 How did you decide on the size of the spices of each
work?
 Which work was the main plant and which had the other
added into it?

25. Lesson 5
Genetically modified
CT Standards
 Media:Students will understand, select and apply media,
techniques and processes.
 Elements and principles:Students will understand and apply
elements and organizational principles of art.
 Content:Students will consider, select and apply a range of
subject matter, symbols and ideas.
 Analysis, interpretation, and evaluation:Students will reflect
upon, describe, analyze, interpret and evaluate their own
and others’ work.
 Connections:Students will make connections between the
visual arts, other disciplines and daily life.

26. Community Aspects
 At the end of the unit the students will pull their work
together and make decisions about how to present them
in a gallery format
 Through research and making connections with botanical
gardens and centers in CT a show will be set up to bring
awareness to the issues and solutions that the students
have brought to light through their works
 Botanical gardens in Ct include:

27. Resources for Unit
 http://www.endangeredspeciesartsculptures.com/
 http://endangeredspeciesprintproject.com/home.html
 http://www.stopextinction.org/esd.html
 http://plants.usda.gov/threat.html
 http://planetsave.com/2011/05/20/endangered-plants-
list/
 http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/enda
ngered_plants/
 http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2008/11/03/strange-
rare-bizarre-endangered-flowers-plants-and-trees/