Colorado Teacher Quality Standard 3
Teachers plan and deliver effective instruction and create an environment that facilitates learning for their students.
ELEMENT D
Teachers establish and communicate high expectations and use processes to support the development of critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
Introduction to DADA & Anti-Art Thinking
Week 1:
I can explain what DADA is and why it was created.
I can describe how artists used nonsense, humor, and protest.
I can ask questions about what makes something art.
Exploration of Techniques (Collage, Photomontage, Poetry)
Week 2:
I can create a photomontage using found images.
I can rearrange images to create new meaning.
I can experiment with DADA poetry and spontaneity.
I can explore silly or unexpected ideas in my artwork.
Readymades, Installation & Meaning Making
Week 3:
I can transform an everyday object into art by changing its meaning.
I can give my artwork a new title and explanation.
I can create or contribute to a gallery display.
I can explain how my artwork challenges or changes meaning.
Lesson Overview:
In this three-week unit, students explored the DADA movement as a way to question traditional ideas of art and meaning. Beginning with the historical context of World War I, students examined how DADA artists rejected conventional aesthetics and created “anti-art” as a form of protest.
Students engaged in multiple processes including photomontage, DADA poetry, ready-made transformations, and gallery installations, all of which required them to rethink how meaning is constructed. Through activities like the “Gallery of the Ordinary,” students selected everyday objects and gave them new titles and meanings, reinforcing the idea that artists create meaning through choice and context.
Students were expected to apply both creative and critical thinking, balancing spontaneity with intentional decision-making. The unit culminated in students either recreating, altering, or recontextualizing artwork, demonstrating their understanding of how meaning can be manipulated and communicated.
DADA: Anti-Art & New Meaning (4th Grade: 3-Week Unit)
Colorado Academic Standards – Visual Arts (4th Grade)
Standard 1: Observe and Learn to Comprehend
Analyze how artists challenge traditional ideas and create new meaning
Students study DADA as an anti-art movement
Students examine how artists reject traditional aesthetics
Students analyze how meaning changes through context
Standard 2: Envision and Critique to Reflect
Interpret and evaluate how artwork communicates ideas and questions meaning
Students respond to questions like: Is this art? Is this respectful? Is this powerful?
Students reflect on how meaning is created and changed
Standard 3: Invent and Discover to Create
Create artwork that transforms objects, images, and ideas using experimentation
Students create photomontage, DADA poems, and altered artworks
Students experiment with chance, absurdity, and spontaneity
Students apply observational drawing and craft skills when recreating or altering work
Standard 4: Relate and Connect to Transfer
Connect artmaking to historical context, personal ideas, and societal meaning
Students connect DADA to World War I and protest culture
Students explore themes of power, identity, and control of meaning
Students relate their work to contemporary ideas and personal expression
Mr. Zach- Lesson Slide Deck
Student Examples
DADA Unit
This was a complex concept for 4th grade students; however, they exceeded expectations. The opportunity to be playful, experimental, and even “anti-art” supported their engagement and willingness to explore ideas deeply. Many students demonstrated strong critical thinking by transforming objects and images in meaningful ways, particularly through ready-made drawings and recreated works.
Students successfully explored a range of DADA processes, including photomontage, spontaneous poetry, altering existing artwork, and creating gallery-style installations. Their ability to create their own “anti-salon” displays and develop original interpretations of DADA concepts showed a high level of understanding for such a complex and short art movement.
I was especially proud of the creativity and risk-taking students demonstrated throughout the unit. If I were to improve this lesson, I would continue to expand opportunities for creative processes within the concept, allowing for even deeper exploration and development of ideas.
