Learning Through Observation
“Analyzing ART to Aid Students in the Area of English Language Arts”
Content Area & Arts Discipline:
ELA & Visual Arts
Overview of the Lesson:
This lesson contains several “mini-lessons” which demonstrate how art prints can easily be utilized in the classroom to extend and enhance learning within the ELA Common Core State Standards.
Grade Level: 2nd or 3rd
Proposed Time Frame:
Each Mini-Lesson will take approximately 15 minutes of instruction time
Date Lesson Created:
Spring 2013
Lesson Author:
Alaina Smith Garick
Room RequirementsArrangement:
No special room requirements or arrangement for these mini-lessons
Materials & Equipment:
Art Prints (Online or Actual Prints)
Computer with Internet Access
ArtBite Notebook (Spiral Notebook)
Resources:
Wonderful online database of art prints:
Kennedy Center’s ArtsEdge Website
Read-Write-Think.org
Vocabulary:
Prediction
Art Critic
Criticism
Interpretation
Artist’s Purpose
Interview
Evaluate
Justify
Main Idea
Theme
Supporting Details
Compare
Contrast
Conclusion / Purpose of the Mini-Lessons
Each of these mini-lessons will allow students to see the connections between an art form and a content subject area.
“Mini-Lessons”
#1 – Peek-a-Boo Art Activity: On Monday morning, the teacher will display an art print that has been completely covered in Post-it-Notes or “Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces”. The teacher will then chose one student each morning throughout the week to remove between 3 – 5 pieces (depending on the size of the covering) to reveal the print. Each day, as this process unfolds, the students will make a prediction or modify their initial guess in their ArtBite Notebook of what they believe will be revealed at the end. In this notebook, the students will write two to three sentences to justify their prediction. Then, on Friday, before the big reveal will take place, one student twill be chosen to share his or her prediction with the class and explain their reasoning.
Examples of Prints to use for this mini-lesson are:
Study for Munich Olympic by Jacob Lawrence
The Blind Man’s Mealfrom Pablo Picasso
#2 – Art Critique Activity: The students will take on the role of an art critic. In this activity, the students will be asked to critique an art print by describing what is being seen, analyzing the painting for specific details, interpreting the painting, and evaluating the painting based on their personal preference. This activity will require the students to justify their answers and delve deeper into the art work to gain an understanding of the artist’s purpose.
Examples of Prints to use for this mini-lesson are:
War by Jackson Pollock
Retreat from the Storm by Jean-François Millet
#3 – Writing through the Art: The teacher will use an art print as a writing prompt for the students by having them complete a graphic organizer, which will outline the main idea of the print and identify several supporting details that are seen. Then, the student will compile the information in an appropriate manner to write a descriptive paragraph about the piece of art.
Examples of Prints to use for this mini-lesson are:
Young Ladies of the Villageby Gustave Courbet
A Dance in the Country by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo
#4 – Artful Interview: In this activity, an art print will be selected and students will have an opportunity to study the print and take notes describing the main idea of the print, unique characteristics, and other important details. Two students will then be selected. One will take on the role of an interviewer and the other student will take on the role of the artist. The interviewer will ask the student a set of defined questions with broad answers, such as what is the main idea of the piece or how does this painting make you feel? If the student taking on the role of the artist is uncomfortable or unsure about how to answer, the audience will assist. In addition, if the interviewer has difficulty coming up with questions to ask, the audience can contribute questions that they would like answered to find out more about the art piece.
Examples of Prints to use for this mini-lesson are:
Peasant Women Cooking by a Fireplace by Vincent van Gogh
Camille Monet on a Garden Bench by Claude Monet
#5 – Comparing and Contrasting - ART: The teacher will show two prints which will require the students to find similarities and differences amongst the art. For example, the students could study the prints Sunflowers by van Gogh and A Sunflower from Maggie by O’Keeffe. In this activity, the students will be required to develop several observations about the prints which will be shared with the class. As the students share their findings, the teacher will create a Venn Diagram on the board or use which has online tools available for comparing items. The students will explain where the observation should be placed, specifically which print is being described. Another option for this activity is to find two prints, each of which comes from a different art movement and have the students look for similarities and differences.
Examples of Prints to use for this mini-lesson are:
Study for "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat (Impressionism)
Table by a Window by Jean Metzinger (Cubism)
- #6 – Lights…Camera…Conclusion: The teacher will help students learn how artists must develop a story, main idea, or focus for their work. The students will study a printand predict what the artist was trying to portray. The teacher will then explain that with a piece of art work, it is almost as if the artist has hit the “pause button” just before the conclusion of the story. In this mini-lesson, the students will document in their ArtBite Notebook what they feel the art “story” is about, what happened at the beginning, what was happening in the moment, and then predict or develop a conclusion for the story print. At the end of the week, the students will then be given an opportunity to act out a conclusion to the print based on their interpretation.
A High Wind at Yeigiri by Katsushika Hokusai
Tornado Over Kansas by John Steuart Curry
STANDARDS & PRINCIPLES
State Content Standards:ELA
2nd Grade / 3rd Grade
RL2.5 Describe the overall structure, including the beginning and ending action
RL2.7 Use information gained from illustrations to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, and plot
RL2.9 Compare and contrast two or more items by different authors or from different cultures
RI2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding
RI2.6 Identify the main purpose, including with the author (artist) wants to answer, explain, or describe / RI3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding as the basis for the answers
RI3.2 Determine the main idea; recount key details and explain how they support the main idea
RI3.7 Use information gained form illustrations to demonstrate understanding
RL3.9 Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots
2b1 Answer literal and simple inferential who, what, when, where, why, how, and what if questions
2b2 Answer literal and simple inferential questions about main characters, settings, and events
2b4 Identify the main idea and some details
2b7 Draw conclusions
2b8 Identify and discuss the theme / 2b1 Answer and generate questions
2b2 Answer literal and inferential questions about main characters, setting, plot, and theme
2b4 Identify the main idea
2b8 Synthesize information using prior knowledge and experience to draw a conclusion
2b9 Predict an outcome
2b11 Identify important themes
Arts Standards: Visual Arts
2nd Grade / 3rd Grade
5a Identify art that tells stories and expresses ideas and feelings
5b Know ways that artwork and design communicate ideas, actions, and emotions
5d When analyzing art, listen respectfully and restate the opinion of another
5e Understand that artwork can mean different things to different people
7a Recognize that people from different places and times have made art for some of the same reasons
7b Know that similar subject matter and symbols can be found in works of art and design form other cultures and places / 5a Know how to use reading, writing, and speaking skills to communicate interpretation of art
5b Know how to support an opinion about art with an example
5c Demonstrate ability to identify similar ideas represented in works of art
Principles of Universal Design for Learning:
1.1, 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 5.3, 7.2, 8.3, 9.3
APPENDIX
References: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Kennedy Center’s ArtsEdge
Read-Write-Think.org
Page | 1