Picturing America Lesson: The Artist's Vision: Abstraction and the American West

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Subject Area

Arts Education

Grade(s)

4, 5

Overview

Students will analyze two pieces of abstract artwork. They will identify the elements of art. They will make line sketches of each piece. 

Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 4 - Visual Arts

AE17.VA.4.12

Interpret art by referring to contextual information and analyzing relevant subject matter, visual qualities, and use of media.

UP:AE17.VA.4.12

Vocabulary

  • Constructed environment
  • Cultural traditions
  • Digital format
  • Engagement
  • Tertiary color
  • Preservation
  • Proportion
  • Principles of design
    • Unity
  • Shade
  • Style
  • Tints & shades

Essential Questions

EU: People gain insights into meanings of artworks by engaging in the process of art criticism.
EQ: What is the value of engaging in the process of art criticism? How can the viewer "read" a work of art as text? How does knowing and using visual arts vocabularies help us understand and interpret works of art?

Skills Examples

  • Compare Gyotaku Japanese fish printing and printing with a rubber stamp.
  • Make conclusions about the artist's feelings and perspective.
  • Analyze the meaning of Edvard Munch's The Scream.
  • Interpret Emanuel Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware River and its relevance to the Revolutionary War.
  • Discuss and form an opinion about the social and personal value of a piece of art.
  • Apply one element or principle of design to discuss how students' outcomes are different even though they used the same criteria for a work of art/ design.
  • Formulate criteria for discussing and assessing works of art.
  • Use art vocabulary when discussing and judging artworks.
  • Engage in group critiques of one's work and the work of others for the purpose of personal reflection and on-going improvement.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 4 - Visual Arts

AE17.VA.4.13

Apply one criterion from elements or principles of design to evaluate more than one work of art/design.

UP:AE17.VA.4.13

Vocabulary

  • Constructed environment
  • Cultural traditions
  • Digital format
  • Engagement
  • Tertiary color
  • Preservation
  • Proportion
  • Principles of design
    • Unity
  • Shade
  • Style
  • Tints & shades

Essential Questions

EU: People evaluate art based on various criteria.
EQ: How does one determine criteria to evaluate a work of art? How and why might criteria vary? How is a personal preference different from an evaluation?

Skills Examples

  • Compare Gyotaku Japanese fish printing and printing with a rubber stamp.
  • Make conclusions about the artist's feelings and perspective.
  • Analyze the meaning of Edvard Munch's The Scream.
  • Interpret Emanuel Leutze's Washington Crossing the Delaware River and its relevance to the Revolutionary War.
  • Discuss and form an opinion about the social and personal value of a piece of art.
  • Apply one element or principle of design to discuss how students' outcomes are different even though they used the same criteria for a work of art/ design.
  • Formulate criteria for discussing and assessing works of art.
  • Use art vocabulary when discussing and judging artworks.
  • Engage in group critiques of one's work and the work of others for the purpose of personal reflection and on-going improvement.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 9: Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 5 - Visual Arts

AE17.VA.5.12

Interpret art by analyzing visual qualities and structure, contextual information, subject matter, visual elements, and use of media to identify ideas and mood conveyed.

UP:AE17.VA.5.12

Vocabulary

  • Cultural context
  • Formal & conceptual vocabulary
  • Genre
  • Linear perspective
  • Preserve
  • Principles of design
    • Movement
    • Emphasis
  • Relief
  • Vanishing point

Essential Questions

EU: People gain insights into meanings of artworks by engaging in the process of art criticism.
EQ: What is the value of engaging in the process of art criticism? How can the viewer "read" a work of art as text? How does knowing and using visual arts vocabularies help us understand and interpret works of art?

Skills Examples

  • Compare and contrast artworks in terms of content, stylistic characteristics, and techniques.
  • Collaboratively observe, analyze, and interpret a body of artworks about places, focusing on content, style, and technique.
  • Identify and analyze the terracotta Army and its relationship to Chinese Culture.
  • Describe the relationship between works of art from different cultures being respectful and mindful of cultural sensitive themes.
  • Discuss differences in art of familiar and unfamiliar cultures.
  • Discuss the reasons and value of documenting and preserving works of art and objects for a culture.
  • Recognize what was learned and the challenges that remain when assessing a work of art.
  • Use criteria to assess works of art individually and collaboratively.
  • Use contextual cues to discuss notions of beauty and aesthetic value.
  • Compare and contrast different media and techniques.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 5 - Visual Arts

AE17.VA.5.13

Recognize differences in criteria used to evaluate works of art depending on styles, genres, and media as well as historical and cultural contexts.

UP:AE17.VA.5.13

Vocabulary

  • Cultural context
  • Formal & conceptual vocabulary
  • Genre
  • Linear perspective
  • Preserve
  • Principles of design
    • Movement
    • Emphasis
  • Relief
  • Vanishing point

Essential Questions

EU: People evaluate art based on various criteria.
EQ: How does one determine criteria to evaluate a work of art? How and why might criteria vary? How is a personal preference different from an evaluation?

Skills Examples

  • Compare and contrast artworks in terms of content, stylistic characteristics, and techniques.
  • Collaboratively observe, analyze, and interpret a body of artworks about places, focusing on content, style, and technique.
  • Identify and analyze the terracotta Army and its relationship to Chinese Culture.
  • Describe the relationship between works of art from different cultures being respectful and mindful of cultural sensitive themes.
  • Discuss differences in art of familiar and unfamiliar cultures.
  • Discuss the reasons and value of documenting and preserving works of art and objects for a culture.
  • Recognize what was learned and the challenges that remain when assessing a work of art.
  • Use criteria to assess works of art individually and collaboratively.
  • Use contextual cues to discuss notions of beauty and aesthetic value.
  • Compare and contrast different media and techniques.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 9: Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.

CR Resource Type

Lesson/Unit Plan

Resource Provider

Philadelphia Museum of Art

License Type

Custom
https://philamuseum.org/doc_downloads/education/lessonPlans/Picturing%20America…

Custom License Type (URL)

https://philamuseum.org/webpolicies?page=2

Approved Date

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