Learning Activity

Comparing Cultures: Pottery

Subject Area

Arts Education

Grade(s)

2

Overview

Students will view images of Native American Pottery and Chinese Ming Dynasty Pottery. Students will collaborate to create a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the pottery of Native Americans and the Chinese Ming Dynasty. Students will compare and contrast the pottery using the elements of design and principals of art. Students will work collaboratively in small groups to brainstorm a design for a vase inspired by each culture. Student groups will write a reflection comparing and contrasting the pottery of the two cultures.

This activity was created as a result of the Arts COS Resource Development Summit

Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 2 - Visual Arts

AE17.VA.2.1

Brainstorm collaboratively to create a work of art.

Unpacked Content

UP:AE17.VA.2.1

Vocabulary

  • Principles of design
    • Balance
  • Brainstorming
  • Composition
  • Concepts
  • Characteristic
  • Elements of art
    • Space
    • Value
  • Expressive properties
  • Foreground
  • Middle ground
  • Neutral colors
  • Resist

Essential Questions

EU: Creativity and innovative thinking are essential life skills that can be developed.
EQ: What conditions, attitudes, and behaviors support creativity and innovative thinking? What factors prevent or encourage people to take creative risks? How does collaboration expand the creative process?

Skills Examples

  • Create two-dimensional artworks such as drawing or painting by using a variety of media.
  • Use the book, The Goat in the Rug by Charles L.
    • Blood & Martin Link to learn about weaving.
  • Use clay or pipe cleaners to create small animal sculptures.
  • Work in groups to brainstorm ideas for a collaborative art project.
  • Use a book about clay, When Clay Sings by Byrd Baylor to study Native Americans and their traditions.
  • Use the book A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle to explore collage techniques.
  • Create a real or imagined home using two-and-three-dimensional media.
  • Learn how to properly use and store brushes, close glue bottles and marker tops.
  • Use found objects such as leaves, rocks, paper tubes, egg cartons, etc.
    • to create artworks.
  • Use the book A Day with No Crayons by Elizabeth Rusch to explore different colors and values.
  • Create a landscape showing depth by placing the foreground, middle ground and background in their correct positions.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 2 - Visual Arts

AE17.VA.2.15

Compare and contrast cultural uses of artwork from different times and places.

Unpacked Content

UP:AE17.VA.2.15

Vocabulary

  • Principles of design
    • Balance
  • Brainstorming
  • Composition
  • Concepts
  • Characteristic
  • Elements of art
    • Space
    • Value
  • Expressive properties
  • Foreground
  • Middle ground
  • Neutral colors
  • Resist

Essential Questions

EU: People develop ideas and understandings of society, culture, and history through their interactions with and analysis of art.
EQ: How does art help us understand the lives of people of different times, places, and cultures? How is art used to impact the views of a society? How does art preserve aspects of life?

Skills Examples

  • Students compare, contrast and discuss how art can reflect artists' personal experiences or interests.
  • Compare materials and techniques in works of art using descriptive language.
  • Identify and share the uses of visual arts outside the classroom.
  • Teacher provides a diverse selection of artworks that represents different times and places for student viewing and discusses subject matter with students.
  • Recognize and respect cultural differences in works of art.
  • Compare and contrast Australian Aboriginal dot painting and Plains Indians pictographs.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.

Phase

Before/Engage
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

Students will compare and contrast the pottery of Native Americans and the Chinese Ming Dynasty using the elements of design and principals of art.

Students will collaborate in small groups to brainstorm a design for a vase inspired by each culture.

Student groups will write a reflection comparing and contrasting the pottery of the two cultures.

Activity Details

The students will view images of Native American Pottery and Chinese Ming Dynasty Pottery. The instructor may collect their own images or share the PowerPoint below.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12e3G2op-UefunY1D1Y5ONfZa6o2uramV/view?usp=sharing

The instructor may ask students to create a Venn Diagram in small groups or guide the whole class in creating a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the pottery of the two cultures. The instructor will encourage students to compare and contrast the pottery using the elements of design and principals of art. The instructor may create handouts of the elements of design and principals of art if they are not displayed in the classroom. A free handout can be found here.

After the collaborative Venn Diagram is created, the instructor will share a Comparing Cultures Pottery Worksheet with the class. Students collaborate in small groups to brainstorm designs for two vases: one inspired by Native American Pottery and one inspired by the Chinese Ming Dynasty. Once their designs are complete, student groups will reflect and respond to the questions on the worksheet.
*Describe Native American Pottery.
*Describe Chinese Ming Dynasty Pottery
*Describe how the pottery of these two cultures is similar.
*Describe how the pottery of these two cultures is different.

 

Assessment Strategies

Assessment Strategies

 

Failed

Attempted

Mastered

The student(s) described Native American Pottery.

 

 

 

Student(s) described Chinese Ming Dynasty Pottery.

 

 

 

Student(s) compared pottery of the two cultures.

 

 

 

Student(s) contrasted pottery of the two cultures.

 

 

 

The student(s)
designed a vase inspired by Native American Pottery.

 

 

 

The student(s) designed a vase inspired by Chinese Ming Dynasty Pottery

 

 

 

 

      

Variation Tips

If budget allows, purchase clay and allow students to create small pieces of pottery inspired by one of the two cultures.

Background and Preparation

Background / Preparation

Download the PowerPoint or create your own.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12e3G2op-UefunY1D1Y5ONfZa6o2uramV/view?usp=sharing

Create handouts of the elements of design and principals of art if they are not displayed in the classroom. A free handout can be found here.

Download and make class copies of the Comparing Cultures Pottery Worksheet or create your own worksheet.

Digital Tools / Resources

Comparing Cultures: Pottery PowerPoint
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12e3G2op-UefunY1D1Y5ONfZa6o2uramV/view?usp=shar…

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

abbykuhn
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