TitleIII Technology Literacy Challenge Grant

Learning Unit

Overview | Content Knowledge | Essential Questions | Connection To Standards | Initiating Activity | Learning Experiences | Culminating Performance | Pre-Requisite Skills | Modifications | Schedule/Time Plan | Technology Use

LU Title: "Digging Up daVinci"

Author(s): Cheryl L.Clark

Grade Level: 9-12

School :Parishville-Hopkinton Central School

Topic/Subject Area: Topic: Art History 
                                  Subject: Studio Art

Address: PO Box 187   School Street
                Parishville, New York   13672

Email: clclark@northnet.org

Phone/Fax:  315-265-4642

OVERVIEW

Students use the internet to explore the art of a specific culture and create a power point presentation that exhibits what the artwork characterizes about that culture. This is to be approached from a personal standpoint where the student selects the culture that includes his/her family background.

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

Declarative

Procedural

Art reflects aspects of culture including: geographical features, dress/costume, architecture, religion, politics/history, transportation and economics.

 Use the internet and library resources to locate artworks and facts about a specific culture. If internet access is not allowed, students may exclusively research using library resources.

Specific information on a particular culture as it relates to artworks.  (see example below)

Demonstration and use of scanner for importing images to be used in the power point presentation.

Example: The hidden meanings in Robert Duncanson's painting The Land of the Lotus Eaters, 1861 (American) that appear to speak out against the evils of slavery. 

Demonstration and practice creating Power Point Presentations

 

Oral presentation of  Power Point slides (min. 5 minutes)

 

 

 

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

What do the art works of particular cultures convey about those societies?
 

CONNECTIONS TO NYS LEARNING STANDARDS
List Standard # and Key Idea #: Write out related Performance Indicator(s) or Benchmark(s)

Learning Standard #4: Understanding the Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of the Arts
Students will explore art and artifacts from various historical periods and world cultures to discover the roles that art plays in the lives of people of a given time and place and to understand how the time and place influence the visual characteristics of the art work. Students will explore art to understand the social, cultural and environmental dimensions of human society.

(a) analyze works of art from diverse world cultures and discuss the ideas, issues and events of the culture that these works convey.
 
 

INITIATING ACTIVITY

Examples of artwork located on-line, through reproductions, and in books that illustrate the dress, architecture, politics, geography, religion, and economics of a specific culture are examined and discussed with the students as they pertain to the issues and events of that culture .

Politics: Benjamin West's painting The Death of General Wolfe, 1770 (American) exaggerates the circumstances of the battle scene raging in the background as the General dies. The painting shows Indians side by side with Red Coat soldiers in order to intentionally send a specific political message to the viewer.

Architecture/Furnishings: Edward Hopper's watercolor painting The Mansard Roof, 1923 (American) and James Whistler's oil painting At the Piano, 1858 (American) show the style of homes and furnishings found throughout American history. Hopper's painting shows the exterior style of a house with a Mansard style roof typical of that time period. The Whistler painting shows a series of gold framed painting on the wall and a grand piano indicative of a wealthier lifestyle.

Dress/Costume: John Singleton Copley's oil paintings of Paul Revere, 1768 (American) and of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mifflin, 1773 exhibit the style of dress typical of Colonial America. Up to the end of the 18th century the only kind of art that was in demand was portraiture. Therefore, many examples of colonial dress are shown in an extensive collection of art works.

Geography: Frederic Church's oil painting Twilight in the Wilderness, 1860 (American) shows a typical view of mountains and a lake that represent the environmental beauty of the landscape of Pre-Civil War America.

Economics: Eastman Johnson's oil painting Sugaring-off, Number 2, 1865-1875 (American) shows a maple sugaring operation. This typical scene from New England was an example of local economics.
 
 

LEARNING EXPERIENCES
In chronological order including acquisition experiences and extending/refining
experiences for all stated declarative and procedural knowledge.

Week One:  Introduction to Term Project begins with initiating activity. Students use the internet and library resources to locate artworks and facts about a particular culture based on specific criteria. If internet access is not allowed, students research using library resources.  The art images and student researched information are to be incorporated into a class presentation using power point.

Criteria for Power Point Term Project: 



I.) Research via the internet for artwork that depicts aspects of a culture based on the student's own family heritage. The images are to be incorporated into a presentation by scanning them or importing them as files into Power Point.

II.) Research via the internet for information that can be used to support the images from a cultural perspective. Students should discuss the ideas, issues and events of the culture that these works convey. Additional information should pertain to the costume/dress, architecture, politics, geography, religion, and economics of the culture being investigated.  Credit must be given for all sources and plagiarism is not acceptable!

III.)  Create a Power Point presentation that incorporates text and images for an oral presentation (min. of 12 slides) to be given to the class. The class presentation should be approximately 5 minutes in length with time allotted for questions and answers at the end.


Week Two:  Complete research portion of term project and prepare for technology segment. The students learn how to scan images from books that can become part of their Power Point presentation. Additionally, the basic steps for saving internet images as jpeg or gif files for importing into Power Point are outlined for the students.  The basic "how to's" for construction of a Power Point presentation are demonstrated for the students and time is allowed to begin creation of their presentations.

Week Three:  Students continue work on Power Point presentations both inside and outside of class.

            Extending and Refining Activity: “I SPY”

After viewing instructor’s power point presentation students will participate in a group discussion on how slides could be made better. Students will view a variety of slides that need improvement and offer suggestions on how to improve the slide. Possible suggestions for improvement might be: background color, font (color and size), images (size and placement).

Cooperative group activity: The students will be given sample power point slides containing imperfections that they must study and identify problems within their group.  The group with the most errors and solutions wins an extra credit grade for their effort.

Week Four:  Complete creation of Power Point presentations. Students present their Power Point term project to the class as an oral report.
 
 

CULMINATING PERFORMANCE
Include rubric(s)

The students will give an oral presentation of their Power Point project that is at least 5 minutes in length, allowing for questions and answers.
 
 

Rubric for Power Point Term Project: 



 The students will give an oral presentation of a Power Point term project that is at least 5 minutes in length, allowing for questions and answers.



Excellent: 25-30

Good: 20-25

Minimal: 15-20

Poor: less than 15

TOTAL POINTS





Artwork scanned or imported

into Power Point



The image ALWAYS goes with the text and supports the concept:

ie.: the image should depict aspects of a specific culture based on the student's heritage.

The image MOSTLY goes with the text and supports the concept that aspects of a culture are reflected in its art.



The image RARELY goes with the text or supports the concept that aspects of a culture are reflected in its art.





The image DOES NOT go with the text or support the concept that aspects of a culture are reflected in its art.

30 points total

Excellent: 25-30

Good: 20-25

Minimal: 15-20

Poor: less than 15

Text and information

The text ALWAYS goes with the image and supports the concept:

  ie.: the information should support the images from a cultural perspective.

    

The text MOSTLY goes with the image and supports the images from a cultural perspective.

The text RARELY goes with the image or supports the images from a cultural perspective.

The text DOES NOT go with the image or support the images from a cultural perspective.

______________

30 points total



Excellent: 30-40

Good: 20-30

Minimal: 10-20

Poor: less than 10











Power Point Oral Presentation

The 5 minute class presentation

includes a minimum of 12 slides

(including an introduction and conclusion).



The 5 minute class presentation

includes less than the minimum of 12 slides (between 11 and 9 including an introduction and conclusion).

The class presentation is less than 5 minutes in length and includes less than 9 slides.





The class presentation is not acceptable because it is incomplete, has not occurred, or contains too few slides.

______________

40 points total

Total Points: ___________

        100 possible points   



 
 

PRE-REQUISITE SKILLS

Brief discussion of what culture is in order to determine that the students already have this pre-requisite skill in place.
 

MODIFICATIONS

Students research using books if no internet access is allowed and scan images into their Power Point presentation.
 

UNIT SCHEDULE/TIME PLAN

Teacher Prep Time:  140 minutes

Classroom:            Initiating Activity:    74 minutes
                             Research (library/internet):     74 minutes
                             Student time to work:    250 minutes  (in and out of class)
                             Work on Power Point:     250 minutes  (in and out of class)
                             Oral Presentation:    5 minutes per student
 
 

TECHNOLOGY USE