Terra Foundation for American ArtTeacher Lab

Talman School Team

Gina Alicea, Team LeaderAmy HassanJeff HornTheresa O’RourkeBaldemar Rodriguez

Unit Plan

Theme of the Unit: Identity through Art

Topic of the Lesson: How to interpret American Art

Timeframe: 5 weeksNote: Five different teachers will be implementing this plan.We are using a layered curriculum approach, in which some students reach an essential level of ability and others reach advanced levels.

American artwork(s) that relate closely to the theme or topic :

Title: Girl in a Red Dress

Artist: Ammi Phillips

Dates: 1835

Collection:

Terra Foundation

LOOK, DESCRIBE, ANALYZE, INTERPRET – DO A CLOSE READ

Teacher presented a poster, “Girl in a Red Dress”, by Ammi Phillips. Teacher asks students a series of questions—listed below.Students respond and fill out graphic organizer based on the discussion.

Look/Describe: Who is in the picture? What is she wearing? What is she holding in her hands? Who’s beside her? What is she sitting on? What is on the floor? What is in the background?

Analyze:What is the focal point in this picture? What is the strongest color in the picture? Is there a sense of space in the picture? What is the little girl’s expression? What is the dog’s expression? What is the mood of the painting?

Guide interpretation with questions……..

Interpret:What do you think the artist wanted to communicate in this painting?Why do you think the artist chose to paint a little girl?What can you tell me about the little girl from this picture?What do you think she cares about? What do you think is the main idea in this painting?What might some of the elements (i.e. dog, etc.) in the portrait represent?

Evidence: (focus on techniques used to convey meaning)How does the artist communicate mood in this painting?How does the artist show the focal point in the picture? How does the artist show the time/place of the painting?How does the artist represent the girl’s identity?

American artwork(s) that relate closely to the theme or topic :

Title: American Gothic

Artist: Grant Wood

Dates: 1930

Collection:

Art Institute of Chicago

Key Points—themes & ideas central to lesson and artwork

A person’s identity usually relates to the situation in which the person lives—the context, the values, the current and previous events.You can interpret a person’s identity through how they look and what they do.A portrait is a way of presenting someone’s identity. Just as a writer uses words to communicate what is important to know about the person, a painter uses pose, props, clothing, and techniques of art to communicate that person’s identity as the artist wants you to understand it.

Students fully engaged in learning; filling in their graphic organizers.

Students compared and contrasted two works of American art.

Synthesis/Assessment

How students interpret American art based on readings and researchStudents interpret the painting and then identify how to interpret a painting. Then they apply those same abilities to interpret a poem and another portrait.

How students respond to works of American art through their own creative efforts Students create their own works of American art---their own character portraits.

CRAFT Your Content

Your students can use the CRAFT approach to make writing interesting to do and interesting to read – to increase their thinking. (Note: This is an adaptation of RAFT – role, audience, format, topic, New Directions in Reading.)

C.R.A.F.T.

C: Content Identity through Art

R: Role Little girl in the Red Dress

A: Audience Her best friend in another town

F: Format Letter

T: Tell What it was like to have an artist paint your portrait

Continuation of art lesson…..

1. Students sketch their portrait.

2. Students exchange sketches and identify each other’s use of techniques.

3. Students complete portrait.

4. Students write exhibit label for their portrait.

5. Teacher presents exhibit of portraits with labels.

Exhibit of Student Work

Students working

Student work

Student work

Student Work