Lesson Plan
Title:  Discovering an Artist
Subject:  Arts
Grade Level:  9 - 12
Overview:
This lesson has two purposes. One is to acquaint the student with the life and works of an artist. The second is to use various political, cultural, economic, or scientific events to help the student relate the artist's life to the developing world around him. First the student will research an artist's life by dividing it into six sections: Birth, Early Childhood and Teen years, Young Adult, Mid-life, Late Life, and Death. He will also make note of the artist's works through the years. The student will then research current events coinciding with the different sections of the artist's life. He will then create a timeline using the information gathered.
Approximate Duration:  Five fifty minute classes
Content Standards:
  • Creative Expression
         Students develop creative expression through the application of knowledge, ideas, communication skills, organization abilities and imagination.
  • Aesthetic Perception
         Students develop aesthetic perception through the knowledge of art forms and respect for commonalties and differences.
  • Historical and Cultural Perception
         Students develop historical perspective and cultural perception by recognizing and understanding that the arts throughout history are a record of human experience with a past, present, and future.
Benchmarks:
  • CE-1VA-H2
         Apply a variety of media techniques, technologies, and processes for visual expression and communication;   (2,3)
  • CE-1VA-H4
         Produce a visual representation of ideas derived through the study of various cultures, disciplines, and art careers;   (2,4)
  • AP-2VA-H2
         Analyze unique characteristics of art as it reflects the quality of everyday life in various cultures;   (1,5)
  • HP-3VA-H1
         Categorize specific styles and periods of art as they relate to various cultural, political, and economic conditions;   (1,2)
  • HP-3VA-H5
         Identify the roles of artists who have achieved recognition and discuss their influences on the community.   (1,2,4,5)
Interdisciplinary Connections:  
  • English/Language Arts : Standard 7
         Students apply reasoning and problem solving skills to reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and visually representing.
  • Social Studies : History: Time, Continuity, and Change
         Students develop a sense of historical time and historical perspective as they study the history of their community, state, nation, and world.
Educational Technology Standards:  
  • Make informed choices among technology systems, resources, and services.
  • Demonstrate knowledge and skills of Internet use and other resources consistent with acceptable use policies including the legal consequences of plagiarism and the need for authenticity in student work through an understanding of copyright issues.
  • Refine knowledge and enhance skills in keyboarding, word processing, desktop publishing, spreadsheets, databases, multimedia, and telecommunications in preparing and presenting classroom projects.
  • Evaluate technology-based options for lifelong learning.
  • Use appropriate technology to locate, retrieve, organize, analyze, evaluate, and communicate information for problem solving and decision making.
  • Evaluate the usage of technology and the processes involved during and upon completion of individual and group projects.
Objectives:
The student will...

1. Identify, through research, an artist whose life and works have achieved recognition and influenced their community and world around them.
2. Identify, through research, various political, cultural, economic, or scientific events occuring during the chosen artist's lifetime.
3. Create a timeline using information gathered about artist's life and works as well as the various events occuring during the artist's lifetime.
Lesson Materials and Resources:
List of Artists
TimeLiner Example
Artist Fact-Gathering Sheet
List of suggested web page sources
Books:
The Timetable of History, 3rd Edition, Bernard Grun, Simon & Schuster Touchstone, 1991.
The Artist's Book of Lists, Helen D. Hume, Prentice Hall, 1998.
Teacher's files on individual artists
TimeLiner 5.0 Tip Sheet
Project Evaluation Rubric
Technology Tools and Materials:

Hardware:
Classroom computer
Overhead Projector

Software:
Timeliner 5.0

Websites:
Ask/ART The Artist's Bluebook  <http://www.askart.com/>
Biographies  <http://www.biography.com/>
World Book  <http://www.louisianaschools.net/worldbook/>
The Artchive  <http://www.artchive.com/>
     
Other:
Use various search engines to look for individual artist's names

Background Information:
Students should be familiar with using the Internet.
Lesson Procedures:
(First Day)
1. Introduce the lesson by using Henri Toulouse-Lautrec as an example. Have some examples of posters used today –movie, special events, etc. Discuss that Toulouse was the first to use posters as a way of advertising and works of art. Show examples of his work. Ask students what they know about him or his works. Show example timeline of Toulouse’s life on overhead projector. Discuss various aspects of his life and relate it to the current events of the time.
2. Pass out List of Artists packet. It contains list of suggested artists, Artist Fact Gathering Sheet, TimeLiner 5.0 Tip Sheet, suggested web sites, and Project Evaluation Rubric. Go over each sheet and explain and answer any questions. The main goal is to gather information about the chosen artist’s life and find current events relating to the artist’s time span. Use this information to fill out Fact Gathering Sheet.

(Second Day and Third Day)
3. Students will begin to gather information by using the Internet either in class or at home; use any books, or classroom artist files. Review using the Internet. The artist’s life is to be divided into six sections: birth, early childhood and teen age years, young adult, mid-life, late life, and death. Students will find information on each section as well as political, cultural, economic, or scientific events that have occurred during each specific time span. The book, The Timetables of History is a great source for current events of the past.

(Third and Fourth Day)
4. Demonstrate TimeLiner 5.0 program to class. Go over each step. A tip sheet will be posted by computer. Also demonstrate how to save graphics for timeline. Students will begin to take turns creating their timelines. While waiting their turns, students can work on projects in progress (drawings, paintings, etc.). The Project Evaluation Rubric contains everything that should be included in the timeline: Artist’s information, current events, graphics of artist’s work, and a photo or portrait of artist.

(Fifth Day)
5. Finish up any timelines. Have students check their timelines with the rubric. Let students share their artist’s information with everyone. Discuss whether any of the artist’s lives overlap. Discuss some of the current events and how they may have influenced the artist or his life. Collect timelines and Fact Gathering Sheet.
Assessment Procedures:
1. Completed Artist Fact-Gathering Sheet.
2. Completed Artist Timeline product.
3. Project Evaluation Rubric.
Reproducible Materials:
Explorations and Extensions:
1. Students could use this timeline to determine whether the various political, cultural, economic, or scientific events may have influenced the life and works of the artist and write a short paper.
2. Students could combine their timelines to compare and contrast several artist's lives.
Lesson Development Resources:
Books:
1. The Artist's Book of Lists, Helen D. Hume,
1998,Prentice Hall.
2. The Timetable of History, 3rd Edition, Bernard
Grun, Simon & Schuster Touchstone, 1991.
3. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Working with Color,
Scholastic Art, Sept./Oct. 1997,Vol. 27, No. 1.
Contact Information:
Patricia Harris
patricia.harris@mcschools.net
Neville High School

 

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