OBJECTIVES:
The student should be able to:
• Create a timeline that depicts various times in history relative to a theme (colonial settlement in the Americas, European exploration of the Americas, events that led to the American Revolution, history of a colony)
• Create a mural/timeline representing important events in early American history
TIME: (2-3) 60 minute periods
MATERIALS
bulletin board paper
water color paint
paint brushes
sentence strips
slides of art depicting important events in history
teacher’s notes about historical paintings
slide show of historical paintings
teacher made planning worksheet
social studies textbook
INTRODUCTION/PREPARATION/ANTICIPATORY SET:
In groups, students will create timelines of important events in early American history. Student groups will be assigned to create a visual representation of events in colonial American history.
ACTIVITY:
Teaching Model: The teacher will ask students, “How are important news events reported to the public?” Teacher and students will discuss modern ways that news is reported: newspaper, television, radio, internet, etc. The teacher will tell students that some important events in history were reported through art. The teacher will show students a slide presentation showing the following historical paintings: Benjamin West’s The Battle of La Hogue, Paul Revere’s The Boston Massacre, American Attack on Bunker’s Hill, with the Burning of Charles Tow, Washington at Valley Forge, Winslow Homer’s Home, Sweet Home, J. G. Tanner’s Engagement between the “Monitor” and the “Merrimac, and A.A. Lamb’s Emancipation Proclamation. The teacher will give a historical background of each of the works of art and lead the class in a discussion of the importance of art as a vehicle to report and record important historical events. (see attached notes)
The teacher will assign small groups of students the following events in early American History to report on:
Establishing the Jamestown Colony
Establishing Plymouth Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony
Rhode Island
Breadbasket Colonies
Pennsylvania
Backcountry settlements
Students will research their assigned topic and brainstorm ideas about creating artwork reflecting events. Students will use the Artwork Planning Sheet to help organize their ideas. Students are instructed to create a visual representation of their assigned event as well as a caption describing it.
Guided Practice: The teacher and students will discuss how an important historical event can be reported through the creation of art. The teacher will lead the class in discussing the content of the artwork, appropriate captions of events, and creating a timeline by assembling multiple historical events.
Independent Practice: The teacher will assign students the events listed. Students will work together in small groups to create an artistic representation of their assigned event in American Colonial history. Students will sketch their ideas first with pencil and then use water colors to create artwork. After the artwork is completed, students will write a caption appropriately explaining what they have painted. Captions will be written on sentence strips.
Closure: Students will assemble their artwork and captions to create a timeline of important events in colonial American history. The teacher will use bulletin board paper as the backdrop and students will affix their artwork in chronological order to represent colonial history in America
EVALUATION/ASSESSMENT:
Informal assessment will be ongoing throughout the lesson. The teacher will monitor groups as they compose their artwork. The teacher will provide feedback to student groups with regard to accuracy of content of artwork as well as the composition of the artwork. The teacher will also monitor groups’ progress as they work to create a timeline of early American history.
ART CONTENT/CONCEPTS:
none provided
COMPREHENSIVE
CURRICULUM, GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS AND STANDARDS/BENCHMARKS:
Social Studies GLE 20-Construct a timeline of key events in American history
Visual Arts Content Standards:
VA-CE-M2-Select and apply media techniques, and technology to visually express and communicate
VA-CE-M3-Use the elements and principles of design and art vocabulary to visually express and describe individual ideas
VA-CE-M5-Produce ideas for art productions while engaging in individual and group activities
VA-CE-M6-Understand and visually express relationships among visual arts, other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
MODIFICATIONS | ACCOMODATIONS:
Students will be grouped according to ability. This will allow higher functioning students to assist lower functioning students with concepts they have difficulty with. A paraprofessional will assist special education students throughout the activity.
VARIATIONS | ENHANCEMENTS:
none provided
TEACHER REFLECTION:
Just before beginning this lesson, I wondered, “How in the world are my students going to do this?” I worried that I had set the bar too high. Once again, my students have exceeded my expectations. When students began researching and planning their artwork, I could see their creativity beginning to emerge. I must admit that having twenty-plus students painting at the same time did at times become a little chaotic. For the most part, though, students worked and completed their tasks diligently. My class and I are very impressed with the finished timeline of events in colonial history. I will definitely use this project again next year!
REFERENCES:
National Gallery of Art Teaching Resource: http://www.nga.gov/education/american/aasplash.shtm
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