| Art and the Educated Critique |
 |
| That's me you see in the picture at left; your fifth-grade teacher, at work on a pastel painting. It may be the first time you have heard this, but I am a working artist. I thought we'd try something a little different for our Language Arts block this month... I'd like to introduce you to a few interesting 20th century American artists. I'm hoping that you will react favorably to one or many of their styles, mediums, or specific pieces and that you will want to learn more about them. I will be giving you links to a number of sites with information on various styles of art and artists as well as few links to help you learn about the formal elements of art and design. I expect you to familiarize yourself with some of the terminology expected in any dialogue about artwork. Please utilize the word games provided to help you learn and remember this! I want you to be able to discuss the artists and their works in an educated manner. I WANT to keep our class discussions fairly informal, but I do expect your participation and will adjust assignments as necessary to achieve the lesson objectives that are listed below. Please contemplate any creative urges you might harbour yourselves. You will be asked to enter an online discussion forum about art and self-expression. Ultimately, you will be asked to design your own personal piece and to exhibit this piece in a classroom art show, including a discussion of each work submitted. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Lesson Objectives: Familiarize yourself with art terminology. Educate yourself on stylistic similarities and differences between a number of given artists. Be able to discuss objectively and subjectively the works of several artists. Identify aspects of artworks that are personally intriguing to you. Participate in online art forum discussions. Begin to plan an artwork of your own. |
| Grade 5 StandardsAddressed : English/Language Arts 2.0 Reading Comprehension 2.5 1.0 Writing Strategies 1.2 a., b., 1.6 1.0 Written and Oral English Language Conventions 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 1.0 Listening and Speaking Strategies 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8 2.0 Speaking Applications 2.2 a., b., c. Technology 2., 3., 4., 5. Visual Arts 1.0 Artistic Perception 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 2.0 Creative Expression 2.7 4.0 Aesthetic Valuing 4.1, 4.3, 4.4 CURRICULUM STANDARDS NATIONAL EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS |