High School Lesson Plan

Standard: Students will assess the characteristics of works of art

Indicator of Achievement: Students will:

• analyze different ways the visual arts provide unique modes for communicating ideas, actions, and emotions; and evaluate their effective use for communication
  
• understand and apply visual arts vocabulary when observing, describing, analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating works of art
  
• determine the intentions of an artist in creating a particular work of art and evaluate the artist's effectiveness in communicating ideas and emotions
  
• interpret possible meanings of works of art by analyzing how specific works are created and how they relate to historical and cultural contexts

Standard: Students will explore media and techniques to create works of art

Indicator of Achievement: Students will:

• select appropriate media and techniques to create intended effects necessary to communicate their own ideas and experiences
  
• use media and tools in a safe and responsible manner

Standard: Students will choose and evaluate sources of content (subject matter consisting of themes, symbols, and ideas) to create works of art

Indicator of Achievement: Students will integrate visual, spatial, and temporal concepts with content to communicate intended meaning in their works of art

Materials:

• a reproduction of Henri Matisse's "The Red Studio" (See www.usc.edu/schools/ or search www.google.com for Matisse Red Studio.)
  
• fadeless colored art paper
  
• oil pastels

Preparation: Have students compare the four steps of art criticism to the scientific method of inquiry used in their science classes. Discuss the essential questions occurring in each step of the critical process. Ask, "What do I see? (description); How is the work organized? (analysis); What is happening? What is the artist trying to say?" (interpretation); and "What do I think of the work?" (judgment). Use a writing assignment to have students demonstrate the similarities and differences between the two methods, e.g. a dialogue between a scientist and artist arguing which is the better approach, an essay or a forced answer test. (See Visual Arts Criticism for a full list of questions. Also see Expressionism a unit introducing students to art criticism)

Activity: Display a reproduction of "The Red Studio" (or send the students to the web). Ask the students to study the print and note their observations using the four steps of art criticism. Have the students write explaining their interpretations of the work based on the following questions.

Description: What do you see? What medium did Matisse use? What is the size of the painting? How much space would the painting fill on your wall at home? List everything you see in the studio.

Analysis: How is the work organized? What kind of shapes stand out? Are there any negative spaces? Why did the artist choose the hues that you see? How does the value affect this painting?

Interpretation: What is happening? What is the artist trying to say?

Judgment: How effective is this work? Use one or more theories of art to defend your assessment of the painting, e.g. Imitationalism, Formalism, Emotionalism.

Next students can be asked to think about their own rooms at home to use as subject matter in a work of art. Ask, "What color would best represent the room? What things would be in the room?" Using the paper and oil pastels, have the students make a drawing that depicts the important objects in their rooms. After they have finished working, have them exchange drawings and write a critique of their peer's work using the four steps of art criticism.

Assessment: Include the art work and written assignments in students' portfolio. Have students complete this mini unit using the four steps of art criticism to note their growth as artists to this point.

Adapted from a draft of Delaware's "Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Framework"