Lesson Plans
This unit has three lesson plans that will probably extend for five days. The plan used in this unit is modeled on the Duval County Florida School Board model for the Modified Workshop Model. The plan begins with a rationale, materials needed, standards listed, student warm-up, teacher modeling period, student work period, real life connections,
and closure. Prior to beginning the unit, Use the KWL chart to determine the background knowledge of the students. See Appendix 1.
Lesson #1 Symbolism in Art
Rationale
Visual symbols are the language of 2-D art. A clear understanding of symbols is essential to understand the work of Mexican and American muralists.
New Standards Performance Standards and Sunshine State Standards
Students will use art to demonstrate an understanding of the political, economic, social, and cultural changes that followed World War 1. Students will demonstrate their critical thinking skills by recognizing common symbols and creating new symbols. Students will practice their listening skills during the teacher directed period.
Materials
Unlined paper, 4 computers set up online for murals by Diego Rivera (Machines of Industry and San Francisco Stock Exchange, www.DiegoRivera/Diego Rivera Museum) and Thomas Hart Benton (Boom Town and Miners, www.ThomasHart Benton.University of Indiana.com), or handouts on symbols provided by the teacher. See Appendices 1,2,3.
Opener (Bell ringer, hook):
Use the unlined paper to write your name and draw an animal to represent yourself. Share aloud about the symbol and why you chose it. Post them on the board.
Teacher Instructional Period
Ask the class to work in pairs to identify examples of easily recognizable symbols such as donkeys, elephants, wolf, fox, top hat, or sombrero. Discuss the symbols with the whole group. Ask the class to look at pairs of images that have multiple meanings, such as a cartoon pig and a pig in mud and an industrial worker and an agricultural worker. Ask students what impressions do each convey. Ask students to form groups of 4 and give symbols that have double meanings like the last set of images. Images may be easily obtained by clicking on "Insert" then "Pictures". See Appendices 2,3.
Student Work Period
Students conduct a symbol scavenger hunt. Form students into groups of 4. Each student is a recorder for this assignment. From the internet sites, each group views examples of mural art. The murals are of both Mexican and American Artists. Write the name of the artist, mural, and location. List all symbols in the mural. What do you think these symbols mean? Why? (Appendix 4)
Real Life Connections
What murals have you seen in Jacksonville? What was the purpose of those murals? Share some of the murals that you have photographed in your city.
Closure
Each group presents their findings from the murals. Other groups share their ideas on the mural. Teacher will facilitate, confirm and expand on the discussions. Using complete sentences, answer this question in your journal: What did you learn that will help you to understand art's influence on social, political, and economic issues of the time? Journals are reviewed during student-teacher conferences.
Lesson #2 Diego Rivera, Reading Informational Text
Rationale
Reading informational text is essential to obtain information in life. Selecting the main ideas is a skill important to both college, vocational, and work bound students.
New Standard Performance Standards
Students will use art to demonstrate an understanding of the political, economic, social, and cultural changes that followed World War I. Students will practice their informational reading skills on a biographical piece. Students will select the main ideas and create a summary.
Materials
A Reading on the life of Diego River may be obtained from your library or online. (Cockcroft, Diego Rivera: Hispanics of Achievement). Teacher may use a read-aloud, think-aloud for challenged readers. Provide rulers or graph paper for timeline. Create an annotated timeline for your life to demonstrate with. (If you do not wish to personalize the experience, create a time line for a contemporary famous person.) Provide each student with a copy of the sentence frame. See Appendix 2,6.
Opener (Bell ringer, hook)
Individually, students will select and write 5 important events from their life. On a line piece of paper, create a timeline from 0 (for your birth) to 30 years. Place the 5 events of your life at the correct place on the timeline. See Appendix 6.
Teacher Instructional Period
Teacher displays a personal annotated biographical timeline or one of a contemporary famous personality. Explain why you have chosen the events on your timeline. Ask students the following questions: Why have you chosen these events? Why do you think we call these milestones? What are the notes on my timeline (annotation)? Look at the word "annotation". What do you think the base word is? Does this give you a clue about the word's meaning? Ask students to annotate their timeline.
Student Work Period
Students will participate in reading circles. Teacher will read or provide handouts on the life of Diego Rivera. Everyone will be a recorder and write down the important events in Diego Rivera's life. When students are finished with the reading, ask them to decide as a group on the seven most important events in his life. Create a timeline of Rivera's life. Use the sentence frame to summarize Diego Rivera's life. See Appendix 5 or teacher may use the reading as a "Read Aloud-Think Aloud-Talk Aloud" (RATATA).
Connection to real-life
When did Diego begin his work as an artist? Do you think that he knew he would become a great muralist? What could you do to ensure your future success?
Closure
Using complete sentences, answer this question in your journal. In your own words, why do you think that Diego Rivera was popular with Americans? Journals are reviewed during student-teacher conferences.
Lesson #3 The Tone of Art
Rationale
Muralists manipulate symbols in art to express ideal and influence the viewer. In a society where visual expression is so evident, students should recognize its power.
New Standards Performance Standards
Students will use art to demonstrate an understanding of the political, economic, social, and cultural changes that followed World War I. Students will practice their informational reading and writing skills. Students will demonstrate their critical thinking skills by recognizing the tone of pieces of art.
Materials
Provide copies of WPA murals. You may go on line to www.wpa art projects.com and use the Nancy Lorance website to obtain information about WPA projects in areas of your State. I have photographed several in Florida and will use them for this lesson. See Appendix 7 for 5 examples in Florida.
Opener (Bell ringer, hook)
Individually, students will make a list of words that express emotion. Pair-share with a partner, adding words to each list. Form groups of 4 and expand you list. Prepare to share this with the class.
Teacher Instructional Period
The whole group shares their emotional words. Project the sample of the WPA mural from your State. Ask students to make observations about the piece. (Be sure to include all symbols and the tone of the picture.) What do you think that the artist is trying to convey to the viewer. How do you feel when viewing the work? How is this mural different from the Diego Rivera mural that you saw previously?
Student Work Period
Most of the murals in today's lesson are from the State of Florida. www.wpa mural art.com. They can be viewed in Post Offices, schools, and other public buildings in Florida and other States. For each of the sites follow the directions to complete your study. Use the above website of examples of murals. I am using the photographs that I have taken. For each site that you visit, provide the following information: Name of mural, location, artist, symbols, tone of the painting, and purpose of the artist (Appendix 6).
Real-life Connections
Last year, our school was one of many schools that participated in a mural project for Super Bowl XXXIX. In your opinion, what was the purpose of this project? How did the quality of the Super Bowl mural or the Media Center mural compare with the murals you have seen this week?
Closure
Debriefing of the findings. Teacher facilitates the discussion led by students. In complete sentences in your journal, record your individual response to this question: How do the WPA murals differ from the works of Diego Rivera in their use of symbols and tone? Journals are reviewed during the student-teacher conferences.
Student Resources
The following resources are located in our school library.
Castedo, Leopoldo. A History of Latin American Art and Architecture: From Pre-Columbian Times to the Present, 1969. A comprehensive book including prominent Latin American artists and architects.
Ergas, Aimee. Artists from Michelangelo to Maya Lin, 1995. A comprehensive book including formidable post Renaissance artists with a short readable section on Diego Rivera.
Cockcroft, James. Diego Rivera: Hispanics of Achievement, 1991. A very readable, illustrated book covering the life and works of Diego Rivera.
Frazier, Nancy. Frida Kahlo: Mysterious Painter, 1992. A very readable book that covers the life of Frida Kahlo and her life with Diego Rivera.
Garza, Hedde, Frida Kahlo: Hispanics of Achievement, 1994. A very readable book that covers the life of Frida Kahlo and her life with Diego Rivera.
Landi, Ann, Schirmer Reference Encyclopedia of Art, 2002. A comprehensive multi-volume work on art with a short excerpt on Diego Rivera.
Shirley, David, Diego Rivera: Artist of the People.1995. A very readable and well illustrated book that covers the life and works of Diego Rivera.
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