Understanding History and Society through Images, 1776-1914

Classroom Activities

The activities are listed in a general format as opposed to specific number of days or lessons. The following is a sequence or process that will guide the students through the objectives listed above to their final performance of their tableaux vivants.

Discussing a Painting

This introduction is a whole group activity. Students can benefit from discussion by listening to others and building knowledge from each other's responses. Introduce the students to vocabulary that will help them discuss paintings and so the rest of the class will know the part of the painting is being discussed. Model this strategy through examples, such as "I see that the lady in the center of the painting is wearing a long, white dress and holding the striped part of her dress up so it is out of the dirt."

The students should brainstorm words that might be helpful in their discussions. Encourage them to think of colors, shapes, sizes, location words and texture words, all of which might be ways students can express their observations and thoughts as they ask questions or comment on the painting as a whole or a specific area of the piece they may be "zooming in on." These terms should be charted in categories for easy reference and should be visible for students to use on a regular basis.

Practicing this approach to commenting on art will be instrumental when the students visit the museum where, of course, they will not be able to walk up and point to a spot as they comment or ask questions.

Introducing the Paintings

The selections of paintings are all available digitally through the Yale Center for British Art. The images can be introduced by projecting slides for viewing and discussion. Because there are four paintings, it might be advisable to view one or two per day and to prepare charts of the comments and observations that the students to make as they experience each image. By making note of levels of interest by student, it will inform the choices when groups are made for the tableaux vivants, matching students with paintings that seem to be of greater interest to them.

This is the point that the strategy of tableau is introduced to the class in general. Students, as volunteers, can start to create the scenes they see projected and discuss what the characters might be thinking about in their poses. Discussions about feelings, plans, and ideas can begin to form the plans students will be making.

Visiting the Museum

Scheduling a visit to the museum should take place well before the beginning of the unit. Organizing docents and parents is an important component of the trip and will likely take time and all need to be planned ahead for a successful experience. Visiting the museum prior to bringing the students and meeting with a museum contact are advisable steps for many reasons: locating of the paintings, navigating the museum, determining gathering places, knowing the details of the spaces the students will be using for their "research."

Students will need a lesson on museum etiquette and expected behavior in addition to the general rules for all field trips. It is helpful to practice and model exact expectations in the classroom in a mock gallery walk, using student artwork or the projected images as examples.

This trip is for the students to experience the art first hand. They have seen the images on slides at school but now they are headed to see the real thing. Students should come prepared with their sketchbooks or journals and pencils. During their visit and observation time they should be thinking, drawing and writing about what they see, any similarities and differences from the classroom images to the real work, how are the children and people in general different from then to now. They should be given time to sketch and time to practice posing in front of the painting as they prepare for their tableaux vivants.

Creating the Story

Students will work in their groups to begin planning and writing out their scripts. They will use the information gathered from the museum trip, determine which character they will each portray and create dialogue to show the conversation that occurs in their interpretation of the painting. They will need time to plan their scripts and practice saying their lines to each other, which can be done during a writer's workshop sessions. Within each group there should be one member selected to introduce the painting, identifying the title, artist and year it was created.

Each student is responsible for their own part, writing one or two lines to say in the "before" portion of the play and one or two lines for the "after" portion. Because the painting itself is being performed as a tableau, the students should be silent as the hold the painting pose.

During this phase of the project, students (and teachers and parents) can begin designing and gathering costume components for each character. Discussions should center on answering questions: How are the clothes in the painting different than your clothes? Why do you think the clothing was different then? What would it look if the painting was created now? How different would it be you just were your own clothes to do the play? How can wearing different clothes help you be the person in the painting?

Extension activity: Character profile

Each student can write a story line that tells the life of their character. Encourage students to think about their own life story to provide some foundation for students as they create their character's life and background. Have them begin with the fundamentals that second graders, and most primary-level students, care about as they invent their stories. Who is their family? Where do they live? What does their house look like? What do they do when they are not in school? What are some of their favorites – colors, foods, friends, pets? These questions provide a launching point for students to begin and have them share additional thoughts and questions with their classmates.

Presenting Tableaux Vivants

As tableaux vivants is a performance art, it is important that the students be able to present their work to an audience. The culminating event for this unit includes the presentation of the painting coming to life as well as the stories the students have created to show their interpretations. Through their learning about children "then" compared with children "now," students will present their understanding of history through their writing and acting.

Students will need several class periods to practice with their group. This time should be spent perfecting their painting pose first. Once they are comfortable with their positions, they next need to practice their "before" positions and lines and then transitioning, as a group, into the tableau. This process should be repeated until they feel prepared and then they can begin to practice the "after" positions. Students (with help) should block out the location for each movement so they all know where they stand or sit or pose for each transition. Groups should present their work during a dress rehearsal for their classmates preferably in the location that will be used for the performance. Ideally, each presentation should be about two to three minutes with the tableau, of course, held silently for at least 15 seconds, which is quite a long time for second graders.

During the presentations, the appropriate digital image should be projected for the audience to see as each group presents, next to the performers or at least very near.