Colorful Colorado Characters - Using History to Study Art

Subject:

Art

Grade Level:

9-12

Time:

Two 45 minute classes (1 ½ hours)

This specific lesson about finding images of colorful Colorado characters to use as subjects to study art will be an introduction to a series of lessons about learning to draw faces and figures. In the subsequent drawing lessons, students will then learn how to draw faces and figures using these photos as subjects for their art work. The initial drawing will be done in pencil and later developed into a colored art work (using colored drawing media) and ultimately matted and displayed on the art display board outside of the art classroom for the community to view.

Focus:

Students will use Colorado history as a visual resource to study art. In this introductory lesson, they will learn to search the Internet for historical black and white photos of people living in Colorado between 1800-1920 to use as subjects for their art work. Using the information that accompanies these photos, they will also learn about the history of the people in these photos by writing a brief report about the person(s) they have chosen to draw.

Standards Assessed and Addressed:

Literacy Standard 1: The information literate student accesses information efficiently and effectively.

Visual Arts Standard 4: Students relate the visual arts to various historical and cultural traditions.

History Standard 2: Students know how to use the processes and resources of historical inquiry.

Assessments:

• Teacher will assess the students' prior computer knowledge through the use of the Computer and Internet Review Work Sheet which will be provided.
• Students must complete the provided worksheets:
• Internet Search Work Sheet
• Photo Analysis Work Sheets (3) with attached enlarged black and white photos and the information that accompanies these photos.
• Students prepare brief written reports about the people in the photos they printed out. Each student will present one of their reports at the end of the series of Colorful Colorado Characters lessons.
• The grade for this Introductory Lesson will be a percentage of the final grade for the series of Colorful Colorado Characters lessons - the percentage to be determined by the teacher.

Materials/Teacher Preparation:

• Students will need some previous drawing experience, some color theory and be able to organize art elements in their drawings.
• Students must have basic computer and Internet skills. They must also have access to computers with fast, reliable printers to down load, view and print enlarged photos.
• Computer and Internet Review Work Sheet to be distributed to students for a class discussion.
• Internet Search Work Sheet that will give students instructions as to how to explore the Western History and Genealogy Collection of the Denver Public Library.
• Photo Analysis Work Sheet, three copies to each student.

Possible Procedures:

Class One:

1. Teacher will review basic computer Internet terms with students.

2. After doing the Internet Search using one specific website listed on the Internet Search Work Sheet, students will pick three favorite photos, enlarge them and print them along with the bibliographic metadata for each photo.

Class Two:

1. Students will fill out a Photo Analysis Work Sheet for each of the three photos.

2. Students will take notes from the information page that accompanies each photo.

3. Students will write brief written reports about the people in the photos they printed out.

4. Students will pick out one of the three photos to use as a subject for their future drawing lessons.

-Claudia Wolff, Ridgway and Ouray Schools