What Do YOU See? (Post-Visit)

In this lesson, students will use observations and reflections made while visiting the Ackland Art Museum to draw conclusions about interpreting artwork (and other works/events), make quality scientific observations, and see how these concepts are related. Students will be reproducing artwork they viewed at the museum, sharing their personal interpretations of various works, and analyzing how the presentation of information (in any situation) can influence our interpretations of a work or event. This lesson is the final lesson in the series of lessons, "What Do YOU See?", which uses the Ackland Art Museum as a resource.

A lesson plan for grades 6–8 Visual Arts Education, English Language Arts, and Information Skills

By Reagan West

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• How to Identify Search Terms in an Index: Students will learn to use the index to determine if the source has information about a topic and, if so, how to find the information.

Related topics

• Learn more about thinking skills.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• appreciate art as a form of personal expression.
• understand that art can be interpreted differently and appreciate those differences.
• understand the value of viewing artwork as well as other events and situations through multiple perspectives.
• develop knowledge of the components and importance of sound scientific observations.
• recognize and understand the connections between making and sharing observations, the interpretation of those observations, and the value of learning about different interpretations of the observations.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

4 to 5 Hours

Materials/resources

The instructor will need digital images of the works that individual students observed the previous day. These may be obtained from the Ackland website. If some images are unavailable, the education directors can put these images on the website or send you an image via email upon request (this would need to be done prior to this lesson). Students will need their completed observation and reflection sheets from their trip to the museum. In addition, they will need drawing paper (standard white paper) and pen/pencil.

Technology resources

At least one computer with Internet access will be necessary to view and/or print the images of the artwork from the museum for Activity One. A computer lab with Internet access and/or media center access will be necessary for Activity Two.

Pre-activities

If this lesson is used as is, a trip to an art museum (either real or virtual), as well as a discussion of how to make quality observations and view work/situations objectively will be necessary (see “What Do YOU See?” Pre-Visit and Visit plans). However, this lesson can easily be altered to stand alone and serve as a basis for introducing the components of scientific observation and the value of viewing work/situations objectively (from multiple perspectives). In this case, no pre-activities would be necessary.

Activities

Activity One: Observations

1. Students should sit with their partners/small groups from the previous day, and they should have drawing paper, pencil, and their two worksheets with them with the observations they made individually of a selected piece, and the reflection questions they answered while viewing the piece they selected as a group.
2. In these groups, one student should take his/her observation sheet and read the description of the observed artwork to his/her partner. As one student is reading, the other student should attempt to recreate the piece being described, based solely on the other student’s description. When they have finished one “reproduction,” they should switch tasks and attempt to “reproduce” the other student’s piece. Students should continue this until all the group members have described their piece of art.
3. When the students in a group have completed their reproductions, they should look at actual images of the pieces they were trying to draw. They may look at the images using the Internet (the Ackland website), or the instructor may provide pictures of the pieces that he/she has previously printed from the website.
4. In their small groups, students should discuss how accurate their reproductions were, and WHY they were or were not accurate. They should consider what kinds of descriptions were helpful, which descriptions were not, and what other information/descriptions would have helped them in drawing their reproductions.
5. The instructor should have a chart (on large paper or on the board) with sections for students to record which information was helpful, which information was not helpful, and what other information would have helped them to reproduce the works of art. As a group, students should record this information on the class chart following their discussion. (As an alternative, the individual groups may create their own charts with that information, as opposed to making a class chart).
6. After all the groups have finished and contributed their input to the class chart, lead students in a discussion of this activity and their feedback. Incorporate the following concepts in the discussion:
   
   • Using the class chart, help students discover the differences between qualitative and quantitative observations/data. Discuss situations in which each of these are used, and how they can be used together effectively (include the use of observations and descriptions in various content areas, which type is used more often in particular subjects, and why).
   • Which type of observation/description was most helpful to the students? Was a combination more useful? Why?
   • What type of observation/description did most students use? Why?
   • What type of observation/description did most students determine would have been helpful if it had been provided? Why? (Use the feedback from the “Other Information” category on the chart.)
   • How can the presentation of observations (qualitative and quantitative) change our perspective of a work or event?

Activity Two: Interpretations

1. Students should get in their small groups again and review the reflection questions they answered the previous day, while observing the artwork they selected as a group.
2. In their groups, students should share their personal responses to the questions.
3. Following this discussion, students should complete a second reflection worksheet (see attachment).
4. Lead a class discussion in which students share their responses to the reflection questions and their opinions of the activity.
5. Introduce students to a controversial current event in science, such as genetic testing/engineering, space exploration, environmental management, contolling birth rates, etc., whatever would fit into your curriculum. Provide students with a copy of a news article discussing the topic.
6. Ask students to reflect upon how the information is presented, and to consider these questions?
   
   • Whose perspective are we receiving?
   • Are all views presented equally?
   • Who/what is mentioned in this article that might have a different perspective (that is not presented)?
   • How might information from another perspective be useful in helping you determine what you believe regarding this topic?
7. In their small groups, students should do very brief research about the topic in the article, focusing specifically on the “other” perspectives that may have been mentioned but not fully presented in the article (no more than 1-2 days).
8. After the groups have gathered some basic information about the topic, have them re-write the article from another perspective, or re-write the article by including a more complete and equal presentation of all views involved in the topic. Groups should share their final articles and reflect on what they learned from viewing a basic issue from several perspectives.
9. Close this activity with a discussion of the importance of how information is presented, why it is important to present complete, detailed information and observations, and how the presentation of information (and what is presented) can influence how an audience interprets the final product (such as a work of art, scientific finding, archaelogical discovery, etc.). The influence of the media on information may be an interesting inclusion.

Closure Activity

1. To help students visualize the connections between making complete observations, reporting observations/information objectively, learning to view a work/event from multiple perspectives, and what influences our interpretations of a work/event, have each student create a concept map based on this question: “What influences your perspective of ________?” Tell students that the blank could be filled with anything, such as a school subject, people, activities, work, world events, etc. They should think of as many influences as possible that affect their perspectives or views of something.
2. After students have completed individual concept maps, have them share the items and connections they have placed on their maps.
3. As students are discussing their individual maps, begin to develop a class concept map on the board. Have students add concepts and connections through discussion.
4. After the class concept map is completed, ask students to review their personal concept maps again. They should expand their maps, based on the views and input from their peers. Require students to write new concepts and connections in a different color, so that their original thoughts and those that stemmed from the perspectives shared during discussion can be distinguished.

Complete this series of lessons and activities by leading a discussion to clarify connections between making and presenting sound observations, how that influences the interpretation of a product by an audience, and the value of viewing something from multiple perspectives, allowing better understanding and appreciation of the topic. Review what encompasses sound observations, and the different forms and functions of observations (qualitative and quantitative). The importance of making sound observations may be revisited by having students recall their difficulties in reproducing works of art based on other students’ observations. It is also important to share observations (especially in science), but students should now be aware that the manner in which observations are presented can influence how an audience interprets the information. Have students recall the different views they had of the same work of art. Thus, it is valuable to learn about various interpretations of a work/event, in order to fully understand and appreciate it.

Extension Activities

The activities outlined above can be modified and applied to a number of content areas. For instance, rather than using an article addressing a scientific issue, students could be assigned a specific event in history to research and present from a different viewpoint (such as how the Germans viewed World War II, or how Native Americans viewed European settlements). In English, students could analyze news articles for objectivity and accuracy, as part of a journalism activity. To study point of view, a comic strip could be used instead of a news article, and students could redraw the strip from the viewpoint of a supporting character.

Assessment

There are various methods to assess students’ work in this lesson. Some may include:

• Credit may be given for active and relevant participation in small group activites and discussion. Group evaluations and self-evaluations could be used to better determine the degree of students’ contributions in the various small group assignments.
• The completion of and effort evident in the reflection worksheets (see attachment for this lesson, as well as for “What Do YOU See?” Visit lesson).
• The re-written news article could be assessed for accuracy of information and how objectively the students have presented the information--have they truly presented information from all sides equally?
• The concept maps could be assessed for the number of concepts placed on the map and the validity of the connections made between them.

Supplemental information

This lesson provides a conclusion to the previous two lessons What Do YOU See? (Pre-Visit) and What Do YOU See? (Visit)

Related websites

• Ackland Art Museum
• Virtual Library museums pages
• State Hermitage Museum
• the warhol at the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
• North Carolina Museum of Art

Comments

This lesson incorporates concepts from the 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Standard Course of Study Science as Inquiry strands.