LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Geometry and art: Art museum pre-visit

This lesson is the first of a three-part unit integrating math, writing and visual arts. In this discovery learning activity, students look at and compare two works of art. The paintings are quite different, but they contain many examples of geometric shapes. Students then complete a comment sheet, explaining what is similar and different about the works of art. This lesson can be used alone or used to prepare students for an art museum visit.

A lesson plan for grades 1–2 Visual Arts Education

By Loretta Hopper

Learn more

Related pages

  • Greenville Museum of Art: Permanent exhibits include 19th and 20th century art, North Carolina art and an impressive collection of Jugtown pottery.
  • Seasonal farm landscapes: Students will have visited the farm landscape four times throughout the year, recording their observations during four seasons. The drawings will incorporate their knowledge of farms from our visits, their exposure to the seasonal landscapes of Grant Wood and Claude Monet, and their knowledge of landscape art and its elements of color and perspective developed at the Museum. The final project will be individual student books containing their landscape drawings and text.
  • North Carolina State University Gallery of Art and Design: Guided tours of the NCSU Gallery of Art and Design's collections and exhibitions are available for school groups.

Related topics

Help

Please read our disclaimer for lesson plans.

Legal

The text of this page is copyright ©2008. See terms of use. Images and other media may be licensed separately; see captions for more information and read the fine print.

Learning outcomes

The student will make connections through the use of visual images, written language and technology. The student will discover and explain that most of the works of art contain geometric shapes.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

20 minutes

Materials/resources

Technology resources

  • overhead projector and computer to show PowerPoint presentation to entire class

Activities

This lesson is designed as a discovery learning activity, along with preparing students for an Ackland Art Museum visit, or a visit to a local art museum, or a virtual tour of the Ackland Art Museum.

  1. The teacher will open the prepared PowerPoint presentation of three slides with two paintings on each slide.
  2. The teacher will explain how to complete the Comment Sheet. This sheet directs students to write about what is similar or different between two paintings.
  3. The Comment Sheet will be completed independently while the PowerPoint presentation is running.
  4. After all the students complete the activity, the teacher will run the PowerPoint presentation again and students will have an opportunity to share their comments.
  5. During the sharing activity, the teacher will guide the students to a realization that most of the paintings contain geometric shapes. The students will have an opportunity to locate and identify the geometric figures.

Assessment

  • check the Comment Sheet to determine if the student has completed the task.
  • complete the Assessment Rubric for each student.

Supplemental information

This lesson is the first part of a three-part unit focusing on geometry, improving observation and writing skills, and developing critical thinking skills. The other two lessons can be found in the LEARN NC lesson plan database as:

Comments

This lesson was presented as part of a geometry center. The students worked in pairs and independently completed the comment sheet. These students have been to the Ackland Art Museum five times and have developed good observation skills.

North Carolina curriculum alignment

Visual Arts Education (2001)

Grade 2

  • Goal 6: The learner will reflect upon and assess the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others.
    • Objective 6.05: Discuss artwork using the design principles of repetition, emphasis, and movement.

  • North Carolina Essential Standards

    • Visual Arts Education (2010)

      • Grade 1

        • 1.CR.1 Use critical analysis to generate responses to a variety of prompts. 1.CR.1.1 Use appropriate art terminology to express personal opinions about art. 1.CR.1.2 Explain how and why personal works of art are made, focusing on media and process.
        • 1.CX.1 Understand the global, historical, societal, and cultural contexts of the visual arts. 1.CX.1.1 Recognize how visual arts are used in customs and traditions of various cultures. 1.CX.1.2 Identify images in art as depicting something old (historic) or...
        • 1.V.1 Use the language of visual arts to communicate effectively. 1.V.1.1 Identify tools, media and processes. 1.V.1.2 Create original art that expresses ideas, themes, and events. 1.V.1.3 Recognize that symbols, subjects, or themes are used in the works of...

      • Grade 2

        • 2.CR.1 Use critical analysis to generate responses to a variety of prompts. 2.CR.1.1 Use art terminology to describe art in terms of subject and physical characteristics. 2.CR.1.2 Evaluate personal work, while in progress and at completion.
        • 2.CX.1 Understand the global, historical, societal, and cultural contexts of the visual arts. 2.CX.1.1 Exemplify visual arts representing the heritage, customs, and traditions of various cultures. 2.CX.1.2 Recognize that works of art represent specific time...
        • 2.V.1 Use the language of visual arts to communicate effectively. 2.V.1.1 Use appropriate art vocabulary when discussing media, processes, or images in art. 2.V.1.2 Create original art that expresses ideas about people, neighborhoods, or communities. 2.V.1.3...