What makes you scream?

Students will study Edvard Munch's painting The Scream. They will then produce their own scream using directional lines as Munch did. Line was used by Munch in a variety of directions—horizontal, vertical and diagonal. This will help the eye travel to the central theme of the composition: the person's fright or what they fear.

A lesson plan for grade 8 Visual Arts Education

By Cathy Crumpler

Learn more

• Edvard Munch: The Dance of Life site An individual's website with image of The Scream as well as other information and images
• Global Gallery Image of The Scream, which can be purchased

Related pages

• Ackland Art Museum: Features online versions of art museum's exhibits and permanent collection, field trip guidelines and activities, lesson plans, and in-depth institutional background.
• Describing Japanese screens and scrolls through words: The first part of a unit on talking and writing about, as well as creating, Japanese screen and scroll paintings. The purpose of this unit plan is to introduce descriptive aspects of art criticism, while teaching appreciation for the art and culture of Japan. Students use observation and descriptive writing to discover richly detailed Japanese screen and scroll paintings so that another student can illustrate it in the next lesson.
• 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.

Related topics

• Learn more about Edvard Munch, The Scream, art history, arts, fine art, hands-on, and pastels.

Help

Please read our disclaimer for lesson plans.

Legal

Learning outcomes

Students will:

• learn how to express their feelings by using pastels and drawing their own “scream.”
• use a strong sense of color and line to show mood. Colors will be dark if the mood is somber or bright if the mood is one of excitement or fright.
• also demonstrate proper techniques in the use of pastels.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2 hours

Materials/resources

Information on Edvard Munch and a picture or overhead print of The Scream. Students will need 12 × 18-inch paper, pencils to sketch their idea, oil pastels (preferred due to blending), and fixative to spray for the finished product.

Technology resources

Computer with Internet access (if you choose to have students search for information on Edvard Munch and The Scream

Pre-activities

A preview of Munch’s The Scream and discussion of the elements of design used. Also discuss the mood of this work. Point out that we can also use this lesson to discuss stress management and facing our fears.

Activities

1. After viewing The Scream, the students will decide what would make them scream. They will draw their scream on their paper remembering to put themselves in the foreground and what makes them scream in the middleground and background just as Munch did.
2. They will also use color and directional lines to produce the mood they are seeking.
3. After their sketching is done they will apply oil pastels and blend them as they see fit.
4. When finished the project is to be taken outside and sprayed with fixitive to protect the project.

Pastels are difficult materials to use because of smudging and students must be coached on how to use them best. Also, fixitive should be applied following completion to prevent smearing. Health warnings will be given and fixitive will be used in an open, well-ventilated area.

Assessment

• Completion of their “scream” with a strong sense of mood, color, and line. The finished product should make the viewer understand what makes the artist scream. It helps the student vent certain fears they may have in a healthy way. See the examples attached: graves and elevator.
• The students will also understand from art history studies of Munch and his painting The Scream how he depicted his sorrow. He had lost his mother and sister to tuberculosis.
• Following completion, the students will critique their work and the works of others to learn how to create a better composition using the visual elements and properties.

Supplemental information

Comments

My students enjoy expressing their fears in this manner. I have seen everything from great quantities of huge snakes to the basketball scoreboard with seconds to go and two points behind and the artist depicted holding the ball. It is a creative, fun and interesting way to facing our fears—many of which never happen!