LEARN NC

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

"What Do YOU See?" (Visit)

This lesson outlines activities for students to complete while visiting the Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill, NC. Students will observe and reflect upon a variety of artwork. In doing so, they will develop observation and communication skills, and learn to understand and appreciate others' interpretations and opinions of works of art. This lesson applies skills learned in the previous lesson, "What Do You See" (Pre-Visit).

This lesson may be adapted for use in a school/classroom by using museums and artwork found online (see Web sites listed below). A Powerpoint presentation which displays some artwork from the Ackland Art Museum is attached to this plan, as well.

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

By Reagan West

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • view and critique art objectively.
  • develop an awareness that art is a form of personal expression that can be interpreted in various ways.
  • apply scientific observation/recording skills (quantitative and qualitative) discussed and practiced previously.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

1 Day

Materials/resources

Students will need paper, pencils, and something on which to write (clipboard). A museum map/guide may be helpful.

Optional Resources: If you choose to teach this lesson without making a trip to a museum, art books and manuals from the library will be needed. In addition, the education directors at local art museums can provide resources and helpful information or even make a visit to your school.

Technology resources

If you choose to modify this lesson by using online museums, computers with Internet connections will be necessary.

A Powerpoint presentation displaying some artwork from the Ackland Art Museum is attached as well.

Pre-activities

The discussion and/or practice of making sound scientific observations (both qualitative and quantitative), and the discussion of the value of understanding events/works/topics from multiple perspectives may be helpful; however, specific preparation is NOT necessary.

Activities

Activity One: Observations

  1. The first task students will have at the museum is to find a work that interests them. Individually, students should spend time observing the artwork and recording very detailed observations. Prior to this assignment, inform students that their goal is to be able to describe their work of art to a peer so that the peer can reproduce the work on paper as accurately as possible. A review of the elements of quality and useful observations may be helpful as well.
  2. Students should spend at least 15 minutes observing and describing their work of art.
  3. Upon completion of their observations, students should submit their observations to the intstructor, who will hold them until the following day when they are used in class.

Activity Two: Interpretations

  1. When students are ready for the second task, they should be placed in groups of 2-3 students.
  2. Each small group of students should choose a work to observe and investigate more closely.
  3. In front of their selected work, each student in the group will complete a reflection worksheet (see attachments).
  4. Students should spend at least 15 minutes observing the piece and completing the reflection worksheets. Students should not share their responses with each other at this time--they will do this the following day in class.
  5. Upon completion of the questions, students should submit their worksheets to the instructor, who will hold them until the following day when they are used in class.

Assessment

Students will be held accountable for making strong observations/descriptions which will be used to complete a follow-up assignment. They will futher be responsible for completing their reflection worksheets and for their behavior. The “Visit Rubric” attached to this lesson may help with this assessment.

Supplemental information

Attachments:

If you plan to arrange a field trip to an art museum, contact the curator and/or education director of the museum. He/she will be able to provide you with educational programs and materials available at the museum that could be used with these activities.

The concepts and activities in this lesson are continued in the following lesson, What Do YOU See? (Post-Visit)

Related lesson plans:

Related websites

There are many museums with websites and artwork online which would allow you to use this lesson in a classroom (as opposed to taking a field trip). A few helpful websites are listed here:

Comments

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

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Information Skills (2000)

Grade 8

  • Goal 5: The learner will COMMUNICATE reading, listening, and viewing experiences.
    • Objective 5.01: Respond to reading, listening, viewing experiences orally, artistically, dramatically, through various formats (e.g., print, multimedia).

Visual Arts Education (2001)

Grade 8

  • Goal 1: The learner will develop critical and creative thinking skills and perceptual awareness necessary for understanding and producing art.
    • Objective 1.02: Refine strategies for imagining and implementing images.
    • Objective 1.03: Analyze various solutions to solving creative problems to determine which are better.
    • Objective 1.04: Solve problems using images from fantasy and reality.
  • Goal 6: The learner will reflect upon and assess the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others.
    • Objective 6.01: Evaluate the effectiveness of a work of art in meeting its intended purpose.
    • Objective 6.02: Evaluate the ways in which a work of art reflects or communicates the diverse experiences of the artist.
    • Objective 6.03: Interpret how a given work of art expresses the uniqueness of the individual artist.
    • Objective 6.05: Critique artwork evaluating purpose, tone and style in an oral or written expression.

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 8

  • Goal 4: The learner will continue to refine critical thinking skills and create criteria to evaluate print and non-print materials.
    • Objective 4.02: Analyze and develop (with limited assistance) and apply appropriate criteria to evaluate the quality of the communication by:
      • using knowledge of language structure and literary or media techniques.
      • drawing conclusions based on evidence, reasons, or relevant information.
      • considering the implications, consequences, or impact of those conclusions.
    • Objective 4.03: Use the stance of a critic to:
      • consider alternative points of view or reasons.
      • remain fair-minded and open to other interpretations.
      • construct a critical response/review of a work/topic.