Where they meet: Language Arts and Visual Art

A Unit on Biographies

Grade 4

 

Overview:

This unit examines the characteristics of biographies. Students will research a famous artist for written and oral presentations.

 

Students will enhance their observation skills and identify elements in a piece of art through speaking and writing.  Students will not only learn about the artists as people, but also their art.  Students will be able to recognize the artists’ artistic style.

 

Unit Resources:

Books:

Anholt, Laurence. Picasso and the Girl with a Ponytail. New York: Barron’s, 1998.

Anholt, Laurence. Camille and the Sunflowers A Story about Vincent Van Gogh. New York: Barron’s, 1994.

Blizzard, Gladys S. Come Look with Me Exploring Landscape Art with Children. New York: Lickle 

Publishing Inc., 1996.

Bucks, Brad and Holub, Joan. Vincent van Gogh Sunflowers and Swirly Stars. New York: Grosset and

Dunlap, 2001.

Cressy, Judith. Can You Find It, Too?. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2004.

Fritz, Jean. Leonardo’s Horse. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Son, 2001. 

Kelley, True.  Pablo Picasso Breaking All The Rules. New York: Grosset and Dunlap 2002.

Laden, Nina. When Pigasso met Mootisse. San Francisco: Chrinicle Books, 1998.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Museum ABC. Hong Kong: New Little Brown and Company, 2002.

Micklethwait, Lucy.  I Spy An Alphabet In Art. New York: Mulberry Books 1996.

O’Connor, Jane.  Marry Cassatt Family Pictures. New York: Grosset and Dunlap 2003.

Raimondo, Joyce. Imagine That! Activities and Adventures in Surrealism. New York: Watson-Guptill

Publications, 2004.

Rasczka, Bob. More than Meets the Eye Seeing Art with All Five Senses. Brookfield, Conn.: The

Millbrook Press, 2003.

Richardson, R. Sarah. Come Look with Me The Artist at Work. New York: Lickle Publishing Inc., 2003.

Wright, Jessica Noelani . Come Look with Me Exploring Modern Art. New York: Lickle Publishing Inc.,

2003.

Venezia, Mike. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists Rene Magritte. New York: Childrens Press

a Division of Scholastic Inc., 2002.

Venezia, Mike. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists Henri Matisse. New York: Childrens Press

a Division of Scholastic Inc., 1996.

Venezia, Mike. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists Andy Warhol. New York: Childrens Press

a Division of Scholastic Inc., 1996.

Venezia, Mike. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists George Seurat. New York: Childrens Press

a Division of Scholastic Inc., 2002.

Venezia, Mike. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists Paul Klee. New York: Childrens Press a

Division of Scholastic Inc., 1991.

Venezia, Mike. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists Rembrandt. New York: Childrens Press a

Division of Scholastic Inc., 1988.

Venezia, Mike. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists Georgia O’Keeffe. New York: Childrens

Press a Division of Scholastic Inc., 1993.

Venezia, Mike. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists Paul Gauguin. New York: Childrens Press

a Division of Scholastic Inc., 1993.

Venezia, Mike. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists Michelangelo. New York: Childrens Press

a Division of Scholastic Inc., 1991.

Venezia, Mike. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists Mary Cassatt. New York: Childrens Press a

Division of Scholastic Inc., 1993.

Venezia, Mike. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists Edward Hopper. New York: Childrens

Press a Division of Scholastic Inc., 1990.

Venezia, Mike. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists Picasso. New York: Childrens Press a

Division of Scholastic Inc., 1988.

Venezia, Mike. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists Monet. New York: Childrens Press a

Division of Scholastic Inc., 1993.

Venezia, Mike. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists Da Vinci. New York: Childrens Press a

Division of Scholastic Inc., 1989.

Venezia, Mike. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists Van Gogh. New York: Childrens Press a

Division of Scholastic Inc., 1988.

Venezia, Mike. Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists Francisco Goya. New York: Childrens

Press a Division of Scholastic Inc., 1993.

 

Equipment:

            Digital projector

Supplies/Materials:

            Post-it notes

            Portfolios

            Highlighters

            Pencils

            Large paper – Chart paper

            Glue stick

            Scissors

            Colored pencils/pens

            Note cards

Vis a vis markers

Art materials for student:

            Chart paper

            4" x 6" lined note cards

            Construction paper in various colors and sizes

            Scissors

            Glue stick

            Markers

            Pencil


 

Where they meet: Language Arts and Visual Art

A Unit on Biographies

Grade 4

 

Students will be working with the biography genre.  ELA.R.4.02.a. 04 Define, describe and discuss the characteristics of the genre.  Explain that a biography is a factual account of a person’s life and how it differs from a fictional story or novel.  In a fictional story the events and characters were created, or made up from the author’s imagination.

 

Read the fiction selection, When Pigasso met Mootisse by Laden, Nina then discuss the book and it’s genre. Questions for discussion could include: 

  1. Why do you think this book was written?
  2. In which genre would you categorize this book?
  3. Compare and contrast Picasso and Matisse. 

Read aloud the biography, Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists: Picasso by Mike Venezia.  ELA.R.4.1.01 Compare/contrast the two genres of books.  ELA.R.4.02.a. 03 Discuss the author’s purpose(s) for writing the biography (information, inspiration). ELA.R.4.1. 03

 

Journal Writing:

Have student reflect on the following in their journals:

  1. What did you know about the subject of biography before it was read?  What was confirmed?
  2. What were some new learnings?
  3. What was truly notable, unique or special about the subject’s life?
  4. What were contributions to society, the world or country of origin the subject made?
  5. Did the subject show any specific strengths or talents? What were they? Can those strengths or talents teach us anything? What/Explain?
  6. Why do you think the author chose this person to write a book about?


 

 

Report – Researching/Biography

Tell students as part of their study of biography, they will research the life of an artist and present a report to the class on that person’s life and art works.

 

Explain that they will have to do some preliminary research about the person they choose and determine events in that person’s life that are significant to report about orally to the class.

 

Introduce the list of Artists from which students may choose.  Students will study and gather information about the artist during independent reading, guided library research, and guided computer lab time.  Students will need to find a total of four resources; three of which must be a book, an internet site, and an encyclopedia.  The fourth may be either a newspaper article, magazine article, museum pamphlet, or other approved source. ELA.R.4.08.a. 02

 


 

Artist List:

(available in Parker Elementary library)


 

Rembrandt

Paul Gauguin

Michelangelo

Mary Cassatt

Georgia O’Keeffe

Paul Klee

Edward Hopper

Picasso

Monet

Da Vinci

Van Gogh

Francisco Goya

Frida Kahlo

Diego Rivera

Grandma Moses

Georges Seurat

Andy Warhol

Henri Matisse

Rene Magritte


 

 

 

Student Practice:

 

·   Note taking:  ELA.R.4.2.22 Provide students the Biography Project Question Sheet to use as they read the selections independently.  See Biography Project Question Sheet.  ELA.R.4.08.a. 01 Have students file their note taking sheets or note cards created from Biography Project Question Sheet in a portfolio.

 

·   Have students look at multiple works of art by their chosen artists.  Have the student respond to the works of art both orally and written in their journals. ELA.4.2.18  Use the Be An Art Critic worksheet as a guide.  See Be An Art Critic worksheet.

 

 

 

Student Assessment:

 

·   Oral report presentations ELA.LS.4.1.08

 

·   Museum Scavenger Hunt at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (see attached Museum Scavenger Hunt

worksheets)

 


 

Name: ______________________________       Date: _________

 

 

Biography Project Question Sheet

(from HISD CLEAR curriculum)

 

  1. Why do you think the Author wrote about this person?

 

  1. What accomplishments did the subject of the biography achieve?

 

  1. What do you think the theme or message is for this biography?

 

  1. How are the person’s achievements related to the theme(s) of this piece?

 

  1. How did the biography make you feel about the person the author wrote about?

 

  1. What items represent the person and period of time the person lived/lives?

 

  1. Tell about an event that happened in the person’s life that shaped them into who they are.

 

  1. Tell a short account of an event or personal note about the subject of the biography.

 

 


 

Name: ______________________________       Date: _________

 

 Be an Art Critic Worksheet

 

 

Procedure:

Hold a discussion then ask students to write responses to the following questions:

 

1. Look carefully at the work of art in front of you. What colors do you see in it? List the specific colors.

 

2. What objects do you see in the work of art in front of you? List those objects.

 

3. What action is taking place in this work of art? Write down every detail you can find related to this action. 

 

4. List similarities between this work of art (colors, objects, or events) and something in your own life?

 

5. Is this work of art true-to-life? If yes, how real has the artist made things look?  If no, explain. 

 

6. What ideas and emotions does this work of art express?

 

7. Do you have a sense of how the artist might have felt (their inside emotions) when he/she made this work of art? Describe how it makes your feel?  

 

If the class is looking at more than one piece, you can ask:

 

1. Take a look at the other works of art displayed around this one. Do they look alike? Compare their appearance. (e.g. objects, events, feelings, the way they are made)? Contrast their appearance.

 

2. If you could have chosen the title, what would it be?  Does the artists’ title of the work, if there is one, make sense to you?

 

Have students reflect on their observations. (written or oral)

 

1. Think back on your previous observations. What have you discovered from looking at this work of art? Have you learned anything about yourself or others?

 

2. Do you like this work of art? Why or why not? Has your reaction to the work changed after detailed analysis? Do you like it more or less than you did in the beginning? Why?

 

*This questionnaire was based on The Generic Art Game, which was created by Project Muse (Museums Uniting with Schools in Education), at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Original copyright 1991, Davis. Copyright 1993, Harvard Project Zero.

 

 

 

 

 

Name: ______________________        Date: _________

 

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS SCAVENGER HUNT

 

Explore the Arms and Armor from the Ancient World exhibit.

What were the Arms and Armor made of? ______________

What two empires did these objects come from?

_______________________and_________________________

 

Find a very famous portrait of our first President.  Who is the artist? _____________________________________________

 

Find the work titled The Mier Expedition The Drawing of the Black Bean by Fredrick S. Remington.  Why are the people in the painting drawing beans?  What is the significance of drawing a black bean?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Find and write the names of 3 works by Georgia O’Keeffe:

1) _________________________________________________­­

2) ________________________________________________

3) ________________________________________________

One of the paintings shows a shell. What kind of shell is it? ________________________________________________

 

Find and write the name of a work by Pierre-Auguste Renoir:

1) _________________________________________________

What is the girl doing in the picture?

__________________________________________________

 

 

Find and write the names of 2 works by Paul Cezanne:

One of these works is one of the 44 portraits of his wife he completed during their three decades together.

1) _________________________________________________

2) ________________________________________________

 

Find and write the name of a work by Mary Cassatt:

__________________________________________________

How do you think the baby in the picture feels? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Did you know that Mary Cassatt was one of only two women and the only American to join the Impressionists? She focused on the domestic world of women and children.

 

Find and write the names of 2 works by Claude Monet.  One of the paintings is of Monet’s garden at his home in Giverny, France.  Monet spent nearly twelve years planning this garden and employed a staff of 6 gardeners to help him create a paradise with flower beds, a bridge, and a pond.

1)_________________________________________________

2)_________________________________________________

 

Find and write the name of a work by Edgar Degas:

__________________________________________________

What are the people in the painting doing?

__________________________________________________


 

 

Find and write the name of a work by Vincent van Gogh:

__________________________________________________

Is the painting typical of Vincent van Gogh? Explain:

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

 

Find and write the name of a work by Paul Gauguin:

__________________________________________________

What is the unique shape of this painting?___________________

­­­­­­­

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Find and write the name of 1 work by Henri Matisse:

1) _________________________________________________

2) ________________________________________________

Matisse used both ends of the brush. He dipped bristles thickly in black for bold outlines and scraped away wet paint with the blunt end of the handle to create white lines of exposed canvas beneath.

 

Find and write the names of 4 works by Pablo Picasso:

1) _________________________________________________

2) ________________________________________________

3) ________________________________________________

4) ________________________________________________

What material is the statue made of? _____________________


 

 

Find and write the name of a work by Georges Seurat:

1) _________________________________________________

Why do you think this painting looks this way?  How did Seurat paint this painting?

 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

What color was the tunnel between The Audrey Beck Building and The Caroline Wiess Law Building?  How did it make you feel? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

Write the names of some other works of art.  Who is the artist? What is the name of the artwork?  Why do you like it?

Artist: _____________________________________________

Title: ______________________________________________

I like it because…

 

 

 

Artist: _____________________________________________

Title: ______________________________________________

I like it because…

 

 

 

 

 

Artist: _____________________________________________

Title: ______________________________________________

I like it because…