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Modernism Unit:
Rationale, Objective, & “The How About”:
Material from the Literacy and Modernism class will serve as a scaffold to prepare 11th grade high school
students for modern poetry. Students will learn about the modern movement through modern art. They
will learn to distinguish the differences between the goals of modern and Victorian artists. The students
will then examine The New Age magazine as a whole and identify examples of modernism as learned
from the art. Once the students are comfortable identifying modernistic characteristics in the layout,
published work, advertisements of the magazine, students will then transition into other genres such as
poetry and literature. Ample time will be devoted to learning the modern movement as it will serve as a
stepping stone to other movements.
Lesson plans will be developed that emphasize the objectives, students/group work, and assessments
(presentation, quizzes, homework) for comprehension of the unit’s ultimate goal, understanding
characteristics of modernism.
The unit will be divided into 3 major components (lessons); art, magazine, literature. The ideal classroom
setting will be 24 students at or above English comprehension reading level, high functioning, and are
eager to learn. This ideal setting makes it semi-realistic to complete the assignments within the time frame
given to complete the unit. The class meets daily in 48 minute periods.
Modern Analysis Materials
ArtGeorgia O’Keeffe (modern)- Radiator Building, Night, New York , 1927
Pablo Picasso (modern/cubism)- Portrait of Dora Maar, 1937
Claude Monet,- The Water-Lily Pond, 1899
Vincent van Gogh- Starry Night, 1889
Da Vinci- Mona Lisa, 1516
MagazineThe New Age Magazine
PoetryWilliam Carlos Williams- “The Red Wheelbarrow,” 1923
Robert Frost- “The Road Not Taken,” 1920
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Day 1, Lesson 1Objective: Student will be able to identify characteristics of modernism and link early19th-late 20th
century modernism to today.
Discussion- “What is modernism?”
-
When you think of modernism, what comes to mind? (use modern clothes, music, art,
sports to get discussion going)
-
What makes/defines something as modern? As opposed to what?
-
What are some adjectives that describe something “not so modern”?
Example of class discussion on modernism:
“Modern”
“Not So Modern” allow class to come up with a term
NEW
OLD
IN TODAY
YESTERDAY
HIP, COOL, HAPPENING, ‘POPPIN’
“SO-LAST-YEAR”
FUN
BORING
CHANGE
SAME, ROUTINE
POPULAR
UNKNOWN
LIBERAL
CONSERVATIVE
Teacher Direct Instruction on Modernism: The rise of modernism…
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Conclusion and/or rationale to students for learning about modernism:
Modernism today has not changed much far what was considered “modern” during the historic modern
age (late 1900s-early 20 century). Understanding how the “old” is not too different from the “new,” will
allow students to appreciate “old” art, literature, and a structure, realizing it is relevant to their lives
although not within their time period.
Teacher Goal: Bridge the gap students feel separated by when they are encountered with something from
a different time period.
Individual Student Activity: Exit Ticket Journal (students hand in journal as their exit ticket from class
to demonstrate understanding of lesson on modernism)
Fill in the blank to the following statement: The modernists of the late 19th-early 20 century are
like the teenagers of today because… (one paragraph)
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Day 2, Lesson 1
Objective: Students will be able to apply their newly acquired understanding of modernism and apply it
to modern art.
Individual Student Activity: “Aspects of Modernism: Pre-Modern World vs. Modern World” worksheet
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Group Breakout- (Break student into groups of 4 ~ counting off each student in 1,2,3,4 order where all
the 1s work together, all the 2s work together, etc.)
Materials Needed: Blows-ups of the art pieces, Mona Lisa transparency, overhead projector
Student Activity: Share answers from Aspects of Modernism worksheet. Based on individual answers
and class discussion on modernism, identify modern characteristics in the art pieces assigned.
Comparisons of Pre-Modern and Modern differences are to be written on the groups’ worksheet Pre
Modern World / Modern World. Use the “traditional” art piece on overhead projector for help in
comparing the two art pieces. Activity is a student led discussion.
a. Picasso- (group 1 & 5)
b. Van Gogh- (groups 2 & 6)
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c. Monet- (group 3)
d. O’ Keeffe- (group 4)
e. Da Vinci- (“pre-modern” ~ on overhead projector)
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Pre Modern World / Modern World
Name __________________________________
Period_____
Date_______
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Day 3, Lesson 1
Objective: Groups will present their findings of modernism in the art pieces.
Direct Teacher Instruction: Overview of rubric. On a standard rubric a scale is always 1-5, 1 being the
lowest and 5 being the highest score. On the rubric that will be used to assess the presentations, the
numbers are the same but have comments to them. Disregard the comments if they are too confusing and
use the standard 1=low and 5=great rubric to grade your peers.
Individual Student Activity: Each student will fill out a rubric for each group. The rubrics will serve as
their Exit Ticket and will be used to give group grade.
Rubric
Student Name: ______________________________
Date: _____________
Art Piece _________________________________
Directions: Assign each group a grade-phrase for their overall presentation. Please read the gradephrase thoroughly and grade each group accordingly. Provide an explanation for why you gave the
group the grade you gave them. Write an improvement and a positive comment (“You Rock”).
1
1.
Say what?- learn the material
2.
Props for doing something- ask for help next time because it won’t fly
3.
OK, but…- you kind of know but need more fuel
4.
Awesome- knows the material
5.
Tutor me!- surpassed expectations
Overall presentation grade-phrase _________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________.
2
Comment for improvement
______________________________________________________________________________________.
3
“You Rock” comment
______________________________________________________________________________________.
Group Activity: Present modern art pieces. About 6-8 minutes per presentation.
Individual Student Activity: Each student will fill out a rubric for each group. The rubrics will serve as
their Exit Ticket and will be used to give group grade.
Teacher Goal: By grading each other, the students will review what modernism is. If a student missed an
important trait in modernism, hopefully with the presentations they will learn it the second time around.
Homework: Bring a magazine to class.
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Day 4-5, Lesson 2
Objective: Student will review current magazines and compare them to The New Age magazine.
Quiz!- Upon student entrance, give students a short pop quiz (7 minutes).
Quiz- Which of the art pieces struck you as the most modern that as a result, could have
influenced significantly the modern movement? One of the art pieces caused a revolt. Which do
you think it is? Why?
Individual Student Activity 1- Students will read the magazine they brought to class silently. Students
must do a close reading and complete column one in the Magazine Workshop worksheet.
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Magazine Workshop
Name ____________________________________________
Date:________
Period_______
Title of Magazine
Title of Magazine
________________________________
__________________________
Advertisements
What type of
advertisements are
published? What types
of products? Where are
they located? Around
what?
Layout
What order are things
placed in? How many
articles per page?
Advertisements?
Representation
What is the magazine’s
political stand? How is the
magazine seen in the
“scholar” world?
Audience
Who is this magazine
published for? Age?
Gender? Class? Religion?
Individual Student Activity 2- Be like Picasso! Using Picasso’s cubistic-modern style of art, illustrate a
contemporary modern piece by cutting out pictures from magazines. Illustrate an emotion.
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Day 6, Lesson 2
Objective: Students will complete column two in Magazine Workshop worksheet.
Comparison of Different Time Magazines
Individual Student Activity: Taking samples from The New Age magazine, students will fill out the
Magazine Workshop worksheet.
Individual Student Activity 2Journal: Write a paragraph that describes what a “traditional” and “modern” magazine might
look like? Use the Magazine Workshop worksheet to guide you.
Group Break Out- Students will go back to their original groups and compare their findings (same
procedure as the art group break out session). Group will then make a venn diagram comparing premodern and modern magazines.
Example of Student Work
Pre Modern vs. Modern Magazines
Pre- Modern
Few pages, minimal
advertisements, few
writers, controversy in
opinions printed
Better quality, interactive,
consistent audience,
appeals to one audience,
same age group,
Modern
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Day 7, Lesson 2
Objective: Students will present findings to the class.
Group Activity: Students will present in front of class. Once finished, each student will fill out an
Accountability Form. Form will serve as their exist ticket.
Name __________________________________________________________
Date ____________
Period _____________
Accountability Form
Group Member
What did this person do to
contribute to the project? (gave
idea, took notes, keep track of
time, spoke person, etc)
Grade deserve for contribution to
project
Justify your grade:
What could your group improve?
___________________________
Group Member
___________________________
Group Member
___________________________
Group Member
___________________________
Your contribution:
Group Grade (grade you think
your group deserves)
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Day 8, Lesson 3
Objective: Students will read “The Red Wheelbarrow” and discuss modern characteristics.
Class Activity: Students will contribute to the discussion of how the poem is an example of modern
poetry and decipher its meaning.
'The Red Wheelbarrow'
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens.
-- William Carlos Williams
Example of possible class discussion:
Modern Poetry
Grammar
No capitalization, rhyme, incomplete thoughts in
lines, etc
Form
Pattern: 3 & 1 word lines, three stanzas
Meaning
So much depends on the words following, there is
nothing more to the words than the format itself
(picture of wheel barrow)- words are in a shape of a
wheel barrow, etc
Individual Activity: Students will take notes of notes on the board.
Homework: Take notes on “The Road Not Taken.” Find modern characteristics.
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Robert Frost (1874–1963). Mountain Interval. 1920.
1. The Road Not Taken
TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference
5
10
15
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Day 9-10, Lesson 3
Objective: Students will create modern poetry.
Student Activity: Fill out Modern Poetry worksheet for “The Road Not Taken.”
Name ____________________________________________________________ Date ______________
Modern Poetry: “The Road Not Taken”
Directions: Use the worksheet like a venn diagram. For each column write the characteristics of the time
period and/or each poem. Fill out the Traditional Poetry column first, then “The Road Not Taken,” then
“The red Wheelbarrow.”
Traditional Poetry
“The Road Not
Taken”
“The Red Wheel
Barrow”
Grammar
Form/Structure
Meaning
Student Activity: Write a poem that resembles a modern poem. At the end of your poem, be prepared to
identify modern characteristics in your work. Write a poem that reflects you opinions about school
uniforms.
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Day 11, lesson 3
Objective: Students will share and edit each other’s poems.
Student Activity: In pairs, exchange poem with partner. Fill out Pair Exercise form.
Name ________________________________________________________________
Date ________
Modern Poetry: Pair Exercise
Identify modern characteristics in
your partner’s poem. From a
scale of 1-5, issue your partner a
score on how well they executed
the traits. 1-lowerst, 5-highest
Provide an explanation for the
score you gave them
Grammar
Form
Meaning/Idea
Homework: Taking your partner’s suggestions, revise and type your poem.
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Day 12-15, lesson 3
Objective: Students will be able to combine art, prose, magazines, and poetry to demonstrate their
understanding of the modern movement.
Student Activity:
Final Project Modern Unit
After creating an art piece, writing about modernism, reading modern magazine articles, and creating a
modern poem, create a magazine page that resembles a modern magazine page. The magazine page must
resemble the structure of The New Age magazine. Use the example of The New Age magazine provided to
guide you. Be creative with layout, colors, and fonts. Make sure to meet all the requirements before
submission. The requirements below are only the minimum. Please feel free to surpass the expectations
by providing more to each category. The page has to be a least 8x11. You mat choose to make a poster
size version of your page as well. You can use construction paper, card/poster board, or submit a
digitalized version of it.
Requirements
____(20pts)
1 poem- Use your “Uniform” poem.
____(20pts) 1 art piece- Research an art piece by one of the 4 modern artists we studied. Paste it in on
your page and provide the name of the artist, name and date of piece.
____(20pts) 1 prose piece- Use your “Teenagers and Modernism” paragraph to serve as an article for
your magazine. Make sure to revise and type it.
____(20pts) 1 advertisement- Find an advertisement from the magazines used in class that has a
modern characteristics trait. Paste it on your page. Be prepared to justify how the advertisement is modern.
____(10pts)
Title- Create a clever title for your magazine.
____(5pts) Date, Issue, Volume- Make sure to give your magazine a date from the modern era. You
can make up the issue and volume numbers up.
____(5pts)
Editor- You are the editor. Make sure to write your name as such.
____(100pts total)
Grading: Project will be graded on meeting the requirements, creativity, and neatness.
Extra credit(20pts): Must be submitted with final project. It has to be on the magazine page.
Why is it important to make the distinction and recognize the importance of something defined as “modern” and
opposed to something “not so modern,” i.e. conventional, traditional, old, etc.?