Connections:
A Resource Guide Designed for Teachers by the
Mobile Museum of Art
Compiled by Mark Davis, Artist in Residence
Made possible through funding from the Alabama Council on the Arts
HOW THIS RESOURCE GUIDE WILL WORK FOR YOU
Connections brings together works of art from the Mobile Museum of Art’s
permanent collection, curriculum standards outlined by the Mobile County Public
School System and exciting activity ideas that will reinforce curriculum objectives
through meaningful Discipline-based art activities. Discipline-based Art
Education (DBAE) encompasses four domains:
1. Art Criticism: responding to and making judgments about the properties and qualities
that exist in visual forms.
2. Art History: the acquisition of knowledge about contributions artists and art make to
culture and society.
3. Aesthetics: understanding the nature, meaning and value of art.
4. Art Production: making art.
DBAE promotes higher level thinking skills, gross and fine motor skills, problem
solving skills, verbal and non-verbal communication skills and global awareness.
By teaching art history, criticism, aesthetics and art production, connections are
made that broaden life-long thinking and learning skills.
Connections contains four sections:
•Section 1 Curriculum Standards and Sample Lesson Plans: This section provides general
ideas that can be altered and extended for any subject or grade level.
•Section 2 Poster Gallery: This section contains examples of how to use visuals from the
Mobile Museum of Art and incorporate them into DBAE activities
•Section 3 Glossary: This section contains the elements and principles of art as well as
definitions of terms relating to art education.
•Section 4
Web Connections: Sites that link to additional art lesson plans and activity ideas.
Remember that art is everywhere, and art education will help students express
themselves in a relaxing and insightful way. Using art in the classroom will
inspire students to see beauty in everything around them. It will also help them
understand that points of view vary among individuals, and that thinking or
feeling different is okay.
The Mobile Museum of Art’s Education Departments may be reached
At 251-208-5200 or http://www.mobilemuseumofart.com/.
SECTION 1
CURRICULUM
STANDARDS AND
SAMPLE LESSON
PLANS
MATHEMATICS
ART + MATH = FUN
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First grade math objectives:
Identify and divide physical models into equal parts of a
whole (halves, thirds, etc.).
Identify and describe plane and solid figures in the
environment.
Understand symmetry and congruency.
Sort, compare, order and explore patterning of objects.
Investigate spatial relationships.
Second grade math objectives:
Multiply single digit numbers using physical models and
symbolic representations.
Identify geometric shapes, investigate symmetry and identify
congruent figures.
Recognize and design a variety of geometric patterns.
Use appropriate current technology to facilitate the
understanding of mathematical concepts.
Third grade math objectives:
Identify a fractional model that is part of a whole or group.
Identify geometric transformations (rotations, translations,
reflections).
Identify lines of symmetry.
Determine perimeter of polygons.
Compare areas on a grid.
Create geometric patterns.
Use technology to facilitate mathematical learning.
Fourth grade math objectives:
Demonstrate, compare, determine and estimate
measurements (including metric) using appropriate units and
tools.
Identify geometric transformations.
Use current technology to facilitate mathematical learning.
Map and chart.
Fifth grade math objectives:
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Demonstrate proficiency in measurement and be able to
convert from one system to another.
Identify, classify, compare, measure and draw angles.
Define, identify and draw parts of a circle (radius, center,
diameter, circumference).
Identify lines of symmetry in art, nature, architecture,
symbols and plane geometric figures.
Create a variety of numeric and geometric patterns.
Use current technology to facilitate mathematical learning.
Map and chart.
INTRODUCTION
How do you feel when it is time to
learn math? Did you know that artists
use math to help them create beautiful
and interesting works of art? Have
you ever heard of M. C. Escher?
Some people knew him as an engineer,
but most know him as an artist. He
used his knowledge of engineering and
mathematics to create works of art
that are extremely fascinating. He
especially liked using pattern and
geometry to make fantastic tessellation
images. What other mathematical
elements do artists use? What about
line, shape, form and symmetry? How
can you ADD up these mathematical
elements to EQUAL something
beautiful?
ACTIVITY IDEAS
• Collage: Use tessellation to create a
patterned collage.
• Drawing: Create a continuous line
drawing with glue and a 24” piece of black
yarn.
• Painting: Use primary colors to create
color equations (e.g. red + blue = purple).
• Sculpture: Create a kaleidoscope with
cardboard, aluminum foil, acetate and
markers to study symmetry, pattern, angles
and measurement.
• Printmaking: Use potato halves to carve
stamps. Brush them with watercolor paint
and create patterns.
D R A W IN G
D ra w in g is b a s ic to a lm o s t e v e r y ty p e o f a rt
p ro d u c tio n a n d c a n b e u s e d to e n ric h e v e r y s u b je c t
a re a . M a th is a g re a t s u b je c t a re a to u s e d ra w in g to
e n h a n c e a c tiv itie s s u c h a s m e a s u rin g a n d th e s tu d y o f
g e o m e tric s h a p e s . T h e fo llo w in g le s s o n fo c u s e s o n
lin e .
D is c ip lin e B a s e d A rt E d u c a tio n D o m a in A re a s a re in
b o ld ita lic s .
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D is p la y th e fo llo w in g p o s te rs fro m th e M o b ile M u s e u m o f A rt
a n d d i s c u s s th e u s e o f lin e in th e a rt w o r k s : In n e r S h r in e ; V e r a ;
S to rm C lo u d s ; a n d th e A fric a n e x a m p le s . S o m e lin e s a re
im p lie d . T h is is a lin e c re a te d w h e n tw o c o lo rs m e e t. S o m e
lin e s c o n ta in a s p a c e to c re a te a s h a p e . S o m e lin e s a re u s e d to
c re a te im a g e s s u c h a s a s n a k e o r a s m ile . (a r t h is to r y ,
a e s th e tic s , a r t c r itic is m )
D e fin e c o n tin u o u s lin e d ra w in g to s tu d e n ts . U s in g a n u n b ro k e n
lin e to fo rm a n im a g e c re a te s a c o n tin u o u s lin e d ra w in g . T h is
im a g e c a n b e a s s im p le a s a s h a p e o r a s c o m p le x a s a p o rtra it.
H a v e s tu d e n ts m e a s u re a n d c u t a 3 6 ” p ie c e o f b la c k y a rn . Y o u
c a n a d a p t th e le s s o n b y a lte rin g th e le n g th o r b y u s in g s e v e ra l
p ie c e s o f d iffe re n t c o lo re d y a rn s . A llo w s tu d e n ts to c re a te
s e v e ra l d iffe re n t d ra w in g s w ith th e le n g th o f y a rn b e fo re
c h o o s in g th e im a g e th e y w is h to c re a te .(a e s th e tic s ) U s e g lu e to
a ffix th e y a rn to a s h e e t o f p a p e r. (a r t p r o d u c tio n )
Inner Shrine (1990)
Don Head
VERA (1986)
Miriam Schapiro
Antelope Headress (ca.1890)
Kurumba/Bobo cultures
Storm Clouds With Receptors,
(1993) Roger Brown
LANGUAGE ARTS
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
First grade language arts objectives:
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Recall detailed information about character traits,
setting, plot, etc.
Create mental pictures while reading.
Explore diversity through literature.
Explore point of view.
Interpret charts and graphs.
Explore patterns in sentences, words, stories and
poems.
Interpret non-verbal communication.
Create stories.
Participate in art educational activities.
INTRODUCTION
When you read or hear a story how do you
use your imagination? Do you try to
visualize the setting? Do you imagine the
faces of the characters and how they dress?
Can you “see” the actions and expressions
of the characters as the story unfolds?
Authors use descriptive words to give us
clues about the way characters and settings
look. The descriptive words help our
imagination form mental pictures of events,
places, things and people in the story.
Second grade language arts objectives:
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Re-tell stories and create stories.
Identify with others (e.g. characters in stories).
Recall prior experiences.
Compare and contrast.
Develop inference, classification and problem
solving skills.
Explore group diversity.
Explore diverse materials (newspapers,magazines,
dictionaries, books, etc.).
Recreate the quote below using
only colors and images.
Compare your image with others.
“The dark night was filled with
blinding rain and howling wind.”
Like words, works of art tell stories about
people, places and ideas. Instead of words,
artists use lines, shapes, colors, forms and
textures to tell a story.
Third and fourth grade language arts
objectives:
Explore implied and extended meaning.
Develop problem-solving skills.
Explore comparison and contrast; cause and effect.
Make inferences.
Make judgments and evaluate.
Develop critical analysis skills.
Express awareness of diversity.
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Fifth grade language arts objectives:
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Explore historical fiction and science fiction.
Study propaganda.
Make generalizations.
Build further upon third and fourth grade
objectives.
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ACTIVITY IDEAS
Collage: Use magazine images to illustrate a
character or setting from a book or story.
Drawing: Let one student call out directions to the
class (e.g. up, down, curving, spiral, etc.) to create
a continuous line drawing.
Painting: Make a list of all of the descriptive
words used to describe a character in a story. Paint
a portrait using only the author’s words as a
guideline about the characters’ appearance.
Sculpture: Create puppets and perform a scene
from a book or play. Make the puppets as detailed
as possible.
Printing: Create a secret code. Use potato halves
or linoleum squares to make printing blocks. Print
colorful secret messages or poems.
CREATIVE COLLAGES
A collage is made by gluing paper or photographs together to create a
picture. The works of art below, from the Mobile Museum of Art, are
examples of how artists can create different compositions using the
collage method. While each piece is an example of collage, they are
unique in their own way. What makes each of them different?
ACTIVITY IDEAS
MATH: Use the collage method to explore area by having students create a mosaic using
small squares of different colored paper. Cut the squares into centimeters or fractions of an
inch. Let students create an image and then calculate the area of each color.
SCIENCE: Use the collage method to create a study of the parts of a flower, human body,
or an insect. Have students cut out the shape of each part and assemble them to create the
whole.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Create a collage about a local cultural or historical event you are
studying.
LANGUAGE ARTS: Use the collage method to have students design a book cover of
something they are reading, or for a story they wrote themselves.
Collage with Birch Bark (1941)
George L.K. Morris
Notations (1971) Siah Armajani
VERA (1986) Miriam Schapiro
SOCIAL STUDIES
OTHER PEOPLE OTHER PLACES
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First grade social studies objectives:
Work cooperatively.
Discriminate between rural, urban, natural and man-made. Explore land usage and
how it relates to the environment. Describe the impacts of cultural changes on
locality over time.
Earth Day.
Explore work in the community past to present.
Transportation past to present. Describe how locality is connected to the larger
world (i.e. radio, television, space travel, etc.). Describe traditions of various
cultures noting similarities and differences. Develop an understanding of cultural
diversity.
Second grade social studies objectives:
Create maps and understand legends. Be able to associate map locations with food
production.
Explore the role of government. Develop an awareness of the basic values and
principles of American democracy. Develop a respect for human rights in relation
to minorities.
Understand the world in spatial terms. Explore places and regions. Understand the
relationships of society and environment. Explore human systems (family).
Explore physical systems (oceans, rivers, etc.).
Identify workers who supply people’s daily needs and the specialization and
division of labor. Develop an understanding of international trade and the impact
of technology on occupations related to goods and services.
Explore family histories. Identify major celebrations of events in U.S. history.
Associate historical figures with their impact on society.
Third grade social studies objectives:
Develop an extended knowledge of maps and globes.
Early Native Americans: Describe the natural environment of the time. Describe
the human systems. Explore adaptations to the environment. Compare different
groups of Native Americans in relation to food, clothing, shelter, etc.
Explore the relationships of early settlers and their environment. Describe both
Native American and European land use. Demonstrate an understanding of the
movement of Europeans and African Americans in America.
Evaluate how land use affects its inhabitants. Identify patriotic symbols. Assess a
situation concerning public safety. Examine changing technologies on the global
community (i.e. e-mail, satellite, irrigation, compass, etc.).
INTRODUCTION
Take a minute to think about the area
where you live. Do mountains, sand dunes,
bodies of water or forests surround you?
What types of animals do you commonly
see? How does your local population use
the land and local animals? Do they use the
land for farming? Do they use the animals
for food or to help with work?
Artists also use materials from their
environment to create works of art.
Sometimes artists use the animals that live
around them as symbols or even for
inspiration. Architects often design homes
that make use of local materials. Do you
live in a house made out of mud bricks?
What about a hut made from limbs and
bark?
Give examples where artists have used
things from their environment. How does
the environment shape human activities?
How does human activity affect the
environment?
Fourth grade social studies objectives:
Understand the geographic link between Alabama and other U.S. regions. Describe
the natural environment of Alabama.
Explore Alabama’s earliest inhabitants including archeology studies, personal
interviews, and major characteristics of prehistoric Indians.
Explore European exploration and settlement including the Spanish, French, and
British.
Explore the conflicts between Europeans and Indians.
Describe 19th century Alabama including slavery’s impact, the civil war and
reconstruction.
Describe 20th century Alabama including contributions made by Alabamians during
the first half of the 20th century, the impact of WWII and the Civil Rights
movement.
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Fifth grade social studies objectives:
Map and globe skills in greater detail.
Prehistoric settlements.
European exploration and early settlements.
English colonization 1600’s-1763.
Gaining independence 1763-1783.
Civil War and Reconstruction.
Explore reasons for Western expansion (i.e. economic, geographical, political and
socio-cultural). Explore transportation. Explore major changes in America (e. g.
industrialization, urbanization, cultural changes, communication and technology).
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ACTIVITY IDEAS
Collage: Create a montage landscape of your local
region using photographs, newspaper clippings or
magazines.
Drawing: Find an area that is typical of your local
environment and draw it as realistically as possible.
Painting: Collect small amounts of dirt and clay,
berries, nutshells, and plant material. Make a painting
using pigments from these local resources by mashing
the berries, crushing the shells and plant material in a
little water, and by adding a small amount of water to
the dirt.
Sculpture: Collect plant material that is long and thin.
If the material is hard and dry soak in water overnight.
Use the flexible material to weave a basket.
Printing: Make rubbings of the textures that are all
around you or collect different leaves and make
botanical prints.
P A IN T IN G
P a in tin g c a n b e a v e r y s i m p le w a y to a d d in te r e s t to
s u b j e c t a r e a s . T h e fo llo w i n g le s s o n w ill a l lo w
s tu d e n ts to c o lle c t a n d m a k e th e ir o w n p a in t s fr o m
th e ir i m m e d ia te e n v ir o n m e n t. N o t o n l y w ill s t u d e n ts
in te r a c t o n a p e r s o n a l le v e l w it h th e ir s u r r o u n d i n g s ,
b u t th e y a ls o c a n e x p lo r e th e a r t w o r k a n d a r t
p r o c e s s e s o f n a ti v e c u ltu r e s .
D is c ip lin e B a s e d A r t E d u c a tio n D o m a i n A r e a s a r e in
b o ld ita lic s .
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D is p la y t h e A fr ic a n p o s te rs fro m t h e M o b ile M u s e u m o f A rt a n d a n y
o t h e r e x a m p le s o f n a t iv e a rtw o rk s u c h a s b a s k e ts o r N a tiv e A m e r ic a n
p o tte r y o r p a in t in g s . D is c u s s th e u s e o f m a te r ia ls a n d t h e a rt is t’ s re a s o n s
fo r c re a t in g t h e a rtw o rk . (a r t h is to r y , a r t c r itic is m , a e s th e tic s )
H a v e s t u d e n ts c o lle c t b e rr ie s , d irt o r c la y , p la n t m a te r ia l, n u t s h e lls o r a n y
n a t u ra l m a te r ia l t h a t w ill p ro d u c e a s ta in o r p ig m e n t w h e n a d d e d to a
s m a ll a m o u n t o f w a te r. S o m e e x p e r im e n ta tio n m a y b e n e c e s s a ry in o rd e r
to fin d m a te r ia l t h a t w ill p ro d u c e t h e b e s t c o lo rs . (a r t p r o d u c tio n )
C re a te y o u r p a in t b y m a s h in g o r c r u s h in g th e m a te r ia l a n d a d d in g s m a ll
a m o u n ts o f w a te r u n t il t h e c o r re c t c o n s is te n c y is a c h ie v e d . (a r t
p r o d u c tio n )
S k e tc h a v ie w o f y o u r s u rro u n d in g s o r d ra w a n y t y p e o f p ic t u re y o u
c h o o s e w it h p e n c il (o r w it h c h a rc o a l m a d e b y b u r n in g v in e s ). F ill in t h e
d ra w in g w it h t h e p a in t y o u h a v e m a d e . (a r t p r o d u c tio n )
Antelope Headress (ca.1890)
Kurumba/Bobo cultures
Mask (20th Century)
Eastern Nigeria
Hornbill-Porianong (20th Century) Dance Mask (20th Century)
Senufo culture
Cameroon
SCIENCE
EXPERIMENT WITH EXCITEMENT
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First grade science objectives:
Describe the basic components of the solar
system.
Compare and contrast the four seasons.
Explore the states of matter.
Identify sources of energy.
Describe prehistoric animals and habitats
(e.g. fossils and cave paintings).
Describe life cycles.
Second grade science objectives:
Explore forces that move objects (wind,
gravity, magnets).
Explore physical characteristics of plants
and animals and their relationships to
specific habitats and environments.
Describe natural and human forces that
affect the environment.
Third grade science objectives:
Explore solar system forces (orbits, moon
phases, etc.).
Understand the functions of telescopes.
Explore cells.
Study food webs.
Fourth grade science objectives:
Explore the relationship of the earth and
moon.
Study weather instruments.
Describe geographical land forms.
Compare simple and compound machines.
Explore cell functions.
Examine fossil evidence.
Evaluate different kinds of pollution.
Fifth grade science objectives:
Study erosion.
Explore cloud formations.
Understand symbols on a weather map.
Demonstrate how forms of matter change
states.
Understand the functions of the skeletal,
muscular and nervous systems.
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever heard of an artist named
Leonardo da Vinci? He created
masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and
The Last Supper. Did you know he was
also a scientist? Leonardo da Vinci
used science to help him create works
of art that were more realistic and
interesting. He created kites to study
the forces of flight and he also studied
anatomy, mechanics and botany.
Leonardo da Vinci used his artistic
creativity and knowledge of science to
invent machines that were ahead of his
time, like plans for a tank and also a
helicopter.
Science can be a great place for artistic
ideas. Try designing a machine that
would somehow make life better. For
inspiration, think of something you
have studied that was beautiful,
inspiring or mysterious!
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ACTIVITY IDEAS
Collage: Create a food chain collage using pictures
from magazines.
Drawing: Make scientific illustrations of a cell,
flower, or something you are studying. Label each
part.
Painting: Experiment with a prism and paint a
color wheel using the primary colors.
Sculpture: Make a Chinese kite. Explore the
forces of flight.
Printing: Collect several different leaves. Use a
breyer and ink to create beautiful botanical prints.
P R IN T IN G
P r in tin g is a w o n d e rf u lly v a r ie d a r t p ro c e s s . Y o u c a n
m a k e p rin ts b y c u ttin g a n d s h a p in g p o ta to e s o r
s p o n g e s , o r b y a p p ly in g in k o n to o b je c ts lik e y o u r
fin g e rs . P rin tin g is a g re a t w a y to p ro d u c e o rig in a l
a rtw o rk a n d c a n b e u s e d to m a k e a n y s u b je c t a re a
e x c itin g . T h e fo llo w in g le s s o n w ill m a k e b o ta n y
m u c h m o re fu n !
D is c ip lin e B a s e d A rt E d u c a tio n D o m a in A re a s a re in
b o ld ita lic s
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D i s p la y t h e f o llo w i n g p o s t e r s f r o m t h e M o b i le M u s e u m o f A r t
a n d d i s c u s s th e t y p e s o f p la n t s a n d w h y o n l y c e r t a i n p la n ts c a n
li v e i n c e r t a in p la c e s : F la m i n g o F a b le ; C o lle c t i n g K n o w le d g e ;
S u n ri s e In T h e W h i t e M o u n t a in s ; H e a d in g H o m e . ( a r t h i s t o r y )
C o lle c t e x a m p le s o f s e v e r a l t y p e s o f le a v e s f r o m y o u r a r e a .
C h o o s e in k c o lo r s t h a t w i ll e i t h e r r e f le c t f a ll f o li a g e o r l e t
s t u d e n ts p i c k c o lo r s b a s e d o n p e r s o n a l ta s t e . (a e s t h e ti c s )
U s e a b r e y e r t o c o a t e a c h le a f w i t h in k . P r e s s t h e le a f o n t o a
s h e e t o f p a p e r . G e n t ly r e m o v e t h e le a f t o r e v e a l a p r i n t .
E x p e r i m e n t w i th b o th s i d e s o f th e le a f f o r b e s t r e s u lt s . (a r t
p r o d u c t io n , a r t c r it ic i s m )
L a b e l a n d d i s p la y p r i n t s o f th e b o t a n i c a l s p e c i m e n s f r o m y o u r
a re a .
Flamingo Fable (1980)
Jennine Hough
Collecting Knowledge
(1995) Tommy White
Sunrise In The White Mountains (ca.1868) Heading Home (1936)
Frederick Edwin Church
Anne Goldwaite
VISUAL ARTS
EXPRESS YOURSELF
First grade art objectives:
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Notice differences in styles (e.g. abstract/realistic).
Differentiate art forms (drawing, painting, sculpture, etc.).
Discover and experience a variety of media (clay, paint,
etc.).
Recognize lines, shapes, textures, colors and forms in
nature.
Describe balance and repetition.
Second grade art objectives:
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Observe that art reflects and records history.
Express feelings generated by a work of art.
Observe effects of varying conditions on objects (light,
position, motion, size, etc.).
Explore the use of non-verbal communication (symbols and
signs).
Third grade art objectives:
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Describe subject matter (still life, landscape, portrait, etc.).
Recognize individual art works and artists.
Produce art that communicates personal emotions (love,
anger, joy, etc.).
Identify specific media in a work of art (clay, oil paint,
charcoal, etc.).
Describe subject matter, elements and principles of art.
Become more aware of art in everyday life.
Produce two-dimensional and three-dimensional works of
art.
Fourth grade art objectives:
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Identify symbols and common themes used by specific
cultures.
Explore previous objectives in greater depth.
Fifth grade art objectives:
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Develop critical analysis skills relating to works of art.
Explore previous objectives in greater depth.
INTRODUCTION
When you hear the word ART what
pops up in your head? Do images or
words pop into your imagination?
Do you think of Mathematics,
Science, Reading, Writing, and
Social Studies?
Using elements from all of these
subjects help artists create
meaningful works of art. How do
artists use math? How can social
studies influence an artist? What
science principles do artists use? All
subjects are connected in one way or
another. Using art to reinforce these
connections makes the learning
process fun and exciting!
ACTIVITY IDEAS
• Science: Create a model of
something you are studying in science
or biology (e.g. the solar system, parts
of a flower, an animal, etc.).
• Math: Create a mosaic. Explore
geometric pattern and area.
• Social Studies: Create a diorama.
Show the daily activities of a culture.
• Language Arts: Use posters from the
Mobile Museum of Art to inspire
storytelling.
SECTION 2
POSTER GALLERY
SUPER SYMBOLISM
Artists all over the world sometimes use stylized animal and human imagery in
their artwork to express ideas, traits, or characteristics specific to their culture.
The artworks below, from the Mobile Museum of Art, are all from the continent
of Africa. Each was created to be used in a special ceremony or event. Look
closely at each to find examples of how the artist used simplified geometric
shapes and forms in the stylized animals and faces. Pay attention to the
materials used to create each piece. What do you think the animals and faces
symbolize?
ACTIVITY IDEAS
MATH: Using geometric shapes or forms, create a mask of yourself or an animal using
paper or papier-mache’. Make the mask symmetrical.
SCIENCE: You have discovered a new species of animal or insect. Make an illustration of
it and create a scientific name that is symbolic of its characteristics.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Discuss the native cultures of a region and create a diorama, make a
totem pole, make a rainstick, make a petriglyph, or create a huge sand painting outside.
LANGUAGE ARTS: Create a symbolic visual language (e.g. hieroglyphics).
Antelope Headdress (ca.1890) Hornbill-Porianong
Kurumba/Bobo cultures
(20th century) Senufo culture
Masquerader Costume (ca.1920)
Nigeria, Yoruba culture
Mask (20th century)
Eastern Nigeria
Dance Mask (20th century)
Cameroon
CREATIVE COLLAGES
A collage is made by gluing paper or photographs together to create a
picture. The works of art below, from the Mobile Museum of Art, are
examples of how artists can create different compositions using the
collage method. While each piece is an example of collage, they are
unique in their own way. What makes each of them different?
ACTIVITY IDEAS
MATH: Use the collage method to explore area by having students create a mosaic using
small squares of different colored paper. Cut the squares into centimeters or fractions of an
inch. Let students create an image and then calculate the area of each color.
SCIENCE: Use the collage method to create a study of the parts of a flower, human body,
or an insect. Have students cut out the shape of each part and assemble them to create the
whole.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Create a collage about a local cultural or historical event you are
studying.
LANGUAGE ARTS: Use the collage method to have students design a book cover of
something they are reading, or for a story they wrote themselves.
Collage with Birch Bark (1941)
George L.K. Morris
Notations (1971) Siah Armajani
VERA (1986) Miriam Schapiro
AMAZING ANIMALS
Images and figures of animals have been created by artists since pre-historic times. Lascaux,
a cave in France, has animal figures on the walls that were created thousands of years ago.
Other caves, like Altamira in Spain and the Fumane Cave in Verona Italy, have animal
imagery that some scientists believe is over 30,000 years old. The works of art below, from
the Mobile Museum of Art, feature a horse. Two of the works are sculptures, and one is a
painting. The horse on the left is cast in bronze. The horse on the right, sculpted out of clay,
is ceramic. Horses have been symbols of power, strength, courage, and wealth. What do the
horses below symbolize? What animals are important where you live? What do they do or
provide that makes them important?
ACTIVITY IDEAS
MATH: Use the posters below to explore the meaning and formulas for horsepower. Create an animal
mask out of colored paper using geometric shapes and symmetry.
SCIENCE: Use the examples below to explore the history of horse breeding. Draw models of different
breeds and compare/contrast the differences and similarities.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Explore the roles horses and other animals have had on cultures throughout the world.
Discuss the cultural impact animals have made throughout time.
LANGUAGE ARTS: Explore the symbolism of horses in literature and art. Use the posters below to
inspire a short story about each horse and what its daily activities and personality would be like.
Tartar Warrior Checking His Horse (ca. 1830)
Antione-Louis Barye
Heading Home (1936) Anne Goldwaite
Stallion (619-906 A.D.)
Chinese, T’ang Dynasty
ON THE HORIZON
Sunrise In The White Mountains (ca.1868)
Frederick Edwin Church
Storm Clouds At Dusk With Receptors Yard Engine 603 (1935) Ernest Fiene
(1993) Roger Brown
A landscape is a picture representing a scene of land or sea whose chief subject is the
general aspect of nature. Landscapes can be created with paint, pencil, or the collage
method. The landscapes above and below, from the Mobile Museum of Art, represent both
actual and fantasy views of nature. Separate each landscape into realistic and fantasy
categories. Discuss the results as a classroom activity.
ACTIVITY IDEAS
MATH: Create a landscape using geometric shapes or one that shows symmetry.
SCIENCE: Create a landscape that shows the plants and animals of a particular habitat.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Create a landscape that shows how the people in a certain region interact with their
environment.
LANGUAGE ARTS: Make up a story about a fantastic imaginary place. Create a landscape that shows all
of the unusual features and colors.
Flamingo Fable (1980) Jennine Hough
Heading Home (1936) Anne Goldwaite
Collecting Knowledge (1995)
Tommy White
STILL LIFE STORIES
A still life is a representation of inanimate objects, such as flowers or
fruit. The paintings at the bottom of the page, from the Mobile Museum
of Art, are examples of this genre. A still life can be created using a
variety of media. You can create a still life story using pencil, charcoal,
paint, photography, or the collage method. Objects in a still life
composition are chosen and arranged not only to look interesting, but
also to tell a story. See if you can create a story about the still life
paintings below.
ACTIVITY IDEAS
MATH: Create a still life using a variety of geometric forms. Arrange forms to create an
interesting composition. Draw the outline of each form to create its shape. Using paint,
pencil, or different colored pieces of paper, fill in the shape with different values to create the
illusion of a three-dimensional form. Choose colors to express a mood.
SCIENCE: Gather objects that relate to a science topic you are studying. Arrange them and
create a still life using one of the methods mentioned in the math activity idea above.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Use an arrangement of objects that tell a story about your family.
LANGUAGE ARTS: Create a still life using objects that are descriptive of a character from
a story you are reading.
Dolls Hanging On A Coat Rack On Wall (1980)
Lamar Baker
Roses (1910) Pierre Auguste Renoir
Southwestern Still Life (1936) Paul Sample
HOME SWEET HOME
Staff Meeting, II (1994) Dale Kennington
The Recital (1939) Louise Lyons Heustis
Sunrise In The White Mountains (ca.1868)
Frederick Edwin Church
There are many differences between urban and rural environments. The pictures above and
below, from the Mobile Museum of Art, represent examples of both. How can you tell
which are urban and which are rural?
ACTIVITY IDEAS
MATH: Choose shapes that correlate to urban and rural environments. An urban
environment will have more geometric shapes and a rural environment will have more
organic shapes. Create a collage based on urban or rural shapes.
SCIENCE: Use the posters to list the differences between natural and man-made features in
urban and rural environments. Sort and categorize the list. Discuss the impacts of man-made
features on nature.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Use the posters to discuss how environment affects your daily
activities. Create a photo-journal or landscape of your surroundings.
LANGUAGE ARTS: Create a story based upon one of the posters. Use descriptive words
to express the setting.
Heading Home (1936) Anne Goldwaite
Yard Engine 603 (1935) Ernest Fiene
Storm Clouds At Dusk With Receptors
(1993) Roger Brown
PORTRAIT POSSIBILITIES
Boy Boy Pinguino (1998)
Alette Simmons-Jimenez
Boy Aged Seven (1964)
Lowell Nesbitt
Portrait Of A Lady
(ca. 1840) Unknown Artist
Inner Shrine (1990)
Don Head
A portrait is a work of art that is about a particular person. A self-portrait is a work of art created by an
artist about him/herself. The portraits from the Mobile Museum of Art, at the top and bottom of the page,
are all very different from one another. Do you see any that look unusual? Portraits are not only about a
person’s appearance, but are also about the way a person feels, acts, or even looks on the inside! Create a
story about each portrait. Describe the way the sitter, the subject of the portrait, feels, acts, and looks.
Artists can create portraits using a variety of mediums and techniques. You can create a portrait using paint
(painting), paper (collage), ink or pencil (drawing), clay (sculpture), or by using printmaking techniques.
ACTIVITY IDEAS
MATH: Use only geometric shapes and create a self-portrait. Pay attention to the proportion of each shape and
choose colors that express emotion.
SCIENCE: Create a self-portrait that is about a unique scientific quality. Use fingerprints to create a pointillism selfportrait.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Paint or draw a portrait of someone that is important to you or your community.
LANGUAGE ARTS: Create a portrait of a character in a novel or story you are reading. Find all of the descriptive
words the author uses about the character. Use these words to create a portrait of that character.
Portrait Of A Young Boy
(ca. 1850) Unknown Artist
VERA (1986)
Miriam Schapiro
Dreamers, Mother And Child
(1932) Louise Lyons Heustis
The Recital (1939)
Louise Lyons Heustis
SECTION 3
GLOSSARY
ELEMENTS OF ART
Form is three-dimensional and encloses volume. Cubes, spheres,
and cylinders are examples.
Line refers to the continuous mark made on some surface by a
moving point. It may be two-dimensional, like a pencil mark on
paper or it may be three-dimensional, like wire or it may be
implied, like the edge of a shape or form. Often it is an outline,
contour or silhouette.
Shape is an enclosed space defined by other elements of art.
Shapes are mostly two-dimensional objects.
Color has three properties:
1) Hue; the name of a color, like red, yellow, blue, etc.
2) Intensity; the purity and strength of a color, or the
brightness or dullness of a color.
3) Value; the lightness or darkness of a color.
Texture refers to the surface quality or “feel” of an object, such as
smoothness or roughness. Texture can be actual or implied.
Space refers to the distance or area between, around, above or
within things.
Value describes the lightness or darkness of a color and is
considered to be its own element because it is needed to express
volume.
PRINCIPLES OF ART
Emphasis refers to points of interest that pull the viewer’s eye to
important parts of the body of work.
Balance creates a sense of stability in the body of work. Balance
is achieved by repeating the same shapes, which creates a feeling
of equal weight. Three types of balance are radial, formal and
informal.
Harmony is achieved in a body of work by using similar elements
throughout the work. Harmony gives an uncomplicated look to
your work.
Variety refers to the differences in the work and can be achieved
by using different shapes, textures, colors and values.
Movement adds excitement to work by showing action and
directing the viewer’s eye throughout the picture plane.
Rhythm is a type of movement in drawing and painting. It is
achieved by the repetition of shapes and colors or lights and darks.
Proportion or scale refers to the relationships of the size of the
objects in a body of work. Proportion helps with the illusion of
perspective in two-dimensional work; e.g. small size relates too far
distance.
Unity is achieved when all the parts equal a whole.
VOCABULARY
Aesthetics: understanding the nature, meaning and value of art.
Art Criticism: responding to and making judgments about the
properties and qualities that exist in visual forms.
Art History: the study of artists and the contributions art has made to
culture and society.
Art Production: making art.
Collage: a picture made by sticking together pieces of paper,
photographs (montage), or other two dimensional objects.
Color Wheel: an arrangement of colors showing their relationships.
(Click on ‘Color Wheel’ on the home page for a classroom image).
Complimentary Colors: colors that are opposites on the color wheel.
(Click on ‘Color Wheel’ on the home for a classroom image).
Composition: an arrangement of objects, elements or forms according
to principles of art.
Diorama: a scenic representation in which sculpted figures and lifelike
details are displayed, usually in miniature, so as to blend in with a
realistically painted background.
Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE): an approach to teaching the
Visual Arts. (Also see Aesthetics, Art Criticism, Art History, and Art
Production).
Drawing: creating an object or form chiefly by means of lines.
Genre: category of artistic composition characterized by a particular
style, form or content.
Illustration: a picture or diagram that helps make something clear or
attractive.
Landscape: a representation, actual or fantasy, of land or sea whose
chief subject is the general aspect of nature.
Media: material, such as paint, clay, paper, etc., used in the creation of
art.
Mosaic: surface decoration made by inlaying small pieces of variously
colored materials to form pictures or patterns.
Painting: creating an object or form chiefly by using liquid colors.
Pattern: a design based on the repetition of elements in a work of art.
Pigment: a powdered substance that is mixed with liquid and is used to
impart color to coating materials, such as paint and ink.
Pointillism: applying small strokes or dots of color to a surface so that
from a distance they blend together to create an image.
Portrait: a representation of a person's face, appearance and/or
character.
Primary Colors: the colors red, yellow and blue.
Printing: representing an object or form using a template that is marked
and coated with ink and pressed onto paper resulting in a transfer of the
image.
Prism: a transparent body that is bounded in part by two nonparallel
plane faces and is used to refract or disperse a beam of light.
Sculpture: representing a form in the round or in relief by modeling
clay, chiseling stone or casting in metal.
Secondary Colors: the colors orange, green and purple created by
combining two primary colors.
Sitter: an artist's model.
Still Life: a representation of inanimate objects, such as flowers or fruit,
in a painting, drawing or photograph.
Stylized: represented or designed according to a style or stylistic pattern
rather than according to nature or tradition.
Symmetry: correspondence in size, shape and relative position of parts
on opposite sides of a dividing line or median plane or about a center or
axis.
Tessellation: a mosaic covering an infinite geometric plane without
gaps or overlapping by congruent plane figures of one type or a few
types.
Texture Rubbing: an image created by placing paper on top of a
textured surface and rubbing with a flat crayon or charcoal.
SECTION 4
WEB CONNECTIONS
For art lessons on the Mobile County Public School System website visit…
www.mcpss.com/oldshell/osrartsinfusion/index.html
To view lesson plans covering the Language Arts for grades K-12 visit…
www.col-ed.org/cur/lang.html#lang1
To explore lesson plans and curriculum ideas for grades K-12 created by the J. Paul Getty Trust visit…
www.getty.edu/artsednet/resources/index.html
To view lesson plans that cover all subject areas for grades K-12 visit…
www.lessonplanspage.com/Art.htm
For fantastic art lessons for ages 4-6 that are easily adapted to meet the interest of older students visit…
http://kinderart.com/across1
This site demonstrates how to explore Geometry through art.
http://mathforum.org/~sarah/shapiro/shapiro.introduc
tion.html
To view art lessons for grades K-12 visit…
http://homepage.mac.com/krohrer/iad/lessons/elem/el
ementarylessons.html
For Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE) lesson plans for grades K-12 visit…
www.geocities.com/Athens/8020/arted.html#lessons
For art educations sources and cross-curricular connections for grades K-12 visit…
www.azarted.org/pages/artedlinks.htm
This site will allow you to view works created by M.C Escher, and will also offer biographical information.
http://www.nga.gov/cgibin/psearch?Request=A&Person=201590
This site will take you on a virtual tour of Lascaux Cave while providing background information on
Paleolithic Art.
http://www.culture.fr/culture/arcnat/lascaux/en/
For information about and images of Native American Basketry visit…
http://www.kstrom.net/isk/art/basket/baskmenu.html
This site provides links to many Native American sites and art resources.
http://dizzy.library.arizona.edu/library/teams/fah/sub
pathpages/art/ah/na.html
This site provides a wonderful interactive Art History timeline including lesson plans and background
information for all grades.
http://www.sanfordartedventures.com/study/timeline.html
For a list of National Curriculum Standards for all grades and subjects visit…
http://www.enc.org/professional/standards/
This site explores the world of Leonardo Di Vinci and includes classroom activites.
http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/LeoHomePage.ht
ml