The Visual Arts lessons for K-2 were written in connection with an ongoing set of slides, generously contributed by the Baltimore Museum of Art and The Walters Art Gallery for the use of our pilot schools. This means that, although we followed the Core Knowledge Curriculum insofar as the topics we covered, the particular works of art the children viewed were not always the same as those named in the Core curriculum. As often as possible, we presented works of art by the same artists recommended by Core, but we were bound by the limitations of the two collections whose slides we used.
Ideally, we would like the children to be able to have large color reproductions of the recommended Core artworks hanging on the classroom walls, so they may be compared one with another and appreciated over a longer period of time than is possible with slides. With that goal in mind, the Visual Arts lessons for Grades 3-5 will be written following exactly the particular artworks recommended by the Core Knowledge monthly scope and sequence.
In the Fourth Grade, these recommended artworks often interconnect with History/Geography lessons for the year. This means that the students will be looking first at a few well known paintings important to the American History they will be studying. Following that, they will be looking at art from the Middle Ages -- from western Europe following the development of the Church and monasticism, then looking at Islamic art, architecture, and book arts. Medieval African art comes next, followed by medieval China.
In addition to giving basic Teacher Background for each artist whose works the students look at, we will suggest books that are useful for teachers and those that are suitable for the age of the students. These will be listed and annotated for individual lessons, and we always check to make sure that they are available in the Enoch Pratt system. Until we have a better solution, teachers will need to find reproductions in books and periodicals of the art works the students study. We will try to list books and page numbers where color reproductions can be found. Other useful materials for reproductions are catalogs from exhibitions, auctions, and businesses that sell art prints. These can be found at no cost at all if you look for them and ask friends and colleagues to save them for you. Often you can find old adult art books at tag sales or second hand book stores for very little money whose reproductions of art works are not out of date even though the text and condition of the book may be. These materials can be used again and again in the classroom for their color reproductions of paintings and sculpture.
Two relatively new books highly recommended for a school book budget are:
Beckett, Sister Wendy. The Story of Painting. London & New York: Dorling Kindersley in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1994.
Sister Wendy is known to many for her frequent, short spots on PBS television. Her book is eloquently written and provides excellent background material for anyone teaching art. She deals chronologically with the history of painting in Western Europe and to some extent in America as well. The color reproductions are large and excellent and can be easily shared with the students in the classroom. Side bars tie the art works in with the general history of the period and country of origin.
Massey, Sue J. And Diane W. Darst. Learning to Look. A Complete Art History & Appreciation Program for Grades K-8. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1992.
This book, written expressly for children and their art teachers, is filled with questions to ask about specific paintings and includes both color reproductions and 48 slides of paintings from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, most of which are part of the Core Knowledge Curriculum.
Fourth Grade - Visual Arts - Lesson 1 - Review of Color
Review warm, cool, primary, and secondary colors.
Name the elements of art (review).
Complete an art activity combining color and design.
Chart paper, optional
White paper for painting,