This unit was written to connect art and poetry. The unit focuses on the creation of pieces of art, the writing and reading of poems, and the links between these and sound. It also connects visual and spoken rhythms through the discussion of the art principle of rhythm and the discussion of rhythmic words. Students will be asked to attribute sounds to certain works of art, and to respond to sound by creating their own pieces of art.
Students will experience a unique connection of their senses through the teaching of this unit, and will hopefully gain a broad understanding of creating pieces of art in response to poetry, creating poetry in response to pieces of art, using sound to create pieces of art and figuring out what sounds could represent certain pieces of art. Students will also be introduced to several artists and poets in this unit and their work, including: Wassily Kandinsky, M.C. Escher, Bridget Riley, Romare Bearden, Keith Haring, Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, and Edgar Allan Poe.
This interdisciplinary unit of study will create an opportunity for students to express themselves creatively using more than one of their senses. Students will use the poetry-art connection to deepen their understanding of voice. This understanding will help students achieve a higher level of thinking, problem solving and creative expression.
(Developed for Visual Art Emphasis, grades 5-8; recommended for Art, grades 5-12)
