Anthony F. Magaraci II
Lesson Plan #1: (Three Days)
Purpose: To provide an introduction to Greek culture which prompts students' interest in the unit topic
Objective: Students will become familiar with the various amphorae and iconography depicting the aspects of Greek culture concerning warfare and mythology. Students will learn that the iconography is reflective of the individual in Greek culture.
Activity: Students will view slides of the various types of Greek amphora and observe the iconography as it relates to art, warfare, and mythology. Students will speculate upon the possible meaning of the iconography.
Materials: 1. Slide Projector 2. Slides (prepared from Greek Vases: A Guide to the Yale Collection: by Susan Matheson).
Vocabulary: Amphora, Hydria, Pelike, Stamnos, Skyphos, Kantharos, Kylix, Lekythos, Squat Lekythos, Oinochoe, Column Krater, Calyx Krater, Arballos, Alabastron, Pyxis, Iconography, and, Culture.
Part 1: Direct approach/ 15 minutes.
A. The teacher will begin the lesson by asking students "What is culture?" and "How does art reflect the culture of a society?"
B. All students will have five minutes to respond by writing down their answers in their notebooks.
C. Each student will have an opportunity to report his/her answer to the class.
D. The teacher will follow-up student responses and instruct students to write the following statements in their notebooks.
1. "All artistic expression reflects how the artist perceives society and culture."
2. "All artistic expression is the result of societal influences upon the individual."
3. "Much can be learned about the culture of a society if we learn how to interpret artistic expression correctly."
Part 2: Inquiry/ 20 minutes.
A. The teacher will operate the film projector enabling students to view the slides of Greek vases.
B. The teacher will identify each style of vase presented in the slides.
C. Students will write down the description of shapes for each vase for each slide presented. The descriptions will be gathered from both teacher and student responses.
D. The teacher and students will describe the iconography found on three vases and base their answers on the following questions or statements.
1. Describe the basic shapes painted on the vase.
2. Do these shapes represent anything recognizable?
3. What are the predominant colors used to paint the vases?
4. Why has the artist chosen to portray this scene?
5. What cultural significance does the scene suggest existed for the ancient Greeks?
Part 3: Closure/ 10 minutes
A. The teacher will review the main concepts covered in the lesson.
B. Students will verbally respond to teacher directed questions which review these concepts.
C. On the third day, students will take a 10 minute quiz which reflects their grasp of the concepts.