I really want my students to be able to feel comfortable viewing and talking about art in museums and in the classroom. I want my students to feel confident in their interpretations and to be able to express them freely. I also want my students to make connections between visual art and the written word. By studying writers who are also artists, I hope to remind students that we are all writers and artists to some extent. I hope by helping students study and imitate different styles of writing and art that they will be able to make discoveries about themselves through creative arts.
After viewing the museum artwork, students will be able to:
-
express their interpretations of the work both orally and written;
-
use details from a piece of art to create their own creative setting to match the work;
-
present their interpretations to their peers.
After being introduced to the stories of James Thurber and other writer/artists students will be able to:
-
write a Thurber fable;
-
create a Thurber illustration for their fable;
-
express their interpretations of classmates work
After being introduced to the stories and poems of Edgar Allen Poe students will be able to:
-
write a Poe story based on the readings
-
create a Poe illustration based on the work of Poe
-
express their interpretations of classmates’ work
At the end of the unit students will be asked to:
-
Create a self-portrait
-
Write a short autobiographical essay to accompany the portrait