Patricia M. Sorrentino
In choosing the artwork to use for this unit, I realized I needed to make sure my students' interests were taken into consideration. No matter what class this unit is being used in, the teacher must think about what interests his/her students. Second, I chose artwork that has enough to discuss in terms of the unit's objectives. I chose evoking and interesting artwork with the focus of people instead of landscapes, since this will work best. However, depending on different classes and different students, different types of artwork may be more appropriate. It is vital to know your audience.
This is a list of the artwork, which is appropriate for my students' interests and needs:
These three pieces will open up the unit:
The Blacksmith's Shop
—Joseph Wright, 1771
This piece was chosen due to its ability to tell a story. There is a lot to observe and it is rather easy to make an inference. It is important to begin the unit with a piece of artwork the students will not find intimidating.
Students should recognize each individual in the piece, what the characters are doing, the bright light, and the sparks flying. These few observations will help my students piece together a good inference. A worksheet to accompany this image will consist of the following:
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Observations—Use the information to make factual observations (what do you see?)
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Inferences—Use the information from above to help you make educated inferences.
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Who is the most important character? Explain how you know
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Why are the young boys present? Explain how you know
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What kind of work is being done? Explain how you know.
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The Jolly Flat Boat Men
—Thomas Doney, 1847
This piece was chosen because of its humorous nature. The students will find this comical and feel connected to the piece. They can relate to pleasure and will easily observe the different items in this piece.
Students should notice each man, the setting (trees and water), the shirt, and the raft. These few observations will help my students piece together a good inference. A worksheet to accompany this image will consist of the following:
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Observations—Use the information to make factual observations (what do you see?)
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Inferences—Use the information from above to help you make educated inferences.
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What character is the center of attention? Explain how you know.
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What are these men doing? Explain how you know.
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Where is the man all the way to the right looking? Explain how you know.
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Rail Shooting on the Delaware
—Thomas Eakins, 1876
This piece was chosen because it becomes a little harder to observe. Gradually, the artwork becomes more difficult, so students' skills can build. The relationship between the two characters is interesting, so students' inferences should make way for fruitful discussion.
Students should recognize then men, their guns, the setting (on a boat), and the position of both men. These few observations will help my students piece together a good inference. A worksheet to accompany this image will consist of the following:
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Observations—Use the information to make factual observations (what do you see?)
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Inferences—Use the information from above to help you make educated inferences.
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Who is the most important character? Explain how you know this.
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What are the men doing? Explain how you know.
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What time period might this be from? Explain how you know.
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These five pieces will conclude the unit. They are of higher interest for my particular students. It is important to choose images that will feel relevant and exciting for your particular students. They are:
The Brothel Scene
—The Brunswick Monogrammist, 1540
This piece was chosen due to its controversial message. It is important to keep my students interested in the topic if I want them to achieve the skill. This piece draws upon current issues in their own streets, so there will be good conversation around their inferences.
Students should notice the men and women, their interactions, the location, and the items lying around the piece. These few observations will help my students piece together a good inference. A worksheet to accompany this image will consist of the following:
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Observations—Use the information to make factual observations (what do you see?)
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Inferences—Use the information from above to help you make educated inferences.
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Are the men and women equally happy to be in this room? Explain how you know this.
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What is taking place? Explain how you know.
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What is the young girl in the front, sitting in the chair, doing? Explain how you know.
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A Midnight Modern Conversation
—William Hogarth, 1732
This piece was chosen for similar reasons The Brothel Scene was chosen. It is an interesting scene, which calls for good discussion. The inferencing questions will keep my students on task.
Students should notice the men and women, their interactions, the setting and the items in the setting, and the man on the ground. These few observations will help my students piece together a good inference. A worksheet to accompany this image will consist of the following:
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Observations—Use the information to make factual observations (what do you see?)
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Inferences—Use the information from above to help you make educated inferences.
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Are the men and women equally happy to be in this room? Explain how you know this.
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What is taking place? Explain how you know.
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How did the man on the ground get there? Explain how you know.
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The Death of Chatterton
—Henry Wallis, 1856
This piece was chosen because of its ambiguity. While my students will be able to make observations, they will have to look closely and think hard about their inferences. Gradually the unit gets more difficult, and this piece, I predict, will be challenging for my students.
Students should notice the man, his state of being, the location, and the bed. These few observations will help my students piece together a good inference. A worksheet to accompany this image will consist of the following:
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Observations—Use the information to make factual observations (what do you see?)
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Inferences—Use the information from above to help you make educated inferences.
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Does this place belong to the man? Explain how you know this.
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What was the last thing the man did before this image was taken? Explain how you know.
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What is on the ground? Explain how you know.
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For the last two pieces of the unit, the students should be comfortable with making inferences. Instead of prompting them with questions, I will ask them to write a two–paragraph story as they though they were to walk into the life of the artwork. These short stories, which ask my students to become a character in the artwork, forces them to connect to the artwork. Connections in literature are extremely important, so allowing them to practice with artwork will be beneficial. They are:
Electric Chair
—Andy Warhol, 1971 (assessable through http://www.warhol.org/education/communityprograms/electricchair/)
This piece was chosen because of its controversial message and its, on first sight, plain nature. There is not much to observe at first, but with enough attention paid, there is a lot to see. This piece also is ambiguous enough for my students to write creative and very different stories. There is not enough in the piece for all the students to have the same story, which will illicit interesting discussion.
Students should notice the chair, the detail of the chair, the color, and the walls. These few observations will help my students piece together a good inference. A worksheet to accompany this image will consist of the following:
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Observations—Use the information to make factual observations (what do you see?)
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Inferences—Use the information from above to help you make educated inferences, which will become a short story.
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Imagine you walked into this piece of artwork. Explain what you would see, what you would find out about what just happened, and explain what would happen after this image. Give many details to explain what this piece captures.
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When You the Invisible Cowboy
—David Wojnarowicz, 1987
This piece was chosen due to its crazy and chaotic nature. There is a lot to observe, but many questions are left unanswered. It is for this reason I will ask my students to write a story about it. They will have to be creative and use all their observations to make sense of what is going on. This final piece sums up the unit nicely and will prove how well my students have grasped the skills of the unit.
Students should notice the many sections of the piece, which consist of the building, smoke, and devil; the outline of the bull, the cowboy, the buildings, Jesus, and the fly; the ruins, the mask, and the snake. These few observations will help my students piece together a good inference. A worksheet to accompany this image will consist of the following:
Observations—Use the information to make factual observations (what do you see?)
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Inferences—Use the information from above to help you make educated inferences, which will become a short story.
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Imagine you walked into this piece of artwork. Explain what you would see, how you would feel, who else would be there, what is taking place, and what either just happened or what will happen. Give many details to explain what this piece captures.
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