Curricular Resources > 2012 Volume II > Unit 8 (12.02.08) > Section 11

The Art of Biography

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 12.02.08

Unit Guide

Virginia Woolf and Roger Fry: Distant Experiences United in Style

Marialuisa Sapienza

Tools for this unit:

Your feedback is important to us!

After viewing our curriculum units, please take a few minutes to help us understand how the units, which were created by public school teachers, may be useful to others.

Give Feedback

Lesson Plans

Visual Texts

To look at images, respond, and then analyze what you see may be difficult, but the hardest of all is to communicate what you see and feel to the others. The students need a strategy or a combination of strategies so they can easily understand how to read and analyze a visual text.

1. Looking and understanding (I look at the image and say what I see holistically)

· What do you see in this image?

· What do you notice specifically?

· What does it remind you of?

· What do you feel looking at this image?

2. Analyzing images

Usually there is one central figure that attracts your eye first, and that is called focal point . This is important because it guides you to understand the image.

· What detail catches your attention first?

· Why would the artist focus on this detail? What are your theories?

Another important element of analysis is the figure–ground contrast which emphasizes the difference between what is in the front and what is in the back (ground). The figure is often the focal point.

· What other details do you see other than the focal point?

· Why would the artist include those details? What are your theories?

· Write down any elements or details that seem important.

· What are the key elements or features of this image?

· How do they contribute to what you see?

Grouping according to proximity and similarity is also an important element in visuals.

· Which elements and/or details are in the same space? (proximity)

· Look for elements that are positioned close together. What connections do you see between/among them?

Similarity

· Which elements and/or details are close to each other or have the same shape, or size? (similarity)

· What is/are the effect(s) of those elements on your response to the image?

· Why would the artist include those details? What are your theories?

Color in visuals has a specific connotation and conveys meaning and feelings. In fact, it can focus on our attention, create contrast, appeal to emotions and help communicate the message.

· How do the color(s) or degree of shading appeal to emotions?

· Did the artist use colors that you did not expect? What are your theories?

· What emotions does this specific color appeal to?

Lines also provide a sense of movement. A line can convey mood. Lines can create a sense of calm and equilibrium, uncertainty, or movement and stress. Soft lines may imply softness, flow, or change.

· Look at the lines in this image. Describe these lines (horizontal, vertical, soft, thick, or wavy).

· Why did the artist include those lines? What are your theories?

· What do you think the artist wanted to tell us?

Most times artists do not include all the details in their image. This is because they want the viewer to predict and imagine. Leaving information out creates interest, generates tension contributing to the understanding of the artist's message, and promotes the viewer's participation. This is said to be closure .

· What is not visible? Why? What are your theories?

· What question you would ask the artist? Why?

· Does this image suggest you a story?

· What can you infer?

3. Sharing out and discussing the analysis of the visual text

4. Conclusion

· What is the purpose of this image?

· What detail or details mentioned by your peers caused you to see this image differently?

· How do your experience and knowledge affect the reading of the image? Think about the image in term of context: historical, personal, technical, or cultural

· Use the title if available as a theory and parts of the visual as clues to detect and specify the interrelationships in the graphic

· Highlight the words of the title of the visual if available

· Are there any connections between the title and the visual?

· Draw a conclusion about the visual as a whole.

5. Sharing out and final discussion.

Reading a Non–Fictional Text (biography)

· Read the assigned chapter or excerpt

· Annotate the most relevant or interesting details and write brief reflections in the margins

· Read a second time

· Add more annotations (other details or even words that stand out and draw your attention)

· Share out in your group and to the class

· Select a quotation from the excerpt or chapter you have read

· Write one page reflections

· Write a creative page following the style used by the author in the biography

· Share out in your group and to the class.

The AP students read the entire biography but the College students read only some selected excerpts. Beyond the passages mentioned in the narrative section under College Students subtitle, we will read also the following excerpts from the Omega chapter:

· Page 182 (from the very beginning) up to page 184 ("And the center of civilization would be removed once more to dwelling)

· Page 190, Section II up to page 191 ("a week from my workshop")

· Page 196 (second paragraph, "Roger Fry had to say …) up to page 199 (the end of the chapter). ²²

All these passage are interesting models on how to select and describe specific events or experiences and how to analyze and reflect on the same occurrence(s).

Modification (this strategy can be used when students do not understand the text)

1. Read the text and while you are reading it put a slash mark at the end of each sentence

2. Read it a second time

3. Circle the words that either you understand or grab your attention

4. Make a list of those words (keep them separate per paragraph so it is easier to infer the main idea)

5. Write a gist of what the paragraph says using the words you have listed and/or use those words to infer the possible main idea of the paragraph

6. Share out in your group and take notes of other student's interpretations

7. As a group or as a whole class write down the main ideas of each paragraph

8. Complete this activity by determining and writing the topic or theme of the entire reading.

Close Reading of Narrative Technique

This strategy can be used to analyze various literary techniques like Point of View, Syntax, Diction, Figurative Language, Setting, or others. I usually determine what to analyze according to literary technique that is relevant in the excerpt.

· Read the assigned excerpt or passage

· Annotate it (I determine the purpose of annotation, i.e. diction)

· Write a brief summary of the excerpt (I usually tell them to synthesize the summary in no more than two sentences)

· Share out

· Read the excerpt a second time

· Take notes on how that specific literary technique adds meaning to the theme/main idea

· Discuss the various interpretations as a class and take notes

· Write two pages analysis of how the author uses the specific literary technique to convey the theme of the passage.

Personal Statement or College essay

The College Students conclude the unit with the writing of their college essay or personal statement.

· List five or six important moments, experiences, or events that have occurred to you

· Write a one or two paragraph description for each of the listed events

· Share out and discuss your description in your group or a class

· Determine the one that is the most relevant

· Write a very detailed description of that event and use the excerpts from Roger Fry's biography or from Orlando as models

· Continue your draft by discussing what you have learned from that experience, how it has changed you or your future plans, and how you are going to use this learning experience as a freshman in college.

Comparison of Roger Fry's Theory and Virginia Woolf's Style in "Kew Gardens"

This strategy will help the students understand the influence of Roger Fry's Theory on Virginia Woolf's style. For this theory, they will refer to Woolf's biography of Roger Fry.

· Write down Fry's theory about color, shape, texture, light, focus

· Since Fry's theory corresponds to the techniques used by Henri Matisse, download a copy of Matisse's painting, Lilacs , from the Metropolitan Museum of Art ²³ (it well represents Fry's theories)

· Describe the painting following the strategy on how to read visual text (the first in this lesson plans section)

· Read the first paragraph from Kew Gardens

· Annotate for imagery and diction

· Describe the effect/feelings/emotions that colors and light (imagery and diction) convey in this paragraph

· Compare the feelings and emotions that colors and light convey in Woolf's passage with the feelings you perceive from the colors and light in Matisse's painting

· Do the painting by Matisse and the passage by Woolf reflect Fry's theory about color, light, and shape? How? Why?

· Annotate the same passage from Kew Gardens for syntax (specifically for the use of dash, commas, and sentence structure), and make a list

· Describe the texture of Matisse's painting; in particular, describe whether the design is regular or irregular, the brush–strokes are clear or invisible, or the contouring lines are brief or long, regular or irregular (follow the steps indicated in the Visual Text section)

· Describe and discuss the effects this painting technique conveys

· Describe the use of syntax in the first paragraph of Kew Gardens and discuss the effects it helps convey

· Describe the similarities and/or differences between Woolf's style and Matisse's painting technique.

At this point, I will ask the students to choose another novel or short story by Virginia Woolf. Once they have come to class with that chosen text, I will make them select a passage, and then I will ask them to:

· Annotate and analyze their chosen passage

· Write one page reflections on how Roger Fry's theories affect the writing style of Virginia Woof after analyzing Kew Garden and the excerpt from their selected fictional text.

Previous Next Back to Top

·	What do you see in this image?
·	What do you notice specifically?
·	What does it remind you of?
·	What do you feel looking at this image?

·	What detail catches your attention first?
·	Why would the artist focus on this detail? What are your theories?

·	What other details do you see other than the focal point?
·	Why would the artist include those details? What are your theories?
·	Write down any elements or details that seem important.

·	What are the key elements or features of this image?
·	How do they contribute to what you see?

·	Which elements and/or details are in the same space? (proximity)
·	Look for elements that are positioned close together. What connections do you see between/among them?

·	Which elements and/or details are close to each other or have the same shape, or size? (similarity)
·	What is/are the effect(s) of those elements on your response to the image?
·	Why would the artist include those details? What are your theories?

·	How do the color(s) or degree of shading appeal to emotions?
·	Did the artist use colors that you did not expect? What are your theories?
·	What emotions does this specific color appeal to?

·	Look at the lines in this image. Describe these lines (horizontal, vertical, soft, thick, or wavy).
·	Why did the artist include those lines? What are your theories?
·	What do you think the artist wanted to tell us?

·	What is not visible? Why? What are your theories?
·	What question you would ask the artist? Why?
·	Does this image suggest you a story?
·	What can you infer?

·	What is the purpose of this image?
·	What detail or details mentioned by your peers caused you to see this image differently?
·	How do your experience and knowledge affect the reading of the image? Think about the image in term of context: historical, personal, technical, or cultural
·	Use the title if available as a theory and parts of the visual as clues to detect and specify the interrelationships in the graphic
·	Highlight the words of the title of the visual if available
·	Are there any connections between the title and the visual?
·	Draw a conclusion about the visual as a whole.

·	Read the assigned chapter or excerpt
·	Annotate the most relevant or interesting details and write brief reflections in the margins
·	Read a second time
·	Add more annotations (other details or even words that stand out and draw your attention)
·	Share out in your group and to the class
·	Select a quotation from the excerpt or chapter you have read
·	Write one page reflections

·	Write a creative page following the style used by the author in the biography
·	Share out in your group and to the class.

·	Page 182 (from the very beginning) up to page 184 ("And the center of civilization would be removed once more to dwelling)
·	Page 190, Section II up to page 191 ("a week from my workshop")
·	Page 196 (second paragraph, "Roger Fry had to say …) up to page 199 (the end of the chapter). ²²

1.	Read the text and while you are reading it put a slash mark at the end of each sentence
2.	Read it a second time
3.	Circle the words that either you understand or grab your attention
4.	Make a list of those words (keep them separate per paragraph so it is easier to infer the main idea)
5.	Write a gist of what the paragraph says using the words you have listed and/or use those words to infer the possible main idea of the paragraph
6.	Share out in your group and take notes of other student's interpretations
7.	As a group or as a whole class write down the main ideas of each paragraph
8.	Complete this activity by determining and writing the topic or theme of the entire reading.

·	Read the assigned excerpt or passage
·	Annotate it (I determine the purpose of annotation, i.e. diction)
·	Write a brief summary of the excerpt (I usually tell them to synthesize the summary in no more than two sentences)
·	Share out
·	Read the excerpt a second time
·	Take notes on how that specific literary technique adds meaning to the theme/main idea
·	Discuss the various interpretations as a class and take notes
·	Write two pages analysis of how the author uses the specific literary technique to convey the theme of the passage.

·	List five or six important moments, experiences, or events that have occurred to you
·	Write a one or two paragraph description for each of the listed events
·	Share out and discuss your description in your group or a class
·	Determine the one that is the most relevant
·	Write a very detailed description of that event and use the excerpts from Roger Fry's biography or from Orlando as models
·	Continue your draft by discussing what you have learned from that experience, how it has changed you or your future plans, and how you are going to use this learning experience as a freshman in college.

·	Write down Fry's theory about color, shape, texture, light, focus
·	Since Fry's theory corresponds to the techniques used by Henri Matisse, download a copy of Matisse's painting, Lilacs , from the Metropolitan Museum of Art ²³ (it well represents Fry's theories)
·	Describe the painting following the strategy on how to read visual text (the first in this lesson plans section)
·	Read the first paragraph from Kew Gardens
·	Annotate for imagery and diction
·	Describe the effect/feelings/emotions that colors and light (imagery and diction) convey in this paragraph
·	Compare the feelings and emotions that colors and light convey in Woolf's passage with the feelings you perceive from the colors and light in Matisse's painting
·	Do the painting by Matisse and the passage by Woolf reflect Fry's theory about color, light, and shape? How? Why?
·	Annotate the same passage from Kew Gardens for syntax (specifically for the use of dash, commas, and sentence structure), and make a list
·	Describe the texture of Matisse's painting; in particular, describe whether the design is regular or irregular, the brush–strokes are clear or invisible, or the contouring lines are brief or long, regular or irregular (follow the steps indicated in the Visual Text section)
·	Describe and discuss the effects this painting technique conveys
·	Describe the use of syntax in the first paragraph of Kew Gardens and discuss the effects it helps convey
·	Describe the similarities and/or differences between Woolf's style and Matisse's painting technique.

·	Annotate and analyze their chosen passage
·	Write one page reflections on how Roger Fry's theories affect the writing style of Virginia Woof after analyzing Kew Garden and the excerpt from their selected fictional text.