Title: The Expressivist Theory and The Bubonic Plague Grade
Level: 2/3/7
Time Needed: 45 minutes
Exploration: Explore Expressionism and teach history, physical education, and visual art standards.
Objective: Help students understand Expressionism and relate their understanding to the artwork of the time of the Black Plague. Students should be able to express certain emotions through their artwork and explain why they used certain colors/designs.
State Standard: California: Grade 1 (Visual Art) : 3.1 Name and perform folk/traditional dances from other countries.
3.2 Describe aspects of the style, costumes, and music of a dance.
Grade 2 (Physical Education): 1.18 Perform rhythmic sequences related to simple folk dance or ribbon routines.
1.19 Perform with a partner rhythmic sequences related to simple folk dance or ribbon routines.
Grade 7 (History): 7.6 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the civilizations of Medieval Europe.
And sub category 7: the spread of the bubonic plague from Central Asia to China, the Middle East, and Europe and describe its impact on global population. http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp
National Standard: Grade 3:
Students will:
• Develop an awareness of the role of art and visual culture within our society
• Comprehend that art may be for religious, celebration, ritual purposes
• Comprehend that artists can be influenced by historical events
• Comprehend that artworks can be created to commemorate events
• Become aware of one’s own cultural-specific conventions, symbols, and styles in art-works.
Question of Inquiry: Concepts/Vocabulary: Expressionism, mentioned artists, The Black Death, The Bubonic Plague, etc. Artists Discussed: Vincent van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Henri Matisse, Wassily Kandinsky, Jackson Pollock, Shirin Neshat, Jeff Koons Other Subject Connections: Expressionism Movement, The Black Plague, “Ring Around the Rosy”, history standards, physical education standards, and visual art standards
Teacher Visuals/Supplies: power point, examples of Expressionist art and art from the time of the Black Plague, paper and finger paint
Preparation: Five Hours (research only), 10 hours
Student Materials: Paper, paint, note cards (for assessment) (continued)
Lesson Sequence:
• Readiness- discuss specific emotion and thoughts about it (brainstorming for art activity).
• Start Powerpoint- Expressivist/expressionism, how it came about, show artists and their works.
• Introduce lesson focus- Black Plague (explain history, cause, social/religious/emotional affects on society and artwork that expresses those ideas).
• Ring Around the Rosy activity & explain.
• Art project and clean up.
Introduction: (motivations, history,examples, check for current understandings)
Introduce brainstorming-ask students to see in their head what colors and shapes look like love or hate.
Demonstration: (teacher, students,guests, sharing) Teach about Expressionism and the Black Plague
Work Time: (guided practice, play,planning, independent and collaborative work) 20 minutes
Clean Up and Management: (organizationand maintenance) 2-5 minutes
Closure: (what did you/we learn, discover,question, etc? any homework or connections to past or future lessons?) What did you learn?
Assessment: (formal or informal? criteria? self, peer, teacher, etc?) Feeling/emotion @ beginning; list one past/contemporary artist/work that you liked and explain why it is significant to you. Reflection: (adaptations, openings, adjustments,possibilities, etc.) Resources and References: Wikipedia, Google, any online search engine
1. intro expressionism and explain definition and give famous past works of art and contemporary expressionist artists and their works.
2. start talking about the black plague and give full lesson on that.
3. ask now knowing what they know about expressionism and the black plague, explain why this work of art is significant in this setting. (this can be our assessment [formal or informal] or can just be discussion.)
4. need prompt
Reply by dan barney
Wow, that was such a rich lesson, very thorough! I am listing the following to help others prepare their lessons as they observe yours. Thanks for being the guinea pigs! You did great!!! Ten hours preparation! Argh, but you will be prepared for an entire history section now. Objectives... We can discuss these more in class but these can be divided into
(1) skills, as in the student will use color to create a painting that describes an emotional experience like the Black Plague in their own life,
(2) a cognition, as in the student will recognize historic paintings about the Black Plague pointing out certain symbols that were used during the time, or the student will be able to list at least three facts about the plague (i.e. how it is transferred, what is a marmot, what is a bubo, what are some of the medical errors of the past, how many people died, the they could have done to prevent such an epidemic, etc. and,
(3) affects, as in the student will express his or her feeling or emotions through color. As for assessment... remember that the strategies you use should evaluate the objectives you listed.
You could have an exhibition at the end of this lesson and have students share their understandings orally in groups... you would check at some point that the three objectives listed above have been met. Demonstration... Emily showed us some techniques today. While using the finger paints, I discovered that I should have put them into small cups so that the big containers wouldn't be contaminated by other colors. In a school setting I would teach the students some rules about finger paints and how to wash up when completed. These "rules" could be written on the board so everyone can refer to them (if the student is of reading age). Reflections... now that you two taught this lesson, would you do it differently? Was there anything else you learned about how to present the information or could you spend more time or less time on certain aspects? Resources and reference... cite your sources as you create your presentations so you will be able to refer back to information. Can you two post your Powerpoint here for everyone to use? Thanks sooooooo much! The prompt or question is to help students connect personally to your lesson. It also breaks certain educational practices in which the student must follow the teacher's recipe exactly to create a known outcome. If one of the benefits from art is no wrong answers or a plurality of answers that are personally relevant, then in our art teaching we should encourage or provoke this understanding. That said, it can be difficult to come up with prompts or questions that are open-ended and self-referential. Some possible questions or prompts that can be added to the list we came up with in class might include: 1. How would you represent the loss of 1/3 of all of your friends, family and community? 2. The Black plague, the great Mortality, and the Pestilence were all names for the Bubonic plague. These are descriptions through simple metaphors. Describe an event that changed your life through a metaphor (using art). 3. Keep a record of your general and specific emotions for one week. Try expressing those emotions visually as you describe them. What colors do you use, what processes, what media, etc? 4. When something bad happens, who do you blame? (Using artistic means is key in answering this. Answers could be shared through dance, poetry, music, or through photography, painting, drawing, or collage... this is a great prompt for self reflection. During the plague many blamed God) 5. Show your happiness and sadness in the same artwork. 6. Track your dance of a "personal plague" through a visual art form. 7. Design an outfit that truly would protect you from the plague. Okay, I hope those comments will help the next groups. We will discuss things as we go along so we can learn from each other. Amanda and Ellen worked well together and did so much historic research. They used such a broad range of images throughout history. Amazing!
Reply by Brooke Stevenson
I liked how you told us to think of something that made us happy at the beginning of the lesson and had us write down words to describe what that happiness would look like. Later, we did an expressionist finger painting using the words we wrote. I would like to do this with my students with multiple emotions. I would have them write down words that describe what sadness, calm, nervousness, or excitement looked like to them. Then they could do multiple finger paintings expressing different emotions. It would be interesting to compare all the paintings and see how color, line, and form differ for these emotions.
Reply by Mandy Turner
Instead of giving broad instructions to simply draw how we feel, Amanda and Ellen did a good job of focusing our emotions by asking us to respond to a certain event in our life. By providing a thorough context for the artistic movement, I was better able to appreciate the work produced in that time. This would be a good topic to use in teaching the importance of color by showing how colors can represent different emotions, or impressions we have.
Reply by Rachael Haught
I really enjoyed that lesson. I like that Amanda and Ellen were able to cover a lot of cirriculum using one topic. I think it will really help students see one time period or event through a number of different aspects. I think something that has been void on the classroom for a long time is the "why" behind a lot of theories and history taught. By teaching multiple things in this way I think it is more applicable for students and will help them to really discover themselves and become more empathetic to a number of cultures/ people/ events etc. If I were to use this lesson plan, I think I would add a creative writing portion. Perhaps using the prompt like "You are a child who is in Europe during the time of the Black Plague. write a letter to a relative to explain what life is like during this time period and how you think it may be possible to get rid of the disease or stop it from spreading." I also think that kids would LOVE to experiment with Jackson Polluck's artistic methods. I would perhaps have them create their own Jackson Polluck with a description of the meaning. Good job Ellen and Amanda!!!!!!
Reply by Amanda Morgan on
I have attached the power point to the Discussion board! Hope it helps if you want to go back and check it out!
Reply by Kim Brown
For grades 3, 4, and 5 I would be really interested in adding an expressionist art project where the student expresses their emotions and reactions to the things they have learned about in the black plague. Time allowing, students can either share verbally with the class, share in small groups, or write down a reflection on their artwork and the reasons for the way they made it the way it was made. In addition to the black plague, expressionism could be applied easily to the American Civil war, American slavery, city slums of the Gilded Age, or other times in history. It would also be interesting to note that the feelings would be different from different viewpoints (North/South, young soldier/loved one or family of soldier, slave/slave owner/free black/abolitionist, immigrant/new immigrant/etc.)
Reply by Nichole
I really enjoyed your lesson! I especially liked the history you did on the black plague, it really added to the lesson. I think the only thing I would have done differently, and it is very minor, is make it very clear why you were talking about the black plague. I was a little confused at first until I figured out how it applied to what you were teaching. That's all. You guys were awesome!
Reply by Brett Baldry
I really enjoyed your lesson. I really enjoyed the information given on each of the art works. By having the history, story, or emotions that the artist was trying to portray I looked at each piece of art completely different after the information was given. So, what I think I would add to this lesson would be to maybe display a piece of art and have the children write down how the art makes them feel, or what they think is being expressed. Then give them the background information of each piece of art and have them write how they now view the piece of art. I think it would not only be interesting to see the changes but also would allow the children to see that each piece of art speaks to everybody differently and that it is OKAY to have different analysis.
Reply by Nayelli Concha
The lesson was great!! I really learned a lot and you guys made it so interesting! I loved the finger painting and the game "ring around the rosy " we played! I had no idea what was that about.. so thanks One thing, while you were explaining the expresionist theory, I thought about a good project idea that could make the kids learn from their emotions through music and understand this theory just the way Jackson Pollock did ..so what i would do is to take a big white banner and put it on the floor, then I would have the kids splash paint at it according to their emotions while I play different kind music for periods of time. It would be interesting for the children to see their feelings and emotions represented in a work of art.
Reply by Amanda Morgan
I could change anything about the lesson, I would have made the art project longer. I know when I was in elementary school I always loved art time. It's a chance for them to express how they are feeling and really develop their skills. We could have them make pictures of how they are feeling, what the artist felt at a specific time, or we could have them try and copy a picture. If they were to copy a picture, I would want them to find the emotion in the picture that the artist was showing and draw exactly that. Because it is the Expressionist Theory, I would hope that they could understand and be able to talk about this from seeing all of the different artists used and from the historical part of it too!
Reply by Brielle Romney
Amanda and Ellen did such a great job! I loved the artistic feelings and thoughts we expressed, and then how we turned those into visual artwork. Yall touched on so many categories, and I learned a lot myself about the black plague and Expressionism. To add to the lesson, I loved the idea that Dan Barney brought up about expanding on the type of clothes they wore to try to prevent themselves from getting the black plague. I might bring some clothing items to school and have the kids experiment with them, finding what they think would be best to "prevent" the spread of this plague. I would discuss how the clothes they wore may not have necessarily helped, and probably helped spread the plague to themselves and others. Then, I would have them go home, and bring back an entire outfit that they can put on in front of the class, explaining each piece of it and why that particular item would help prevent the spread of the disease. They could even make articles of clothing, or any type of accessories. They could wear ANYTHING. We could also discuss not only the clothes they could have worn to prevent the black plague, but other possible precautions they could have taken (maybe food eaten, other sanitary methods, etc). We could discuss how exactly this disease did spread in more technical terms. Discuss and have them come with ideas of what they would have done, if they were doctors, to help minimize the spread of the black plague (excluding the answer of finding a cure-they would only be able to use the technology and resources of that day). Maybe the kids present those ideas to the class. Their own "cure" for the black plague! I guess there are a million ways to expand on a lesson!
Reply by Jessica Morgan
Great Job!!! It's hard to go first, but you two were great. I really like how you tied in the history bit by explaining that you can find peoples emotions and feelings in art work done throughout history. That was really neat. If I were to change this lesson I would have students look at different pictures/paintings and have them either write down or discuss the emotions those pictures/paintings made them feel. I would do this while explaining the expressionist theory to help them understand it better. Another thing I would do is to have students listen to music while they are doing their finger paintings. I would have 3-5 different songs and have the children paint what their different emotions during those songs. I found this site online: It's a group that puts on shows where they play different kinds of music while a person paints for them. It is pretty cool. I think it would be fun to show the students one of their video clips and have a discussion about why some artists like to listen to music while they create and what affects it may have on their emotions.
Reply by Natalee Biggs
Nice work girls! I really enjoyed your presentation. The only thing I might add to the lesson plan would be to show a little bit more examples from the artists you discussed. I was really interested to see a few more examples of works, especially from the contemporary artists. A discussion could be held about how the art pieces make the students feel and what they think the artists might have been feeling when they created them. If there was a particular artist that the students felt a connection with, an art project could be done in a similar style. For example, if the students felt a connection with Jackson Pollock, the teacher could arrange for an art project involving splattering and dripping paint on canvas. Another idea I had was maybe incorporating an expressivist art project involving the black plague. That could include painting how they feel after learning about the plague or maybe they could place themselves during that time and express with paint how they would feel.
Reply by Karyn Alvey
I thought your presentation was fantastic! I loved all of the history you included. I also really liked your choice of art examples. It was obvious you guys put a lot of time, and preparation in your presentation. I have a hard time thinking of what I would change. I thought it all flowed smoothly and was definitely engaging. I loved the modern artists you found. I'm not very knowledgeable in the artist category-especially modern artists- so I really appreciated seeing the neat creations you found. That big balloon dog thing was crazy! If there was one thing I'd change, it would probably be allowing more time for the finger painting. I realize having such a detailed lesson makes it hard with the time limit-but it would have been fun to have a bit more time. I thought you did a great job at engaging all of the different learning styles as well. Students could create their own paintings. We got up and played "ring around the rosy." It was awesome. Great job girls!!
Reply by Brittany Crowder
I think you guys did an awesome job! I feel like I learned a lot about expressionism, and I think children would learn a lot too. The only thing I would change is, time allowing, expanding on the art project. Maybe it would be nice to have different magazine clippings and they could use random colors and pictures that help them to express their happiness. I think it would be interesting to have different mediums (besides just finger paint) in one art project to express all of their emotions. It would also be beneficial for the children to all explain in small groups or partners after the project what their art project represented, that way they could all see and feel the emotion of other people besides themselves.
Reply by Nancy
Amanda and Ellen did awesome! I learned a lot in their lesson about expressionism that I did not know before. They did a great job of combining art ideas, history, and personality in their lesson. Also, it is hard to make a lesson 40 minutes long and have it keep the attention of all the listeners without them getting bored and I wasn't bored at all. One thing I thought of that would be a cool idea is to make an expressionist collage by putting together all the ideas we talked about as we were thinking about love. I also like the idea of creating something from the expressionist period like creating the shield we sketched to protect ourselves or something. I enjoyed the finger painting and thought it was a great idea.
Reply by Tiffany Baum
You guess were amazing. Good job, and thanks for being the first to go. I want to teach third graders, so one thing that I would do a little differently would be to blow up a balloon, colored string, paste, and glitter. I would take the balloon and shape it to whatever shape the child wants. Take the string and cover them with paste. Then put the string on the balloon like a pinata, but leaving gaps, just putting them on at random, but enough to be able to tell what the shape is. Then have the students add glitter to the string. Let them sit for three days, then pop the balloon and the have a stringed animal. They turn out really fun.
Reply by Ellen Funch
I really loved learning about our topic! Expressionism is such a natural thing that I had so much fun learning about it and thinking about how we can allow our students to express themselves in the classroom to truly get the most out of their education. I think this topic could carry over into almost every subject in school. We covered history, and we could also look at other time periods and analyze how they felt and try to relate to them (slave trade, civil war, WWII, etc.). In science we could look more closely at treatments of the Plague and why they did/did not work. In PE, we could play music and tell them to dance how they feel when they hear the music (probably would work better for the younger grades since they have less inhibitions). I think if i could add to this lesson, i would make the art project longer. I would love to still do the finger painting, but i was thinking it might be interesting if, as a teacher we printed off words of emotion on paper, and then the kids could decorate the words by how they felt. For the older grades, i think it would be awesome to have the kids do a research project/presentation on their favorite work of art. They could include info about the artist, the history of the artwork, and why it means so much to them...and they could get experience presenting in front of a class!
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