Pre Visit Lesson Plan 5 th grade American Identities Exhibit Brooklyn Museum Designed by Katrina A. Raben

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1 Pre Visit Lesson Plan 5 th grade American Identities Exhibit Brooklyn Museum Designed by Katrina A. Raben Intro to Portraiture: Using Symbolism in Art to Learn Historical Identities *Using portraits from Colonial to American Revolution Time Period GOALS: -Demonstrate the usage of portraits as a primary source by showcasing the abilities of portraits to aid in learning historical components (Colonial- American Revolution) -Teach students the importance of symbolism in art (perceptions of identity) -Introduce the elements of paintings: gaze, setting and pose -Begin to show students how to decode a painting: roles of identity, historical contexts etc., artist s view Compare to Primary Documents -Artist vs. Author -Point of View -All information is on the canvas in front of us already! -What can we tell about the artist? (beliefs, attitudes, views) -What do we know about the subject?(how is the subject presented to us?) -Relation between artist and subject? -Are we an outsider? (Is the subject engaging us or looking away, how is he/she posed? where are they?) TERMS: GAZE (How do different gazes make the viewer feel? What do different gazes mean?) POSE (Have students pose after certain portraits, see what it would have been like, formal, natural, average, regal) SETTING (What do different settings mean or say about the subject?) *Show Portraits that have specific examples of each Patriots Loyalists SYMBOLS -Symbolism in Painting

2 -Show examples of each symbol in Portraits (i.e. American Revolution period woman weaving, boycotting British goods) Flowers, Fruit, Nature- Woman, femininity, fertility etc. -Why is symbolism important in art? (Especially portraits, deeper meanings, clues, insights) -What can we learn from symbols? (Historical elements) -What are some symbols used today? (Think of traditions, occasions) Activity 1- Drawing in symbols on people who assume specific roles. (Learning how symbols shape our ideas of identity) Activity 2- Self portrait with symbols Students will complete their own self portraits using symbols. (Self perception of identity)

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9 Name: Date: Worksheet: Decoding Portraiture Directions: Answer the questions on this worksheet for your two portraits. Artist Country Title Date What is going on in this portrait? What makes you say that? Artist Country Title Date What is going on in this portrait? What makes you say that? What is she/he holding? What is she/he holding? What is she/he wearing? What is she/he wearing? What is the setting? What is the setting? What else do you notice about the person in this portrait? Is she/he making any gestures? What else do you notice about the person in this portrait? Is she/he making any gestures?

10 Post Visit Lesson Plan Review of Pre-Visit and On-Site Concepts- Decoding The Museum: Learning Histories, Attitudes and Identities Through Examining Art GOALS: -Gage the students abilities to infer meaning from the different elements of a portrait, in a historical context, using portraits as a type of a primary source. -Review concepts learned on-site about colonial and American Revolution time periods. -Expound on the ability of an artist to create different identities through their attitudes, opinions and beliefs Short Talk about Field Trip -Types of Portraits, Paintings -Which were favorites? Most interesting? Why? -Were there certain paintings that represented American History more than others? Which ones? Why? -What did you learn about this time period from these artworks? - What were the attitudes of the artists toward the colonies and the New Country? *Show students portraits, have them answer these questions together: What message is being sent about the time period and the subject?(setting) What is the significance of the objects in the painting?(symbols) Do these symbols make sense to the students? Do they help viewer's understand something about the sitter that they didn't understand before? How does it feel to hold a pose like that for a long time? (Pose) What artworks of the past is the artist borrowing from? (Style) What, if any, was the conversation like between artist and sitter? (Gaze) Activity 1- Worksheet on portraits: Students will examine portraits independently, and answer questions expounding on group questions on portraits Activity 2- Class portrait collage: Ask the pupils to make a class collage. Put them into groups and ask them to create an image of someone else in their group. Then ask them to put the group's portraits together, developing a setting in which they can be placed and props that suit the setting. How easy is it to decide who goes where? What stories can they construct about their group?

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