Editor Mara Ellen Guckian Managing Editor Ina Massler Levin, M.A. Editor-in-Chief Sharon Coan, M.S. Ed. Illustrators Blanca Apodaca Sue Fullam Cover Artist Lesley Palmer Art Director CJae Froshay Art Coordinator Kevin Barnes Imaging Ralph Olmedo, Jr. Product Manager Phil Garcia Children s Artwork contributed by: Bailey Alexander Carter Alexander Grayson Alexander Maya Benvenisti Samantha Friedkin Sasha Friedkin Mackenzie Stanton Publishers Rachelle Cracchiolo, M.S. Ed. Mary Dupuy Smith, M.S. Ed. Author Sandra E. Fisher M.Ed. Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 6421 Industry Way Westminster, CA 92683 www.teachercreated.com ISBN-0-7439-3084-3 2001 Teacher Created Materials, Inc. Made in U.S.A. The classroom teacher may reproduce copies of materials in this book for classroom use only. The reproduction of any part for an entire school or school system is strictly prohibited. No part of this publication may be transmitted, stored, or recorded in any form without written permission from the publisher.
Table of Contents Introduction.................................................................. 3 Colors.................................................................... 6 Georgia O Keeffe, Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse Shapes................................................................... 45 Wassily Kandinsky, Pablo Picasso, Constantin Brancusi Lines.................................................................... 83 Jackson Pollock, Alexander Calder, Frank Lloyd Wright Numbers................................................................ 119 Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Paul Cézanne Animals................................................................ 158 Pierre Renoir, Marc Chagall, Henri Rousseau People.................................................................. 194 Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt van Rijn, Edgar Degas Places.................................................................. 230 Claude Monet, Edward Hopper, Michaelangelo Buonarroti Stories.................................................................. 266 Mary Cassatt, Faith Ringgold, Rene Magritte Glossary................................................................ 303 Art Sources............................................................. 304 #3084 Thematic Masterpieces 2 Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
Introduction Current brain research indicates the importance of a young child s exposure to the arts. Children benefit from exposure to the developments in the fine arts over the years. Children can and should develop an appreciation and understanding of the works of famous artists. Through the use of this book, teachers, even those who do not have a background in art history, will be able to educate children about great works of art. This book is not a mere art appreciation book, however. This art-masterpiecethemed book is intended to serve as the basis for a yearlong curriculum. The book provides eight themes. These eight themes, Colors, Shapes, Lines, Numbers, Animals, People, Places and Stories, provide central ideas for each of the eight three-week cognitive study periods. Each theme is based on specific artists and samples of their works. A brief biography of each studied artist is provided at the end of each section. The themes, activities and projects for this book progress from simple to more complex learning tasks, building upon and applying the child s previous knowledge base. Included within each theme are Arranging the Classroom Environment, a list of materials, a parent letter, Art Sources, a Bibliography and patterns. (Note: At the time of publication, the websites suggested were active. If the sites are no longer active, please try the artist s name as a key word.) Colors features the art of Georgia O Keeffe, Vincent van Gogh and Henri Matisse. The children will learn about the primary, secondary and complementary colors by mixing colors, sorting by colors, experimenting with colors and observing colors in their world. Shapes uses the dots and circles found in works of Wassily Kandinsky; the squares, rectangles and cubes of Pablo Picasso s art; and the three-dimensional sculptures of Constantin Brancusi to show the progression from two to three dimensional shapes and forms. Categorizing, constructing, observing and patterning are emphasized during this theme. Lines is based on the expressionistic work of Jackson Pollock, the mobiles and stabiles of Alexander Calder and the architectural designs of Frank Lloyd Wright. The three-week study on Lines progresses from the free-flowing lines, loops and swirls found in the works of Pollock to the more structured and ordered lines apparent in the art of Calder and, ultimately, the strict vertical and horizontal lines of Wright in his architectural creations. The children will be using measurement tools, finding lines in the environment and writing letters. Numbers provides children the opportunity to count objects portrayed in the artwork of Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and Paul Cézanne. Graphing, observing, locating and printing with numbers and objects will lead to developing a knowledge base of the numbers one through twelve. Animals features pets from Pierre Auguste Renoir s art, farm animals in Marc Chagall s paintings, and wildlife and jungle animals in Henri Rousseau s works. Resource people and their animals will provide hands-on experiences for the children. Classifying, discriminating and creating models of animals is emphasized. People uses the portraits and paintings of Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt van Rijn and Edgar Degas to expand the children s view of other individuals throughout history and to develop awareness of their own senses. Fresco, portrait and shadowing painting techniques are highlighted. Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 3 #3084 Thematic Masterpieces
Introduction (cont.) Places expands the children s knowledge of other environments from the gardens, train stations, and beaches of Claude Monet, to the offices, stores and restaurants of Edward Hopper and to the architectural forms of Michelangelo Buonarroti. Constructing buildings, observing environments and planning and preparing their own lunches will be featured. Stories incorporates colors, shapes, lines, numbers, animals, people and places as the children write daily stories about the artwork of Mary Cassatt, Faith Ringgold and Rene Magritte. Writing their own books, developing story problems with simple addition and subtraction facts and discovering the workings and composition of clocks and cameras will be utilized throughout this theme. Developmentally appropriate projects and materials are thematically webbed throughout the curriculum. Suggestions for daily activities are offered for group time, at art, language, math and science centers, at the tactile table and dramatic play area, and for snack time. The intent of the curriculum and of the suggested day-to-day learning activities is to totally immerse the children into the eight themes of the curriculum. Problem solving and cooperative learning are used throughout the activities described in this book. All of the activities, projects, materials, prints and books have been used and field-tested in early childhood classrooms. The daily activities for each center are merely suggestive and should serve as an example of the activity which could be undertaken at each center on a given day by the creative classroom teacher. It is important that all centers have paper, chart paper, pencils and markers to provide the children the opportunity to express and document their explorations. If needed, there is a metric conversion chart on page 304. The artists selected for this book span history from the Renaissance of Leonardo da Vinci to the present of Faith Ringgold. Bibliographical information for each artist can be found at the end of each section. Art from the movements or eras of Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Cubism, Fauvism, Surrealism, Expressionism and Twentieth Century America is used throughout the year. The diversified male and female artists featured are not only painters, but also sculptors and architects. With each particular artist, several examples of his or her work are used to show how their art evolved. A brief description is given of each work of art featured, in addition to information on the medium, the year the work was completed and the current location of the work. A bulletin board area, referred to as the Art Gallery, displays the suggested art prints in the classroom. The purchase and use of famous artist calendars is an inexpensive and highly recommended way to begin developing the collection of artworks on which this curriculum is based. #3084 Thematic Masterpieces 4 Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
Introduction (cont.) During group time, it is important to capture the children s attention. Through proper questioning techniques, the lesson development is child-centered. Each day, a children s literature book, fiction or non-fiction, is chosen to relate to the artist s work for the day. Questions or clues are given to help the children focus on and comprehend the story. Diversity is reflected among the selected books. The writing of charts or the posing of questions provides the necessary summary for the daily circle time. It is important to create a print-rich environment for young children. The children will individually or as a group make charts, stories or books for each theme in the language center. In addition to each literature book used during group time, other library books are suggested for each theme. Every child will have a sketchbook in which (at the beginning of each new theme) to draw a self-portrait. The featured famous artists frequently did self-portraits. The teacher should remember to date these selfportrait entries for they are excellent assessment tools in noting pupil growth for parent conferences. Also, every child at the end of each week will be drawing and dictating a fact or picture interpretation about the week s famous artist in his/her art journal. Include the artist s name in the child s accompanying story. The activities in the art center encourage creative expression and the use of many and varied materials and media for the children to explore. On the last day of each week, the children will create their own interpretation of an artwork or style of the featured artist. Use 10" x 16" pieces of construction paper so these can be readily mounted on 12" x 18" sheets of colored construction paper and hung immediately on the bulletin board. Remember to title these works. Provide a small bulletin board area in the classroom to feature the work of a Class Artist of the Week. An accompanying photograph with the child s name creates an attractive presentation with his/her artwork. Daily snacks have been suggested to correlate to the themes. During snack times, suggested ways are presented to encourage and develop independence in snack serving. Remember to check the children s food allergies concerning snacks. In summary, this book provides a yearlong curriculum for preschool students. It also offers a day-to-day scenario for the learning activities predicated on such a curriculum. The eight themes of the curriculum, Colors, Shapes, Lines, Numbers, Animals, People, Places and Stories, are relevant, basic concepts for preschool learners. Founding the study of these concepts on the works of great artists accomplishes dual goals. First, it focuses the study of the concepts on specific concrete visual frames of reference. Second, students are exposed to the vast, broad and varied history of western art and how it reflects the evolution of our culture. Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 5 #3084 Thematic Masterpieces
Colors Arranging the Classroom Environment Georgia O Keeffe Vincent van Gogh Henri Matisse Color is found everywhere in a child s environment from the food he or she eats to the clothing he or she wears. Throughout the three-week period devoted to color, you will be providing many color experiences for the children. It is important to have materials available to aid the children in discovering and learning on their own. On a large bulletin board, called the Art Gallery, display prints that represent the works of Georgia O Keeffe, Vincent van Gogh and Henri Matisse. The works displayed show colors found in clothes, plants, flowers, landscapes and indoor environments. Arrange the paintings by the artist s names. Use this gallery area for your group time. Your art area, preferably located near a sink, will be an area for color exploration. Through the use of tempera paint, liquid watercolors, markers, crayons, colored chalk and finger paint, the children will have opportunities to see what happens when certain colors are mixed together. They will also have a sensory experience using the various art media. The language area will be the center for expressing color in words. During a two-week period, the children will be making their own Color Books. By labeling pictures, writing sentences to accompany their artwork and writing chart stories, you are creating a print-rich environment. In the math area, the children will be using color while sorting, counting, designing, patterning and measuring. Have colorful collections of objects available for them. Use clear containers to hold these materials so the children can readily see the various manipulatives present. Store these containers on shelves that are easily accessible to the children. The science center will have materials for the children to see color up close. Through prediction and experimentation, the children will be documenting the use of color in their world. Plastic magnifying glasses will allow close inspection of a flower, plant or soil. A prism will show the presence of all colors in light. Liquid watercolors will be added to water in plastic bottles to make a spectrum of colors. During this three-week period, serve special snacks so that the children can see color in the foods they eat and drink. These special snacks will provide an opportunity for the children to taste, smell and, in some instances, feel different fruits and vegetables. #3084 Thematic Masterpieces 6 Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
Arranging the Classroom Environment (cont.) Colors Set up a tactile table for the children to have additional sensory experiences. During the first week, make some colored rice for this table. The children will enjoy helping make this colored rice. Put white rice in a sealable bag. Have a child select a color and put a few drops of that food color in the bag. Then have an adult add a few drops of alcohol to the colored rice bag. The alcohol will set the color. Zip the bag shut and have the children knead the bag of rice until all the color is blended. Put paper towels on a tray or newspaper and spread the rice on the towels to dry. When the rice is dry, have the children put it in the tactile table. Continue making other colors of rice to add to the table. Each day different items can be added to the rice table: coffee scoops, small containers, play dishes, measuring cups and funnels. The second week, remove the rice. Save the colored rice in an airtight container for later use. Put soil in the table for the children to feel and explore. Again, add different items for the children s exploration, such as spoons, paper cups, plastic gardening tools and small pails. Change the tactile table again the third week from soil to water. Add funnels, strainers, cups, etc. One day have plain water. The children can make swirls and ripples in this water. Another day, add a bit of blue or green food coloring or liquid watercolor to change the color of the water. The children can pretend it is the ocean. Dishwashing detergent added to the water will provide the children the experience of working with bubbles. Reminder: For health purposes, the children must wash their hands before using the water table; the children should wear plastic smocks to keep their clothes dry; and each day the water table must be emptied and sanitized with clean water put in the next day. Turn a dramatic play area into a clothing store. Encourage the parents to send in old clothes and accessories hats, ties, jewelry, scarves and shoes. In addition have a child-safe mirror, a cash register and play money for the children to use. In case a child has forgotten to wear a specific-colored item for a designated Color Day, he or she can go to the Store to find something to wear. If you have access to a camera, take a picture of the children each special Color Day. When the pictures are developed, mount them on separate sheets of white paper, bind these pages together and make a book. Have the children dictate descriptive sentences about each class picture and transcribe these statements to the book. Create a title for the book. Throughout this theme, encourage the children s experimenting with color to enhance their creativity. Teacher Created Materials, Inc. 7 #3084 Thematic Masterpieces