Elements of a Community
Elements of a Community
AAA 3rd grade classes visited Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art this week for the Me and My Museum Program. Students were introduced to the elements of art (line, shape, color, texture, form and space) and learned how artists use the elements to communicate meaning to the audience.
Four works of art were selected for the students to identify the elements used and determine what the artists wanted to reveal to the viewer. Looking closely at each work students instantly identified the elements of art and began to connect how elements help communicate the story. “Color” can be more than the hue of an object, color can convey mood (happy, sad, mad) or temperature (hot, warm, cold). “Lines” are not always straight nor always seen, line can be implied or direct our eyes where the artist intends to help tell a story.
The common themes shared between the works of art are “community” and “equality”; some works represented these concepts literally while others represented them more abstractly. By the end of the experience students were able to approach new works of art and decode imagery through the elements and translate meaning successfully.
My museum. third grade January.docxGOALS and OBJECTIVES
GOALS
Learn artistic elements (colors, textures, shapes and forms) artists use in their works.
Identify how the selected artists represent “People” within each work of art.
Connect how artists use artistic elements (colors, textures, shapes and forms) to communicate specific meaning about the people being represented in the works of art.
OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to identify and discuss formal properties (i.e. color, shape, form, texture,) within each work of art.
Students will be able to interpret meaning from the formal properties assigned to the people represented within each work.
WORKS OF ART
We the People, Nari Ward, Shoe laces, 2015,
Winter Scene in Brooklyn, Francis Guy, oil on canvas, 1820
The Garbage Man, John Thomas Biggers, oil on panel, 1944
Our Town, Kerry James Marshall, Acrylic and collage on canvas, 1995
In the galleries students were divided into two groups, each group studied the composition before them and learned about the elements of art (line, color, texture, space, value, shape and form). Students learned that artists use the elements to communicate important features or messages within their works of art. Additionally, each work of art selected shared the theme of "community".
Museum educators opened a discussion for the students to determine how the artists used the elements of art to convey messages and or emotions about the community represented within each work of art. With new knowledge about the elements of art and how artists use these to communicate meaning, students were able to approach every work of art and decode the artist's message about "community".
Mrs. Willard's and Mrs. Zincone's 3rd grade classes
Mrs. Harding's and Mr. Hanna's 3rd grade classes