Enduring Idea: Throughout time and across cultures, artists have depicted people as unique individuals.
Lesson Title: Portrait Investigation
Grade: 4
Time Allotment: 45 minutes
OVERVIEW
1.) Lesson Summary:
The lesson will begin with groups sitting at their designated tables.
Each table will have:
• a folder with a picture of a portrait enclosed
• 6 “Art Expert” names tags for each student to write their name on
• an envelope with descriptive terms enclosed (see attached wordlist)
• an envelop with color swatches
• worksheets (see attached worksheet)
There will also be available:
A document that will be projected with the 6 group portraits and 2 extra portraits (this will be what the class looks at when deciding which group had which portrait) (see attached screen model)
A short description of each portrait (see step 4)
The lesson will proceed in 4 steps:
1. Students working individually will analyze and interpret the portrait at their table and complete their worksheet, which will help them, compose a personal back-story for the portrait.
2. Students will work as a group at their tables to decide which of the adjectives in the envelope best describes their portrait. They will also decide what the title of their portrait is and write it down.
3. One group of students at a time will be labeled the “Art Experts”. They will go to the front of the classroom and present their title and adjectives and color swatch choices. The rest of the class will then vote on which portrait they think belongs to the group that’s presenting. Each group will repeat the process.
4. Students will return to their tables where they will find a paper about their portrait with the following context:
a. The artist’s name
b. Medium
c. Year that it was made
d. The title of the work
e. Matching color swatches
f. A short description of the work
g. Why the artist create the work
The students will then have a culminating group discussion given this new information. They will decide if their pre-conceived opinions of the work have changed now that they know its true context.