Henri Rousseau sounds of nature
Posted on 08. Oct, 2008 by Theresa McGee in All Posts, Music+Art
Henri Rousseau, Tropical Forest with Monkeys, 1910
Bring your students into a Rousseau Jungle. Although he never visited a jungle during his lifetime, Rousseau might have enjoyed using his auditory senses to create his work. Use the sounds of nature to enhance the learning experience.
Image Source: National Gallery of Art
Use the detail images below to identify animals and sounds in the jungle.
Black and White Colobus | Black Mamba | Tamarin | Howler
Discussion Questions:
1. Pretend you are sitting in this jungle. What kind of sounds would you hear?
2. What kind of animals do you see in the painting? Can you hear any of these animals in the nature sounds played? Do you hear any other sounds that you can’t see in the painting? Do you think those animals might be there?
American Revolution Portraitist
Posted on 05. Oct, 2008 by Hillary Andrlik in All Posts, Music+Art
Unfinished George Washington by Stuart (appears on $1 bill)
You may not realize it, but you see a portrait painted by Gilbert Stuart practically every day. His George Washington portrait has appeared on the U.S. one-dollar bill for more than 100 years! He’s probably the most famous portraitist of the American Revolution with a portfolio that includes most of the Founding Fathers – Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Monroe, Madison, etc.
According to Wikipedia, his works can be found today at art museums throughout the United States and Great Britain, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the National Portrait Gallery in London, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
According to the National Gallery of Art, because he portrayed virtually all the notable men and women of the Federal period in the United States, Gilbert Stuart was declared the “Father of American Portraiture” by his contemporaries.
Famous portraits by Stuart – Washington, Adams, Jefferson
To integrate music, below are mp3 clips from the album “Music of the American Revolution: The Birth of Liberty.” According to the New World Records website, this album “is a scholarly and well-programmed musical recreation of a defining moment in the nation’s history, mixing propaganda songs, psalmody, fife-and-drum music, and wind band music, the four types of music most prevalent and popular at the time.”
“The pieces on this disc have been chosen to illustrate some of the different kinds of music sung and played in the Colonies around the time of the Revolution. Sources for the music and texts of the pieces recorded are original wherever possible. No attempt has been made to recapture the untutored roughness with which much of the music was surely performed in its time. Rather, the goal has been to record polished performances by skilled singers and players,” reads the liner notes of the album.
If you’re planning to teach a lesson on portraits, consider referencing Gilbert Stuart. For added resource, below is a presentation by Martin Kalfatovic, a libraries coordinator and head of new media at the Smithsonian.
The Clean-Up Map
Posted on 05. Oct, 2008 by Theresa McGee in All Posts, Clean-up and Transition, Clssrm Mgmt
Full view of Clean-Up Map
One of the most challenging areas of classroom management for many art specialists is the last five minutes – clean up. I was frustrated with students who “got lost” on their way to wash their hands (aka socializing with friends), so I developed a “Clean Up Map” to help students find their way.
I started by creating and laminating a large (about 3′ x 3′) map (like a treasure map) with a line leading to “X” marks the spot. It was so large that my school laminator couldn’t handle it so I had to go to Office Max (50% off lamination for teachers in August).
Attach Velcro to map and tasks and again to front of tasks and back of numbers for sequential steps
Photograph clean up tasks – add description over photo
Next, Photo and laminate examples of clean up tasks. (Photo children sitting at a clean table, washing hands, turning in artwork to drying rack, etc.).
Add Velcro to back side of picture and tabs along the Clean Up Map route.
Add numbers with additional Velcro to front side of clean up tasks to show sequential steps If time allows, I set up the map sequence before class, otherwise, I set it up with the children watching and go over it at the same time reinforcing the clean-up routine for the day.
When the map is completed each table gets an "X marks the spot".
I also use giant laminated X’s (one for each table) to hand to one student (or assign older students to retrieve) when all students at their have completed the clean up map. I allow X marks the spot tables to get in line first as positive reinforcement. Getting the X for each table seems to be the best part of the clean up routine for the students. The best part of the map for me is a far more orderly end to class – the only drawback is keeping the kids from running to finish their clean up faster=:)
Review: Elmo TT-O2s Document Camera
Posted on 04. Oct, 2008 by Hillary Andrlik in All Posts, Reviews, Technology and Gadgets, Tools and Miscellaneous
Tool Name: TT-O2s by Elmo
Grade Level(s): All Ages
Category: Technology and Gadgets
Product Review: One of the most powerful pieces of equipment in my art room is the document camera. It has really changed how I present to the kids. Gone are the days of a class crowding around a large table so I can demonstrate a new technique. Now I never hear “I can’t see” and “He touched me!” I simply paint, draw or model clay under the camera and the real-time video is projected onto a large screen. Students pick up the techniques faster and with more success.
The Elmo automatically self adjusts to the changing light conditions in the room. The arm can be re-positioned to project a still-life from a side view as well as a birds-eye view. Compared to other document cameras I’ve used, the Elmo picks up more colors in artwork such as the often hard-to-see yellows. The camera can project a standard piece of 12″ x 18″ drawing paper. No more trimming paper to fit an image. It connects to my computer so I can record images from a lesson to use at a later time. And there are many more technical features that I won’t list but you can check them out for yourself at the Elmo website.
Now every seat in my classroom is a great seat which helps maintain classroom management and focuses student attention. Needless to say I love this product! I’ve used three different brands of document camera and the TT-O2 is by far the best.
Bucket Rating (out of 5):
(5) Love it! Need it! Gotta have it now!
Click here to learn more about the bucket rating system or to submit your own review.
Make Your Own Digital Whiteboard
Posted on 04. Oct, 2008 by Hillary Andrlik in All Posts, Cool+Creative, Neat Video, Tech Stuff, Techniques
Have you ever seen those sleek interactive whiteboards and wished you could have one in your classroom? Well, now you can for a fraction of the cost. Check out researcher Johnny Lee’s Wii hacks on TED Talks. He demonstrates his homemade whiteboard constructed with the Nintendo Wii remote. Here’s a link to Johnny’s blog Procrastineering where you will find updated Wiimote whitboard instructions. With $50 and his instructional videos you could have one in your classroom by the end of the week!
Special thanks to my colleague Lauri for sharing this story with us.
(Trouble viewing this video? Try this link)
Degas and Ballet
Posted on 04. Oct, 2008 by Theresa McGee in All Posts, Music+Art
Image: Edgar Degas, "The Star", 1879/81
When discussing Degas and Impressionism I use classical music – preferably classical ballet – to set the mood. Here is some classical and classical ballet music to try:
Source: The Art Institute of Chicago
Discussion Questions:
1. Does hearing the music change any impressions about the work of art?
2. How might the scene change with each piece of music? How might the dance moves change? Would there be a change in costume?
Review: David Hockney: The Illusion of Depth
Posted on 04. Oct, 2008 by Theresa McGee in All Posts, Multimedia, Reviews
DVD/Video Name: David Hockney: The Illusion of Depth
Series Name: Behind the Scenes
Grade Level(s): 3rd through 8th
Categories: Art History, Elements and Principles of Art, Teaching Resource
Product Review: If I had only one DVD in my collection, this would be the one. The kids are completely engaged and learn the difference between flat and deep. I use this as an intro to teaching one-point perspective. My other two favorites in this series are Nancy Graves: Balance and Wayne Thiebaud: LIne.
Bucket Rating out of 5:
(5) Love it! Need it! Gotta have it now!
Click here to learn more about the bucket rating system or to submit your own review.
How the Bucket Rating System Works
Posted on 02. Oct, 2008 by Hillary Andrlik + Theresa McGee in All Posts, Reviews
We have a complicated rating system of one to five paint buckets.
1 Bucket= Not worth the investment.
2 Buckets= Shows promise, but I’ve seen better.
3 Buckets= Good. Worth a try.
4 Buckets= Great! Will get lots of use in the classroom!
5 Buckets= Love it! Need it! Gotta have it!
If you would like to leave a post about your experience with any product we’ve reviewed just click on “Leave a Comment”.
How to Submit a Product Review
We can’t possibly know everything that is out there for every age level, media or technology so we depend on you to submit a review. It’s simple and easy to submit a product review. Just download the Submit Review Form, fill it out completely, save it to your computer and then email it back to us.
Review: Friendly Loom
Posted on 01. Oct, 2008 by Hillary Andrlik in All Posts, Reviews, Tools and Miscellaneous
Tool Name: Friendly Loom 48″ by Harrisville Designs
Grade Level(s): 3rd and up
Category: Art Production
Product Review: The Friendly Loom is a great way to teach social cooperation and artistic collaboration in the classroom. It’s also a fantastic extension activity for students that finish early. The loom is well constructed and can stand up to daily classroom use. It’s large but, can easily be tucked behind a cabinet, in a storage room or placed on a counter. I’ve had up to six students at one time weaving on it.
My colleague, Julie, had the brilliant idea of installing small metal hooks on either side of the frame so that students could braid fabric or yarn to use in a weaving. The extra hooks also allow two additional students to work with the loom. All of my students are excited about weaving on it. I love this product in my classroom!
Bucket Rating out of 5:
(5) Love it! Need it! Gotta have it now!
Click here to learn more about the bucket rating system or to submit your own review.
Show your students this great video before you start your next weaving project!
Trouble viewing this video? Try this link.
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