A WebQuest for 2nd and 3rd Grade (Art Education)

Introduction
This lesson is an attempt to bring art history into the classroom.  Our goal is to teach children about different artist and media.  We will give the children the opportunity to explore the media and artists. 

The children will find and research a famous artist.  They will read a biography of the artist and explore the media the artist used.  They will use the media to create their own piece of art. Each student will create an Artist Board (provided by Mrs. Marks) that will need to have a picture of the artist, a biography and a piece of Art that depicts that artist's style. At the end of the project, the students will share the information about the artist and their piece of work with their classmates.
 

Learners

This lesson is geared toward second and third grade.  It could be used with younger children if assisted.  This would also be a good learning experience for children up to fifth grade. 

This lesson requires basic computer skills.  Children need to understand how to use the Internet.  The teacher should introduce art history to the students before starting the lesson.
 
 

Curriculum Standards

Social Studies Standards Addressed

• The students will learn about historical artists and why they are famous, and what parts of the country they are from. 

• The students will be experimenting with different colors and materials to try to make a picture the same way as their artist.

• The students will be reading and researching on the internet. Their final reports will be presented in oral and written form.

• The students will be creating their own works of art through the information they've gathered. They will also be seeing their classmates artwork, and be exposed to work done by famous artists.

Process

For this project you will be learning about different artists and the work they have done. You will find an artist on the website provided and research their life. Find where and when they lived, what they did, why they are famous, and find some examples of their work. Also find one interesting fact about your artist to share with the class. You will paint a picture to depict your artists style. You will prepare a written report, print a photo of the artists and mount it on the tag board provided. You will than present your Artist to the class.

This project will take place over several weeks. The students will set the pace, so it may go longer or shorter, depending on their interest.

The teacher will need to do some background work in Art History. The teacher should also be very familiar with the website.
 
 

Resources Needed

• http://sunsite.dk/cgfa/featured.htm

http://library.thinkquest.org/J001159/famart.htm

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/

http://www.artquotes.net/masters.htm

• www.artlex.com

Artist's Project Assessment

~~~~~~~~Artist’s Project Assessment~~~~~~~~ Name:____________________Date: _________ Artist:_________________________________
Criteria	Pts Possible	Pts Earned	Comments
Birth Date/Birthplace	5
Death Date/ Place of Death	5
Background History	5
Famous Works of Art What works of Art was he famous for?	5
Significance (Must explain why this individual is worthy of note in their field of expertise.)	5
Pictures and Art Work	10
Grammar and Spelling (Each error results in one point off.)	5
Overall Neatness and Appearance	10
Oral Presentation-volume, eye contact, expression, content	50
Points Earned: ______________/100 Points

Conclusion

The appreciation for art is something that can be gained by every person.  This activity is a way to introduce children to artists they may never have the chance to learn about.  Through this activity, the children not only learn about the artist but they also gain important researching skills.
 

Credits & References

The reference pages can be found at http://sunsite.dk/cfga/featured.htm and www.artlex.com.