Hands on !

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?

UNIT 14: A walk through History

Interpret pictures from different periods of History by thinking about how they were made and what they tell us about the period of History each artist lived in.

MATERIALS WE NEED
Five images from different periods of History.

PROCEDURE 1. Examine the details of each image in depth. 2. In groups do some research on the internet to find out more information
about each one (the artist, the style, the techniques used to make them, the historical period they come from, what they tell us about the life of people who lived then, etc.).
1 2

Oxford University Press Espaa, S. A.

Cave painting of men hunting.

Medieval jousting tournament. Two knights with lances watched by some women.

Hands on !
3

UNIT 14: A walk through History

The bridge at Argenteuil, painted by Claude Monet in 1874.

5
The ambassadors, painted by Hans Holbein in 1533.

Oxford University Press Espaa, S. A.

Hunters on a roman mosaic found in the Villa del Casale (Sicily, Italy).

Hands on !
LOOK AND THINK

UNIT 14: A walk through History

When do you think each picture was painted? Why? Which of the pictures are hunting scenes? Which periods of History are they from? In what ways are they different? From which period of History is picture 2? How do you know? Which picture do you think is from the Modern Age? How do you know? Which picture do you think is from the Contemporary Age? How do you know?

Oxford University Press Espaa, S. A.

Hands on !
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?

UNIT 14: A walk through History

Interpret pictures from different periods of History by thinking about how they were made and what they tell us about the period of History each artist lived in.

MATERIALS WE NEED
Five images from different periods of History.

PROCEDURE 1. Examine the details of each image in depth. 2. In groups do some research on the internet to find out more information
about each one (the artist, the style, the techniques used to make them, the historical period they come from, what they tell us about the life of people who lived then, etc.).
1 2

Oxford University Press Espaa, S. A.

Cave painting of men hunting.

Medieval jousting tournament. Two knights with lances watched by some women.

Hands on !
3

UNIT 14: A walk through History

The bridge at Argenteuil, painted by Claude Monet in 1874.

5
The ambassadors, painted by Hans Holbein in 1533.

Oxford University Press Espaa, S. A.

Hunters on a roman mosaic found in the Villa del Casale (Sicily, Italy).

Hands on !
LOOK AND THINK

UNIT 14: A walk through History

When do you think each picture was painted? Why? Free answer. Picture 1: Prehistory. Picture 2: the Middle Ages. Picture 3: the Contemporary Age. Picture 4: the Modern Age. Picture 5: Ancient History. Which of the pictures are hunting scenes? Which periods of History are they from? In what ways are they different? Pictures 1 and 5. Picture 1 is from Prehistory and picture 5 from Ancient History. Free answer, e.g. picture 1 is on a cave wall and picture 5 is part of a mosaic. In picture 1 the hunters have spears and don't seem to be wearing clothes. In picture 5 they have domesticated animals (a dog and a horse) and elaborate clothing. From which period of History is picture 2? How do you know? The Middle Ages. Because there are knights wearing armours and riding horses. Also the clothes of the women are typical of the Middle Ages. Which picture do you think is from the Modern Age? How do you know? Picture 4. Free answer, e.g. in the painting there are typical objects from this period (a globe, a telescope, navigation instruments). The clothes of the two men are typical of this period too. It was painted in 1533. Which picture do you think is from the Contemporary Age? How do you know? Picture 3. Because there is a steam train on the bridge. Steam trains were invented and were typical of this period of History.

EXTRA IDEAS
Do the same activity with other paintings, sculptures and pictures of buildings. The children can make posters with paintings, etc. from the different periods of History, each with a bit of written information. They can also choose a picture and do a more in depth report on it.

Oxford University Press Espaa, S. A.