Assignment 2 – Using Timelines to Situate an Art Movement/Artist

Subject Area: Art Education – Visual Arts

Cycle and Grade Level: Cycle 3, Grade 6

Targeted Competencies:
Competency 3: To appreciate works of art, traditional artistic objects, media images,
personal productions, and those of classmates
 To examine a work of art, traditional artistic object, media images, personal or
media visual arts production for elements of content
 To share his/her appreciation experience
 To make connections between what he/she has felt and examined
 To make a critical or aesthetic judgment

Cross-curricular competencies:
 Competency 1 – To use information
 Competency 3 – to exercise critical judgement
 Competency 5 – to adopt affective work methods
 Competency 6 – To use information and communications technologies
 Competency 9 – to communicate appropriately

Essential Knowledges:
This lesson focuses solely on competency 3 and the essential knowledges linked to this
competency include developing a visual arts repertoire and a subject-specific visual arts
language. When addressing, critiquing or referring to any artworks, methods, or materials
students should employ the following vocabulary;
 Line
 Shape
 Form
 Color
 Texture
 Space
 Value
 Pattern
 Contrast
 Composition
 Perspective
 Scale
  Balance

Targeted Objectives:
 Recall an artist involved in the Colourfield painting movement
 Identify important dates, facts, or accomplishments of this artists
 Choose at least three artworks created by the artists during the movement
 Examine chosen artworks using subject-specific vocabulary listed above
 Assemble a chronological timeline of knowledge acquired about the artist
including key ideas, their body of work and contribution to Colourfield.

Students will have access to the following resources:

 Computers
 Interactive timeline builder https://www.sutori.com/
 Element s principles of design handout
https://theartcuratorforkids.s3.amazonaws.com/UpdatedEPPack.pdf?utm_source=
ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=%5BYOUR+ART+DOW
NLOAD%5D+The+Elements+++Principles+Printable+Pack&utm_campaign=Ele
ments+and+Principles+Freebie+Delivery
 Examples of colourfield artists and artworks https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-
terms/c/colour-field-painting
 Coloufield painting exhibition at the Smithsonian museum of American art
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngYmkcLeOsw
 Helen Frankenthaler tribute film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPddPgcqMgg

Procedure:
1. Introduction:
I will introduce the lesson by showing students, a video of a Colourfield painting
exhibition held at the Smithsonian of American art, which highlights the key concepts of
the movement, and shows a variety of examples. Additionally, I will show parts from the
Helen Frankenthaler tribute film (the artist, I selected to create a sample timeline with)
that show video of the artists create a painting, in order for them to be able to grasp the
experimental process of Colourfield painting and the experimental techniques that
colourfield artists used.

2. Lesson Activities:
Students will receive the information needed to complete objectives through a
combination of learning styles, visual/audio and oral delivery, this will ensure all students
learning needs are met. As a class we will go over handouts discussing the elements and
principles of design giving visual and verbal examples. Students will also be provided
links to websites with information and examples of the Colourfield movement, where
they may explore as they wish and find different artists and artworks which will help
them discover the artist, they choose for their timeline. Through the viewing of video
clips, explanation of handouts and independent exploration of provided websites students
will obtain the knowledge required to select their own artists, find any more necessary
information and create a timeline.
Additionally, Students will have the opportunity to explore the sample timeline to
familiarize themselves with the sutori tool and the ways in which it can be used to convey
information about their chosen artists.
Students will be given the opportunity to expand on knowledge acquired in class
through independent exploration of their chosen artist to create their timeline. Though the
compilation and arrangement of information students will make critical decisions
regarding what information is the most important and how to convey it in the most clear
and concise way. Additionally, they will select artworks they find to be the most
interesting and give explanations/ critics of them using subject specific vocabulary. This
will hopefully help them develop a strong language they can apply when considering art
movements, methods artists etc. in the future.

Timeline: https://www.sutori.com/story/helen-frankenthaler--
iRwPGkY3rtDcTxQHAM4rnoSg

Reflection:
I think Sutori is easy to navigate, all of the tools for building a timeline are pretty
straight forward, and I think they could easily be utilized by teachers to find creative
ways to present information, or to allow students to explore independently. However, I
don’t think students of all ages could effectively use this tool to build timelines
themselves. It may be difficult for students younger than cycle 3 and even some cycle 3
learners who aren’t as technically adept may find it tricky. Additionally, I think it would
be more interesting if the tool allowed more control over style such as text color and
background, but I do understand that this may complicate it more.
That being said, I don’t think I could see myself using this tool in my own
teaching practice mostly because it’s rare that an art class would take place in a computer
lab or have access to enough computers for all of the students. However, I could see
myself using it as a presentation tool or as I mentioned a tool for students to
independently explore information if the opportunity to use computers in an art classroom
arises.
 References

Colour Field Painting (n.d) Retreieved from

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/c/colour-field-painting

Conneticut Women’s Hall of Fame (2014, January 7) Helen Frankenthaler Tribute Film.

[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPddPgcqMgg

Frankenthaler Foundation – Biography (2017). Retrieved from

http://www.frankenthalerfoundation.org/helen/biography

Ingram C. (2018, October 26) Art Class Curator’s Elements & Principles Printable Pack

[PDF File]. Retrieved from https://artclasscurator.com/elements-of-art-examples/

Voa News (2008, April 1) Color Field Exhibit. [video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngYmkcLeOsw

Wolf J. (July 2009) Colourfield Painting Movement Overview and Analysis. Retrieved

from https://www.theartstory.org/movement/color-field-painting/#synopsys_header