The Pounce Quiz

I did warn my students that the only place that they would be safe from The Pounce Quiz was in the classroom. That was DEN. Some poor unsuspecting fifth or sixth year would be coming around a corner or out of a classroom when all of a sudden the crazy art teacher would be there with "What colour does Lapis Lazuli make?", or "Who was the mercenary leader of the Florentine army in the Battle of San Romano?" Needless to say students hid, ran out doors and did everything to avoid me at first. But then the reward of chewy sweets broke their resolve and they hovered, followed me and dared me to ask them questions. It became very competitive as the week went on with some students hiding behind others ready to pounce in themselves and answer some of their friends question and claim their prize. Well, the week is over and The Pounce Quiz is gone for a little while, but Paolo Uccello will be remembered and dentists will be busy.

Masaccio - getting started on essay writing

One of my students came to me during the week, frustrated at not being able to improve his grade despite putting a lot of time and effort into his art history essays.  I understand the difficulties that some students continue to have even though I have given handouts, provided keyword sheets and put videos and quizzes on Carol's Art History Facebook page. It grieves many of us art teachers to see our most talented students fail to achieve the higher grades in Leaving cert art because of their inability to perform well in the written section of the test. So, this academic year I have challenged my self to find a way to work within the system and get these students to achieve a high grade in all areas of the test. I'm not saying that I have all the answers but we as a group of fifth and sixth year students and myself have embarked on a journey to find out what works. This is going to be time consuming but if we, over the next year of two, can see its value, then I have a template for future years, which can be tweaked as required and my students will benefit not just in the exams but in adjusting their learning styles.

So let's get started.
This is the plan of action for the week. Below are the student tasks and
an aid to essay writing. My plan is to give a detailed essay help sheet to start with and gradually get the students to the stage where they can plan their own.

Students weekend prep. 
Watch the videos on facebook   http://tinyurl.com/pypx43w
or from the link below(emailed to students)
http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/Masaccio.html

Before Wednesday
Fill in the worksheet given.

Wednesday's class
Students will sit in their designated groups of 4 and discuss the paintings, sharing ideas and notes for approximately 15 minutes.
Following that I will show a PowerPoint presentation where students will be expected to contribute through questioning. I will fill in any gaps or points missed.

A further handout will be given with an essay title and a suggestion of how to structure the essay and students will have two nights to do the question. Essays will be handed in on Friday morning.

So that's the plan and here is the handout.

Masaccio

 (1401-1428)

Essay question

Masaccio is considered to be one of the most innovative painters of the early renaissance. Discuss this statement with reference to his creative use of perspective, his ability to tell the story and his treatment of the human figure in two of his works. Illustrate your answers.

Essay structure

The keywords below are not arranged in any particular order. You must choose where you put them in the body of the essay. These are just a suggestion and you may add your own or leave out some. Remember though, a good essay will have lots of well chosen information and good clear points. 

Introduction

Make reference to the early renaissance using some of the prompts from the words below

Keywords

Rebirth, Quattrocento, Italy, learning, creativity, classical Greece and Rome, status of the artist, patrons, cities – centers of wealth.

The background (The artist)

Give a brief introduction to the artist, his achievements, influences and patrons.

Keywords

Short life (27 years), born near Florence, artists guild, perspective, Donatello, Brunelleschi, 

The Tribute Money

Describe in detail the narrative, the composition, the techniques and the innovations.

Keywords

Matthew’s gospel, Tax collector, Jesus, apostles, Peter, coin, fish, Caesar,

frescoes(define), Brancacci family, banker  Santa Maria del Carmine, Masolino, continuous narrative, 3 parts, chiaroscuro, light from the window, mathematically planned composition, one point linear perspective, atmospheric perspective, focal point, facial expressions, gestures, range of colours, flesh, folds of drapery, dramatic impact, poses of figures,cast shadows, foreground , middle ground background, snow-capped mountains, 

The Trinity

Keywords

Santa Maria Novella, fresco, single vanishing point, eye level, classical architectural setting, God the Father, Jesus, cross, Holy Spirit, dove, Mary, St John, donors, Lenzi family, technique of drawing perspective, string, emotion, 

An open letter to my students

Learning outside the classroom

We are constantly learning, gathering information and becoming proficient in so many things. Learning does not only come from books, exercises and lectures but from engaging in watching, hearing and doing outside of the classroom. Sometimes the things that we know well are things that we have taken an interest in and researched ourselves. They often begin as interests or hobbies and soon we can become almost experts. Why is it easier at times to learn about things outside of the classroom than within a forty minute lesson? Here are some of the reasons.

•        We learn about things that interest us.
•       We learn better if we are in control of our learning.
•        We learn better if we know something about the subject beforehand.
•        We learn better if we choose the time and place to learn.
•        And most importantly, we learn better if we can use our best and most effective style of learning.

The Seven Learning Styles

                             Visual: You prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding.

                              Aural:  You prefer using sound and music.

                             Verbal:  You prefer using words, both in speech and writing.

                             Physical:  You prefer using your body, hands and sense of touch.

                             Logical:  You prefer using logic, reasoning and systems.

                             Social:  You prefer to learn in groups or with other people.

                             Solitary: You prefer to work alone and use self-study.

Everything you learn becomes a building block for learning something else.

So if you watch a video or listen to a podcast before you study a subject then when you come to class you will remember the new information better. You will have information and opinions to share and you will enjoy the subject better.

My own learning journey

I had the luxury of teaching myself art history almost twenty years ago by travelling to galleries in Ireland, the UK and Europe. I made sketches, took notes while looking at the paintings and only after I had watched videos, did I read about the artists and their works in books. That is my style of learning and I believe that many of you are also visual learners. So for this reason I want to give you every chance to learn the way that suits you best. Here is a list of the resources available to you. If you can think of anything else that will make your learning easier, please let me know and I will try to help.

Resources

·        DVD player and DVD’s available to borrow during study periods

·        Emailed links to youtube art videos

·        Carol’s Art History facebook page (public)

·        10 question quizzes on line through Dasurvey

·        Handouts with extra information

·        Keywords for essays

·        An extensive library on artists and their works

·        Computer prep time for online research

Remember that learning about art and artists is not just a school subject. You will travel and you will come across paintings, sculptures and buildings that you study now and you will get a buzz out of knowing something about them. Also there is something wonderful about finally seeing these art works in real life.

C. Wade