Painting Water-lilies and Sunflowers: A Walk in an Impressionist Garden with Monet & van Gogh

Project URL:http://www.teachnet-lab.org/is24/llangsner/monet/waterlilies.htm

How it works:
Using technology and the Internet, students are given the opportunity to visit the paintings of Monet's house and gardens in Giverny (http://giverny.org) and the collection at the van Gogh museum in Amsterdam (http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl). These visits provide  valuable information on the artists' lives and works.

Students become familiar with Monet's "Water-Lilies" and van Gogh's "Sunflowers" by viewing posters in class and original paintings on the Internet. They learn to interpret and appreciate the unique style of Impressionism, as they analyze and interpret these paintings through an artist's eyes. The students explore Web sites of the artists and compare and contrast their work.  As the culminating fine art activity, students design a "Water-Lily" mural painting and a "Sunflower" still-life painting, using tempera. Those already familiar with acrylic paint may chose to do an acrylic painting on canvas.

Standards addressed:  
This unit fulfills the New York State Learning Standards for the Arts, English Language Arts, and Technology. The students create, perform and participate in the visual arts; are knowledgeable about and make use of the materials and resources available; and respond critically to a variety of works, connecting the individual work to other works and to aspects of human endeavor and thought.

Students develop an understanding of the personal and cultural forces that shape artistic communication and how the arts, in turn, shape the diverse cultures of society. They read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding, literary response and expression, and for critical analysis and evaluation. Lastly, students apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs.

Materials used:
A computer with Internet access is needed, as is the video and book entitled Linnea in Monet's Garden, along with the music CD "A Walk in the Garden".  Supplies include tempera and acrylic paints, painting paper, canvas, and brushes.

The students:
This lesson was created for a sixth grade major talent art class, but it is easily adaptable for all age groups.

Overall value:
Through the use of technology and the Internet, students are given the opportunity to visit the paintings of Monet's house and gardens in Giverny and the collection at the van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. Visits to their favorite artist's homes, gardens, and museums provide valuable information on their lives and works. This is a wonderful motivational tool for students to design their own Impressionist paintings.

Tips: 
This unit can usually be completed in one month. Library and computer lab visits aid in the Web exploration of these artists. If students have Internet access at home, this lends itself to assigning homework to gather additional research and background information. There are many valuable books, videos, and CDs that appeal to all the senses and stimulate interest and creativity in all students.

About the teacher:
Lori Langsner is currently an art teacher at Myra S. Barnes Intermediate School 24 on Staten Island, NY. She has been incorporating technology into her classroom for the past three years with the TeachNet Project. Mrs. Langsner is one of the original writers of the TeachNet Grant Project for her school. She is also the recent recipient of an Impact II Award Disseminator Grant for her  Art of the Orient: Scroll Painting.

E-mail: 
LoriArt00@aol.com

Subject Areas: 
Art
English
                     

Grade Levels: 
6-12