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Our Past is Our Present: Art History
Course Objective
To develop an acute awareness of art and how it intersects with our past and present lives
Curricular Components
Paintings, Essays, Museum articles, and Britannica Encyclopedia articles
Class Routine
- 10min Review
- 15min Lecture & Concepts
- 40min Gallery Observation, Discussion & Vocabulary
- 25min Writing Instruction
Subject-Specific Knowledge
Art, History, Science, Humanities, Psychology
Skills Development
Visual Analysis, Observation, Critical Reading, Socratic Discussion and Formal Writing
About The Course
Don’t be afraid of Art History or the idea of all the technical language - enjoy the pieces and the stories they tell about our unique human experience. No matter what subject you love, from Math to Science, Art plays a fundamental role in our understanding of nearly everything. Looking at art is an exercise in logic - the same logic that students will need to use in Math and Science. Incorporating art into your learning is an invaluable practice and one that continually provides paths for deeper exploration and meaning.
Through an in-depth analysis of famous artists and their work, this art history course is grounded in understanding how expression, and the techniques an artist uses, tells a story of the past and inspires the future. Many world innovators hold dearly to pieces of artwork that inspired them during their creative pursuits - I want each student to find a piece that inspires them as well. Students will have artistic discourses based on opinions, their own schema, and factual information. In addition, they will become stronger observers of detail and nuance - skills that are essential to the core traditional subjects of Math and English.
About The Instructor
Ms. Chelsey Dietrich
Ms. Chelsey Dietrich is a certified teacher with nearly fifteen years of education-industry experience in the US and China. She has taught small groups and tutored individuals in subjects ranging from elementary school English, middle school humanities, IBDP core subjects and test preparation (MAP, SSAT, SAT). Mrs. Dietrich holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Minnesota and a MA.Ed. in Education from Columbia University. She is a USA certified teacher in the subject of English.
Lesson Components & Structure
This course is designed to provide instruction and critical inquiry into a range of artists, artworks and movements. Art does not live in a vacuum, so we will be continually exploring how techniques and people influence technology, science, math and other core subjects. Students will sharpen their logical inference making, and verbal and written expression. Each week will be anchored to a specific artist. Within that week, we will explore the artist’s context, their famous works, the movement they belonged to and their major contributions and influences to modern society.
Each 1.5 hour class will follow roughly the same structure from week to week. Lessons will begin with a short ten minute review of the previous week’s lesson, covering relevant content and any updates. Students will then complete a very brief (five minute) quiz to ensure the retention of discipline-specific concepts and vocabulary. This will be followed by a collaborative lecture, discourse on new topics, and student driven questions of inquiry. The teacher will introduce the new topic through an engaging launch and teach new information. Throughout the lesson, the teacher will check for understanding and help illuminate connections to student lives. The final twenty-five minutes of class will be devoted to writing, with students being presented with a homework prompt, and learning academic writing skills. Each class, students will submit a written response and then produce a longer review at the end of the course. They will receive in-depth written feedback on their work and be able to produce final drafts.
Course Outline
Our Past is Our Present: Art History is both a practical and intellectual way to study two artists over the span of two weeks (one artist per week). The course will begin with a broad introduction to why we study art history and its role and connection to our everyday learning. The introduction will also focus on the concepts that we will be focusing on throughout the two weeks: Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Pointillism and Impasto. These concepts will be revisited throughout the course, and underpin students’ own development as knowledgeable patrons of the arts. Each week will be devoted to an artist and their worky. In Week 1, we will explore Vincent Van Gough and in Week 2 we will study Georges-Pieree Seurat.
Lesson 1: What is Art History and why do we study it? Introduction to artists
Lesson 2: Artistic concepts and introduction to writing an art review
Lesson 3: Vincent Van Gough; Starry Night
Lesson 4: Vincent Van Gough; Starry Night
Lesson 5: Vincent Van Gough; The Potato Eaters
Lesson 6: Transition from Van Gough to Georges-Pierre Seurat
Lesson 7: Georges Seurat; A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte
Lesson 8: Georges Seurat; A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte
Lesson 9: Georges Seurat; Circus Sideshow (Parade de Cirque)
Lesson 10: Sharing, Review & Questions
Course Materials
All of the materials for this course are carefully curated by the instructor. Students will be provided with a PDF version of the lecture and any articles that will be required reading. By the end of the course, students will have a “course reader” addressing all topics covered, all articles read , all artworks viewed, and all essays written.
Deliverables
Students will be expected to produce approximately four short responses and one final essay over the span of two weeks. Families should expect roughly 30-40 minutes of homework following each lesson. Students will also be expected to produce an end-of-course presentation where they will share their work with our class community.
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