Hunter Mountain Twilight Ava Foreman Smyser School Social

Hunter Mountain, Twilight Ava Foreman Smyser School Social Studies 8 th Grade

Sanford Robinson Gifford Hunter Mountain, Twilight, 1866 Oil on Canvas Terra Foundation For American Art Can be viewed at the Art Institute of Chicago

Key Ideas About the Artwork That Informed the Lesson • Life after the Civil War • Development of America’s West • Destruction of the natural wilderness

I Wanted the Students To: Begin developing an art vocabulary Be able to “read” a painting to gather insight into the work and the artist Be exposed to art and develop an appreciation for it

A Few Major Learning Activities: Do a close read of the painting Complete an outline Answer a questionnaire Read handouts about the artist, painting, and the historical context Organize the information Write a prose poem Create a landscape similar to Gifford’s Hunter Mountain, Twilight

Outline of Painting

Questionnaire

Triangular Organizer

Prose Poem

What My Students Learned: Art is a reflection of history and society Artists create mood through their use of color Artists present their viewpoints in their work How to go about doing a close read Some have begun to develop a better appreciation for art

What I learned: Students are receptive to art Students can gather meaning and understanding from works of art with guided direction and background knowledge I learned that incorporating works of art into my curriculum enhances content material of a subject