Lesson Title: The Story Behind the Horse

Grade Level: K-4
Lesson Overview

Language Arts and Visual Arts join together in this lesson to bring students into the world of abstraction.  Dan Howard paints semi-realistic paintings that are in the art genres of abstract and representational art.  He wants people to see objects in his artwork that they do not see at first glance.

		Art Exemplar: Title: Soliloquium: IV Artist: Dan Howard (b. 1931) Media: pen and ink, watercolor on paper, and oil on canvas Plate/Date: March, 2003

State Standard/Curriculum areas

Nebraska Language Arts 4.2.3

National Visual Arts 1 and 6

Objectives

• Students will interpret Dan Howard’s work by explaining the story behind the horse in Dan Howard’s, Soliloquium:IV.
• Students will observe relationships of the artistic process of writing and visual art by examining Dan Howard’s work and composing a narrative.
• Students will compare their interpretations of the story behind the horse by correlating their writings with their own semi-realistic art piece.

Assessment

Use the state or district for language arts and visual arts:

Rubric generators

Resources

Museum of Nebraska Art

Art information/vocabulary

Materials

• Paper
• Pencil
• White construction paper
• Crayons
• Watercolors
• Abstract art examples
• Representational art examples

Vocabulary dictionary

Soliloquy: A dramatic or literary form of discourse in which a character talks to himself or herself or reveals his or her thoughts without addressing a listener (American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 2000).

Abstract art: a style that uses textures, shapes, colors, and designs to make an object not look real. Many shapes and a lack of detail make abstract art.

Representational art shows objects and people you can recognize. How things look in real life.

Teaching

1. Web Making Activity:  What is the story behind the horse?
2. Dan Howard was born in 1931 in Iowa City,Iowa.  Howard has been the recipient of over 100 awards honors during his 40-year career as an artist and educator.  He was the chairman of the art department at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln from 1974-?  Dan Howard paints semi-realistic paintings that are in the art genres of abstract and representational art.  He wants people to see objects in his artwork that they do not see at first glance.  He still lives in Lincoln, Nebraska with his wife Barbara.
3. Brainstorm the various stories behind the horse in the painting.  How do you think he is feeling?  What do you hear?
4. Vocabulary—Review the meaning of each vocabulary word. Bring artwork examples of the various types of art. Then check for understanding by playing a vocabulary concentration game.
5. Show the process that Howard used to make Soliloquium, IV. Demonstrate the correlation between the artistic process and the writing process. (Pre-write=sketch, Four Square=sketch with color, Rough Draft=Watercolor, and Publish=Oil on canvas).

Creating

1. Students will produce a narrative writing piece with the story behind the horse.  They will focus on making the stories have a beginning, middle, and end.  Students will go through the writing process of pre-write, four square, rough draft, and published final draft.
2. Using the story behind the horse, students will sketch the main idea of their story.
3. Using their sketch, they will pencil in the drawing and color it with crayon.
4. Using their crayon drawing, they will create a watercolor painting.
5. Using their watercolor painting, the students will create an art piece using oil pastels.
6. Construct a comparison chart that illustrates how students progressed through the writing process and the art making process using the same type of process.
7. Students will be able to correlate their writings with the various art pieces while displaying for the school to see.

Extension/Related Activities

Art

• A visit from the artist, Dan Howard can extend what was learned in the classroom.
• The students can put their stories and sketching artwork on handheld computers using the program, SKETCHY.