<p>How does the past influence the present and future? Compare forms in contemporary architecture with those of buildings from ancient and Renaissance times. What similarities can you find? </p>

<p>See: Where are these people? What are they doing?</p><p>Think: Have you ever done something like that outside? </p><p>Wonder: I wonder what it would be like to go there.  What would I see, smell, taste, touch, or hear?</p><p>Choose an image and imagine yourself being in that place. Then use that as inspiration for a drawing, painting, or collage. </p>

<p>First, sort the images by type of art/artist. Teacher should make index card headings for the following categories: Painting/Painter, Textile/Weaver, Clothing/Fashion Designer, Architecture/Architect, Prints/Printmaker, Sculpture/Sculptor, Functional Ceramics/Potter or Ceramist. Sometimes an image may cross categories (painting of a house might be categorized in architecture or painting); either answer would be acceptable if the student can justify why.</p><p>Second, make an educated guess about culture represented in selected images. Students can "guess and check" with teacher. Online research option: students work in pairs to access this collection and click on the info button for an image to learn about the maker, time period, and culture. They can record their findings to help answer the reflection questions below.</p><p>After the sorting activities, ask students to choose an image and answer: <em> Why is/was this object of value (or useful)? How do you think it expresses something important to the people of that culture? </em></p>

<p>Everyone enjoys a festival or celebration! Let's look at some. . . </p><ul><li>Observe  images and guess which culture each represents.</li><li>Play "I Spy Juxtaposition." Work with a small group to examine an image and find where the artist has juxtaposed symbols or text with the image to create meaning. </li><li>What might you include in an artwork about a festival or celebration?  Would there be dances, special music, food, clothing, or activities?</li></ul><p>Art making challenge:  Collaborate in a small group to create a design for a booth, stage, or other area for a cultural tradition at a festival. Designs will be combined into a festival mural.</p>

<p>Artists can abstract people and objects in many ways. Which methods of abstraction can you identify in these artworks?</p> <ul><li>Simplify</li><li>Fragment (or explode; break into pieces)</li><li>Multiply </li><li>Rearrange (move the parts around)</li><li>Magnify (change the scale)</li><li>Distort (change the shape) </li><li>Morph (change into something else)</li><li>Arbitrary Colors</li></ul><p>Art making prompt: arrange some objects to draw. Then choose an abstraction method to create an artwork based on the objects you see.</p> <p></p>

<p> There are many ways that families have fun together. Have you done some of these activities with your family? Draw or paint a picture of you and your family enjoying an activity together.</p>

<p>This collection supports learning in the Grade 4 gesture drawing and wire sculpture lessons. Activities:</p> <ul><li>Realism vs. Abstraction: students sort sculptures of the human figure into two categories (realistic or abstract). Describe the ways that some artists abstract the human figure.</li><li>Compare contrast 2D/3D: identify the shapes an artist used to portray the human figure in a gesture drawing, then identify the equivalent forms used in a sculpture. Record findings in a T-chart.</li></ul><p><br /></p>