Art from other times and places...

It's my favorite time of year in the classroom - time to start our multicultural units!
Don't get me wrong, we study art history all year long from lesson to lesson, but these units are in depth studies of a specific culture or era, involving a number of different activities. It is exciting to think that by the time students leave Dolvin as a middle schooler, they have had art history experience that truly crosses the world and thousands of years.
Here is the list of topics by grade level and as seen on our world map - check back soon to see our progress!
K - Prehistoric art
1 - African art
2 - Asian art
3 - Art of Ancient civilizations
4 - Mexican art
5 - Medieval/Renaissance

Here's a sneak peek... which culture are these students learning about?





Using a timeline

My students have enjoyed looking at the art history timeline I posted outside my room this year. I really enjoy looking at timelines - being a visual person, it really helps me place historical events in my head.

I have purchased and inherited several timelines from various catalogs and classrooms - every one of them has been so incredibly LONG that is was nearly impossible to use or display it. So I made my own, with each time period on its own sheet so that I can effectively scale down to a particular era (it's not often you need to look at Paleolithic fossils and Pop art at the same time, although it sounds like a fun challenge). So, for example, when we begin an Impressionism lesson, we can look at what came before and what came after in the art world.  I really like seeing how art changed after the invention of the modern camera!

I also like including important tidbits that are happening in other parts of the world. Before it comes down from the hall, I am hoping that students might select their favorite time in art history and we will graph the responses.