You are on page 1of 5

Art as a Primary Source

Grade 4
Visual Arts & Social Studies

Goal: Merging the Visual Arts curriculum with Social Studies, 4th graders will observe,
interpret and analyze artwork as a primary source -- using digitized documents from the
Library of Congress that depict life in New York during the early 1900’s.

Objectives: Students will:

Understand how different types of artwork (photography, cinematography,


illustration, etc.) can be studied as a primary source.
Work in problem-solving partnerships to analyze and interpret primary
source documents from the Library of Congress.
Use blogging to demonstrate their understandings and sharpen their Web
2.0 inquiry skills.

Standards:
NY Social Studies Standard 1: History of the United States and New York:
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding
of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the
United States and New York.
Visual Arts Standard 3: Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art
Students will respond critically to a variety of works in the arts, connecting the
individual work to other works and to other aspects of human endeavor and
thought.
Visual Arts Standard 4: Understanding the Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of
the Arts
Students will develop an understanding of the personal and cultural forces that
shape artistic communication and how the arts in turn shape the diverse cultures of
past and present society.
21st Century Learning: Information Literacy, Life & Career Skills (Social skills),
Learning & Innovation Skills (Critical thinking and problem solving)
ISTE NETS 3, 4

Time Required: 1 - 2 class periods

Pre-requisites: Students will already be familiar with using VTS (Visual Thinking Skills) to
interpret works of art, and have completed units of study on New York State history with
their classroom teacher.

Materials:
Computer lab; outfitted with 24 computers and internet access
Art room blog with Page pre-designed for unit of study
Link to interactive ORQ (Observe, Reflect, Question) as pdf.
Primary Sources from LOC.gov (see works cited below)

Lesson Overview:
Students will discover, through visual analysis of primary sources, what life was like
in New York State during the early 1900’s. After recording their observations,
reflections and questions in the interactive pdf, they will post a comment to the
blog, comparing the different kinds of information they gathered from the
different sources (film vs. newspapers vs. posters) and how they give us a glimpse
into the past.

Lesson Blog Link: http://purchasepawprints.blogspot.com/p/art-as-primary-source.html

Procedures:
1. Students will meet in the media lab smart board for whole-group instruction on
how to access the art room blog, locate the Page: “Art as a Primary Sources”
on the sidebar, view the documents and respond by posting a comment.
Students will view the Library of Congress video to understand the authenticity
of lesson documents.
2. Review VTS strategies, answer questions, and divide into cooperative pairs.
3. Working at the computer stations, students will view the digitized documents
from the LOC site, using the Analysis Tool to Observe, Reflect and Question –
either typing text on interactive PDF and printing out a copy, or working on a
pre-printed hand-out. The following class, they will use their observations,
reflections and questions to post a comment on the blog and further student-
generated discussions about using primary sources to learn about New York
State history.
4. Come back together as a whole class to read comments, compare and contrast
the different responses and discuss advantages or disadvantages to learning in
this digitized, paperless way (no written paperwork, only posting to the blog).
5. Discuss how artists have played an important role in documenting New York
history. What kinds of primary sources leave the most clues? Do we learn more
from a film or a painting? How do they capture different perspectives?
6. Extension: Students can choose one of the following activities:
a. Participate in a Voice Thread on another the selection of primary
documents, featured in a separate blog Page.
b. Explore the Library of Congress website on their own and share
one document they enjoyed or one part of the site they would like
to recommend.
c. Respond to the quote: " Tell me and I forget. Show me and I
remember. Involve me and I understand." - Chinese proverb
What does this mean to you?

Evaluation: Evaluation will be based on the Primary Source Analysis Tool, posted blog
comments, class discussion, and teacher observation.
Works Cited

Emigrants [i.e. immigrants] landing at Ellis Island / Thomas A. Edison, Inc.


Published/Created: United States : Thomas A. Edison, Inc., 1903.
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mbrsmi/lcmp002.m2a10987

Fall and Winter ... Emergence of Advertising in America: 1850-1920, 1915 ncdeaa
A0200 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.award/ncdeaa.A0200, Lib of Congress. 23 April 2011
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/eaa/ephemera/A02/A0200/A0200-01-72dpi.html

Move on / Thomas A. Edison, Inc. Published/Created: United States : Thomas A. Edison,


Inc. 1903. United States. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mbrsmi/lcmp002.m2a29915
Something New for the Boys Emergence of Advertising in America: 1850-1920 , 1876
ncdeaa A0655 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.award/ncdeaa.A0655

Scene in Printing-House Square, New York City Elevated railway in Greenwich Street,
New York City /Scene in Printing-House Square, New York City Elevated railway in
Greenwich Street, New York City / / sketched by Stanley Fox, 1868.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3c20322/

“The War of the Nations (New York), December 31, 1919.” The war of the nations:
portfolio in rotogravure etchings: compiled from the Mid-week pictorial. New
York: New York Times, Co., 1919. American Memory. Lib of Congress. 23
April 2011 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gdc/sgpwar.19191231
Additional Resources

Library of Congress , History Channel, video


http://www.pbs.org/teacherline/video/play/1634377618/

Primary Source Analysis Tool (PDF, 53 KB)


http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/resources/Primary_Source_Analysis_T
ool.pdf

Selected Library of Congress Resources for New York. Lib. of Congress. 24 April 2011.
<http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/states/newyo
rk/index.html >
Teacher’s Guide: Analyzing Photographs and Prints. Lib. of Congress. 24 April 2011.
<http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/resources/Analyzing_Photogr
aphs_and_Prints.pdf>
Teacher’s Guide: Analyzing Primary Sources. Lib. of Congress. 24 April 2011.
<http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/resources/Analyzing_Primary
_Sources.pdf>

You might also like