Ada Caldwell

“Building a Dream”

Provided by the South Dakota Art Museum

Brookings, South Dakota

South Dakota Artists Curriculum Unit

Unit of Study: Ada Caldwell, painter

Title of Lesson Plan: Building a Dream

Grade Level: 3 – 5

South Dakota Content StandardsGeometry:

3.G.1.1 Students are able to recognize and compare the following plane and solid geometric figures: square, rectangle, triangle, cube, sphere, and cylinder.

3.G.2.1 Students are able to demonstrate relationships between figures using similarity and congruence.

4.G.1.1 Students are able to identify the following plane and solid figures: pentagon, hexagon, octagon, pyramid, rectangular prism, and cone.

4.G.1.2 Students are able to identify parallel, perpendicular, and intersecting lines.

South Dakota Content Standards

Geometry continued:

4.G.2.1 Students are able to compare geometric figures using size, shape, orientation, congruence, and similarity.

5.G.1.1 Students are able to describe and identify isosceles and equilateral triangles, pyramids, rectangular prisms, and cones.

5.G.1.2 Students are able to identify acute, obtuse, and right angles.

5.G.2.1 Students are able to determine lines of symmetry in rectangles, squares, and triangles.

South Dakota Content Standards

Writing:

3.W.1.3 Students can write a paragraph using supporting

details.

4.W.1.2 Students can create sentences using words that

describe, explain, or provide additional details and

connections.

5.W.1.1 Students can compose narrative, descriptive,

expository, and persuasive text of one paragraph.

South Dakota Content Standards

Geography:

4.G.1.2 Students are able to locate major South Dakota

geographical and political features.

Assessment Strategies

Class discussion

Identification of geometric shapes

Evaluation of student writing using 6+1 Writing Traits as a

guide

Locate places on a SD map

Learning Objectives

Students will learn about South Dakota artist Ada Caldwell.

Students will evaluate the painting using VTS techniques.

Students will identify geometric shapes in architecture.

Students will write about what they think might go on in this type of

space.

Students will locate Brookings, SD (SDSU campus) using a SD map.

Differentiate characteristics of an outdoor theater vs. an indoor

theater.

Time Required One class period of 45 minutes

Materials/Technology Needed Images of the Coolidge Sylvan Theater at South Dakota State

University

Journals

Pens/pencils

Map(s) of South Dakota

Background Information

Ada Caldwell taught art at Yankton College from 1898-1899

and then at South Dakota State from 1899-1936. Not only was

she known for painting, drawing, and block paintings, she was

also interested in architectural design. Caldwell’s vision of

designing an outdoor theater for the SDSU campus became a

reality. In 1927 the Coolidge Sylvan Theater was dedicated by

Mrs. Grace Coolidge and accompanied by her husband

President Calvin Coolidge (Huseboe 237).

Lesson Description Briefly discuss how geometric shapes are vital to architecture.

Have students come up with examples of geometric shapes used

in architecture.

Show students images of the Coolidge Sylvan Theater at SDSU,

but do not tell them what this area is named or what it is used for.

Have students identify as many different types of geometric

shapes as they can find in the architecture of this structure

(rectangles, triangles, pyramids, squares, etc.). You could do this

individually, in small groups, or as an entire class.

Lesson Description continued Next, have students use VTS observation to journal about what

they think this structure is, what it might be used for, and what leads them to this decision.

**Another idea would be to have students draw what they believe goes on in this space.

After students have completed their journaling, discuss their ideas with the rest of the class.

Explain to students that this is an outdoor theater located on the SDSU campus. Pass out maps of SD to have students locate Brookings on a state map.

Students could differentiate this type of theater with an indoor theater.

Enrichment Divide students into groups. Have students create and perform

a one-act type play that they would perform in a theater of this

design.

Bibliography/Resources

Coolidge Sylvan Theater image from the South Dakota Art

Museum (attached)

Huseboe, A.R. An Illustrated History of the Arts in South Dakota.

Sioux Falls, S.D. : Center for Western Studies, Augustana College,

1989. 237.

“Multimedia Art Glossary.” Harcourt School Publishers.

<http://www.harcourtschool.com/glossary/art_everywhere/final/>.

Ada Caldwell Presentation to

Students

Ada Caldwell

Image Courtesy of the South Dakota Art Museum

Ada Caldwell

Born September 28, 1869

Died 1938

Attended University of Nebraska and Chicago Art

Institute

In 1898, accepted position as head of Art Department at

Yankton College

Ada Caldwell

1899

Professor of Art and head of the Art Department at South

Dakota State College (now South Dakota State University)

Set up the College Art Club which was open to students

and faculty

Put together a traveling art exhibit every year for the

Art Department

Open to public

No admission charge

Ada Caldwell

Talented in many areas of art such as drawing and

painting with watercolor and oil

Taught Harvey Dunn when he attended South Dakota

State College

Encouraged Dunn to attend Chicago Art Institute

Proposed the idea of building Sylvan Theatre

Bibliography

South Dakota Art Collection

Ada Caldwell

South Dakota Print Collection at the South Dakota Art Museum

Ada Caldwell print: Missouri Cabin

Ada Caldwell print: Trees, Rice Lake, WI

Caldwell Painting Collection at the South Dakota Art Museum

Ada Caldwell painting: untitled (mountain landscape)

*For more information contact the South Dakota Art Museum

Coolidge Sylvan Theater at South Dakota State University

Examples

of

Ada Caldwell’s Artwork

Missouri Cabin

Image Courtesy of the South Dakota Art Museum

Trees, Rice Lake, WI

Image Courtesy of the South Dakota Art Museum

untitled (mountain landscape)

Image Courtesy of the South Dakota Art Museum