Each year Morning Star Elementary School in Bozeman, Montana participates in

Original Works project. Students create original artwork that can then be purchased

in various forms by parents (i.e. mugs, shirts, mouse pads). This particular project

allows the teacher to connect curriculum content to art and students to create

original artwork.

Bozeman, Montana is a small community in southwest Montana that is home

to Montana State University, many profitable technology companies and non-profits.

Morning Star Elementary is located at the southeast boundary of Bozeman School

District. This location provides ample mountain views of the Bridger Mountains to

the north, as well as Hyalite and Spanish Peaks to the south. An open field lays to

the west, providing distant views of the Tobacco Root Mountains. Houses lie to the

immediate east. A majority of the students attending the school are from middle to

upper income families. Many families have access to resources that greatly benefit

the school and are highly involved in all aspects of school life.

This fifth grade class was ready for a challenge in this year’s original artwork

project. This fifth grade class currently has thirty-one students. There are fourteen

girls and seventeen boys. Four students currently have IEPs. One of these IEP

students struggles primarily with math concepts and reading comprehension. The

other three IEP students require additional assistance in writing, math,

organizational skills and behavior management strategies. A majority of the

students are Caucasian, but there is an African American/Caucasian female and an

Eastern Shoshone male in the class. Student desks are arranged four to six desks in

a group, which allows for cooperative learning.

The purpose of the Original Works project is to create a colorful piece of art

that represents the student at this point in time. Past projects have focused on a

portrait of the student or a favorite animal, sport, etc. The concept of surrealism and

cubism as introduced through Marc Chagall presented a challenge to the students to

incorporate facets of their lives within their piece. Students had to alter their

conceptual, organized ideas into an imaginative disarray of images.

The pre- and post-assessments (Appendix A) consisted of three simple

questions to evaluate prior learning. Who is Marc Chagall? What is surrealism?

What is cubism? Most students connected the class schedule to the content of the

lesson and identified Chagall as an artist. This content was unchartered territory for

the students. Most attempted to answer the questions to the best of their ability, or

they responded with question marks to signify no answer. Each question was

valued at two-points, for a possible total of six points. The following graphs

demonstrate prior knowledge of the lesson content and average result differences

between boys and girls.

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Chagall Lesson Pre-Assessment Results

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Figure 1 Pre-Assessment Boy and Girl Result Comparison

Figure 1 illustrates boys scoring mostly zero or two points, no boys scored

higher than a 3, or fifty percent. Most girls scored one point with the highest score

being a four. On average, girls scored higher than boys with an average of 2 points

and boys scoring an average of 1 point. Due to more boys than girls in the class, the

class average was 1 point. The following lesson describes in detail the methods

utilized to present and assess learned content.

Marc Chagall Art Lesson

Standard Information: 5th gradeEstimated Time: One 30-minute lesson with continued work time over the course of several weeks.

Title: Expressing ourselves through the eyes of Chagall.

Lesson Description: Students will be introduced to the artistic methods of Chagall and techniques of cubism and surrealism. Students will create an original art piece using the same techniques as Chagall.

Objective: Students will describe who Marc Chagall is. Students will explain the idea of surrealism. Students will define or illustrate the method of cubism. Students will create an original art piece using surrealism and cubism

techniques.

Key Words/Concepts: Marc Chagall: 20th century Russian Jew artist who blended surrealism and

cubism. Surrealism: images representing thoughts, dreams and fantasies; unreal and

imaginary. Cubism: method of art turning life forms into abstract geometric shapes,

often on a set of planes.

Students Background Knowledge: Students begin this lesson with no previously knowledge of Marc Chagall, surrealism or cubism. Students are aware that this information is being presented during an art lesson.

Materials and Teaching Aides: Marc Chagall: Life is a Dream by Britta Hoepler Marc Chagall: Art for Children by Ernest Raboff Pre and Post-Assessment Scratch paper and pencil Elmo Official Original Art paper (8 ½” x 11”) and student labels Extra Fine Point Black Sharpies, markers, pastels, crayons

Classroom Management: Students will remain at their desks during pre-assessment. After the pre-assessment, the teacher will lead a short discussion on the pre-assessment questions and continue to the lesson content. After instruction, students will work independently and be allowed to visit with their tablemates.

Assessment: The teacher will monitor each student’s engagement during each segment of the lesson. The teacher will record students staying on task and following directions. Summative assessment consists of the post-assessment quiz and final original art piece. Introduction of the rubric for grading their artwork will be presented during initial instruction.

Standards: Montana Standards for Arts 5th grade Content Standard 1—Students create, perform/exhibit, and respond in the Arts. Content Standard 2—Students apply and describe the concepts, structures, and

processes in the Arts.

Links outside this lesson: Students will continue work on their original artwork during read aloud, independent work time and recess.

Accommodation for Diversity: Students may use books and the Internet to help formulate ideas for drawing images. Teacher and/or aide will assist students in measuring borders, tracing initial sketch in Sharpie and coloring difficult areas.

Technology Integration: The Elmo and projector are utilized to present images of Chagall paintings for students to analyze. Students who are struggling with creating initial drafts are invited to use classroom computers to look at images.

Indian Education for All Integration: The teacher leads a class discusses on how Native American art is similar to Chagall’s pieces. The class discusses how Native Americans used art to tell stories, just as students are using art to tell stories about themselves. The discussion also includes ways to identify objects and figures in a painting to discover meaning. Essential Understanding 6 says, “History is a story most often related through the subjective experience of the teller.”

Model: Hunter Model Anticipatory Set: Please answer the questions on the handout the best you can.

If you are not sure, give your best guess. Who is Marc Chagall? What is surrealism? What is cubism?

Lesson Objective: Students will be able to describe who Marc Chagall is and the techniques he used in his paintings. Students will define surrealism and cubism, as well as demonstrate these concepts in their own piece.

Teacher Input: The teacher will read about the life of Marc Chagall and lead a discussion about who he was, why he created surreal pieces and how to identify cubism in Chagall’s art. Students will then be introduced the original artwork project’s parameters of completing their own piece for reproduction.

o The teacher will demonstrate the process of creating a surrealist piece of art on the Elmo. The teacher drafts a 1 inch border, draws a figure coming out of the border, rotates the paper ninety degrees, draws a mountain

emerging from the border with a tree growing up the middle of it, rotates the paper ninety degrees, sketches a sun that can also be viewed as the profile of a girl, etc.

o Students are instructed to draft their original art. Figures need to be large and uncomplicated so that they may be reproduced. The final piece must be fully filled in (small sections may be visible if part of a figure).

o It needs to represent who they are. Once the design is approved, students will receive the paper for the final piece.

o When students receive the final piece, the teacher instructs students to measure a minimum of a 1-inch border and to sketch their piece in pencil.

o When the sketch is approved, students may outline their picture in Sharpie and begin coloring with bright colors (i.e. color a tree blue).

o Completed pieces are hung around the class as examples for other students.

o Finished pieces will be sent home with a form to order products with the image on it.

Checking for Understanding: Conferencing with students while they work will allow the teacher to assess the students’ level of understanding.

Guided Practice: The teacher will guide the initial conversation of Chagall, surrealism and cubism. Students will work independently on their original art, conferring occasionally with their neighbor.

Individual Practice: The original artwork needs to represent who the student is; therefore, it must be completed individually.

Formative Assessment: The attached rubric will be used to assess student’s ability to transfer their understanding of Chagall, surrealism and cubism to their own personal original artwork. A post-assessment will demonstrate attainment of the learning goals.

Attachments: Pre and Post Assessment, Rubric for original art, Chagall sample and original art samples.

Students made surprising gains in their knowledge and understanding of

surrealism and cubism. The post-assessment scores surpassed the pre-assessment scores

and student artwork. In addition, further demonstrated their understanding of Chagall’s

surreal, cubist techniques. Original works were assessed by the rubric presented in

Appendix A. Of the thirty-one students, twenty-nine completed their original works.

One student did not complete the project because he/she was absent for an extended

period; the other student, currently on an IEP program, became frustrated with the

project.

All but one student scored higher on the post-assessment than the pre-assessment.

The class average increased from 1 point to an average of 4 points on the post-

assessment. The girls continued to score higher on the post-assessment, averaging 5

points compared to the boys’ average of 4 points. The following graphs demonstrate

post-assessment results by points scored out of six and a comparison of girl and boy

averages.

Figure 2 illustrates the points scored on the post-assessment, comparing boys and

girls results. Figure 3 demonstrates class improvement between the pre- and post-

assessments.

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Chagall Lesson Post-Assessment Results

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Figure 2 Boys and Girls Post-Assessment Results Comparison

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Chagall Lesson Pre and Post Assessment Comparison

Pre TestPost Test

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Figure 3 Pre- and Post-Assessment Comparison

At the beginning, some students voiced reluctance to altering known images and

rising to the challenge of surrealism. The student samples in Appendix C demonstrate

the success students achieved after applying their knowledge of surrealism and cubism.

The original works were evaluated on craftsmanship, creativity/aesthetics and remaining

on task. Craftsmanship refers to clear and concise shapes and lines defined by rich colors

presented in markers, crayons or pastels. The creativity and aesthetic category refers to

student originality, ability to emphasize surrealism and cubism techniques, and visually

appealing presentation. Finally, students were assessed on their ability to complete the

project in a timely manner and use materials responsibly. The original works artwork

assessment is based on a total of 25 points. The class averaged a score of 20 points. A

majority of boys scored 19 points, whereas, a majority of girls scored 21 or 25 points.

Figure 4 demonstrates the scores for boys and girls.

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Original Works Scores

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Recorded Points Scored - Minimum 0, Maximum 25

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Figure 4 Original Works Boys and Girls Scores

The pre- and post-assessment results indicate the lesson was successful. Students

were able to utilize their imagination and produce works different from previous

experiences. Students gained an understanding that art is produced using different

methods and also gained the ability to recognize these different methods in other pieces.

On multiple occasions illustrations were presented in textbooks and magazines that

possessed surrealist and cubism attributes. Students were able to identify a similarity to

Marc Chagall and techniques of surrealist and cubism from other print sources

This was a fun project to begin student teaching. Even students that began

reluctantly quickly embraced the new methods of surrealism and cubism. Music was

played during independent work time to set a mood for engagement and provide a

welcoming environment.

As the semester has progressed, connections to Chagall and his techniques have

arisen in other subject areas. In math, students learned about finding area of

parallelograms and prisms, common figures in cubism. Many students carried their

understanding of surrealism into the creation of their social studies Founding Fathers

posters of Benjamin Franklin.

Three of the four IEP students did very well; only one of these students did not

complete his/her artwork. The final artwork of these students was complex and

insightful. The Eastern Shoshone student represented his culture through the piece by

including images of cultural traditions he participates in. Another student who struggles

with handwriting created an accurately proportioned and detailed piece.

The student who did not complete the project provided insight for

accommodations in future projects. For instance, a variety of tools, calendars and

magazines would help the student brainstorm ideas and stencils would aid in drawing

shapes and figures. If the student is still struggling, the use of computers to make

pictures created by the student that could be colored by hand; this eliminates the drawing

stages.

According to the post-assessment, all students did gain new knowledge in the art

content presented on Chagall, surrealism and cubism. Further in-class discussions on

Chagall, surrealism, and cubism and conferencing with individual students showed their

interest in the content. Many students were able to recall details about Marc Chagall’s

life from Hoepler’s book Marc Chagall: Life is a Dream (1998). This book engaged

students with a story of Chagall’s life and showed his most famous paintings. On several

occasions I found students leafing through the books provided to gather ideas and marvel

at his innovative style.

This project could certainly be used within any subject area. It allows students to

organize their understanding in a way that makes sense to them, particularly those

students who doodle. This project could allow students to demonstrate reading

comprehension through illustrations, strengthen coal studies concepts, mathematical

figures, and science concepts.

This lesson was successful because students ultimately learned to perceive image

representation through a non-linear and spatially complex manner. They challenged

themselves to reach beyond their previous skills into unchartered territory. Some

students produced surprisingly innovative pieces. They were able to look beyond what

they believed to be normal and awaken their imagination. It was a pleasure watching

student reluctance transfer into amusement, then self-amazement as students became

absorbed in their creations and entered the world of Marc Chagall.

References

Chagall, Marc. 1911. I and the Village. (oil on canvas). Retrieved from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chagall_IandTheVillage.jpg

Hoepler, B. (1998). Marc Chagall: Life is a Dream. Prestel Publishing: New York, NY.

Office of Public Instruction. (2010). Essential understandings. Indian Education for All.

Raboff, E. (1988). Marc Chagall: Art for Children. Bantam Dell Publishing: New York,

NY.

Appendix A

Name: ____________________________

1) Who is Marc Chagall?

2) What is surrealism?

3) What is cubism?

Grade 5 Chagall Original Artwork RubricN NP P AP

Craftsmanship 10 pts

N - 1

The media is used sloppily. Erasures are evident. Graphite is left uncovered by marker or oil pastels. The images are difficult to identify.

NP - 4

The media is used somewhat sloppily. Erasures are evident. The marker and oil pastel lines are not strong. The images are somewhat messy.

P -7

The media is used appropriately. The oil pastel and marker lines are clear and strong. The images are easily identifiable

AP -10

The media is used exceptionally well. The oil pastel and marker lines are strong and some shapes were filled. The images are clearly recognizable and clearly drawn with contrasting colors.

Creativity and Aesthetics 10 pts

N -1

The work displays no creativity. The images are poorly drawn. There is no evidence of Cubist or Surrealist inspiration.

NP - 4

The work displays some creativity. The images are drawn somewhat nicely. There is some evidence of Cubist or Surrealist inspiration.

P - 7

The work displays much creativity. The profile is drawn very nicely. There is clear evidence of Cubist or Surrealist inspiration.

AP - 10

The work is exciting to view and aesthetically pleasing. The profile is drawn exceptionally well. There is clear evidence of Cubist or Surrealist inspiration, but the student's originality also shines through.

On Task and Behavior 5 pts

N -2

The student is almost always off task during work time, does not follow directions, or refuses to participate in the project fully.

NP - 3

The student is frequently off task during work time and may not follow directions.

P - 4

The student is usually on task and follows directions for the project.

AP - 5

The student is always on task during work time and always follows the directions for the project the first time they are given.

Appendix B

Appendix C