ArtsConnectEd.org Ask an Educator

What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to teach landscapes to a grade 8 art class?

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:37:31 -0400

Title	What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to teach landscapes to a grade 8 art class?
Author	ArtsConnectEd
Date	August 26, 2009
Institution	ArtsConnectEd

Q: What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to teach landscapes to a grade 8 art class?

I have taught landscapes demonstrating foreground, middle ground, and background, watercolor sunsets, blending of color etc. Do you have any suggestions as well as some simple landscapes with maybe a farmhouse or building of some kind?

Margaret, 8th grade teacher

A: Here are some ideas for resources that might be useful for teaching about landscapes with your 8th graders.

In art finder, search the Interactive Resources and Art Collector Sets tabs using the key word “landscape.” Some resources that come up might be especially helpful include: American Scenes: Teaching the Arts that explores diverse American landscape through the experiences of five artists in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. If you open the related items tab you can also find inks to more art works and art collector sets on similar themes.

The Art Collector Set “Window onto the World” might also be of interest for 8th graders who wish to explore a broader idea of landscape. It uses the subject of landscape as a reference point. The purpose of this set is to get students thinking about image as illusion and a vehicle for expressing one's viewpoint or world/environment.

Finally, you can search the Art Finder tab using the key word “landscape”, “sunset”, farmhouse, or “barn” (just a few terms that come to mind) to discover artworks with images that relate to your interests. You can make your own Art Collector Set of the ones that you think will serve as inspiration to your students.

ArtsConnectEd

What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to teach an art class to grade 8 students?

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:01:13 -0400

Title	What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to teach an art class to grade 8 students?
Author	Ask an Educator
Date	August 26, 2009
Institution	ArtsConnectEd

Q: What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to teach an art class to grade 8 students?

What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to teach an art class to grade 8 students? I will be teaching a Grade 8 class once a week a general art class. I will be required to teach rhythm and balance and review the elements from grade 6 and 7 including line, color, symmetry, and medium. I am looking for a few simple projects as I am not an artist, but I would like to get a good result.

Margaret, 8th grade teacher

A: Here are some suggestions for how you might use ArtsConnectEd to create some learning resources for teaching about the elements and principles of art

Sounds like you have a great opportunity, but some work ahead planning for your 8th graders. Here are some suggestions for how you might use ArtsConnectEd to create some learning resources for teaching about the elements and principles of art:

The Artist’s Toolkit would be a good place to start to review the elements and principles. You can link to it by going to the Art Finder, opening the “Interactive Resources” tab and scrolling down to The Artist’s Toolkit icon. This interactive web site includes animated illustrations of elements in works of art, an illustrated encyclopedia of Elements and Principles, videos of two artists working with them, and opportunities for students to create simple works online. If you can bring your students into a computer lab, they would enjoy exploring this site on their own, or you can use it for a class presentation or demonstration.

You can also create your own Art Collector sets to demonstrate these elements to your students. I would recommend entering keywords such as “rhythm”, “balance”, “pattern” etc. in the art finder and then save the results that you like in an Art Collector Set. You can also browse through all the works of art with images to discover more. I know this may seem daunting, because there are so many works of art on ACE, but it is really a good way to discover hidden artwork treasures. If you do find a work that is a good example of an art element, be sure to tag it with that term so others can also find it.

Once you have created an Art Collector set or sets to demonstrate the elements or principals you wish to teach, you can add discussion questions or assignments to the set by writing in the “description” box for the set or the “display annotation” box for individual slides. You can also combine slides to create comparison/contrast opportunities.

You can share it with your students in a number of ways using the options available in “Set Actions”:

Use the present mode for a classroom discussion or demonstration.
Save it as a PDF to present offline.
Create handouts or printable versions of the set.

You can also use an art collector set you have created as an assignment for your students. They will also need to register as ArtsConnectEd users.
Create a link to your set, and then have students duplicate it to their art collector sets.
This is a good way to have students respond to art works you select and answer questions you pose. They can email the set with their replies back to you.
For instance, test their knowledge about an element through prompts in the annotations such as:
“Describe how this art work shows rhythm (or another element or principle).”
“How did this artist use line (or color, or another element) as an expressive tool in this work? How might you change that element to express a different mood or feeling?”
“Both of these artworks employ shape (or another element). Compare or contrast how each artist uses it in the composition.”
“What art works in this collection show symmetrical balance? Which show asymmetrical? How can you tell?”

A set can also serve as inspiration for students to make an artwork using that element:
“Pick one artwork from this collection that interests or attracts you. List the elements and principles that you notice. Create a drawing, painting or collage that transforms it somehow by changing how the elements or principles are used.”

I am sure once you get started, you will think of other creative ways to use Art Collector Sets to review and teach about the elements of principles of art. If you have some that you think work well with your students, consider submitting them to ArtsConnectEd so we can share it with all our users!

Are there resources for the "Picturing America" curriculum on ArtsConnectEd?

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:02:43 -0400

Title	Are there resources for the "Picturing America" curriculum on ArtsConnectEd?
Author	Ask an Educator
Date	July 2009
Institution	ArtsConnectEd

Q: Are there resources for the "Picturing America" curriculum on ArtsConnectEd?

I will be teaching the "Picturing America" curriculum in my 4th grade classroom. I know that the MIA has many works of art by the same artists that are included in the handbook. Are there additional resources on ArtsConnectEd?

4th grade teacher

A: The Minneapolis Institute of Arts' collection has examples by nearly all the artists represented, or has comparable works of art.

Check out the Art Collector Set titled Picturing America. Included is the famous Templeman Tea Service (teapot, coffee pot, creamer, sugar bowl, tea caddy, spoons, etc.) made by none other than Paul Revere, America's premier Revolutionary Period silversmith!

Minneapolis Institute of Arts Teacher Resources

What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to engage 5th grade students in a civics lesson?

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:52:55 -0400

Title	What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to engage 5th grade students in a civics lesson?
Author	Ask an Educator
Date	July 2009
Institution	ArtsConnectEd

Q: What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to engage 5th grade students in a civics lesson?

I am excited about the possibilities presented by the new ArtsConnectEd. I am teaching a unit on the roles of citizens in the American Democracy. Can you suggest an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd in a related activity?

5th Grade Social Sciences Teacher

A: A scavenger hunt activity is a good way to engage students in both the topic, in this case civics, and the Arts.

Start with a group discussion on the responsibilites and charactaristics of citizenship in the United States.
Create a list of those responsibilities and characteristics as identified as part of the discussion.
Ask your students to use ArtsConnectEd to build an Art Collector Set of at least three works of art that illustrate a responsibility or characteristic of an American citizen.
Have them write at least two paragraphs supporting their choice--why they chose this image-- in the Display Annotation for each work of art.
See the Help section for step-by-step instructions on how to build an Art Collector Set.
Note: You could also have the students print each image and write their supporting paragraphs on the back of each page.

Before we visit either museum, is there a way to see what is currently on view?

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:28:40 -0400

Title	Before we visit either museum, is there a way to see what is currently on view?
Author	Ask an Educator
Date	July 2009
Institution	ArtsConnectEd

Q: Before we visit either museum, is there a way to see what is currently on view?

I am bringing my students to the Twin Cities for a morning tour of the MIA and an afternoon tour of the Walker including the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Do you have a preview of what they will see?

A: Art Finder search results can be filtered by what is currently on view.

It is easy to see works on view at the MIA and Walker with ArtsConnectEd. Go to Art Finder and click on the Works of Art tab. You can filter your search by checking the On View box to filter, or show, only those works that are currently on view.

You can sort further by using the drop down box labeled Institution to select either Minneapolis Institute of Arts or Walker Art Center.

There are also two Art Collector Sets that might be helpful:
On View at the Walker 2009
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

Enjoy your visit!

How can I receive updates on teacher workshops and resources at the MIA?

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:23:48 -0400

Title	How can I receive updates on teacher workshops and resources at the MIA?
Author	Ask an Educator
Date	July 2009
Institution	ArtsConnectEd

Q: How can I receive updates on teacher workshops and resources at the MIA?

Is there a way I can receive updates about events, workshops, professional development opportunities as well as new resources for teachers at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts?

A: Sign up for the Teaching the Art e-mail newsletter

The MIA’s Teaching the Arts e-mail newsletter includes newly created MIA content for students and teachers (such as the MIA’s Teaching the Arts object features); events, workshops, and professional development opportunities for educators; suggestions for school tours topics; and information about exhibitions that relate to K-12 curriculum. The Teaching the Arts e-mail newsletter is published bimonthly throughout the school year.

To register for the Teaching the Arts e-mail newsletter, visit www.artsmia.org/teacher-resources/, click on the word Register, and fill out the form being sure to select your interest in the Teaching the Arts e-mail newsletter.

How can I use Art Collector Sets for quizzes and exams?

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:19:01 -0400

Title	How can I use Art Collector Sets for quizzes and exams?
Author	Ask an Educator
Date	May 4, 2009
Institution	ArtsConnectEd

Q: How can I use Art Collector Sets for quizzes and exams?

I am afraid a major use of many of my collections will be impossible in the new system. I have built lots of make-up quizzes and exams for an online course on ArtsConnectEd. It has been my practice to publish a make-up for only a limited length of time. I send the URL to individual students only after I receive their documentation for having missed the regular quiz/exam. With several hundred students taking the course each semester if I leave the collection (make-up quiz/exam) open, the website address with a set of answers will soon get around and the effectiveness of the quiz/exam will be lost.

Do you see any work-around solution to salvage my quizzes and exams?

From Mary Erickson

A: Art Collector Sets do not have to be submitted and published in order to be shared.

Many educators deliver the same (or a similar) quiz/test to multiple classes. In the past, students from one class have helped their friends cheat on the quiz by copying the Web address of the Art Collector Set when they took the quiz. They could then give the Web address of the quiz to their friends, who could use it to study beforehand.

To create a unique Quiz Set:

If you are not logged into ArtsConnectEd, log in now:
- Click the SIGN IN button in the top left-hand corner of the Web page.
- Enter the Username and Password you created when you registered.
- Click the SIGN IN button again.
Create your set.
Once you have created your Set, click the ART COLLECTOR button at the top of the screen. ArtsConnectEd shows all your Sets.
Open the Set you want to use as a quiz by clicking on its representational image or its title. The Set’s Detail page opens.
Title this Set. Include the word MASTER in your title. (This is a suggestion, you can name it whatever you like but this might help identify your original).
Locate the SET ACTIONS box in the upper right-hand corner of the Edit Set Detail page.
Click the Duplicate link in the left-hand column of the SET ACTIONS box.
A confirmation message opens. Click the OK button. ArtsConnectEd copies your quiz Set and opens the Edit Set Details page of the copied Set.
Rename the copied Set so that its title includes the name or number of the class section.
Click the SAVE SET button at the bottom of the screen.
Repeat steps 7 through 10 until you have created a duplicate of the Set for each class section.
Note: Each duplicate will have a different URL or Web address.
To capture the URL/Web address of each Set either:
- E-mail the link of each Set to yourself.
- Copy the link to each Set and paste the links into a Word document for later reference.
Repeat steps 12 until you have the links for all classes’ quizzes.

Important: As each class section ends delete that section's Set. This ensures that students in earlier classes cannot share valid Web addresses with students in later classes.
Do not delete you MASTER Set, as its URL has not been used for a quiz, and you may want to reuse this Set to create future tests.

These instructions are also included in the ArtsConnectEd Help section.

What do you have on ArtsConnectEd that I could use in my 6th grade language arts class?

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:55:50 -0400

Title	What do you have on ArtsConnectEd that I could use in my 6th grade language arts class?
Author	Ask an Educator
Date	July 2009
Institution	ArtsConnectEd

Q: What do you have on ArtsConnectEd that I could use in my 6th grade language arts class?

I like to use art to teach literacy. What resources are available on ArtsConnectEd?

6th grade teacher

A: There are a variety of ArtsConnectEd resources that integrate literacy learning goals with works of art.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started. You can find additional resources by searching the appropriate section in Art Finder.

Art Collector Sets
A Good Read
Building A Story
Charles Ray’s “Unpainted Sculpture”
Portraits
The Many Moods of Art
Words in Art
Images for Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS)

Interactive Resources
Art Today (Click on the Writing through Art section)
World Myths and Legends in Art

Consider creating your own Set of resources that could inspire student reading or writing. Sign in and click on Art Collector to start building your own Set. Share your work with the ArtsConnectEd community by clicking on “submit” to publish it.

Why are images not available for some works of art?

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:58:23 -0400

Title	Why are images not available for some works of art?
Author	Ask an Educator
Date	July 2009
Institution	ArtsConnectEd

Q: Why are images not available for some works of art?

I noticed that there are over 90,000 works of art in ArtsConnectEd but only a little over 19,000 have images. Why do you not have images for all works of art online?

Bill B.

A: Images of works of art are unavailable because of copyright restrictions or limits on time and resources needed to photograph the collections.

Some of the works of art in ArtsConnectEd are in the public domain. Works of art that are in the public domain are free of copyright restrictions. The public owns them; therefore anyone can use them for any purpose. Check out Stanford University Library's page on Public Domain.

All other works are protected by copyright. Permission must be granted for use on ArtsConnectEd for these works. Ownership of the object does not always include ownership of the copyright. Most works created after 1923 are covered by copyright or intellectual property law. ArtsConnectEd will not display an image of a work of art for which we do not have the necessary permissions from the copyright owner.

The remaining missing images are works that we haven't had the time or resources to document. We are constantly photographing our collections and are adding new images regularly.

ArtsConnectEd.org Ask an Educator

What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to teach landscapes to a grade 8 art class?

What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to teach landscapes to a grade 8 art class?

ArtsConnectEd

August 26, 2009

Q: What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to teach landscapes to a grade 8 art class?

A: Here are some ideas for resources that might be useful for teaching about landscapes with your 8th graders.

What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to teach an art class to grade 8 students?

What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to teach an art class to grade 8 students?

Ask an Educator

August 26, 2009

Q: What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to teach an art class to grade 8 students?

A: Here are some suggestions for how you might use ArtsConnectEd to create some learning resources for teaching about the elements and principles of art

Are there resources for the "Picturing America" curriculum on ArtsConnectEd?

Are there resources for the "Picturing America" curriculum on ArtsConnectEd?

Ask an Educator

July 2009

Q: Are there resources for the "Picturing America" curriculum on ArtsConnectEd?

A: The Minneapolis Institute of Arts' collection has examples by nearly all the artists represented, or has comparable works of art.

What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to engage 5th grade students in a civics lesson?

What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to engage 5th grade students in a civics lesson?

Ask an Educator

July 2009

Q: What is an effective way to use ArtsConnectEd to engage 5th grade students in a civics lesson?

A: A scavenger hunt activity is a good way to engage students in both the topic, in this case civics, and the Arts.

Before we visit either museum, is there a way to see what is currently on view?

Before we visit either museum, is there a way to see what is currently on view?

Ask an Educator

July 2009

Q: Before we visit either museum, is there a way to see what is currently on view?

A: Art Finder search results can be filtered by what is currently on view.

How can I receive updates on teacher workshops and resources at the MIA?

How can I receive updates on teacher workshops and resources at the MIA?

Ask an Educator

July 2009

Q: How can I receive updates on teacher workshops and resources at the MIA?

A: Sign up for the Teaching the Art e-mail newsletter

How can I use Art Collector Sets for quizzes and exams?

How can I use Art Collector Sets for quizzes and exams?

Ask an Educator

May 4, 2009

Q: How can I use Art Collector Sets for quizzes and exams?

A: Art Collector Sets do not have to be submitted and published in order to be shared.

What do you have on ArtsConnectEd that I could use in my 6th grade language arts class?

What do you have on ArtsConnectEd that I could use in my 6th grade language arts class?

Ask an Educator

July 2009

Q: What do you have on ArtsConnectEd that I could use in my 6th grade language arts class?

A: There are a variety of ArtsConnectEd resources that integrate literacy learning goals with works of art.

Why are images not available for some works of art?

Why are images not available for some works of art?

Ask an Educator

July 2009

Q: Why are images not available for some works of art?

A: Images of works of art are unavailable because of copyright restrictions or limits on time and resources needed to photograph the collections.