Students will learn the elements, principles, and vocabulary necessary to write and speak about art. They practice during a teacher-led class discussion applying the elements and principles to Hudson River School paintings. After the discussion, students use questions to guide them in writing an essay about art.
Students study the paintings of Thomas Cole and the poetry of William Cullen Bryant, to write screen plays based on Asher B. Durand's painting, Kindred Spirits in terms of the Romantic Movement in art and literature.
This lesson fosters landscape connections through applying American literature to the local experience. Students will read about their cultural heritage; will recognize their local community as a place that influenced American culture; and will interact with the landscape as the artists did, seeing the artists' connections and making their own connections.
Students read about and study the works of the Hudson River School to understand the connection between Hudson River art and
American romanticism.
This plan provides an itinerary for implementing an expanded version of this unit with two partnering schools. Students visit four historic sites and travel to one another's schools to hear guest speakers on local history and environmental issues.