Selfies and Portraits in the Past and Present
In groups of three or four, students will research, potentially by field trip but invariably online, a miniature portrait found in the colonial American section of the Gibbes Museum of Art. Students should create a product showcasing the meanings in the portrait indicated by the artist. Visual clues such as the style of dress, use of props, posturing, spacing, and people included in the portrait tell the onlooker about the historical context of the individual. More information about the period can be gathered by researching scholarly historical websites such as the ones below. This information should be cited and presented in a format of the students’ choosing, such as a Prezi. They then should communicate the idea of a portrait (not necessarily through painting), heavily weighted with symbolism from the colonial time frame.
Lesson Partners: College of Charleston, Colonial Charleston
Essential Question
How does the meaning of an artwork endure or change over time?
Grade(s):
- 10
Subject(s):
Recommended Technology:
Access to the Internet. SmartBoard available for presentations. Each student will be using their devices for research and compilation.
● Other Considerations – List all
Internet access may be necessary for the presentation. It is important for any audio or video files to be correctly integrated smoothly and correctly.
Other Instructional Materials or Notes:
Lesson Progression
o The teacher briefly introduces the project and techniques for deducing a portrait's meaning. See this lesson from Hunting and Scott Gallery Programs: http://huntington.org/uploadedFiles/Files/PDFs/HSGreadportraits.pdf
o Students will pick any school appropriate artistic representation of a person and use it to complete the activity found on page 6 from the Hunting and Scott Gallery Programs. Students will then share their insights with a partner and then as a class.
o For their starter the next day, students will complete the first half of page 7 from the Hunting and Scott Gallery Programs. (Note: Students who were absent the previous day will select an online photo quickly).The “Evaluation” section of the page will be done in small group discussions.
o However, they will independently write their answers to the writing section at the bottom of the page.
o Once they are assigned to small groups, the students will select miniature portraits to research. Their findings and the images of the portraits will be included in a presentation before the class. They must use and cite credible sources to examine the meanings of the portraits.
Random Group Generator
View ResourceInformation on colonial miniature portraits
View ResourceGuidelines on discerning meaning in portraiture and relevant worksheets
View ResourceRubrics for assessing the presentation for activity 2
View ResourceBuck Institute Rubric for teachers for designing PBL guidelines
Teacher Notes: Below is a sample rubric from Buck Institute of Learning, an organization known for their PBL resources. The rubric is not for students but for teachers. It was helpful to me in designing this PBL and will be helpful in designing future PBLs.
View ResourceBuck Institute Rubric for assessing PBL
View ResourceStandards
- I Inquiry-Based Literacy Standards
- C Communication
- C.MC Meaning and Context
- C.MC.1 Interact with others to explore ideas and concepts, communicate meaning, and develop logical interpretations through collaborative conversations; build upon the ideas of others to clearly express one’s own views while respecting diverse pe...
- C.MC.2 Articulate ideas, claims, and perspectives in a logical sequence using information, findings, and credible evidence from sources.
- C.MC.2.1 Present information and findings from multiple authoritative sources; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question, citing supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line...
- C.MC.2.2 Distinguish between credible and non-credible sources of information.
- C.MC.2.3 Quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
- C.MC.2.4 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using standard English when indicated or appropriate.
- C.MC.3 Communicate information through strategic use of multiple modalities and multimedia to enrich understanding when presenting ideas and information.
- C.MC Meaning and Context
- MWH-8 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the causes and consequences of decolonization in the second half of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century.
- Newly independent countries sought partners for economic and political alliances as technological developments of the past sixty years made the world more interconnected. To understand the effects of the economic, political, social, and technological ...
- MWH-8.4 Describe the diffusion of aspects of popular cultures, including music, film, art forms, and foodways.
- MWH-8.5 Analyze the impact of movements for equality in the United States, Africa, and Southeast Asia as well as the varying reactions around the world to equity issues.
- MWH-8.7 Evaluate the benefits and costs of increasing worldwide trade and technological growth, including the movement of people and products, the growth of multi-national corporations, the increase in environmental concerns, and the increase in cultur...
- Newly independent countries sought partners for economic and political alliances as technological developments of the past sixty years made the world more interconnected. To understand the effects of the economic, political, social, and technological ...
- USHC-1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the conflicts between regional and national interest in the development of democracy in the United States.
Assessments
Assessment for activity 1: Students complete the worksheet designed by Huntington and Scott Gallery, giving them time to think independently and then collaboratively. Points will also be awarded for correctly uploading the portrait they choose to the Google Classroom. Uploading the portrait is an essential step because, without it, it may not be possible to assess some of the answers to the questions accurately. This assessment is particularly aligned with the ELA standards as it focuses on writing, critical thinking, and communication, but ELA standards will also be emphasized in the second assessment. Though the curated questions below are objective, there is more than one correct answer
o Assessment for activity 2: Following the rubric below from Ed Tech Journals (http://edtechjourneys.pbworks.com/w/page/18595090/Assessing%20Project-Based%20Learning ), the group presentations will analyze a minimum of three colonial portraits and at least one additional piece of art also from the American colonial time. The additional artwork is not limited to portraiture. Students can apply their knowledge of the time period to expand the scope of their research to include the significance of different types of art, such as furniture, clothing, or architecture from colonial America.
o Assessment for activity 3: Each of the assessments scaffolds one upon the other. Whereas the first one was a critical thinking worksheet and the second activity required a synthesis of knowledge from various sources, the third activity requires the creation of a product. Creation is the pinnacle of learning. Students must spend at least five hours crafting their own portraits. This portrait can be created through photography (yes, they may do “selfies”), other visual arts media, or any other format they choose so long as they capture a person’s face and show a meaningful portrait. They will be required to type a one-page explanation of how they applied symbolism used in the colonial times to their work and cite sources. The creation of this product must align with the visual arts standards.