Analyzing paintings—any works of art, really—requires that students keep in mind the relationships between the artist and the subject and between the artist and the painting. Students must remember that every element of a painting is the conscious choice of the artist: every color, gesture, expression, brush stroke, object, and so on. And your students may challenge you and sometimes say that things just happen when an artist is making a painting, but if it remains when the painting is complete, then its inclusion was still a conscious choice. The following organizer guides students in examining each of these relationships and the artist's choices in order to extract meaning from a work of art.
About the Authors
Michelle Luhtala is Library Department Chair at New Canaan High School in New Canaan, Connecticut. She facilitates an online learning community for nearly 12,000 library and educational technology professionals at edWeb.net/emergingtech, where she has hosted over 80 webinars since 2010. She is an adjunct instructor in the Masters of Information Program at Rutgers University' s School of Communication and in the Information and Library Science Department at Southern Connecticut State University and is also a contributing author to Libraries Unlimited's Growing Schools: Librarians as Professional Developers. The American Association of School Librarians distinguished her as Curriculum Champion in 2017.
Jacquelyn Whiting is the Instructional Coach and Technology Integrator for a school district in Connecticut. She has a bachelor's in Government Studies and Studio Art from Connecticut College and a master's in Social Studies and Education from South Connecticut State University. She is also a Google Certified Innovator, a Google Certified Coach, and Local Activator for Future Design School. Jacquelyn is the co-author of News Literacy: The Keys to Combating Fake News and the author of Student-Centered Learning by Design. She presents frequently on human-centered design, student and educator voice, and innovative educational technology practices. You can follow her tweeting @MsJWhiting.
MLA Citation
Luhtala, Michelle, and Jacquelyn Whiting. "Unpacking a Visual Text: Paintings." School Library Connection, October 2018, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/LiteratureLesson/2174091?childId=2174099.
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https://schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/LiteratureLesson/2174091?childId=2174099
Entry ID: 2174099
