where every child is an artist

Sample Lesson

Claude Monet

Lesson Plan:

Grade Level: Elementary - grade 3 (adaptable grades 3 through High School)

Title of Lesson Plan: Monet's Garden

Length of Time: 3 days - 60min art class time

Summary: This lesson will introduce students to the artist Claude Monet and the Impressionist art movement. It will begin with an overview of Monet's water lily garden in Giverny, France and integrate concepts of optical color mixing and related vocabulary. This lesson will provide students with the opportunity to design their own works of art using watercolor paints and chalk pastels while emphasizing the use of light and color in a natural setting.

Student Learning Objective:

  • Students will become competent about Monet as an Impressionist artist
  • Students will be knowledgeable of Monet's inspiration for his paintings
  • Students will acquire comprehension about how Monet and other Impressionist artists used optical color mixing in their works of art.
  • Students will be capable of identifying the subjects of light and color in Monet's work as well as their own
  • Create "impressions" of water lilies using watercolor paints and chalk pastels
  • Use and explore watercolor paints and chalk pastels
  • Students will be able to identify, blend colors and use optical color mixing in their own painting
  • Students will learn through observation and experience how to capture light and color, which are constantly changing in an outdoor environment
  • Effectively illustrate an understanding of Monet's use of color, style and the Impressionist art movement
  • Define and demonstrate an understanding of art vocabulary
  • Exhibit proficiency in the use of art mediums
  • Identify and make use of the art elements (line, color, shape, and space)

Art Vocabulary:

Impressionism - an art movement that developed in France during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Impressionist works of art were done by a group of artists who shared the same goals, methods, and techniques in painting. The primary goal of Impressionism was to capture the light and color of a fleeting moment in an outdoor natural setting. This was done to capture an "impression" with the effects of light and color.

Optical color mixing - the method of applying colors side by side which appears as blended together or mixed when viewed from afar

En plein air - outside or in a natural outdoor setting

Alla prima - to work quickly or at a rapid pace

Materials Used by the Teacher:

  • Map of France
  • Projector to view the powerpoint presentation
  • Laptop and projector for power point and DVD
  • Printed illustrations of Monet's artwork
  • School water lily pond or pond created by the teacher for the lesson
  • CD player and Amele soundtrack
  • Straw mats for the students to sit on while working
  • DVD of "Linnea in Monet's Garden"

Materials Used by the Students:

  • Computer to access the internet
  • Guided Questions for https://www.claudemonetgallery.org
  • Watercolor Paper
  • Watercolor Paints
  • Brushes
  • Water Containers
  • Paper Towels
  • Chalk Pastels
  • Drawing Boards

Technologies Used by the Teacher:

  • Computer
  • Projector
  • Powerpoint presentation
  • DVD "Linnea in Monet's Garden"
  • YouTube video of Monet's garden 1 - https://youtu.be/40CNNVMKSVY
  • YouTube video of Monet's garden 2 - https://youtu.be/EJD_OBF9Geo
  • Khan Academy - https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-history/art-history-1848-1907-industrial-revolution-ii/impressionism/v/monet--les-nymph-as--the-water-lilies---1918-26
  • The complete works of Claude Monet - https://www.claudemonetgallery.org/

Technologies Used by the Students:

  • The complete works of Claude Monet - https://www.claudemonetgallery.org/
  • Discover Monet - timeline - https://www.discovermonet.com/
  • Brandalmanac.com - https://www.brandalmanac.com/news/2012/02/07/bringing-monets-water-lilies-into-the-classroom/
  • WebMuseum Paris, Claude Monet - https://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/monet/

Prior to the lesson- Instructional Procedures: Assign guided questions worksheet.

Name:

Date:

Guided Questions Worksheet:

These questions are designed to take a closer look at the artwork of Claude Monet.

Rouen Cathedral façade and Tour d'Albane (morning effect) 1894, Claude Monet

  • What art element did Monet use to represent the time of day?
  • How are the colors in this painting different than the colors in Grainstack (sunset)?
  • List all of the colors you see in this painting:
  • If you could talk to Monet, what questions would you ask him about this painting?

Use The complete works of Claude Monet - https://www.claudemonetgallery.org/ for the following questions. Choose a painting for the following questions.

  • How have the colors been applied?
  • Describe the brushstrokes Monet used?
  • What shapes do you see in the painting?
  • How has Monet used color to represent the time of day and depth?
  • Find another painting that has a similar subject to the painting you chose but was painted at a different time of day. Describe the differences about this painting?

Day one - Instructional Procedures:

  • Introduce the artist Claude Monet and show the location of Giverny, France on a map.
  • Display the power point presentation. (See Addition Art History Information to accompany presentation).
  • View and discuss examples of Monet's water lily paintings and discuss the use of light, color and the Impressionist art movement. Use printed examples or The complete works of Claude Monet https://www.claudemonetgallery.org/

Also, discuss and review answers from guided questions worksheet.

  • Explain related art vocabulary and the use of optical color mixing.
  • Play and view "Linnea in Monet's garden" (30 min)

Day Two - Instructional Procedures:

  • Introduce and describe the project and display an example of a finished product.
  • Demonstrate the use of art materials and artwork assignment.
  • Discuss and identify behavioral and project expectations.
  • Distribute art materials.
  • Take the students outside to sit on mats around the school's water lily pond. Make sure every student has a good view of the water lilies.
  • Remind students of the goal of using color to capture the light of a "fleeting moment."
  • Turn on music: Amele Soundtrack
  • Continue to encourage the students to use lots of colors to capture the light and shadows of the water lilies and to fill the entire paper with color. Offer guidance, scaffolded questions or help when appropriate and needed.

Day Three - Instructional Procedures:

  • Review information on Claude Monet and instructional procedures for the assignment (from day two).
  • Take students outside to complete artwork assignment.
  • After completing the project. Display the student's artwork to view as a class and reflect on the process, products and artist.
  • Lead the students into a discussion of the lesson by asking the questions for reflection (See Questions for reflection and discussion below).

Extensions: Take students to another natural outdoor location to draw directly from nature like Monet and the Impressionist did. Collect items such as leaves, flowers or insects located in the area to view under a microscope.

Questions for reflections and discussion: Use these questions to lead the class into a discussion after completing the Monet Water Lily assignment.

Who was Claude Monet?

Where was his garden located?

What is Impressionism? And how did this art movement get its name?

What subjects did Claude Monet capture in his paintings?

What art elements can you identify from Monet's works of art?

What is optical color mixing? Why did the Impressionist artists use this method of "mixing" colors?

What is alla prima? Why did Monet have to work alla prima?

What is en plain air? Where did Monet like to go when creating his water lily paintings?

Additional Art History Information for PowerPoint presentation:

(Slide 1) Claude Monet & Impressionism

(Slide 2) "Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment"

  • Also known as Oscar-Claude Monet was born on November 20, 1840.
  • He was a French Impressionist painter who is well known for being the founder of the Impressionist art movement.

(Slide 3)

Monet later moved from Paris to Giverny, France in May of 1883. He bought a house with a beautiful garden and water lily pond.

(Slide 4)

Monet's water lily pond was one of his favorite places to paint. This is where he created his famous water lily paintings. Monet was so taken with his beautiful garden and the way its appearance changed with the light that it inspired him to adopt a new style of painting, which began the Impressionist art movement.

(Slide 5)

Impressionism

  • The art movement 'Impressionism' received its name from Monet's painting "Impression, Sunrise" in 1872, when an art critic criticized Monet's painting saying that it looked like an "impression" of an unfinished work of art.
  • Impressionist art is a style in which the artist captures the image of an object or scene as someone would see it if they caught only a glimpse of it. The subject of the Impressionist painters was to capture an impression or a fleeting moment.
  • The Impressionist style adopted a method of using thick, short and broken brush strokes. This technique made the Impressionist paintings look like just a sketch.

(Slide 6)

Previous styles of painting and use of color vs. the Impressionist's style. Compare and contrast Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci and Waterlilies by Claude Monet.

Questions:

  • Describe the colors in Da Vinci's painting & then in Monet's?
  • What are some differences you see between these two paintings?
  • What is different about the subjects of these paintings?
  • Which of these paintings has more texture?
  • What is different about the shadows in these two paintings?
  • Which painting has more color?
  • Describe some similarities between these two paintings?
  • Which painting do you like better and why?

(Slide 7)

  • The Impressionist style of painting was completely different from traditional methods of painting. The Impressionist artists used bold bright colors, which was shocking to people who were used to paintings that used muted darker colors and lots of greys and browns.
  • Monet and the Impressionist painters used vibrant colors and their paintings had a sketchy look to them because the artists worked quickly, alla prima, to capture a fleeting moment.
  • Alla Prima - means to work quickly or at a rapid pace
  • The artists used thick brush strokes and adopted a method of mixing colors called optical color mixing.
  • Optical color mixing - is the method of applying colors side by side which appears as blended together or mixed when viewed from afar

(Slide 8)

Light & Color

  • The Impressionist painters focused on two elements in their paintings: light and color. They preferred to work outdoors, en plein air.
  • En plein air - means outside or in a natural outdoor setting
  • The Impressionist artists preferred subjects that were in their immediate surroundings and scenes from their outdoor everyday life.

(Slide 9)

  • Traditionally colors were mixed on a palette but to save time the Impressionists would apply colors of paint straight to their canvases. This technique used pure unblended colors painted in short, thick strokes. This style of brushwork was shocking to art critics of this time because it gave off the appearance of effortlessness and spontaneity.
  • This was done to emphasize the effects of light and color in Monet and the Impressionist painter's artwork. (https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/imml/hd_imml.htm)

(Slide 10)

Optical Color Mixing

  • Optical color mixing is a method of placing strokes of color alongside of one another on a canvas. When these colors are viewed from afar they appear mixed.
  • The Impressionist artists did not mix their paints on palates like previous artists had done. Instead, they would apply colors of paint directly next to each other on the canvas. This is why an Impressionist painting looks like it has more colors when you start farther away from it than it does if you look at it up close.

Assessment Rubric: Assessment will be graded based on guided question worksheet, in class discussion and completed artwork.

Objectives

Exceeds

Acceptable

Novice

Discuss and explore the artist and artwork of Claude Monet

Student is able to discuss, explore, and make a variety of observations about the artwork of Claude Monet

Student is able to discuss and learn about the artwork of Claude Monet

Student is not able to discuss artist and artwork or refuses to participate in lesson

Identify and describe the use of light and color in Monet's paintings

Student demonstrates a deep understanding of the use of light and color in the artist's paintings

Student is able to identify the use of light and color in the artist's paintings

Student is not able to describe the use of light and color

Effectively demonstrate an understanding of related vocabulary

Student demonstrates an understanding of the vocabulary and is able to use the terms correctly

Student is able to demonstrate an understanding of related vocabulary

Student is unable to use or demonstrate an understanding of related vocabulary

Produce a piece of artwork that illustrates an ability to use related art materials

Student demonstrates a mastery in using related art materials

Student demonstrates an ability to use art materials effectively

Does not produce or finish a piece of artwork

Discuss and reflect upon the process, product and artist included in the lesson

Student is able to thoughtfully reflect upon the process, product and artist related to the lesson in a variety of ways

Student is able to reflect on either the process, product or artist

Student is unwilling to participate in discussion or refuses to reflect upon the lesson with classmates

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