Lesson 3: Art and Architecture
Essential Question
What are examples of Ancient Roman art and architecture and where can we find examples of these today?
NCSS Themes
Culture
People, Places, and Environments
VA Standards of Learning
Social Studies 3.1
The student will explain how the contributions of ancient Greece and Rome have influenced the present world in terms of architecture, government (direct and representative democracy), and sports.
Objectives
Students will be able to identify examples of Ancient Roman art and architecture.
Students will be able to interpret historical data to draw conclusions about the lifestyles of the Ancient Romans.
Materials for Learning Activities
Students
· Art Interpretation Worksheet
· Print Outs of Art
Teacher
· Ancient Rome Art and Architecture Virtual Field Trip (http://prezi.com/0wgjmd8bwym_/ancient-rome/)
Procedures for Learning Activities
Introduction (5 minutes)
1) “Today we are going to be learning about the art and architecture found in Ancient Rome! I hope you are all ready to become real historians! Before we begin today’s lesson, let’s review what we have already talked about. In your head, think of 3 facts you know about Ancient Rome. (Wait a minute until every student has something). Now I want you to tell your partner the 3 things you have thought of.” (hook and link)
2) “The purpose of today’s lesson is to get you familiar with the types of art you’d find in Ancient Rome. Who remembers the types of art we discussed in our unit on Ancient Greece? Much of the art and architecture the Ancient Romans invented contributed to the art and architecture you see in the U.S. today.” (purpose) Extensions and Connections: A good extension activity would be to have students research additional examples of Ancient Roman art and architecture. They should compare and contrast these examples with the ones discussed in class. Students can make connections to the art and architecture discussed in other historical units (Greece, China, Egypt, Mali, etc.) by comparing and contrasting what it tells us about their cultures.
Instructional Strategies (40 minutes)
1) “We are going to take a Virtual Field Trip to Ancient Rome. I want you to pay particular attention to the pieces of art that we see because your assignment today will be to choose your favorite piece of Ancient Roman art and interpret it.” Begin showing the Virtual Field Trip in a whole class setting. After important stops (i.e. ones that contain the definitions of architecture, arch, art, mosaic), have the students turn and talk to review the information asking “What is architecture?,” "What is an arch?" etc.
2) Once the Virtual Field Trip is complete, have students select their favorite piece of Roman art they saw in the field trip. This activity should be completed individually and they should have a print-out of the piece they choose for reference. Students will fill out the Art Interpretation Worksheet. Teacher will monitor the room for assistance and questions.
Summary (5 minutes)
1) “Thinking back to our field trip, what is architecture? Who can remind me what the most important architectural contribution that the Ancient Romans gave us was? Great job! Does anyone have any questions, comments, or light bulb moments to share?”
2) “Tomorrow we are going to learn about why it is important to study the Ancient Romans and how we know the things we know about them!”
Assessment
Differentiation
What are examples of Ancient Roman art and architecture and where can we find examples of these today?
NCSS Themes
Culture
People, Places, and Environments
VA Standards of Learning
Social Studies 3.1
The student will explain how the contributions of ancient Greece and Rome have influenced the present world in terms of architecture, government (direct and representative democracy), and sports.
Objectives
Students will be able to identify examples of Ancient Roman art and architecture.
Students will be able to interpret historical data to draw conclusions about the lifestyles of the Ancient Romans.
Materials for Learning Activities
Students
· Art Interpretation Worksheet
· Print Outs of Art
Teacher
· Ancient Rome Art and Architecture Virtual Field Trip (http://prezi.com/0wgjmd8bwym_/ancient-rome/)
Procedures for Learning Activities
Introduction (5 minutes)
1) “Today we are going to be learning about the art and architecture found in Ancient Rome! I hope you are all ready to become real historians! Before we begin today’s lesson, let’s review what we have already talked about. In your head, think of 3 facts you know about Ancient Rome. (Wait a minute until every student has something). Now I want you to tell your partner the 3 things you have thought of.” (hook and link)
2) “The purpose of today’s lesson is to get you familiar with the types of art you’d find in Ancient Rome. Who remembers the types of art we discussed in our unit on Ancient Greece? Much of the art and architecture the Ancient Romans invented contributed to the art and architecture you see in the U.S. today.” (purpose) Extensions and Connections: A good extension activity would be to have students research additional examples of Ancient Roman art and architecture. They should compare and contrast these examples with the ones discussed in class. Students can make connections to the art and architecture discussed in other historical units (Greece, China, Egypt, Mali, etc.) by comparing and contrasting what it tells us about their cultures.
Instructional Strategies (40 minutes)
1) “We are going to take a Virtual Field Trip to Ancient Rome. I want you to pay particular attention to the pieces of art that we see because your assignment today will be to choose your favorite piece of Ancient Roman art and interpret it.” Begin showing the Virtual Field Trip in a whole class setting. After important stops (i.e. ones that contain the definitions of architecture, arch, art, mosaic), have the students turn and talk to review the information asking “What is architecture?,” "What is an arch?" etc.
2) Once the Virtual Field Trip is complete, have students select their favorite piece of Roman art they saw in the field trip. This activity should be completed individually and they should have a print-out of the piece they choose for reference. Students will fill out the Art Interpretation Worksheet. Teacher will monitor the room for assistance and questions.
Summary (5 minutes)
1) “Thinking back to our field trip, what is architecture? Who can remind me what the most important architectural contribution that the Ancient Romans gave us was? Great job! Does anyone have any questions, comments, or light bulb moments to share?”
2) “Tomorrow we are going to learn about why it is important to study the Ancient Romans and how we know the things we know about them!”
Assessment
- Students will be assessed through informal questioning and the Art Interpretation Worksheet. The informal questioning will show student understanding of the major concepts associated with art and architecture including important definitions and contributions. The teacher should closely listen to the turn and talk sections during the Virtual Field Trip to assess student understanding.
- The Art Interpretation Worksheet will better assess students’ higher-level thinking skills by asking them to interpret what they see and what the art can tell us about Ancient Roman lifestyle and culture.
Differentiation
- ELLs: Using the Virtual Field Trip gives these students a lot of visual memory to refer to. The turn and talk activity during the trip will be beneficial because it reinforces the language of the material with peers. These students can be paired with others during the Art Interpretation worksheet to provide more language support.
- Visual/Spatial Learners: The Virtual Field Trip allows these students to connect concepts with images.
- Verbal/Linguistic Learners: The Art Interpretation worksheet will allow these students to organize their thoughts on paper.
- Logical/Mathematical Learners: These learners should be encouraged to notice the symmetry and logical organization of much of the art and architecture. They can be encouraged to think about how these things were made or constructed and add this analysis to their Art Interpretation worksheet.
- Intrapersonal Learners: The individual activity provides Intrapersonal learners the opportunity for critical reflection. The teacher should give attention and positive feedback to these learners.
- Gifted: The extensions and connections to oneself and other ancient civilizations provides limitless opportunity for comparing and contrasting art and architecture.