Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum | Education at Cooper-Hewitt

Posted by: Jean Rho 11/7/2006 9:01:40 PM

Title:	Musical Math-terpiece: The Art of Piet Mondrian
Grade Level:	Middle School
Subject Area:	Arts Language Arts Mathematics Technology
Lesson Time:	Four or five fifty-minute class periods
Introduction:	Students will learn about the life and art of Piet Mondrian, his style influenced by jazz music, and his technique using spatial concepts. Students will create a painting in Mondrian's non-objective style. Art, music, design, and math have connections we may not have thought about. There are patterns, rhythms, and shapes in each. You can use math and music to become a better artist/designer!
Standards:	Visual Arts Standard 1. Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes Achievement Standard, Proficient: • Students apply media, techniques, and processes with sufficient skill, confidence, and sensitivity that their intentions are carried out in their artworks • Students conceive and create works of visual art that demonstrate an understanding of how the communication of their ideas relates to the media, techniques, and processes they use Standard 6. Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines Achievement Standard, Proficient: • Students compare the materials, technologies, media, and processes of the visual arts with those of other arts disciplines as they are used in creation and types of analysis • Students compare characteristics of visual arts within a particular historical period or style with ideas, issues, or themes in the humanities or sciences Geometry • analyze characteristics and properties of two- and three-dimensional shapes English Language Arts Standard 1. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e. g. , print and non-print texts, artifacts, and people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience. Standard 2. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e. g. , libraries, databases, computer networks, and video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge. Information Literacy Standard 1. The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively. Standard 2. The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently. Standard 3. The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively.
Objectives:	By the end of this lesson, students will: • listen to jazz music and interpret how sounds have color, rhythm, and pattern • use the Internet to research and record facts about the life of Piet Mondrian and analyze the development of Mondrian's unique style of art • create paintings using primary colors and straight-lined quadrilaterals • operate computer software to produce images based on grid patterns of repeating shapes
Resources:	Websites: https://oak. cats. ohiou. edu/~cl203888/mondrian1. html https://www. moma. org/collection/browse_results. php?object_id=78682 Broadway Boogie-Woogie, 1942-1943, Piet Mondrian Vestige, 1985-86, Bob Heatley Bransford, J. , Brown, A. , Cocking, R. “ Technology to support learning. ” In How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School . (pp. 194-220). Washington D. C. : Academy Press, 1999. Ringstaff, C. , Kelley, L. The Learning Return on Our Educational Technology Investment: A Review of Findings from Research . San Francisco: WestEd, 2002. (PDF File) https://www. wested. org/online_pubs/learning_return. pdf Lionni, Leo. little blue and little yellow . Mulberry Books, 1995. https://www. buy. com/prod/little-blue-and-little-yellow/q/loc/106/30124928. html?dcaid=17379
Materials:	• computers (one for each student) • CD player • CDs of Meade Lux Lewis and Alber Ammons • writing paper • canvases • paintbrushes • rulers • acrylic paint • pencils
Vocabulary:	pattern -a decorative design, as for wallpaper, china, or textile fabrics, etc. ; decoration or ornament having such a design primary color -a color, as red, yellow, or blue, that in mixture yields other colors quadrilateral -a plane figure having four sides and four angles representation-the expression or designation by some term, character, symbol, or the like
Procedures:	Activities before going to the computer: • Introduce the students to the painting "Broadway Boogie Woogie" ( https://www. moma. org/collection/browse_results. php?object_id=78682 ) and lead a discussion about what they see, what they think is happening, and what they think the painting means. • Invite students to talk about what music they like, then play jazz by Meade Lux Lewis and Alber Ammons, two musicians that inspired Mondrian. Inform the students that Mondrian was an artist who tried to make music come to life in his paintings. • Inform the students that they will research Mondrian’ s life and work in order to write a biographical report. Ultimately, the students will create their own versions of paintings in Mondrian’ s style. Computer research activity: Students will work at the computer both individually and in their learning groups to access web-quests and various biographical and informational web-pages about Piet Mondrian and his paintings. • Divide the class into groups or learning clubs with one student playing the role of the “ navigator, ” while the others make sketches and record data. One student will be the “ recorder, ” another the “ presenter, ” all will be “ researchers. ” • Have the students research Mondrian and record their information. • The students will then use their research to write a biographical report and prepare a class presentation about Mondrian. Make sure to allot at least one class period (or more, depending on students’ abilities with computers and researching) to Internet researching and one class period to the report write-up and class presentation preparation. • Have all of the groups present their findings on the life and work of Mondrian. If there is not enough time for entire presentations, have each group present surprising or interesting findings. Encourage discussion among the students. Mondrian computer art activity: • Have each student operate a PC computer to access various Mondrian graphics sites to become more familiar with his work. • Instruct the students that they will use the “ Paint” program on their PC computer to produce images based on grid patterns of repeating shapes, in the same style as Mondrian. • In Paint, have students click on the Select feature to draw a picture plane by clicking and dragging the cursor to the desired size. • Using the Rectangle and Line features, encourage the students to explore different geometrical shapes and patterns emulating those of Mondrian's paintings to create their lines, shapes, and patterns. Encourage the students to vary line thickness, by using that tool. • Upon successful completion of the linear composition, have students select the Pick Color and Fill With Color features to apply their desired color palette paying close attention to repetition and pattern. (Optional—Have students complete one piece in a primary color scheme, a color scheme of their choosing, or even a secondary or tertiary color scheme. ) • Also point out the Eraser/Color Eraser options. • When the students’ pieces are complete, have them title their piece, save it, then print it out (in color). Culminating activity: After reporting on Mondrian and experiencing the graphics software, play jazz music for the students. Have them listen to the music and create a painting in Mondrian’ s grid style using straight lines and repeating shapes. Have them paint primary colors to represent different sounds in the music.
Assessment:	Students will be assessed by means of: • Portfolio • Performance • Presentation Assess students on their oral and a written report about Mondrian, along with their participation, computer art, and painting.
Enrichment Extension Activities:	Students can read books that were inspired by Mondrian's art—l ittle blue and little yellow by Leo Lionni.
Teacher Reflection:	The unit was very successful with the students. They were engaged in the web-quest portion and listening to and interpreting the music. Their writing skills and abilities were of less interest to them and were not as emphasized within the context of the art classroom unit. However, they did go through self, peer, and teacher edits and revisions and even gave an oral presentation with their painting. The paintings were successful and varied in terms of composition and interpretation of Mondrian's style. The students enjoyed working within the constraints of geometry, color, and form. Overall, the integrated lesson was a success. For further implementation, I would consider comparing and contrasting paintings and or other artwork from that period and delving deeper into the history of that time with another cross-curricular link to Social Studies through Industrialization, African-American music, factory workers, etc.
Related Files: