Planning the Art Curriculum

This year I want to do a focus on the Great Masters, one afternoon per week, one Artist per month. This is in addition to the regular art lessons (watercolor painting, beeswax modeling, puppetry, calligraphy, clay modeling, papermaking/moving pictures, watercolor pencils, and batik).

I'm using MaryAnn Kohl's wonderful book Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters






She has the book divided into four main periods in history so we'll do one period in Sep/Oct, one in Nov/Dec, one in Jan/Feb, and one in Mar/Apr. (May will be completely devoted to our Storytelling Festival) Michelangelo is a natural choice for September's Old Testament Stories block, for example. I've also been to the Sistine Chapel so I can't wait to share my experiences. Degas's sculpture is a perfect tie-in to puppetry and dry felting later on. Georgia O'Keefe is wonderful for Farming & Gardening. I love these connections!!! (I recommend planning your school year blocks before you pick your artists.) Here is my rough idea of our school year:


Chapter 1: Long, Long Ago
Renaissance & Post-Renaissance

September - Michelangelo
October - Audubon


Chapter 2: Sunny & Free
Impressionists & Post-Impressionists

November - Degas
December - Van Gogh


Chapter 3: Wild & Wacky
Expressionists, Abstract, Abstract-Expressionists, Cubists, Dadaists & Surrealists

January - Klee
February - Picasso


Chapter 4: Art Today Everyway
Pop, Op, Folk, Modern, Cartoonists, Photojournalists & Children's Book Illustrators

March - O'Keeffe
April - Ringgold


I'd like to also use some of her ideas from Chapter 5 throughout the year.