A Trip Back in Time

Title: Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel

Context: The lesson is designed for 4^th grade, but can be used in 3^rd and 5^th grades as well. This lesson was written with for an Art Appreciation Unit that goes the duration of the year. This lesson was not written with another subject in mind but can be combined with other lessons in different areas. It could be incorporated into the study of the seven continents, Renaissance Era, History, and Language Arts.  The length of the lesson can be as short as 45 minutes or, if the teacher chooses to expand the lesson, it may last longer, even taking more than one work period. The lesson should take place in the classroom and can be done at any time throughout the year.  

~Rational: I think that it is important to have art lessons like this one to introduce different types of art and famous artists in the past. When I was young we were fortunate enough to have someone come into our classrooms to teach us about art and all the wonderful things that can come from it. Not that the budgets are low I feel that it is up to the teachers to keep these ideas going.

Objectives: By the end of this lesson the students will demonstrate their understanding of what it was like for Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel laying on his back by creating a piece of their own art work laying on their backs using an art media of their choice and explaining what it was like for them. Students will also become more familiar with new vocabulary that surrounds the type of art that Michelangelo did as well as the time frame in which it was created.

~Rational: I wanted the students to have a sense of what it was, and is, like for artists and the challenges they may face to create such beautiful pieces of art work. I also wanted to introduce new vocabulary words that describe types of art that the students may not be familiar with.

Benchmarks:

·         The Arts, Historical and Cultural Perspectives: Understand how events and conditions influence the arts.

·         The Arts, Historical and Cultural Perspectives: Describe how the arts can influence individuals, communities, and cultures.

·         The Arts, Create, Present, and Perform: Use essential elements and organizational principals to create, present and/or perform works of art for a variety of purposes.

~Rational: Students will learn how the conditions of the Sistine Chapel influenced the way Michelangelo created the famous ceiling. Also, the Sistine Chapel was, and is, such a famous piece and it has such a huge impact on people and the city of Rome. Students will also look at examples from the Sistine Chapel, think about what they want to draw, and then create a masterpiece of their own. Then they will have an opportunity to present it to a buddy or the class.

Preparation: It is important that the teacher conducting the lesson be knowledgeable on the subject of Michelangelo and his story of how he became to be the artist to paint the famous ceiling. The best way to do this is research Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel online or go to the local library for books. Things you might want to include (but not limited to) in the presentation are Michelangelo’s birth year and place, what his childhood was like, his favorite type of art, where the Sistine Chapel is located and the time era and frame that painting of the ceiling took place. The instructor will also need several books to use as examples as well as tools for the children to look at. You will need to bookmark pages before the lesson for quick reference and to find appropriate pictures to share with the students. You will also be able to find several pictures online to use if that’s the direction you would like to go. On the day of the lesson you will need to tape a half sheet of blank white paper to the underside of each student’s desk. This will make for quick transitions. Also, most students will have at least one art media in their desk but you will need to have enough variety of art media available for those students who do not. The media choices used in this lesson are markers, crayons, and colored pencils. However, you could also use a thick paint or oil pastels. In this case you would need to provide all the materials. Also remember that if paint is used you will want it to be thick enough so that it does not drip on the students or the floor.

~Rational: It is important for a classroom teacher to be prepared for the days lessons before the students arrive. This cuts out wasted time that is created by making students wait for the instructor to get materials ready in the middle of lessons. This particular preparation includes getting all materials ready to introduce the lesson as well as getting the classroom ready for the students to do the actual art.

Lesson Introduction/Set: ~45 minutes during the period of your choice (longer if you want). You can begin the lesson by asking the students if they know who Michelangelo is or if they know about the Sistine Chapel. The majority of them will not know anything about either. Start by giving them a brief history of Michelangelo and some of his accomplishments up until the time of the Sistine Chapel. Explain to them how it came to be that Michelangelo was chosen to do the painting and go into the process of how it was done. It is best if you have pictures of the things you are talking about to share with the class so they have a visual of the kind of art that Michelangelo did. For example you may want to provide a head picture of the statue of David, an exterior picture of the Sistine Chapel, a picture of Pope Julius II, and even some pictures of some of Michelangelo’s other art.

~Rational: This just gives an idea of how a teacher could introduce the lesson to students. I followed this introduction pretty closely. I think that it is important to share facts and details about what they are learning to give them the framework to the reason for the lesson.

Sharing Objectives: The students will be introduced to the topic and will initially be asked if they know who Michelangelo was and about the Sistine Chapel. They should also be encouraged to ask any questions about Michelangelo or the Sistine Chapel that they may think of through out the duration of the presentation. At the end of the initial presentation they should again be asked if they have any questions. Finish out the background information with the question, How do you think Michelangelo felt painting all those years on his back at the top of a 60 foot scaffold? Introduce the activity by telling the students that they will get to experience what it was like to be Michelangelo while he painted the Sistine Chapel. Watch the students and see how they respond. They will probably be excited about this activity and you can ask them what they think it will be like for them to simulate Michelangelo.

~Rational: The students don’t go through a formal pre assessment in this particular lesson. They are asked questions at various parts of the lesson so that the teacher can see what they do and do not know. This way the teacher can guide the lesson accordingly. Students are also encouraged to ask questions as they arise. So, in this sense, they guide the learning, but most of it is guided by the instructor.

Learning activities: This lesson will be broken into 4 parts. First you will give the presentation of Michelangelo and Sistine Chapel’s history. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Next you will allow the student’s time to look at the selected pictures of the Sistine Chapel to help give them a better idea of what it looked like, this should only last about 5 minutes. Encourage them to ask questions or make observations about what they see. The third step is allowing them to do the activity. They should all have a half sheet of paper taped to the underside of their desk. They may use their own art media or they may borrow some from the art cart. Allow them to work on their project for the next 20 minutes. Make yourself available to the students and make sure you are roaming the classroom during this part of the activity. Observe what the students are drawing and ask them questions about their creations. The last step for the students is to allow them time to share their creation with a buddy. You can even have some students share with the class if there’s time. This last process should last about 5 minutes. This lesson was created so all students could participate. During the activity portion of the lesson check in with students who may need further directions, making sure the activity is clear. If a student is unable to lie on the floor to draw you may allow them to create their art work at a desk or table. Note: times maybe different based on how much time you wish to use for this lesson.

~Rational: I thought it would be best for students to have a back ground on Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel before they started the art work. This way they would know why they drawing under their desks. I allowed my students to draw anything they wanted. It could tell a story like the Sistine Ceiling or be a picture of something they like, the choice was theirs. I did mention to the students that Michelangelo used his entire pallet and they had this option as well. I wanted all students to be able to participate in this activity and they did. However, if you do have students who are unable to lie on the ground to draw you could have them sit at the table. For students who have trouble communicating you could have another student translate for you or you could get the information translated before class by an ESL or Spanish Lit instructor.

Closure: ~5 minutes
After students have shared their art with a buddy or the class, ask them what it was like to do art laying on their backs like Michelangelo. Summarize the lesson by asking the students what they learned from today’s lesson. You can ask specific questions like, when was Michelangelo born or where? Where is the Sistine Chapel located? When the activity is done, collect the art work from the children and at the end of the day staple it to the ceiling for the students and other faculty to see, just like the art work done in the Sistine Chapel.

~Rational: I just wanted the students to have a chance to share their pieces of art work with their peers. I also thought it would be important for the students to talk about what it was like for them to do art lying on their backs so that they could make that connection with what it was like for Michelangelo. This also game me an opportunity to see which facts the students retained from the introduction.

Student Evaluation: There is no grade given for this activity. It was designed for the students to learn about a famous artist and one of the most famous pieces of art in history. Since this lesson was written for an art appreciation unit students will not be assessed on the facts that they learned. This lesson is an opportunity to experience what it was like for Michelangelo so long ago and create a little appreciation for the world of art.

~Rational: There was no real formal assessment. This lesson was designed for students to gain a little perspective on a different culture and learn about a different way to do art. I felt that the class discussion at the end was enough to evaluate what the students learned and thought of the lesson.

Teacher Self-Reflection: I plan on presenting background information about Michelangelo which involves a lot of facts. I’m hoping to squelch some possible disinterest with pictures and engaging questions but this may not be enough. Also allowing the students to lie on the floor under their desks could be a little risky. I will have low visibility of all students at once which can sometimes be unsafe. I am also worried about my transitions. I am confident with transitions at younger levels but gaining fourth graders attention in an age appropriate manor may be difficult for me. I do anticipate the students to have a great time with this lesson. I think they will get excited about doing art under their desks because it is something new for them and out of the ordinary.

 Reflection: This was a good starter lesson. This was my first lesson to write and teach myself at the 4^th grade level. I knew this would be a learning experience for me and it was. I felt the lesson overall went well. I did struggle a little in the beginning to try and find a comfortable rhythm. I had a lot of facts to present and I tried to memorize them so when I was telling the story it sounded a little scripted. I think I could’ve made this a little smoother by having it written on the over head for students to see. Not only would this have made me a little more relaxed I would have been reaching another learning style. The students were very excited to do the actual art project. They thought it was fun and something different. I had taped the paper to the underside of the writing part of their desks and this posed to be too high for some of them. A few students moved their paper to the underside of the book carrier. This made it easier for them to draw and color. I will probably put use this method in the future. The students had fun sharing their art and thought it was fun to see their masterpieces on the ceiling of their classroom. The students received several compliments from other faculty at the school about their art. I enjoyed this lesson and I would do it again with a few changes!