ALEX Learning Activity

Determining Mood

A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.

  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Elizabeth OBrien
System:Huntsville City
School:Academy For Academics & Arts
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 1804
Title:
Determining Mood
Digital Tool/Resource:
 
Web Address – URL:
Not Applicable
Overview:

Students will be able to interpret the mood of a piece of art by describing the setting of the piece and the colors used within. 

This activity was created as a result of the Arts COS Resource Development Summit.
  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
Arts Education
ARTS (2017)
Grade: 2
Visual Arts
12) Interpret art by identifying the mood or feeling suggested by a work of art through subject matter and visual qualities.

Examples: Talk about color qualities and composition in Pablo Picasso's The Old Guitarist.

English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 2
23. Identify the main story elements in a literary text.

a. Explain the plot of a narrative, using textual evidence to list the major events in sequence.

b. Describe the characters' traits, feelings, and behaviors in a story.

c. Describe the setting of a narrative, using textual evidence.

d. Identify the central message or moral of a story.

e. Identify the theme in myths, fables, and folktales.
Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to identify the mood of a work of art. 

Students will be able to use the work of art to demonstrate an understanding of character and setting. 
  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
During/Explore/Explain
Activity:

The teacher will display a work of art. (Suggestions: Christiana's World by Andrew Wyeth, ANY age-appropriate work by Keith Haring, works by Cezanne or Van Gogh)- Make sure the piece you chose has both characters and a setting. 

Display the work of art. The students will say what they noticed about the characters-how they stand, what colors are used, facial expressions, etc.

The students will then say what they notice about the setting of the piece-inside or outside? brightly lit? dark and gloomy? etc.

After listing all of those items-students will say what they think the mood of the piece is or what the painter was trying to make them feel in the painting. 

Ask what would happen if the colors were changed, would the mood change? What if instead of bright, cheery colors, the artist used dark and gloomy colors?

What if the character in the bright colors was wearing a frown? How would the mood change?
Assessment Strategies:

Students will recreate the work of art but change ONE detail to change the mood of the piece. For example, if the painting was done in bright, bold colors, the students will change it to dark, gloomy colors.
Advanced Preparation:

The teacher will need to find an age appropriate work of art to display that contains characters and a setting. 
Variation Tips (optional):

Have students write a story about the character in a piece of artwork.

Add a soundtrack to a painting to change the mood. If it is a peaceful nature scene, how would the mood change when the Jaws theme song is played?
Notes or Recommendations (optional):
 
  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: