Planning the inquiry

1. What is our purpose? Class/grade: Stand Alone G2/3 Art Cycle 2 Age group: Grade
To inquire into the following: 2011-2012* 2/3
Transdisciplinary Theme: How We Express Ourselves
School: International School of Phnom Penh School code:
An inquiry into the ways we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, Title: How We Express Ourselves: Landscape at Night
culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our Teacher(s): Engasser, Kim; Eveland, Jennifer; France-George, Tracy
creativity; our appreciation of aesthetics.
Proposed duration
Learning Outcomes: number of hours: number of weeks:
6 hours (8 class periods) (Week 14, 9 Weeks)
PYP: Identify, plan and make specific choices of materials, tools and processes.
ISPP:
-Produce 2D artworks that communicate ideas for a specific purposes and specific
audiences
-Demonstrate understanding of proper and controlled use of art tools, materials and
techniques.
2. What do we want to learn?
Central Idea: People develop their observation skills and express their emotions What are the key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection,
through the arts. perspective, responsibility, reflection) to be emphasized within this inquiry?

form, function, connection

Summative assessment task(s):
What are the possible ways of assessing students' understanding of the central
idea? What evidence, including student-initiated actions, will we look for?
Students will create an expressive landscape including trees drawn from observation
and a night sky using oil pastel and watercolor resist.
What lines of inquiry will define the scope of the inquiry into the central idea?
Š Ways artists develop observational skills (form / function)
Š Techniques artists use to express their emotions (form / function)
Š Connections between artists' personal histories and their art (Connection)

Criteria:
1. Create an original landscape drawing including trees drawn from observation and a
realistic or imaginary night sky.
2. Use oil pastels to show lines and blended colors in trees and sky.
3. Refine drawing and write a paragraph about what is being expressed in the drawing.
Assessment Tool: Teacher designed rubric.
What teacher questions/provocations will drive these inquiries?
1. How do artists draw what they see in nature? (form)
2. How do artists develop observational skills (Function)
3. What techniques did he use? (Form)
4. How did Vincent Van Gogh's life affect his art work? (Connection)

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2011
Planning the inquiry

3. How might we know what we have learned? 4. How best might we learn?
KWL Chart What are the learning experiences suggested by the teacher and/or students
Pre-Assessment: Open-Ended Task to encourage the students to engage with the inquiries and address the driving
In groups, students talk about what they know about Vincent Van Gogh and what they questions?
want to know.
Week 1. Preparing to find Out:
To be revisited as part of formative assessment - KWL chart about Van Gogh and his artwork
Revisit KWL Chart - Look at Starry Night and investigate what he had to know before making this painting
Formative: Open-Ended Task
Students individually in sketch book, revisit and record new learning in a different Week 2 and 3. Finding out:
colour. To be revisited throughout unit. - Review KWL
Drawing - Watch video about Van Gogh
Summative: Visual Arts Project - In sketchbook, write from Van Gogh's point of view about his life and glue in copies of
Drawing to include a landscape at night, trees drawn from observation, and his artwork
constellations or other event seen only in darkness. - Observe and practice drawing trees
Self Reflection - Observe constellation cards to include (or not) in painting
Summative: Other Written Assessment - Practice blending with oil pastels
Reflection on the emotion they expressed in their artwork. Recalling of facts about the
life and artwork by Vincent Van Gogh. Week 4 & 5. Going further:
- Look at and discuss other artworks that include trees and night skies
Rubric and Self Reflection
Week 6 & 7: Draw a landscape at night and add color using oil pastels on black pastel
paper.

Week 8. Making connections:

- A written reflection including:
how you have shown emotion in your artwork, how your drawing is similar and different

5. What resources need to be gathered?

What people, places, audio-visual materials, related literature, music, art, computer software, etc, will be available?

Getting to Know Famous Artists: Vincent Van Gogh (DVD), Eyewitness Van Gogh (book from Library)

How will the classroom environment, local environment, and/or the community be used to facilitate the inquiry?
bulletin boards, books, many photos of landscapes

play this video in week 1

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2011
Reflecting on the inquiry
6. To what extent did we achieve our purpose?
Assess the outcome of the inquiry by providing evidence of students'
understanding of the central idea. The reflections of all teachers involved in
the planning and teaching of the inquiry should be included.
Students wrote about the emotion they expressed in their drawings in the self
reflections. They made color choices associated with the emotion they were
expressing.
How you could improve on the assessment task(s) so that you would have a
more accurate picture of each student's understanding of the central idea.
The KWL pre-assessment was not productive. They either had heard about Van Gogh
or not. The "what do you want to learn" part was good as I had a chance to answer
the questions for them. Ideally, they would have time to find the answers themselves.
The drawing and self reflection showed evidence of who understood the link between
showing emotion in art and not showing emotion. It was also very evident who worked
from observation and who did not.
What was the evidence that connections were made between the central idea
and the transdisciplinary theme?
Students expressed themselves and observed nature like Van Gogh. They combined
the expressive use of colored oil pastels and the structure of trees as well as ways
artists show the illusion of depth (connecting to prior knowledge.)
© International Baccalaureate Organization 2011
7. To what extent did we include the elements of the PYP?
What were the learning experiences that enabled students to:
Š develop an understanding of the concepts identified in "What do we
want to learn?"
Form: Students practiced using color associated with specific emotions. They
practiced drawing the structure of trees both from observation and guided instruction.
Function: Students expressed an emotion in their night sky drawing and explored how
artists show emotion through their art. They investigated how artists depict the natural
world by observing trees and the night sky closely.
Connection: Students empathized with the life of Van Gogh and how he kept making
art even though he was poor and sick. Students showed an interest in his life.
Š demonstrate the learning and application of particular transdisciplinary
skills?
Communication: Listening, viewing: Students demonstrated listening skills when
viewing film about Van Gogh after they asked questions about his life. They
responded to his work verbally and in their own artwork after viewing his artwork. They
also demonstrated their viewing skills when closely observing trees and landscapes.
Self-Management: Fine Motor Skills, Spatial Awareness: Students demonstrated
their control of fine motor skills when drawing with pencil and with oil pastels. They
showed their understanding of spatial awareness by drawing a horizon line, shapes
that diminish in size and overlapping.
Š develop particular attributes of the learner profile and/or attitudes?
Learner profile: Knowledgeable: Students demonstrated their knowledge of Vincent
Van Gogh in a pre-assessment and summative reflection. The knowledge of Van
Gogh's life and work was applied to their drawings.
Attitude: Empathy: Students demonstrated their empathy towards the sad life Van
Gogh had.
Reflecting on the inquiry

8. What student-initiated inquiries arose from the learning? 9. Teacher Notes

Record a range of student-initiated inquiries and student questions and The black pastel paper was a perfect choice that showed the rich color of the oil
highlight any that were incorporated into the teaching and learning. pastels.

See attached Power Point Presentation for a list of each class' questions mainly This project (from KWL to practice drawings to final drawings) took longer than I
inquiring about the life of Van Gogh. We also discussed a bit how the art market imagined.
works and why he was poor, but now his paintings are very expensive.

At this point teachers should go back to box 2 "What do we want to learn?" and
highlight the teacher questions/provocations that were most effective in driving
the inquiries.
What student-initiated actions arose from the learning?
Record student-initiated actions taken by individuals or groups showing their
ability to reflect, to choose and to act.

1. How do artists draw what they see in nature? (form)

2. How do artists develop observational skills (Function)

- Students learned that it takes practice to draw trees from observation
3. What techniques did he use? (Form)
Students chose to use the "brushstroke" like style he used in his later paintings (like
Starry Night.)
Also, they could connect their practice drawings of trees with the way Van Gogh
depicted trees.
A few students showed the illusion of depth connecting to the last art project as well
as the work of Van Gogh.

4. How did Vincent Van Gogh's life affect his art work? (Connection)
See attached Power Point

Power Point that includes many student inquiries

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2011