Sample Lesson Plan
Teacher: Pamela Webster Long, Wicomico High School
Discipline: English
Grade Level: High School
Topic: "The Odyssey" and Greek Vase Art Unit Overview
Essential Understandings:
- The arts allow individuals to express their visions.
- Creative tasks enlarge self-image and offer tools for exploration of texts.
- Human beings are constantly exploring meaning in their environment.
- Improvisation in art offers a tool for creative exploration of texts.
- Students will identify the twelve basic Greek vase patterns.
- Students will examine various decorative motifs.
- Students will create a Greek inspired vase that shows indepth understanding of a scene from The Odyssey.
- How can art help us delve deeper into the meaning of a text?
- What was the role of art in Greek society?
- How are the arts interconnected in Greek culture?
- What makes these arts timeless and full of meaning for today?
Rationale Why is this unit worth teaching? The connections between fine arts and literature are important for students to explore if they are to understand the culture that produced the works they study in class. Arts are not separate from literature, which is not separate from historical culture. They offer an opportunity to discover and transform our appreciation of literature. The highly interrelated nature of Greek music, drama, and poetry can be further illumined by looking into the visual arts. Mythological themes found in The Odyssey become alive when students see them portrayed on vases. By studying the types of Greek vases and their decorative motifs, students prepare to illustrate scenes from The Odyssey.
Assessment:
- Students should be able to identify the twelve types of Greek vase.
- Students should be able to distinguish Greek decorative motifs from those of other cultures.
- Students should be able to create a Greek vase that illustrates a scene from The Odyssey.
- See attached rubric.
- Slides, or computer images of ancient Greek vases.
- Templates of twelve types of Greek vases.
- Sheets of decorative motifs.
- Markers, pencils, or crayons.
Introduction: The teacher will show the class a number of images of Greek vases, explain the various uses (wine, water, funeral offerings) and the cultural importance of the art on each vase. Students will identify the wide variety of decorative motifs on each vase.
Procedures: Students will then choose one Greek vase template. The teacher will hand out sheets with many types of decorative motifs. Each student will then choose one incident from The Odyssey. The vase type should in some way match the story. For example, a picture from the Circe story could be done on a pyxis, which is used for cosmetics. A scene from the Cyclops story could be done on a krater, which is used for mixing wine. Using various types of coloring materials, students will add motifs to the template, and then an original illustration. Assessment is based on neatness, originality, and general attractiveness. Each vase must be labeled with: type of vase, the name of the incident from The Odyssey, and the student’s name. Once completed, the posters will be displayed in the hallway, along with a text poster that gives a brief description of Greek vases, and the importance of the relationship between mythology and vase art.
Rubric for grading this project.
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and suggestions
The Center for Renaissance & Baroque Studies
0139 Taliaferro Hall
The University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland 20742
301-405-6830
Last updated August 1, 2002.