Lesson by Roxane France-Woods
for
The Center for Renaissance & Baroque Studies
Summer Institute
Discipline: Art I & II, Grades 9 - 12

Lesson:

Students will create illuminated initials and phrases to illustrate behavioral and emotional concepts as seen in Othello.

Rationale:

Students often see art and literature as separate subjects. By reading and interpreting Othello's hundred lines, the students will be able to understand the connection between the historical, cultural, and social aspects of literature through art. They will be able to translate the behavioral and emotional concepts of written language into multi-dimensional works of art as applicable to their daily lives.

Essential Questions:

1. How do the complex relationships depicted in Othello illuminate behavioral and emotional concepts?
2. How is the issue of value versus usefulness depicted in Othello?

Essential Student Outcomes:

1. Students will demonstrate the ability to interpret the behavioral and emotional concepts illustrated in Othello.
2. Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to perceive, interpret, and respond to art through journal writing and creating works of art.

Objectives:

1. Students will read Act I, Scene III of Othello independently and as a class, reading the parts of individual characters.
2. Students will be able to identify the major concepts of behavior and emotion that show love, loyalty, and conflict.

Warm Up:

1. Students will write a paragraph containing their interpretation of what they have read.
2. Each student will write a contemporary love quotation using the words of Othello.
3. Each student will create four thumbnail sketches for illumination of individual letters and phrases.
   

Materials:

• Gold point and gold leaf paper
• Enlarged photocopies of stylized letters
• Drawings of flowers and plants from the Renaissance period
• 12 x 12 inch drawing paper
• Pencil/colored pencil
• Tracing paper
• Calligraphy marker or pen

Guided Practice:

• Teacher will discuss with students the historical and cultural aspects of Othello, focusing on behavioral and emotional concepts.
• Teacher will discuss color schemes used during the Renaissance period.
• Teacher will help each student choose the best thumbnail sketch for enlargement.
• Teacher will demonstrate how to create an illuminated letter and phrase.
• Students will be taught how to gather research information from the library and the internet.

Independent Practice:

• Students will gather research materials.
• Students will transfer their enlarged drawings of their initials on to 12 x 12 paper.
• Students will color their designs using colors from the Renaissance period.
• Each student will write a contemporary phrase using a calligraphy marker or pen.

Assessment:

Student progress will be checked daily, and individual feedback will given by the teacher. Upon completion of the project, students will complete self-evaluating rubrics of their work. After all student evaluations have been completed, the teacher will perform final evaluations in order to assign grades. The work of the students will then be displayed on the bulletin board in the hallway showcase.