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American Art Timeline Begins

American Art History: Colonial to Early America

Day 30of 180
Week 6of 36
45Minutes
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🖨️ Download Worksheet (PDF)
🎯 What You'll Learn

Learning Objectives

1

Understand the basic chronology of early American art periods

2

Create a visual timeline of colonial and early American artistic developments

3

Develop appreciation for historical artistic expression

📖 Scripture Connection

Ecclesiastes 3:1

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.”

— Ecclesiastes 3:1 (WEB)

Demonstrates how historical periods have unique characteristics, just like different artistic styles

📦 Materials Needed

  • Large poster board or butcher paper
  • Colored markers
  • Printed images of colonial art
  • Ruler
  • Pencils
  • Glue stick
  • BibleMouse Resource Guide: Grade 4 Art
📚 Step-by-Step

Lesson Plan

1Opening (5 min)

Introduce the concept of artistic timelines and how they help us understand cultural development

💭 Review Question: What did we learn about early American folk art in our previous lesson?
2Teaching (15 min)

Explore key periods of early American art from colonial times to early 19th century

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • Native American artistic traditions
  • Colonial portrait painting
  • Folk art and functional crafts
  • Early landscape painting
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • How do art styles reflect the lives of people?
  • What materials did early American artists use?
3Activity: BibleMouse American Art Timeline (18 min)
project

Create a colorful, detailed timeline of early American art periods

📝 Instructions:
  1. Divide poster into chronological sections
  2. Add key dates and historical markers
  3. Attach printed images of representative artworks
  4. Use different colors to distinguish art periods
  5. Include brief descriptions of each artistic period
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Focus on 2-3 major art periods with fewer details

Challenge: Research and add additional context about each artistic period

4Closing (7 min)

Share timelines and discuss discoveries

📝 Review Questions:
  • What surprised you about early American art?
  • How did artists capture their world?

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll explore how artists use atmospheric perspective in landscapes

👨‍👩‍👧 For Parents

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

Early American art reflects the diverse cultural experiences of colonial society

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Encourage creativity in timeline design
  • Help child connect historical context to artistic styles
  • Use BibleMouse Resource Guide for additional visual references
🤔 Common Struggles:

Children might find chronological organization challenging

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Ability to place art in historical sequence and show understanding of artistic development

🚀 Want More?

Extension Activities

  • Visit local art museum or historical society
  • Create additional art inspired by early American styles
  • Research a specific early American artist in depth

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

Continue to Day 31 →Back to Art