Sample Pages
In this Volume:
- Prehistoric Art
- Mound Builder Art
- Native Southwestern Art
- Iroquois Art
- Taino Art
- John White
- Early Virginian Art
- Colonial Portraiture
- Matthew Pratt
- Spanish Colonial Architecture
- Benjamin West
- John Singleton Copley
- Paul Revere
- Charles Wilson Peale
- Raphael Peale
- Gilbert Stuart
The Book
The book, American Art History: Volume I, is arranged chronologically and divided into sixteen chapters, each chapter introducing two pieces of art. One chapter should be read each week. Chapters can be read individually or aloud. Students often enjoy taking turns reading the articles aloud as a group. Teachers or parents can instigate discussions by helping to define difficult vocabulary or by asking students what is real in the article and what is added for comic effect.
The Forgery Game
Each chapter includes two Forgery games at the end. The games are simple: compare the real work of art to the “forgery” on the facing page and try to find ten differences. This game can be played by students individually or as a group in a classroom setting. In a group students often enjoy competing against each other to see who can find all ten differences first.The game allows children to enjoy studying art, and entices them to thoroughly examine each work of art. By spending time comparing two images, students spend time studying the art in close detail.
The Bingo Game
The American Art Bingo, Volume I provides an invaluable review, and should be played from the first through the sixteenth week. As the semester progresses the game both reviews what the art students have already studied in the earlier chapters and previews art to be studied in the future. As the teacher/parent holds up each image and calls out the name, location and date of the artwork, students inadvertently memorize the information about each piece.
The Drawing Projects
Finally, the projects in Drawing American Art: Volume I, allow students to kinesthetically examine a piece of art in minute detail. Provided with easy step-by-step instructions, all students can produce an impressive reproduction of one of the artworks from each chapter.
