FIFTH GRADE Interpreting Art

Respond Domain Exemplar

Objective: ⦿  The student will describe, analyze, interpret, and

assess the characteristics of Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, in the form of a written critique.

Domain: ⦿  Respond: Standard 5: Students will reflect on

and assess the characteristics and merits of the work of others.

⦿  Rationale: This portfolio shows student growth in the ability of fifth grade students to critique Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night.

Exemplar

Instructional Sequence: ⦿  To assess the student’s preexisting knowledge of

critiquing a work of art the student’s were asked to write a critique about The Starry Night, by Vincent Van Gogh.

⦿  The students were told that they were looking at a reproduction of the artist Vincent Van Gogh’s work and that the artwork was titled The Starry Night.

⦿  His name, and the painting’s title were both written on the board for the students, underneath the reproduction.

⦿  The Pre-Assessment prompt “In your own words write a critique of Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night painting” was also written on the board.

⦿  Students were given 20 minutes to complete their pre-assessment critique. (Point A)

Exemplar

Instructional Sequence Continued: ⦿  As a class we discussed how art is a text that students of all

reading abilities can access. ⦿  We discussed ways of looking critically at art, and the four

steps one should use to effectively critique a work of art. ●  Describe ●  Analyze ●  Interpret ●  Judge

⦿  As a class we practiced using the four steps to effectively critique Henri Matisse’s The Dessert: Harmony in Red.

⦿  PowerPoint with Prompting Questions used to practice Critiquing attached under supplemental evidence.

⦿  Finally, students were asked to apply what they have learned about effective critiquing and re-examine Vincent Van Gogh’s painting The Starry Night once more. (Point B)

⦿  This project was completed in four 55 minute class periods.

Exemplar

Emerging Level Student Information: ⦿  Students categorized as emerging showed nominal amounts of

understanding on how to analyze a work of art. Many of these students only listed a couple obvious observations about the artwork.

⦿  This student wrote three basic things he observed in the artwork. ⦿  This student did not provide any interpretations of the observations

listed.

Point A: GLE 5.1/5.2- Level 1- Insufficiently analyzes, discusses, or justifies the characteristics and merits of the artwork of others.

Emerging Level Student Work: Point A

Exemplar

The student’s responses have

been transcribed on the following slide,

for your convenience.

Emerging Level Student Work:

Point B

Point B: GLE 5.1/5.2- Level 4- Exceptionally analyzes, discusses or justifies the characteristics and merits of the artwork of others.

Exemplar

Emerging Level Student Work- Point B

Point B: GLE 5.1/5.2- Level 4- Exceptionally analyzes, discusses or justifies the characteristics and merits of the artwork of others.

Describe ➢  Wind swirling ➢  A Village ➢  Tree ➢  The Starry Night ➢  Vincent Van Gogh ➢  Painting 1889 ➢  Moon and Stars

Analysis ➢  Color= blue, many tints and shades ➢  Yellow moon and stars contrast the blue sky ➢  Spiral lines of wind, curved lines make up the

mountains ➢  Van Gogh uses space by putting a large tree

in the foreground. ➢  The village is in the middle ground. ➢  He makes some buildings look closer and

farther by overlapping. ➢  The sky takes up most of the picture in the

background.

Interpretation ➢  This picture makes me feel sad because he

uses a lot of blue ➢  The village is awake because of the loud

hurricane like wind. ➢  The tree looks like it’s blowing in the wind

because of it’s curved lines. ➢  I think the sky is the most important part

because of the title “The Starry Night.”

Evaluate ➢  I think the artist did a good

job naming his artwork because the title actually tells what the painting is about.

Exemplar

Emerging Level Student Growth Rationale ⦿  In Point A the student shows minimal knowledge of how to properly critique Van

Gogh’s painting. The student provides a very limited and basic description of what he see’s in the painting. He does not Analyze, Interpret, nor Judge the merits of the work of art. ⦿  For this reason I classified the student as a Level 1, using the “Fine Arts

2016-17 Student Growth Portfolio Model Guidebook Scoring Guide.” ⦿  At Point B, after learning the four steps necessary to successfully critique a work

of art, the student was able to look at The Starry Night again, and in greater detail discuss his thoughts about the artwork. He notices many details included in Van Gogh’s work and shows higher level thinking by analyzing and explaining why he thinks those details were included. The student even adds his own creative interpretations by explaining how the spiral lines of wind are so loud they are keeping the village awake. He concludes his critique evaluating the success of the painting and explains why he thinks the artist did a job naming his artwork. ⦿  For this reason I classified the student as a Level 4, using the “Fine Arts

2016-17 Student Growth Portfolio Model Guidebook Scoring Guide.”

Emerg. Point A

Emerg. Point B

Exemplar

Proficient Level Student Information: ⦿  Students categorized as

proficient showed very little understanding about how to analyze, interpret, and evaluate a work of art. Many of the proficient students only described a couple general observations about what they see when they look at the painting.

Proficient Level Student Work: Point A

⦿  This student wrote three basic things observed in the artwork. She also began an analysis of the elements of art used within the painting, but does not interpret how or why they were included. Nor does she discuss or justify the merit of the artwork.

⦿  This is why I have classified the student’s initial response (Point A) as a Level 2, using the “Fine Arts 2016-17 Student Growth Portfolio Model Guidebook Scoring Guide.”

⦿  GLE 5.1/5.2- Level 2- Inconsistently analyzes, discusses, or justifies the characteristics and merits of the artwork of others.

Exemplar

The student’s responses have

been transcribed on the following slide,

for your convenience.

Proficient Level Student Work:

Point B

Point B: GLE 5.1/5.2- Level 4- Exceptionally analyzes, discusses or justifies the characteristics and merits of the artwork of others.

Exemplar

Proficient Level Student Work- Point B

GLE 5.1/5.2- Level 5- Masterfully analyzes, discusses or justifies the characteristics and merits of the artwork of others.

Describe ➢  I see blue in the sky and in the village. ➢  The village has a darker shade of blue

because it’s in the shadow of the mountain behind it.

➢  I see yellow stars that look like they are glowing because of the different tints of yellow.

➢  I see a low horizon line that separates the sky from the mountains and town.

Analysis ➢  The painting is made up of mainly cool colors. ➢  Van Gogh shows space by making the tree in

the foreground bigger, because it is closer. ➢  The village is smaller an in the middle ground

and the sky is in the background. ➢  Since the sky takes up the most space I think

that it is the most important part. ➢  The yellow stars and the moon stand out

because the yellow contrasts the blue night sky.

Interpretation ➢  The painting makes me feel sad because of

all of the blues that he used. ➢  I think this painting was made by someone

who was sad and enjoyed looking up at the sky.

➢  The person also looks down at the quiet village.

Evaluate ➢  I think this is a successful

painting because even though I cannot touch the real painting I can still see a lot of texture in the sky and in the village.

Exemplar

Proficient Level Student Growth Rationale ⦿  At Point A the student shows very little knowledge of how to properly critique Van

Gogh’s painting. The student provides a very limited and basic description of what she see’s in the painting. She does not Analyze, Interpret, nor Judge the merits of the work of art. This student wrote three basic things observed in the artwork. She also began an analysis of the elements of art used within the painting, but does not interpret how or why they were included. Nor does she discuss or justify the merit of the artwork. ⦿  For this reason I classified the student as a Level 2, using the “Fine Arts 2016-17

Student Growth Portfolio Model Guidebook Scoring Guide.” ⦿  At Point B, after learning the four steps necessary to successfully critique a work of

art, the student was able to look at The Starry Night again, and in greater detail share her thoughts about the artwork.

⦿  She provides a thoughtful analysis of her initial description of the work. Impressively she interprets not only her emotional response to the painting, but hypothesizes about Van Gogh and his feelings when he painted this piece. ⦿  For this reason I classified the student as a Level 5, using the “Fine Arts 2016-17

Student Growth Portfolio Model Guidebook Scoring Guide.”

Prof. Point A

Prof. Point B

Exemplar

Advanced Level Student Information: ⦿  Students categorized as advanced showed limited understanding about

how to appropriately critique a work of art. Many of these students listed a few basic observations about the artwork and perhaps their initial interpretations to the meaning of Van Gogh’s work.

⦿  This student begins their critique by describing the painting. She then quickly pushes past an analysis of the painting and begins interpreting the meaning of the artwork. Her critique abruptly ends with no discussion or justification in regards to the merit of the artwork.

Point A: GLE 5.1/5.2- Level 2- Inconsistently analyzes, discusses, or justifies the characteristics and merits of the artwork of others.

Advanced Level Student Work: Point A

Exemplar

The student’s responses have been transcribed on the following slide, for your convenience.

Advanced Level Student Work: Point B

Point C: GLE 5.1/5.2- Level 5- Masterfully analyzes, discusses or justifies the characteristics and merits of the artwork of others.

Student Responses Continued

on Back Exemplar

Advanced Level Student Work- Point B Describe

➢  This is a picture of a windy night. ➢  I can see a village in the valley of the

mountains. ➢  There are a lot of houses clumped together

with a church in the middle of the village. ➢  I see a tall tree in the foregound of the picture. ➢  I see a glowing moon with brightly shinning

stars and there are spiral lines that show the wind is blowing in the night sky.

Analysis ➢  The stars and the moon look like they are

glowing in the sky because of the different tints of yellow.

➢  The sky takes up over half of the entire landscape; which much mean it is the most important part of the painting.

➢  There are many different shades of cool colors throughout the sky.

➢  The glowing stars and mood are contrasted by the blues and greens in the night sky.

➢  The parallel lines in the roof’s of the buildings and the vertical lines of the tree and church steeple guides my eye to the sky.

Interpretation ➢  The curved tree looks like it is swaying in the

wind. ➢  The painting makes me feel relaxed/chilled

because of the cool windy night breeze. ➢  The brightest star in the night sky reminds me

of a rocket that is quickly coming to the sleeping city in the middle ground.

➢  The glowing yellow lights in the village make me think the howling wind is keeping the village awake.

➢  The curved lines of the tree in the village look like they are moving and blowing in the wind.

Evaluate ➢  I think this is a good and successful painting

because of all of the emotions it makes me feel and stories it makes me imagine. Exemplar

Advanced Level Student Growth Rationale ⦿  In Point A the student show very little knowledge of how to discuss and analyze the

characteristics of Van Gogh’s painting. ⦿  For this reason I classified the student as a Level 2, using the “Fine Arts 2016-17 Student

Growth Portfolio Model Guidebook Scoring Guide.” ⦿  Point B: After learning to how to properly critique a work of art, the student was able to look at the

artwork and in greater detail and masterfully describe, analyze, interpret, and evaluate Van Gogh’s work. Within each step of the critiquing process the student adds her own interpretations to each statement she makes that shows both her voice and her feelings.

⦿  The student demonstrates mastery in her ability to describe her interpretation of Van Gogh’s artwork while using her imagination to create a scene within the painting. She discusses the mood of the painting and includes details from the painting to support her initial description.

⦿  The student demonstrates mastery in her ability voice her analysis of Van Gogh’s artwork while using her imagination to create a scene within the picture. If someone was not familiar with Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night painting, after reading this student’s critique they would have a very clear picture in their head of his painting. The student carefully dissects each component of the painting and describes it in great detail, resulting in a very strong and well thought out critique. ⦿  For this reason I classified the student as a Level 5, using the “Fine Arts 2016-17 Student

Growth Portfolio Model Guidebook Scoring Guide.”

Adv. Point A

Adv. Point B

Exemplar