Introduction
This webquest is by Melissa Stein. It is made for high school students, ages 14-15, who have an intermediate-high level of English. It follows a Content-based Instruction format, because it is centered around active student involvement, interactive learning, and peer input. The students must work as a group and should be motivated and interested in the project. In this lesson, the students will learn English through the context of art history.
Listen closely. You have slippery fingers. What's this mean, you ask? Well, it means you are inclined to steal things. In fact, you are very good at it. In this lesson, your job is use your slippery fingers to take some of the world's finest art.
You have some important questions to answer before getting down to business.
-
You must decide which pieces to take.
-
Discover where the masterpieces are located.
-
Detail how big the works are.
-
Learn why the artworks are historically important.
-
Find out everything there is to know about the museums.
You are a professional. Therefore, gathering as much information as possible is extremely important. Can you handle this daring adventure?
Task
Remember, you are the one who has to get the job done. This means you are responsible for gathering the resources it takes to pull off one of the biggest robberies of all time. Where should you begin?
You and your friends with slippery fingers must complete this enormous task:
-
Pick 3 works of art from the “Process” tab.
-
Find this important information:
-
Artist, date, size, location, picture of the piece of art.
-
Historical background: Where was it made? Why was it made? How much does it cost?
-
Museum details: Where is the museum? What are the museum hours? What is museum known for?
-
Problem solving task: Which works of art is the most worthy of taking and why? You can base this on historical significance or other factors.
-
Save this information in a google document to be shared among you and your sneaky friends.
-
Process
1. The teacher will choose groups of 4-5 students to work together.
2. Students must choose from the following list 3 works of art to take:
-
Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci
-
The Persistence Of Memory by Salvador Dali
-
Girl With A Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer
-
Self-Portrait Without Beard by Vincent van Gogh
-
Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli
-
Son of Man by Rene Magrittees
-
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Suerat
-
American Gothic by Grant Wood
-
Whistler’s Mother by James McNeill Whistler
-
The Scream by Edvard Munch of Norway
3. Once your group has picked 3 works of art, you must find the important information about each piece of art. Look at the “Task” tab for exact details.
- Check out these websites to help with your research:
4. Put all of your information into a google document.
5. Organize your information to make it look presentable. Your group will give a short presentation about what you have learned.
6. Share your google document with the teacher.
Evaluation
Conclusion
You did it! You’ve gathered enough information to take the greatest pieces of art in the world and keep them as your own.
But wait! One small thing that wasn’t mentioned...
Slippery fingers can have real life consequences.
Stealing art is obviously illegal. So, let’s just say this knowledge of art history and famous museums is your real prize. Don’t be sad: you’ve now learned why these pieces have become so popular and made the world such a beautiful place to live in.
Now, go wash off those slippery fingers!
