Lesson Activities Introduction

Transcription

1 Lesson Activities Introduction Credit: Candace Printz In this lesson, students will learn about the history of the Roman Empire and the effects it has had on the Pantheon in the past 2,000 years. They will focus on the aesthetics of the building with the help of the elements of art and principles of design. Students will be asked to identify particular visual components of the Pantheon and see what modern-day architecture it may have influenced. Students will also do a hands-on project which will require them to write about, design and construct their own personalized building. (Texas has not adopted CCSS) Learning Objectives for Art: After completing this lesson students will: Gain a better understanding of how the elements of art and principles of design assist in the function of a building Gain insight about the past through the artistic analysis of architecture Make connections about how the past has influenced the present from a historical and artistic point of view Preparation Instructions for Art: Provide students with an overview of the lesson.

2 o o The introduction to Roman history and the history of the Pantheon will take place first. This will be done through lecture along with the assistance of photos, timelines, maps, and videos. These will be seen throughout the lesson. Students will then take the information they have learned and use it to compare and contrast the Pantheon with modern-day architecture, write in their sketchbooks about what type of building they will create, and sculpt the building they designed out of clay. Have students copy down the guiding questions in their sketchbooks or notebooks to be answered by them later. Get art materials ready for the project. Materials used are at the discretion of the teacher based on what is available and suitable for the classroom. Some suggestions are: low fire clay, air dry clay, or cardboard. Materials List The low fire clay project will require: Paper or sketchbooks for writing and designing Pen or pencil Aprons for protecting students clothes Clay Rolling pins to roll out clay slab Canvas to work on and protect the tables Sponges for smoothing clay and for cleaning up Clay tools- carving and smoothing Spray bottles of water to keep clay moist during the construction of the sculptures Plastic forks to scratch/score clay with Slip to apply on scratched/scored areas for connection points Plastic bags to prevent clay from drying until the project is complete- use masking tape and a marker to label these with students names to avoid mixing projects up Water for clean up Glazes to paint projects once they are fully constructed. Acrylic paint can be applied after firing, if glazes are not available. Brushes to apply the glazes A kiln to fire the clay. Air dry clay can be used as a substitute, if other materials are not available. Go over vocabulary: Architecture Definitions: Pantheon-of all gods Oculus-Architecture: a circular opening, especially one at the apex of a dome Dome-a vault, having a circular plan and usually in the form of a portion of a sphere Drum- denotes a circular or polygonal wall supporting a dome, cupola, or lantern. Coffer- a recessed panel in a vault, ceiling, or soffit

3 Portico- a row of columns supporting a roof at the entrance of a building Entablature- a horizontal part in classical architecture that rests on the columns and consists of architrave, frieze, and cornice Architrave- the lowermost member of a classical entablature, resting originally upon columns. Frieze- the part of an entablature between the architrave and the cornice Pediment- a triangular area on the face of a building below the roof, above an entrance, etc. Corinthian columns- of or relating to the lightest and most ornate of the three ancient Greek architectural orders distinguished especially by its large capitals decorated with carved acanthus leaves Capital- the uppermost member of a column or pilaster crowning the shaft and taking the weight of the entablature Pumice- a gray stone that comes from volcanoes, is full of small holes, has a very light weight, and is used especially for smoothing and polishing things or for softening the skin Tufa- a porous rock formed as a deposit from springs or streams Apse- a projecting part of a building (as a church) that is usually semicircular in plan and vaulted Clay & Sculpture Definitions: Maquette- a usually small preliminary model (as of a sculpture or a building) Clay- a heavy, sticky material from the earth that is made into different shapes and that becomes hard when it is baked or dried Coil method- One of the methods used in terra-cotta sculpture; the clay is rolled into cylindrical strips about the size of an ordinary pencil and wound up to create the desired shape. Slab method-a method of making sculptures in which a thick, flat plate, or slice, of clay is cut into shapes which are joined to form an object. The scored edges are joined and slip is used. Score and slip technique- To score (verb) a pot or piece of clay means to scratch hatch marks into it. This is done prior to brushing on slip and joining the pieces together. Slip-a liquid mixture of clay and water Glaze- to give a vitreous surface or coating to (a ceramic or the like), as by the application of a substance or by fusion of the body. Bisque- unglazed earthenware or porcelain after firing. Fire- to apply heat to in a kiln for baking or glazing; burn. Kiln- a furnace or oven for burning, baking, or drying something, especially one for firing pottery, calcining limestone, or baking bricks. Resources: Column Photo: Entablature Photo:

4 MacDonald, William L. (1976). The Pantheon: Design, Meaning, and Progeny. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. ISBN Joost-Gaugier, Christiane L. "The Iconography of Sacred Space: A Suggested Reading of the Meaning of the Roman Pantheon." The Iconography of Sacred Space: A Suggested Reading of the Meaning of the Roman Pantheon 19 (2009): IRSA S.c. Web. 11 Apr < Vitrivuis, Marcus. De Architectura. Public Domain, 1 st Century BC. Lesson Activities for Art: Activity 1. Locating the Pantheon Begin the lesson by showing the students where in the world the Pantheon is located. Where is Rome and the Pantheon located? Help students to locate Rome on a map of Italy ( After showing them the Italy map, show students a more detailed map of Italy ( with icons that show where the Pantheon is in relation to other major Roman landmarks.

5 Activity 2. The History of the Pantheon Provide the students with background information about Rome, Italy and the Pantheon, one of the greatest pieces of architecture in the world. Explain to students that although the true function of the original structure has been lost to time, we can guess what it may have been used for by remnants of the older building and by its name. Pantheon is derived from Ancient Greek and means all gods. This name, along with the porch and pediment decorations, point to this structure being some sort of a temple. The first Pantheon was built by Marcus Agrippa, the son-in-law of Emperor Augustus, c. 27 BCE. In a time where emperors were deified, it may have initially been built as a place where emperors could make appearances to display their stature. The structure was destroyed in a huge fire in 80 CE, leaving only the façade behind. Domitian rebuilt the Pantheon only to have it hit by lightning and destroyed in 110 CE. The third Pantheon was begun during the reign of Trajan ( CE), but was ultimately completed by Hadrian in 125 CE. Continuing in Hadrian s tradition of rebuilding in honor of the original builders, he dedicated the restored structure to Marcus Agrippa with the inscription on the porch façade that reads: M. AGRIPPA L.F. COS TERTIUM FECIT (Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, three-time consul, made this). Joint emperors Septimius Severus and his son, Caracalla, restored the Pantheon in 202 CE. Below the larger aforementioned inscription is a smaller one that reads: pantheum vetustate corruptum cum omni cultu resistuerunt (with every refinement they restored the Pantheum, worn by age). Though it is still known as the Pantheon, the structure was consecrated in 609 CE as a Christian church and named the Church of Mary and all the Martyr Saints. This consecration, luckily, saved the Pantheon from raids and ruin during the early medieval period. Beginning in the Renaissance the Pantheon has been used as a tomb. Some of the most notable figures buried there are the painters Raphael Sanzio da Urbino and Annibal Carracci, the composer Arcangelo Corelli, and the architect Baldassare Peruzzi. Today King Vittorio Emanuele II, King Umberto I, and Umberto s Queen, Margherita are also buried in the Pantheon. PANTHEON TIMELINE Credit: c. 27 BCE The first Pantheon is built in Rome and dedicated by Marcus Agrippa.

6 80 CE The first Pantheon in Rome is destroyed by fire. 110 CE The second Pantheon building in Rome is hit by lightning and destroyed by fire. c. 125 CE The Pantheon is completed in Rome. 202 CE The Pantheon in Rome is repaired by Septimius Severus and Caracalla. 609 CE The Pantheon in Rome is converted into a Christian church, the Church of Mary and all the Martyr Saints. Activity 3. The Exterior of the Pantheon Show students visuals of the exterior architectural components of the Pantheon, particularly the porch, columns, door, and the drum. The Porch: The inscription dedicated to Marcus Agrippa can be seen on the porch façade. The pediment, just above the columns, was used to display relief sculptures. This is known because of the holes in the structure that would have held the clamps to fix the sculptures to the building.

7 Credit: Candace Printz The Columns: The rectangular portico, which is very classically Greek, is attached to the rotunda, which is more Roman in style. The portico has three ranks of Monolithic Corinthian columns, weighing 60 tons each. The columns were formed from a single piece of granite which was quarried from Egypt. The 39 foot tall columns were dragged more than 62 miles to the Nile River. They were then transferred to ships to cross the Mediterranean Sea and ended up in Ostia, a Roman port city. On barges they floated up the Tiber River to Rome, where they were unloaded then rolled nearly half a mile more. Credit: Candace Printz

8 The Doors: The large bronze doors that lead to the rotunda have undergone numerous renovations. They are said to have been gold plated at one point in time. The doors and the oculus are the only sources of light for the interior of the building. Credit: Candace Printz The Drum: The exterior of the Pantheon is currently exposed brick. It was, at one time, covered with marble stucco to match the porch. There are three sections of the outer drum that get noticeably smaller the higher up they go. The varied heights of the sections create an optical illusion in scale, and make the building appear to be larger than it actually is.

9 Credit: Candace Printz Activity 4. The Interior of the Pantheon Show students visuals of the interior architectural components of the Pantheon, particularly the dome/coffers, oculus, and the floor. Dome/Coffers: The Pantheon is, to this day, the world s largest unreinforced dome. The dome is coffered and made of concrete with a central opening (oculus). The concrete was poured in molds, using scaffolding for the numerous layers that it took to create the structure. Using various materials to construct the dome allowed for it to be structurally sound. At the thickest part of the dome the aggregate travertine was used for support. Towards the top of the dome more porous building materials, such as tufa and pumice, were used because they are light weight. The coffers get smaller the closer they get to the oculus, creating yet another optical illusion that makes the dome seem taller than it actually is. The external surface of the dome would have originally been covered with bronze sheets. Brunelleschi turned to this design as inspiration for the dome at the Cathedral of Florence. Credit: Candace Printz

10 Oculus: The height of the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same- 142 feet. The oculus is the main source of light in the Pantheon and is 27 feet in diameter. As the sun moves across the sky, the light within the Pantheon changes. A beam moves over the interior and acts as a sundial. The oculus also provides ventilation in the structure where windows are lacking. When it rains or snows it comes in through the opening. There is drainage in various parts of the floor to prevent pooling. Credit: Candace Printz Floors: The floor has a slight slope in order to allow runoff of rainwater that falls through the oculus. The inlaid marble boasts geometric shapes that complement the ceiling pattern. The various colors seen on the floor are from marble quarried from all over the Roman Empire. The variety and rarity of the marble seen on the Pantheon floor represents the power and authority the Romans had.

11 Credit: Candace Printz Activity 5. A Visual Field Trip of the Pantheon Show students a virtual tour of the Pantheon. 4fba-8b9e-b5ab2022a47d Activity 6. Poll for Understanding To asses where students are struggling and excelling in regards to the content, we will play Kahoot. Follow the link for the Pantheon poll: * Cut and paste the link if it does not automatically take you to the game Activity 7. Reteach Revisit material, if necessary, dependent on poll results. Activity 8. Group Discussion about the Elements of Art and Principles of Design in the Pantheon Have a chart listing the elements of art and principles of design posted for students to copy into their sketchbooks (see elements and principles of design handout). If you have not gone over what each of these are then be sure to address that prior to beginning this exercise. Have students break off into small groups to discuss what elements and principles are evident in the Pantheon. Each group must include observations about the porch, columns, doors, drum, dome, coffers, oculus, and floor. Project or provide students with handouts/images of these architectural components for referencing. Students must identify what elements and principles are evident and also comment on how these impact the function and impression that the building portrays. Open discussion will follow once students have had time to fill out their forms. Forms must have all group member names listed on them before turning them in. Activity 9. Compare and Contrast

12 Compare and contrast the Pantheon with various buildings throughout the world. Provide students with a set of questions to guide their exploration. (See compare and contrast handout) Discussion will follow about their findings. Activity 10. Building Design Students will do a writing and sketch assignment in their sketchbook. They must create the design for a building that is dedicated to them and their family. The building must use the elements of art and the principles of design to convey the message/feel for which they would like to be remembered. (See My Very Own Pantheon handout) Activity 11. Building Sculptures Students will use their sketches and building descriptions to create a clay or cardboard sculpture of their family building. They are expected to build a maquette first (refer to clay definitions) before beginning their larger sculptures. Go over safety and cleaning procedures for working with the art tools. Any sharp tools that are used are to be returned before the end of class No one is to run around the room with sharp tools No one is to pretend to poke or stab someone with sharp tools All tools, tables, and brushes are to be thoroughly cleaned at the end of every class Go over slab and coil construction with students prior to giving them any materials. Do a demonstration of the slab and coil methods for students. Slab is a method used with clay assembly that requires the artist to roll out the clay with a rolling pin and cut out slabs for the construction of their sculptures. Coil is a method used with clay assembly that requires the artist to roll out clay coils to stack and smooth them for the construction of their sculptures. SLAB METHOD COIL METHOD