A Monet painting
Claude Monet was an influential French painter during the late 19th and early 20th century. He is most widely known for his impressionist works. Impressionist paintings feature visible brush strokes and a strong attention to the interplay of light and dark. His images features soft lines which give an almost dream-like appearance to the painting. During his prolific career, Monet created an impressive body of work, from landscapes to portraits. Monet's works are commonly studied in art classes, but their study can effectively extend into core subjects as well. By integrating Monet's art into their classes, core subject teachers can teach their students to appreciate this significant artist.
Instructions
Science: "Water Lilies"
1. Monet is widely known for his numerous water lily paintings. Look at any of the paintings in Monet's series of water lily images. In these works, Monet captured the beauty of lush water lilies floating upon a reflective pond.
2. Study actual water lilies. The water lily is an interesting plant because, unlike many types of vegetation, it does not lay roots into the ground. It instead extends its root structure into the water and leaches nutrients from the liquid. Discuss how water lilies differ from other plant forms in their root structure and tolerance to water.
3. Create a class water lily garden by filling a fish tank with water and floating some water lilies on the surface, allowing your students to inspect the majestic plants daily.
4. Ask students to create their own images of water lilies by copying Monet's style.
Social Studies: "The Houses of Parliament, London"
5. Look at any of Monet's House of Parliament works. In 1871 Monet created a series of paintings of the London area, several of which feature the British House of Parliment. The most famous of these paintings is the rich "House of Parliament, London." This image shows the outline of the House of Parliament set against the backdrop of a golden sunset.
6. Provide students with a modern day photograph of the actual houses of the Parliament and ask students how well they think Monet captured the subject.
7. Discuss the British system of government and how it parallels the American system, with which U.S. students are more familiar. Compare the houses of Parliament to the United States Capitol, which serves a similar function.
Math: "Rouen Cathedral"
8. View any of the Rouen Cathedral paintings that Monet created. The Rouen Cathedral was a popular subject in Monet's work during the early 1890s. During this time, he created more than a dozen images of this opulent French cathedral. The facade of the Rouen Cathedral contains repeated geometric patterns which could easily be integrated into a math lesson.
9. Seek geometric patterns and repetition schemes within Monet's painting of the Rouen Cathedral.
10. Ask students to list any geometric shapes that they can find within the design of the structure.
11. Talk about the methods of finding the perimeter and area for each shape you locate.
English: "Woman with a Parasol"
12. Look at "Woman with a Parasol." In this painting, Monet captured the image of a woman standing alone on a rise in a meadow. The wind blows her dress and her figure creates a shadow across the grass. What this solitary woman is thinking is a quandary.
13. Discuss what the woman in the painting may potentially be feeling and thinking.
14. Create a web of student ideas on the board.
15. Instruct students to write an emotive poem from the woman's point of view.
16. Post the poems around the picture in your classroom.
