Joslyn
Art
Museum
Mural
Masters
Lesson
Plan
Diego
Rivera:
Masterworks
from
the
Museo
de
Arte
del
Estado
de
Veracruz
October
25,
2008­January
18,
2009
Focus:
Diego
Rivera
Mural
Painting
Objectives:
• Students
will
work
as
a
team
to
enlarge
an
artwork
by
Rivera
• Students
will
use
a
grid
to
create
their
enlarged
“cartoon”
• Students
will
use
tempera
paint
to
match
Rivera’s
colors
After
completing
this
lesson,
students
will
be
able
to
do
the
following:
• Identify
works
by
Diego
Rivera
• Communicate
facts
about
Rivera’s
life
and
art
• Mix
or
layer
paint
to
match
preexisting
colors
• Create
a
proportionate
grid
to
enlarge
images
Instructional
Strategies
that
Strongly
Affect
Student
Achievement
–
Robert
J.
Marzano
01
Identifying
similarities
and
differences
02
Summarizing
and
note
taking
03
Reinforcing
effort
and
providing
recognition
04
Homework
and
practice
05
Nonlinguistic
representations
06
Cooperative
learning
07
Setting
goals
and
providing
feedback
08
Generating
and
testing
hypotheses
09
Activating
prior
knowledge
Resources:
Weblinks:
•
Rivera, Javier A. “Diego Rivera Web Museum: Murals”,
http://www.diegorivera.com/index.php (accessed Sept. 8, 2008).
•
Malyon, John. “Diego Rivera Online”. Artcycolopedia.
•
Wiley, Sr. Lucia. “The Art of Fresco: Painting Technique”.
http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/rivera_diego.html(accessed Sept. 8th, 2008).
http://www.muralist.org/fresco/painting.html (accessed Sept. 8th, 2008).
Books:
• Sabbeth,
Carol.
Frida
Kahlo
and
Diego
Rivera:
Their
Lives
&
Ideas.
Chicago:
Chicago
Review
Press,
2005.
•
Venezia,
Mike.
Diego
Rivera:
Getting
to
Know
the
Worlds
Greatest
Artists.
Chicago:
Children’s
Press,
1994.
•
Winter,
Johna.
Diego:
in
English
&
Spanish.
New
York:
Knopf,
1991.
Suggested
Materials:
• 12”x12”
all
media
paper
• Photo
copied
images
by
Rivera
(depending
on
age
you
may
choose
to
crop
the
image
to
an
easily
gridded
sized)
• Rulers
Vocabulary:
Mural
Cartoon
Fresco
•
•
•
•
•
Pencils
Tempera
cakes
Brushes
Mounting
board
(or
wall)
Tape
Anticipatory Set (Lead-In):
• Present students with images of Rivera’s murals and discuss with them his training and
process. Have students analyze the subjects & themes and discuss with them Rivera’s
intentions and motivation.
• Compare and contrast murals and easel paintings, how is one or the other a more
effective means of visually communicating ideas.
• Present students with two or three images from a Rivera canvas, and have the class vote
as to which they prefer to enlarge.
Step-By-Step Procedures:
1. Give each student with a photocopied of the selected Rivera image (made large enough
for there to a be a portion available to each student, and preferably in color)
2. As a class, go through the steps of making the grid. First by measuring the horizontal then
the vertical lines.
3. Have students check their neighbors measurements
4. Have students number each square, and then from a hat have students draw numbers for
drawing assignments
5. Present each student with 12”x12” all media paper
6. Instruct each student to complete a cartoon drawing of their assigned portion of the grid
7. When students finish the cartoon drawing supply paint, brushes, & water cup
8. Instruct each student how to effectively mix or layer colors to create new colors to match
those in Rivera’s original painting (if students are working from a black & white image,
project a colored slide in a position for all of the class to reference).
9. When students finish painting their portion of the grid, and it has had time to dry, supply
him or her with tape to mount to the wall or mounting board in the appropriate position.
Plan For Independent Practice:
• Students who finish early may complete any unassigned portions of the grid
• Students who finish early may complete a grid enlargement of their own onto large sheet
of paper
Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set):
Lead students as they create a paragraph as a class that explains the process used to enlarge the
original image to mural size, and explains the theme/intention of the mural to hang along with
the finished mural in a public space within your school.
Adaptations (For Students With Special Needs):
• Have portions of the grid pre-drawn, and allow student to apply colors that match
Rivera’s
• Utilize adapted materials/tools
Extensions (For Gifted Students):
•
•
•
Have
student
complete
their
own
grid
mural
Have
student
create
a
grid
enlargement
on
a
large
piece
of
paper,
making
all
measurement
themselves
Have
students
create
a
grid
enlargement
based
on
their
own
preparatory
sketch
inspired
by
Rivera
i.e.
cultural
significance,
social
commentary...etc
Interdisciplinary
Connections:
• Cultural
Connections/Social
Studies:
o Investigate
the
Mexican
revolution
o Investigate
contemporary
life
in
Mexico
• Fine
Arts:
o Investigate
other
mural
artists
(historical
&
contemporary)
o Take
a
mural
tour
through
your
town
(either
field
trip
or
slide
show
from
photos)
o Examine
protest
music,
and
compare/contrast
with
murals
with
a
societal
message
o Investigate
fresco
paintings
throughout
history
• Language
Arts:
o Have
students
create
poems
with
a
social
message
o Have
students
write
a
paragraph
explaining
Rivera’s
intent
in
their
own
words
o Have
students
complete
an
exercise
that
introduces
Spanish
words
relating
to
art,
murals,
or
Diego
Rivera’s
life
• Math:
o Have
students
create
their
own
measurements
to
create
grid
o Use
grid
to
illustrate
simple
arithmetic.
i.e.
multiply
top
row
by
bottom
row,
take
away
the
middle
two
rows
and
how
many
are
left?
• Science:
o Introduce
scientific
concepts
of
color
and
light