Table of Contents
About the Guide ............................................................................................................ 1
Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... 2
About the Artist ............................................................................................................. 3
VTS and Common Core at the Museum ....................................................................... 4
Before Your Visit ........................................................................................................... 5
Lesson One: Coloring with Light (Science, Writing and Art) ...................................... 6-7
Coloring with Light Data Sheet ...................................................................................... 8
Lesson Two: Spinning Colors (Science and Writing) ............................................... 9-11
Common Core Standards and National Standards for the Arts ................................... 12
About the Guide
This guide is intended for use in conjunction with a Museum visit and to integrate art, into your classroom lessons. We
would also like to introduce you to Visual Thinking Strategies or VTS, a literacy and art viewing
program that utilizes art to help improve both critical thinking and verbal skills. VTS aligns very well with the
Common Core ELA Standards by encouraging students to back up verbal and written ideas with evidence from
a work of art. It also encourages self-confidence and clarity in speech and enhances reading and writing skills.
When planning a field trip to the Museum, use the guide to prepare yourself, rather than your students for the
visit, and then share the resources with the students after the visit to continue learning from the Museum
experience back in the classroom. The lessons and resources can also be used independent of a Museum visit.
The lessons in this guide align with Common Core Standards and National Standards for the Arts.
They are based on works from the exhibition, Stephen Knapp: New Light, on view at the Alexandria Museum of Art,
from September 6-November 23, 2013.
Stephen Knapp: New Light
September 6–November 23, 2013
“Lightpaintings” of glass that is cut, shaped, polished, treated with layers of metallic coatings,
mounted on stainless steel, and illuminated with light bulbs! The multi-dimensional prisms refract and
reflect colored rays of light across gallery walls and ceilings.
In addition to Stephen Knapp: New Light, the following exhibitions will be on view during Fall 2013:
26th September Competition Exhibition
September 6–November 23, 2013
The 26th Annual September Competition presented by the Alexandria Museum of Art is an annual
juried exhibition selected from national and international submissions highlighting contemporary art
practices in all media. Featuring original art created within the past two years, 50 artworks were
selected for the exhibition by this year’s artist-juror, Stewart Nachmias, and will be included in a fullcolor print catalogue.
2013 Louisiana Dragon Boat Races™ Photography Contest Exhibition
September 6–November 23, 2013
Relive the spirit of the races through photographs taken by local community members capturing the
action and people of the event! The exhibition features twenty photographs juried by Lafayette-based
photographer, Philip Gould. Alexandria Museum of Art’s 3rd Annual Louisiana Dragon Boat
Races™ on the scenic Red River in May, 2013, featured more teams, food, elaborate costumes, and
entertainment on and off the water than ever before.
Louisiana’s Culinary Heritage
September 6–October 19, 2013
The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts 2013 Scholarship Art Contest exhibition features fifteen
finalists chosen from across Louisiana who were awarded college scholarships and art supplies. High
school juniors and seniors were invited to create a work of art based on the theme “Louisiana’s
Culinary Heritage,” representing our state's unique culinary heritage while honoring its festivals,
dishes and local ingredients. College scholarships and art supplies were awarded to ten high school
seniors and five juniors.
1
Acknowledgements
Information regarding VTS was adapted from material provided by Visual Understanding in Education, a
nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the use of VTS, and increase understanding of aesthetic
development. Please visit www.vtshome.org
Photographs of Stephen Knapp and his work are courtesy of the artist.
Information about Stephen Knapp and New Light can be found on the artist’s website:
http://www.stephenknapp.com/
Art vocabulary can be found on artlex.com
Scientific information about the science of light and color, as well as definitions and images can be found on
NASA’s website for educators:
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Optics.Guide.html
More information about Common Core State Standards and the CCSS listed in this lesson can be found at
http://www.corestandards.org/.
More information about The National Standards for the Arts including those referenced in this guide can be
found at http://www.arteducators.org/store/NAEA_Natl_Visual_Standards1.pdf.
A cooperative effort funded by the Greater Alexandria Economic Development
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About the Artist: Stephen Knapp
Artist, Stephen Knapp was born in Worcester, Massachusetts,
in 1947. After graduating with a degree in history from Hamilton
College in 1969, he was a fine art photographer for nearly a
decade. During this time, he began to combine other mediums
with photography and innovating processing techniques.
Eventually, photography was not enough and he began
experimenting with more permanent materials such as ceramic,
mosaic, metal, stone and glass. These monumental works
continued to draw from what he learned from photography. The
artist had been fascinated by light his entire life, “both for what it
can do and the effect it has on us.”
Mr. Knapp has created many public art pieces in which light is an important element, the largest of which is
installed at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. These installations would lead to his first
lightpaintings, in 2002. He continues to create lightpaintings for solo Museum exhibitions and large public
works.
Stephen Knapp’s career is marked by a continuous desire to research and explore materials and historical,
culture and technical predecessors that inspire and inform his work.
About the Work: Painting with Light
Using light as a medium, Stephen Knapp creates spectacular explosions of light and color. He creates glass
pieces and braces them with stainless steel mounting brackets. Then he lights each piece with electric light.
The brackets are an integral part of the artwork, as they cast shadows that are part of the overall composition.
Each glass piece is layered with up to twenty-four very thin metallic coatings. Some of these are designed to
refract color, while others are designed to reflect color, and some do both at the same time. The factors an
artist considers when creating a color palette, such as hue, saturation and color mixing, are achieved through
the application of the metallic layers and the placement of the glass, in relation to the light. Each piece of glass
reflects and refracts light in two directions, increasing the possibility for new color mixtures. Color is decided by
the angle of the glass to the light and the amount of space between the different pieces and the glass. The
arrangement of the glass must be planned carefully. If one piece is off, it changes the entire composition as
well as the colors of the piece.
Knapp excels at creative problem solving. All of his materials are custom made. When a new problem arises
he must research and create a new solution. The unique possibilities that arise with each issue excite the
artist. The artist states, “For centuries, artists have sought to capture light with pigment. Actual light, and
creating with it, is just so different that I think it’s where we’re going to be as artists. We will always have
painting here; this is just painting a bit differently. It’s all about that elusive something that makes us want to
create—that drive to leave a little bit of ourselves to solve some visual problems. There’s a whole myriad of
reasons why we create and put something on the wall like this—this is just another way to do it and capture it
and share it with others.”
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Visual Thinking Strategies
Visual Thinking Strategies, or VTS, is a research based literacy program that uses art to improve critical
thinking and language skills. Through discussions about the art, self-esteem and participation are encouraged,
even among struggling students. VTS directly correlates to the ELA Standards of the Common Core
Curriculum.
VTS operates on a child’s natural ability to make sense of what they see, a skill we all begin using at birth. The
method is a discovery process facilitated by the teacher, using three, simple but carefully researched questions
that provoke thoughtful responses and encourage lively, engaging conversation. The process has students
focus, reflect and question, which builds their critical thinking skills.
VTS Tours at AMoA
Students touring any of our exhibitions will participate in group
discussion where they will be asked to carefully observe artworks and
explain “what is going on” in a particular piece of art. As we prompt them
to support their explanations with evidence, we engage their reasoning
and logic skills. Students can also participate in writing and sketch
response activities, per the teacher’s request.
Museum docents, trained in VTS, facilitate gallery discussions.
Longitudinal field studies, employing control and experimental groups in
multiple sites around the world, have been conducted on VTS since
1991. The studies prove that VTS builds critical thinking skills that
transfer to other settings and subjects. Measurable academic
growth is produced by the program in students of varying socioeconomic
and academic backgrounds, including students who perform poorly on
standardized tests or possess limited English skills.
To schedule a tour at the Alexandria Museum of Art, contact Anne Reid
at (318) 443-3458 or email her at [email protected].
Using VTS in Your Classroom
Studies have shown that students who participate in at least ten sessions of VTS over the course of one school
year will show measurable academic growth. Conducting a VTS session in the classroom is easy and
engaging. For more information on learning to use VTS in your classroom, call Cindy Blair at (318) 473-6413 or
email her at [email protected].
The Museum and Common Core
At the Museum, you will find support for your Common Core classroom. Here students can explore primary
and secondary sources that will be helpful in project-based learning. They can participate in discussions
through VTS, in which they will reach conclusions about art and support their ideas with evidence from the
artwork.
We also provide teachers with professional development opportunities through our VTS program and Evenings
with Educators. In 2013, Evenings with Educators will focus on Common Core aligned project-based learning,
useful in creating a successful Common Core classroom.
4
Before Your Visit
•Discuss the featured artist with your class and the type of work that will be on display.
•Encourage students to look carefully at the artwork they are shown. This will be a good time to practice their
observational skills.
•Explain to students that they will be taking part in a discussion about the artwork and they will need to raise
their hand as they would in the classroom. Let them know there are no wrong answers and we are very
interested in their thoughts and opinions.
•Explain to students that they must not touch the artwork. It may seem harmless to just touch a piece of art
once, but even when they are clean our hands contain oils that over time can damage artwork. Even gases
from our breath can be harmful over time.
•At times they may want to come very close to see details but generally, it is good to stand at least two feet
from the work as it gives one a better overall view of the work.
•Above all have fun!
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Science/Visual Art/Writing Activity: Coloring with Light
The following activities can be conducted with your class
before or after touring the exhibition, Stephen Knapp: New
Light or independent of a Museum tour.
Grade Levels: 3-4
Common Core Standards are listed on the final page of this
guide.
Key Questions/ Issues Addressed:
 How are light and color related?
 How do colors affect each other?
 How do we see different colors?
Lesson Goals/Objectives:
 Students will learn that color is reflected light.
 Students will understand how light is reflected differently by
different colors and how these colors interact by creating their own
“lightpainting.”
 Students will record data from their experiments with color
and light and write clearly and in the appropriate sequence about
their experiment and findings.
Stephen Knapp
Capriccio, 2003
light, glass, stainless steel
11’ x 8’ x 10”
Materials: Acetate or cellophane in clear and primary colors (secondary colors are optional), light source such
as a window, clear packing tape, overhead projector (optional) and The Science of Lightpainting: Images for
Educators available on our website at: http://theMuseum.org/Education/teacherresources.aspx, copies of
Coloring with Light Data Sheet
Related Information:
 Refer to NASA’s document for educators, Introduction to Light and Color, from their website:
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/350524main_Optics_Light_Color_and_Their_Uses.pdf
 Refer to The Science of Lightpainting: Images for Educators available on our website at:
http://theMuseum.org/Education/teacherresources.aspx
Key Terms:
Light- a form of energy that travels in waves
Frequency- the speed at which a wave vibrates or goes up and down
Wavelength- the distance between the two peaks of each wave
Radiation- energy that comes from a source and travels through some substance or through space
Reflection- Reflected light is the light we can see. When light hits an object some of it bounces or reflects off
the object, enabling us to see the object.
Refraction- When light waves pass through different substances they bend or change directions. For example,
when light waves pass through water the objects in the water may appear wavy.
Diffraction- Light will also bend when it encounters an obstacle or an opaque object. Instead of going through
the substance it bends around the substance. The bending of light around edges or small slits will create
patterns or fringes of light. This can be seen when light hits the surface of a DVD.
Color- When light waves hit an object, some are absorbed by the object and some are reflected. The color of
an object is determined by which waves are reflected by that object.
Electromagnetic Spectrum- the range of all types of electromagnetic radiation
Visible Spectrum- the parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, that are visible to the unaided eye
White Light- All of the colors of the spectrum blend to create white light. When all colors are reflected off of an
object at one time, the object will appear white.
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Learning Activities:
1. Share the images of Stephen Knapp’s
lightpaintings, from The Science of Lightpainting: Images
for Educators with your students. Discuss how light and
color are related, using the NASA’s Introduction to Color
and Light as well as the key terms in this lesson.
Questions for discussion:
 “Stephen Knapp calls his paintings, lightpaintings.
What do you think that means?”
 “How do you think the artist created these pieces?”
 Follow up by paraphrasing their answer and
asking, “What do you see that makes you say that?”
 “What causes an object to be a certain color?”
 “How do you think this artist created different
colors, using light in these lightpaintings?”
2. Distribute an 8 ½”x 11” piece of clear acetate to each student, as well as several different colors of
colored acetate or cellophane.
3. Ask the students to cut their cellophane into different shapes and experiment with layering them onto
their clear acetate. Before they experiment with their colors have them predict what the results of each
combination will be. Have them note their predictions, on the graphic organizer provided.
4. Have them tape their color arrangements on the clear acetate with clear
packing tape creating a pleasing arrangement of shapes.
5. Students will hold their “lightpaintings” up to the ceiling light or up to a window.
What different colors did they make? Have them note their results on the
graphic organizer. How do the results compare to their predictions?
6. Have the students use their graphic organizer and what they have learned to
write about their projects, using the questions below. Make sure they
understand they must write about their experience in the proper sequence,
beginning with what they learned in class about color. Next they will talk about
their prediction and results. They will end their writing by discussing what they
learned from the results of their lightpainting experiment.
Questions for Writing
Students will write two paragraphs discussing the following:




Why do we see color?
What did you predict would happen when you began combining colors for your “lightpainting?”
How is what happened different from your predictions?
What did you learn about color and light while making your “lightpainting”?
Assessment of Student Understanding:
 Students are able to comprehend and engage during the discussions.
 Students are able to create a “lightpainting” using several color combinations.
 Students are able to record their predictions and results on the
graphic organizer.
 Students are able to express their findings in writing.
Extension Activity: Invisible Design Have students use several colors of
highlighters to make a design on a piece of paper. Next, they will view the
design through their “lightpainting.” Have them take note of what they see
when they look through the painting at their design. Do some of the parts
of the design look different when viewed through different colors? What
does this tell us about how light is transmitted through different colors?
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Name_______________
Date________________
Class_______________
Coloring with Light Data Sheet
Directions:
1. Cut your colored filters into different shapes and using the suggested color combinations below arrange them on
the clear piece of acetate. Be creative with your shapes and arrangement!
2. Make a prediction about what will happen when you combine the colors below, as you create your “lightpainting.”
3. Tape down your combinations using clear tape.
4. Hold the “lightpainting” up to the light.
5. Record the results of the color combinations.
Filter Color Combinations
Prediction
Result
Red + Yellow
Yellow+ Blue
Blue + Red
Green + Red
Blue + Green
Green + Yellow
Yellow + Orange
Red + Orange
Blue + Orange
Green + Orange
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Science/Writing Activity: Spinning Color
The following activities can be conducted with your class before or after touring the exhibition,
Stephen Knapp: New Light or independent of a Museum
tour.
Grade Levels: 6
Common Core Standards are listed on the final two
pages of this guide.
Key Questions/ Issues Addressed:
 What is the visible spectrum?
 What are color schemes in color theory?
 What is persistence of vision?
 How does movement affect how we see color?
Stephen Knapp
Lesson Goals/Objectives:
Shadow Musings,
light, glass, stainless steel on panel
 Students will understand how light and color are related.
(panel 36” x 60”)
 Students will understand the color wheel and color schemes and the visible spectrum.
9’ x 14’ x 10”
 Students will make a prediction about color and experiment with a color spinner; they will record their
data and explain why they achieved these results.
Key Terms:
Color Wheel - A radial diagram of colors in which primary and secondary, and tertiary colors are displayed as
an aid to color identification and mixing
Hue- The name of any color as found in its pure state in the spectrum or rainbow
Primary colors- colors from which all other colors are made (red, blue, and yellow)
Secondary colors - colors that are created from equal amounts of two primary colors (green, orange, violet)
Tertiary colors- colors produced by mixing unequal amounts of two primary colors (red-violet, blue-violet,
blue-green, yellow-green, yellow-orange, red-orange)
Light- a form of energy that travels in waves
Pigment- color that is both natural and man-made. Each pigment reflects light waves differently. For example,
red pigments absorb all colors in the spectrum, but reflect red. Therefore, we see red when we look at this
pigment.
Reflection- Reflected light is the light we can see. When light hits an object some of it bounces off the object,
enabling us to see the object.
Refraction- When light waves pass through different substances they bend or change directions. For example,
when light waves pass through water the objects in the water may appear wavy or slightly than they appear in
the air.
Electromagnetic Spectrum- the range of all types of electromagnetic radiation.
Visible Spectrum- the parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, that are visible to the unaided eye
White Light- All of the colors of the spectrum blend to create white light. When all colors are reflected off of an
object at one time, the object will appear white.
Materials: strong string, such as twine or kite string, white cardboard or matboard scraps, compass, markers
or colored pencils, rulers, protractors, scissors, gel pens or Sharpies, The Science of Lightpainting: Images for
Educators available on our website at: http://theMuseum.org/Education/teacherresources.aspx
Related Information:
 Refer to NASA’s document for educators, Introduction to Light and Color, from their website:
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/350524main_Optics_Light_Color_and_Their_Uses.pdf
 Refer to The Science of Lightpainting: Images for Educators available on our website at:
http://theMuseum.org/Education/teacherresources.aspx
9
Learning Activities:
1. Have students read NASA’s Introduction to the Electromagnetic Spectrum for Students
http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/index.html and the section on visible light at
http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/visible.html
2. Discuss the lightpaintings of Stephen Knapp. You can find the images for projection in The Science of
Lightpainting: Images for Educators available on our website at:
http://theMuseum.org/Education/teacherresources.aspx
3. Talk about how he uses light reflected and refracted at different angles off of coated glass to create the
magnificent colors of these works.
Questions for Discussion:






What is light and how is it related to color or pigments?
Why do we see color?
What is reflection and refraction?
What is a spectrum? (Discuss the electromagnetic and visible spectrum.)
What is the color wheel?
What is the relationship between primary, secondary and tertiary colors?
(Note: images of the electromagnetic, visible spectrum and color wheel available in The Science
of Lightpainting: Images for Educators
4. Explain to students that they will be making spinners to see how colors blend to make other colors on
the visible spectrum. Using their compass, each student will create a circle, on their white cardboard or
matboard, two to four inches in diameter. (Alternatively, white paper can be used and pasted to brown
or any other color of cardboard.) Students can make more than one to experiment with different color
combinations.
5. Have students measure ¼ inch on either side of the center point, and make holes for the string. They
will punch the holes using the compass point. They may need to widen their hole with a pencil.
6. Using a protractor, students will divide the circle into two, three, four or six equal sections. They will
accomplish this by measuring the number of degrees of each section and marking the edge of the
circle. Have them use a straightedge and pencil to draw the lines for each section.
10
7. Students will color the sections of their spinners using markers or colored pencils. When choosing
colors, they should consider which colors will blend to make other colors. Have them consider what will
happen when they spin their colors and have them write down their prediction or hypothesis.
8. Have students measure string the length of their arm span and cut the string. They will then thread the
string through the holes in the spinner and tie the ends together.
TIP: The string will go through the holes
easier if one end is wrapped in a small
piece of tape.
9. Students will hold the loops on either
side of the circle and pull them apart.
10. They will wind the string by making
small circular motions with their hands
and then pull the string tight. The
spinner should begin spinning.
Above : Red and Blue Spinner
Right: Red and Blue Spinner Spinning
11. Have the students record what happened when they pulled their string. Did their circle spin? If not have
them try to figure out why it didn’t spin. (The circle may not spin if the holes are not equidistant from the
center point or if the circle is cut unevenly.) If their circle did spin, what happened? Given what they
have learned about light and how we see color, why did they achieve these results?
12. Have them write a paragraph or two explaining their hypothesis or prediction, and the results from their
experiment. Have them also explain why they achieved these results, using information they learned
during the discussion about light and color and through the reading they did at the beginning of the
lesson.
Extension Activities: Persistence of Vision is the manner in which the brain retains an image after the
object or image has been removed from
sight. It is this phenomenon that makes
motion pictures and animations appear to
be moving. Students can turn their spinners
into thaumatropes or optical toys.
Thaumatropes were optical toys invented
sometime before the 1820s. Often they had
one image on one side, such as a bird. On
the other side would be a cage. When the
toy spins, the bird appears to be inside the
cage. This occurs because of persistence of vision. The brain holds onto an image for a few seconds after the
image actually disappears from view. It merges the two images.
Have students draw spirals, stars or any other decorative designs on their spinners using Sharpie markers or
gel pens.
What happens when they spin their thaumatropes? Why does this occur? Why do the colors blend when the
spinner spins?
Assessment of Student Understanding
 Students engage and show comprehension during class discussion.
 Students exhibit an understanding of the visible spectrum and color wheel by using different types
of color schemes in their spinners.
 Students are able to make a prediction, follow through with an experiment using their spinners and
explain why they achieved certain results by using information they learned about color, light and
the spectrum, during the class discussion.
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Common Core Standards for Coloring with Light
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,
descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3c Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3d Provide a sense of closure.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2a Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include
formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2b Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and
examples related to the topic.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2c Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for
example, also, because).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2d Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2e Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.
National Standards for Coloring with Light
Content Standard: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines
Achievement Standard:
Students understand and use similarities and differences between characteristics of the
visual arts and other arts disciplines
Students identify connections between the visual arts and other disciplines in the curriculum
Common Core Standards for Spinning Color
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1a Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1b Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and
demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1c Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1d Establish and maintain a formal style.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.1e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.9 Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or
multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.
National Standards for the Arts for Spinning Color and extension activity
Content Standard: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines
Achievement Standard:
Students describe ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in the
school are interrelated with the visual art.
Content Standard: Using knowledge of structures and functions
Achievement Standard:
Students generalize about the effects of visual structures and functions and reflect upon these
effects in their own work
Students employ organizational structures and analyze what makes them effective or not effective
in the communication of ideas
Students select and use the qualities of structures and functions of art to improve communication
of their ideas
Content Standard: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas
Achievement Standard:
Students integrate visual, spatial, and temporal concepts with content to communicate intended
meaning in their artworks Students use subjects, themes, and symbols that demonstrate knowledge of
contexts, values, and aesthetics that communicate intended meaning in artworks
Content Standard: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
Achievement Standard:
Students describe and place a variety of art objects in historical and cultural contexts
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