One Book, Many Lessons: The Museum

The Museum
By: Susan Verde

A young girl tours and twirls through museum galleries experiencing different emotions evoked by different styles of art, and then expresses her energy and inspiration when she finds an empty canvas.
 
Health/Guidance lesson: The young girl shares what emotions she feels as she looks at each painting. Begin a discussion with students as to why certain paintings may evoke a particular emotion in the young girl- do the bright colors in the painting make her happy, what emotion is felt based on movement or object in the painting. As the instructor, hold up various paintings and ask students how each painting makes him/her feel.

Art History: Throughout the book the young girl views famous paintings. Have students work together to identify the names of each painting, its painter and the importance of the piece.

Art Lesson: Provide each student with a white canvas and eight paint colors- 3 bright colors, 3 dark colors, and 2 neutral colors. Each will create his/her own painting and then present it to the class. Classmates will say what emotion the painting evokes for them and the painter will say why he chose the painting and colors he/she chose.