The Art of the Storm
Art
Students will find and describe examples of weather-related artwork.
What You Need
- Access to an online art museum, a local art museum, or art books from the school library or local public library
- A sketchpad or blank paper and pencil or pen to sketch artworks
- A notebook to jot down notes about artworks
What To Do
- Direct students to an online art museum site such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art (http://www.metmuseum.org/collections) and help them find examples of art featuring storms or other sorts of dramatic weather. (Examples at the Metropolitan Museum site include El Greco's View of Toledo, Jacob Isaacksz van Ruisdael's Wheat Fields, Martin Johnson Head's Approaching Thunderstorm, and Georgia O'Keefe's A Storm.) Alternatively, have them look for similar artwork at a local art museum or in art books.
- Ask students to choose an artwork and make a sketch of it.
- Have students write a paragraph or two describing the artwork, focusing on the weather and the mood it conveys. Then have them share their sketches and paragraphs with the class.