The Getty Museum in Los Angeles recently sent out a Tweet, challenging people quarantined at home to re-create famous art works and making them their own by utilizing items they have on hand.
Benjamin Logan High School AP European History teacher Trisha Hemmelgarn and other AP Teachers across the nation inspired their students to have a little fun by utilizing this challenge as an art history bonus assignment.
Along with creating their own re-creation of famous works of art, the Benjamin Logan students were required to research and explain: “This piece is a good example of (genre) because….” and “Relevant historical context of the piece—how does it reflect the events or thinking of the time?”
Hemmelgarn’s students also completed an art history chart in their own words explaining genres, approximate time period, and definition and characteristics for the following periods: Renaissance, Mannerism, Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassical, Romanticism, Realism, Impressionism, and Surrealism.
Student Jordan Sexstone recreated Johannes Vermeer’s Girl With the Pearl Earring, stating the painting is a representation of Baroque style art.
“The painting represents the time period because at the time of the painting, the Dutch were in the middle of the Dutch Golden Age….a time of richness, grandeur and drama.”
Other students selected Bartolome Esteban Murillo’s Penitent Magdalene, Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s Woman at the Piano and Gustave Courbet’s Le Désespéré and other works of art to recreate.
Hemmelgarn also shared a few ways she is going the extra mile to make a difference for her students during the time of the coronavirus shutdown.
“I am connecting with students using many digital tools such as Google Classroom, Remind, e-mail and Zoom. My classes meet three to four times a week in Zoom sessions for classroom instructions and to answer questions. My classes also have ‘game time’ with Quizlet Live and Kahoot.
“I also try to reach out to some students personally via phone calls to help reassure them during this unique time.”
The instructor said AP teachers were informed April 2 that the test format has changed greatly. She is finding creative ways to teach the curriculum so that students will be prepared for the upcoming testing.
“I am continuously trying to create new ways to engage students while developing skills to analyze and evaluate historical documents.
“In my classroom, I have often relied on non-traditional methods of instruction to convey the message to the students such as simulations and hands-on learning. I did not realize how much I enjoyed and was better by the ‘aha moments.’
“I am trying to learn to be the best teacher I can for the students in a digital classroom with changing expectations from our national test.”