Brief Description

Students learn how volcanoes look on Earth and on other planets in the solar system by viewing the artistic renderings online.  They will draw a volcano and paint it with the backdrop of an imaginary world.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

• 5T-F1. Recognize electronic information sources

• 6SC-F5. Identify major features of natural processes and forces that shape the earth’s surface, including weathering and volcanic activity.
• 6SC-F6. Describe natural events and how humans are affected by them.

Academic

• Using at least 2 ideas from the online resources, students will create a volcano drawing on paper which rates 3 or more on the Space Art Creation Rubric.

• Using online resources, students will create Space Art with a rating of 3 or better using the Space Art Creation Rubric.

• Students need to be familiar with the process of accessing a URL on the web.

Internet display of key artworks for this activity
Paper
Watercolor, tempera paint, crayons, other media
Rubric for assessment

Accommodations for Special Needs

SEI (Sheltered English Immersion) students will work with a buddy and have additional work time as needed.  Words, which are not familiar to these students, can be researched using a program called Babel Fish.  This program can be accessed at this URL.  http://world.altavista.com/. Students with an IEP (Individual Education Plan) will be given additional work time within the computer lab as well as additional time to complete their drawing.  Gifted students will be asked to make their drawing three-dimensional by the addition of extra materials such as tissue paper, sand, or organic materials found around the classroom.

Procedures

1.  Access the website listed below and preview the artwork. http://www.getty.edu/artsednet/resources/Space/Lowelem/volcanoes.html

Key Artworks
• Joseph Wright of Derby, An Eruption of Vesuvius, Seen from Portici, ca. 1774-76
• Thomas Moran, Hot Springs of the Yellowstone, 1872
• Chesley Bonestell, Jupiter's Violent Surface, 1961
• Reproduction of volcano on Io from the Jet Propulsion Lab
• Reproductions of Navajo artist Baje Whitethorne's work to show interesting sky colors and patterns


2.  Go through the following information with the students.  Ask the students the questions annotated below.

Discussion Questions
Explain that beneath the surface of the earth, temperatures are very hot. They are so hot that there are pockets of molten rock. Sometimes these rocks flow or force their way through the Earth's surface. This flowing rock is called lava, and some volcanoes are built of layers of lava.

Many volcanoes are cone-shaped, just like the volcanoes in the background of Joseph Wright's Vesuvius and Chesley Bonestell's Jupiter's Violent Surface.  Explain that in the 1940s when Bonestell made his painting, we didn't know there were no volcanoes on Jupiter. However, we know now that there are volcanoes on Io, one of the moons of Jupiter.

Q:  How are volcanoes different from the way other mountains and hills are shaped?

Possible student answer: Many mountains are more irregular because rain and wind and other things change them.
(Volcanoes are often renewed by fresh flows of lava or have been formed more recently than other mountains.)

 Q:  Are there any volcanoes near where you live? Do you know of any famous volcanoes?

Possible student answers: Volcanoes in the United States include Kilauea in Hawaii and the Cascades in Washington and Oregon, a chain of volcanoes that includes Mount Saint Helens. There are also volcanoes in California, Arizona, and other states. Famous volcanoes include Krakatoa in Indonesia, Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, which erupted in the last decade, Mount Vesuvius, and Mount Saint Helens. The hot springs at Yellowstone, including the geyser Old Faithful, are heated by hot rock not far beneath the surface of the Earth.

3.  After the question and answer session, begin the art activity.

Art Activity
Distribute paper and crayons, paints, pencils, or markers. Direct the students to draw the volcanoes using their choice of media. After completing their volcano, they are to then add backgrounds to create imaginary worlds. These could include wild purple skies, red clouds, or whatever extraterrestrial features appeal to students. Show the work of Navajo artist Baje Whitethorne as inspiration for sky colors and patterns and 19th-century artist Thomas Moran's image of the hot springs at Yellowstone for unusual rock colors.

4.  After students have completed their drawings, they will take turns sharing their artwork with the entire class.

Students will exchange their artwork with the person at their table group.  Each student will then rate the artwork using the Space Art Creation Rubric.
Go to the following URL: http://rubistar.4teachers.org/, then enter the number 730261 in the box asking for the saved rubric ID number.  Click on the view option to view the rubric.  An alternate URL is http://rubistar.4teachers.org/view_rubric.php3?id=730333.
View and print the rubric so students have their own copy.

2.  Use the following prompts to help students rate the artwork.

Elements of Design:  Students need to be aware of the elements and principles of design, as well as how colors can really emphasize a picture.

Creativity:  Students need to try several ideas before settling on their final design idea.

Effort:  Students need to put forth the maximum effort and see the picture through to completion.

Craftsmanship:  Students need to do the best job they are capable of.

3.  Teacher will also assess each student’s artwork using the above rubric.