The use of literature as a method of teaching art and art appreciation in the elementary school

118 Pages·04.746 MB·English

by  Felder, June Elaine

THE USE OP LITERATURE AS A METHOD
OP TEACHING ART AND ART APPRECIATION
IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
A Project
Presented to
the Faculty of the School of Education
University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Science in Education
by
June Elaine Felder
June 1950
UMI Number: EP45823
All rights reserved
INFORMATION TO ALL USERS
The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted.
In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript
and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed,
a note will indicate the deletion.
UMT
Dissertation Publishing
UMI EP45823
Published by ProQuest LLC (2014). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author.
Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC.
All rights reserved. This work is protected against
unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code
ProQuest LLC.
789 East Eisenhower Parkway
P.O. Box 1346
Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346
r
IB J 'SO 5/^-3 P r O j ,
This project report, ‘written under the direction
of the candidate’s adviser and approved by him,
has been presented to and accepted by the Faculty
of the School of Education in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of Master of
Science in Education.
Date P r Z a y u . / , / . 9 . 3 ' o .....
Dean
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. THE PROJECT AND DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED . . . . 1
The project.................................... 1
Statement of the project ................... 1
Importance of the project ................... 1
Definitions of terms u sed ..................... 2
A r t ...................... ’................... 2
Art appreciation..................... 2
Organization of the remainder of the project. . 3
II. AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE ..................... 4
\ ^
Aims and objectives . . C ..................... 4
Scope.......................................... 6
III. BASIC PRINCIPLES AND METHODS OF TEACHING ART
AND ART APPRECIATION......................... 7
Principles.................................. . 7
Methods..................... 16
As a separate subject....................... 16
Art appreciation with art o n l y ............. 18
Integrated with all subjects............... 18
Free art periods..........-.................. 19
Art units............ 20
Activities.................................. 23
Teacher materials ........................... 24
iii
CHAPTER PAGE
IV. ART AND ART APPRECIATION THROUGH THE USE
OF BOOKS.................................... 25
Comparison of texts used in art apprecia­
tion courses in secondary schools with
those used in elementary schools.......... 25
Literature for the primaryg rades .......... 26
Literature for the intermediate and
upper grades.............................. 43
V. SUMMARY...................................... 82
BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................... 85
CHAPTER I
THE PROJECT AND DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED
I. THE PROJECT
Statement of the project. This project is designed
to present a useful approach to the teaching of art and art
appreciation through direct experience and emphasis on the
utilization of children's books on various art problems and
areas.
Importance of the project. Art should make people
conscious of the beauty to be found in everyday things;
should give pleasure in color and good design; should give
confidence and courage to express ourselves; and it should
stimulate a desire for more attractive and artistically
satisfying surroundings. It should enable-the individual
to adjust himself more fully to his environment through
motivation of his interests and through the clarification
and organization of his thinking.
Teaching art is, for many classroom teachers, a task
instead of a pleasure. Because of lack of background many
teachers have no idea of motivating or creating interest in
various art projects among their pupils. The time devoted
to art is many times spent in drawing and painting, with no
2
thought given to developing appreciation for the materials
of the processes involved in the work, and with no carry­
over into the student’s life outside of school.
That each child, regardless of school or grade level,
may receive meaningful experiences and develop wholesome
attitudes through and toward art areas is the purpose of
this project.
II. DEFINITIONS OF TERMS USED
Art. According to Webster-*- the word art means:
"Skill in performance, acquired by experience, study or
observation."
In this project the previous statement is modified
by including emotion and excluding skill. For the purposes
of this paper, emphasizing appreciation of art does not
include development of skill.
Art appreciation. Appreciation instead of meaning
approve, as Webster^ has defined it, will be used synonymously
with experience. Hence one can contemplate, judge and
evaluate all man-made products.
*]
Merriatn A. Webster, Webster*s Collegiate Dictionary
(Springfield, Massachusetts, 1938)* P* 60.
2 Ibid., p. 52.
3
III. ORGANIZATION OP THE REMAINDER OP THE PROJECT
Chapter II discusses the aims and objectives of art
and art appreciation and the scope of the project.
Chapter III deals 'with the basic principles and
methods of teaching art appreciation.
Chapter IV emphasizes the approach to art apprecia­
tion and art through the use of books.
Chapter V summarizes and draws conclusions.
CHAPTER II
AIMS, OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE
I. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
In the past, art in the curriculum has had a cultural
aim with the idea that there would be some transfer of
training in solving everyday problems in art but with very
few suggestions on how to fulfill the transfer.
Within the elementary school, the child must be made
aware that art exists in his environment. The present day
elementary school child helps in selecting items for the
home as well as personal clothing. True art should develop
improvement in personal appearance as well as in the home
and its surroundings.
When the child is developing his judgment abilities,
creative abilities, and specific abilities he will be guided
to appreciations that will give personal satisfaction and
enjoyment. In addition to these, there will be an intellec­
tual appreciation through understanding the use of art prin­
ciples and recognizing materials of artistic worth. There
should be a development of aesthetic attitudes in children
so that they will utilize this knowledge in adult life.
Not only is the desired end the enjoyment of beauty,
but the ability to select and make wise use of articles
which are good in design and color in everyday life. As
Russell3 has stated: "it is that fine discrimination which
is often designated as good taste."
The aims and objectives of art education in the
state of California for secondary schools were stated by
Collette^ when he ascertained that: (a) there is little
uniformity or agreement as to what constitutes the major
general aims and objectives of art education; (b) the
greatest emphasis of art education in the California second­
ary schools is concentrated upon art appreciation and aes­
thetic development; (c) there is a strong tendency through­
out the state to emphasize the application of art prin­
ciples to every day life.
There has been no statement for art or art apprecia­
tion issued purely on the elementary level. The aforementioned
objectives should be incorporated into the elementary curri­
culum as well as the secondary.
3 Mable Russell and Elsie P. Wilson, Art Training
Through Home Problems (Peoria, Illinois: The Manual Arts
Press, 1933)/ P-
^ Edward Collette, "Aims and Objectives in Art Educa­
tion in California Secondary Schools," (unpublished Master’s
thesis, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 193^)*
228 pp.