Monsters, Mondrian, and Me

project created by Page McDonald and Lucinda Surber

Project Description

Phase 1: In pairs, students draw pictures of monsters, then write descriptive paragraphs. The paragraphs are e-mailed between classrooms. The receiving students draw from the descriptive paragraphs, and those drawings are scanned and exchanged electronically. Students then compare original drawings with "second generation" drawings from the other class to assess their own skill at descriptive writing.

Phase 2: Through the same process, students describe a work of art by Mondrian, Klee, Matisse, etc. Written descriptions are sent to partner classes, and receiving students attempt to duplicate the art works from the descriptions. Art is electronically exchanged and compared to the original works for detail and accuracy.

Phase 3: Students study and work on self portraits, then write a descriptive passage to describe their face. Following the same process, students exchange and compare each other's portraits.

Student Outcomes

Writing
- Write a well-planned and interesting paragraph with sufficient detail
- Present information clearly
- Present a picture or express a feeling with vivid sensory detail
- Edit own and others' work for quality and mechanics
- Use the computer as a writing tool
- Persevere through the writing process
- Evaluate own writing and personal progress
Reading
- Extract the main idea or theme from a text
- Use prior knowledge/experience and context to make predictions and draw conclusions and inferences
Art
- Identify and describe visual qualities that exist in significant works of art
- Show refined skill and knowledge when solving artistic problems and expressing ideas and views in original works of art
Technology
- Keyboarding
- Word processing
- E-mail and telecommunications
- Graphics manipulation (scanning, editing)

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This page maintained by Lucinda Surber. This site was launched October 6, 1996.