Middle School Lesson Plans

The Lyme Art Colony was a group of artists who were drawn to Old Lyme, Connecticut, as early as 1900. They stayed at the Griswold boardinghouse that was owned and operated by Florence Griswold. These artists spent their days painting en plein air, or out-of-doors, to capture the natural beauty of the area. From the very beginning, these artists began to physically transform the boardinghouse by painting scenes on the doors and wall panels of the house – a tradition that was common in the country inns the artists had visited in Europe. Soon, the news of the boardinghouse for artists spread and Old Lyme became known as a place to visit, even for non-boarding tourists on vacation.

This lesson introduces students to the Lyme Art Colony by having them write a travel article in the voice of a travel writer in 1910. Students use the Museum’s on-line resources to have a virtual “visit” to the Lyme Art Colony before writing about their experiences. This assignment mirrors the many articles that were written about the art colony by writers who visited. The Lyme Art Colony was often featured in articles in newspapers and magazines as well as popular travel guides of the times.

Please share your suggestions for making the lesson better. Let the Museum know how this lesson worked for you and your students by sending your comments and suggestions to david@flogris.org. Educators are encouraged to submit copies of final products and/or digital images to be shared on our website.

1. Begin by reading aloud The Story of Miss Florence and the Lyme Art Colony to introduce students to the Lyme Art Colony

2. Introduce the assignment of writing a short description of an imaginary visit to the Lyme Art Colony as a travel writer in 1910. Tell the students that they will “visit” the art colony via their computer by going to The Fox Chase section of the Museum’s on-line learning site. After their virtual visit, they will compose an article about the Lyme Art Colony to be published in a 1910 travel book, magazine, or newspaper (their decision). Their description should make the reader want to visit the Lyme Art Colony.

3. Divide the class into working groups of three or four and distribute a copy of the following excerpt from a travel guide published in 1926. Ask the groups to read and discuss the excerpt. What questions do they have now? What more would they like to know? What did the writer make them think about? Do they have any pictures in their heads after reading the piece? How would they finish the piece? Have the groups report out their discussion.

5. The author of the excerpt visited the Lyme Art Colony while traveling from Greenwich, Connecticut to Ogunquit, Maine. Encourage your students to imagine their route. Where did they come from and where are they going. Their travel article should both be enjoyable and informative.

6. During the draft stage, have students occasionally gather in their groups to share their research, ideas, and writing. Encourage students to make suggestions to enhance each other’s writing.

7. For the final presentation, encourage students to mock up a travel book, magazine or newspaper and illustrate their article by printing out an image from the Museum’s website or drawing their own. Post the final projects in a place where other students can read their travel articles.

4. In preparation for the students to write their own version of a travel article about the Lyme Art Colony, have them use a computer to “visit” the boardinghouse for artists by interacting with The Fox Chase. Review with the students of the 5 W’s of journalism (what, where, who, why, and when) to keep them on track.

This lesson introduces students to the personalities of the Lyme Art Colony by having them write and perform a short scene incorporating the various characters who were a part of the Griswold boardinghouse. Students use the Museum’s on-line resources to gather information (both in words and pictures) about the people of the art colony before creating a scene that incorporates the material. A series of scenarios are included below, however, some students may wish to develop their own.

The Lyme Art Colony was a group of artists who were drawn to Old Lyme, Connecticut, as early as 1900. They stayed at the Griswold boardinghouse that was owned and operated by Florence Griswold. The house was filled with activity from May to October each year when the artists were coming and going. However, the artists were not the only people connected to the house. The house was occupied by Miss Florence’s domestic help (to clean, cook, and garden), the wives of the artists, the female art students (who were not allowed to stay at the house), the tourists, and on occasion, a VIP like President Woodrow Wilson. This cast of characters came together and helped shape an interesting chapter in Connecticut art and history.

Objectives
To learn about the personalities associated with the Lyme Art Colony
To read a short scene from a new play about a historic subject
To use the Museum’s website as a source of information
To work as a group to plot out a scene following a suggested scenario
To view historic photographs and paintings of people
To work as a group to write a scene for multiple characters using a variety of historic voices
To work as a group to perform a scene in front of the class

Curriculum Connections

Social Studies educational experiences in Grades 5-8 will ensure that students
Be active learners at cultural institutions such as museums and historical exhibitions

Display empathy for people who have lived in the past

Describe relationships between historical subject matter and other subjects they study, current issues, and personal concerns

Visual Art educational experiences in Grades 5-8 will ensure that students
Know and compare the characteristics and purposes of works of art representing various cultures, historical periods and artists

Describe and place a variety of specific significant art objects by artist, style and historical and cultural context

Analyze, describe and demonstrate how factors of time and place (such as climate, natural resources, ideas and technology) influence visual characteristics that give meaning and value to a work of art

Language Arts educational experiences in Grades 5-8 will ensure that students
Determine purpose, point of view and audience, then use the appropriate features of persuasive, narrative, expository, and poetic writing to achieve desired results

Plan, organize, create and revise visual, written and oral pieces at a level of elaboration appropriate for middle school

Identify and use primary and secondary sources to paraphrase, elaborate on, and integrate information into a final product, (e.g. historical fiction, news article, research paper, documentary)

Use and examine the effectiveness of multiple ways of generating ideas (brainstorming, listing, writing, talking, webbing, drawing), then compose, revise, edit, and present a variety of products

Analyze, describe and demonstrate how factors of time and place (such as climate, natural resources, ideas and technology) influence visual characteristics that give meaning and value to a work of art

The above goals align with this lesson and were selected from The Connecticut Framework: K-12 Curricular Goals and Standards (adopted in March 1998, published by the Connecticut State Department of Education, Division of Teaching and Learning).

WHISTLING MARY: Of course, the artists sometimes stirred up more trouble than they were worth.

BAILY: What do you mean?

WHISTLING MARY: Well, like the time they were playing catch in the dining room and tossed an orange through the window.

BAILY: Through the window?

CHILDE HASSAM: It was an accident.

BAILY: I bet Miss Florence was very upset.

WHISTLING MARY: Actually, she didn’t mind at all, said it would let in some much needed fresh air. She was like that, you know.

CHILDE HASSAM: Oh Mary, what about the ring?

WHISTLING MARY: Oh, Mr. Hassam, the story about the ring!

CHILDE HASSAM: Yes, tell Miss Baily about the ring!

WHISTLING MARY: Alright, if you insist. Well, it all happened one day when all the artists decided to go out to the aunt’s place for an afternoon swim.

CHILDE HASSAM: They were relatives of Miss Florence, who had a house down at Griswold Point.

WHISTLING MARY: Now, on this particular day, included in the bunch was the artist William Henry Howe.

CHILDE HASSAM: Who we all called Uncle.

BAILY: Was he your uncle?

CHILDE HASSAM: No, no, we just called him that.

WHISTLING MARY: Now, it just so happened that Mr. Howe, after some time swimming, had lost his ring in the surf, a ring he fancied quite a bit. Well, of course, everybody there joined in to look to see if they could help him find it – but to no avail. Now, what Mr. Howe didn’t know is that one of the artists actually did find the ring but didn’t fess up to it then and there and kept it a secret. Well, later on that evening, back here at the house, the group sat down for dinner. Now, of course, Mr. Howe, being Uncle and all, was always the one to carve at table.

CHILDE HASSAM: Always.

WHISTLING MARY: So, when the meal was brought in – which happened to be fish that night – salmon, I believe – he began slicing and serving portions to everyone there. Well, after a few moments or so, he heard a light clink against his knife. Of course, he assumed it was a bone or something, so began diggin’ in there to remove whatever it was. Well, wouldn’t you know, when he pulled out the knife and held it up, there on the very tip of it was his ring – the very one he’d lost earlier that day! Well, for a few moments, he just stared at it in disbelief while all the other artists tried their best to contain their giggles. Of course, the secret was soon let out as laughter poured out round and round the table – and in the kitchen as well! Oh, it was the funniest, I tell ya! The funniest!

(Childe Hassam and Whistling Mary laugh heartily.)

This lesson introduces students to the Lyme Art Colony by having them compare and contrast two painted panels in the Griswold boardinghouse in terms of subject matter and painting styles. Students use the Museum’s on-line resources to view key examples of the painting styles and distinguish their similarities and differences as well as to select their own painted panels. This lesson demonstrates how the artists painted the same subject matter but in a different style to achieve a different kind of reaction from the viewer.

The Lyme Art Colony was a group of artists who were drawn to Old Lyme, Connecticut, as early as 1900. They stayed at the Griswold boardinghouse that was owned and operated by Florence Griswold. The first group of artists who came were influenced by the painter Henry Ward Ranger who painted in a style known as Tonalism. The Tonalists were interested in creating subdued, poetic, and mood-filled landscapes of the New England countryside. In 1903, however, the artist Childe Hassam came to Old Lyme with a group of younger artists who were interested in painting in another style known as American Impressionism. This style, like its inspiration French Impressionism, featured bright colors and painterly, broken brushstrokes, that sought to capture the fleeting emotion, or “impression” of a scene.

Objectives
To learn the history of the Lyme Art Colony
To view paintings and determine their subject matter
To compare/contrast works of art with similar subjects
To compare/contrast works of art painted in different styles
To view historic photographs and paintings
To use the Museum’s website to read about subject matter and style
To describe both “the what” and “the how” and “the wow” when looking at a painting
To hear what other people think about works of art
To understand the use of the style terms Tonalism and American Impressionism
To describe a painted panel in terms of subject matter and artistic style

Curriculum Connections

Social Studies educational experiences in Grades 5-8 will ensure that students
Formulate historical questions based on primary and secondary sources, including documents, eyewitness accounts, letters and diaries, artifacts, real or  simulated historical sites, charts, graphs, diagrams, and written texts

Gather information from multiple sources, including archives or electronic databases, to have experience with historical sources and to appreciate the need for multiple perspectives

Interpret data in historical maps, photographs, art works and other artifacts

Be active learners at cultural institutions such as museums and historical exhibitions

Describe relationships between historical subject matter and other subjects they study, current issues, and personal concerns

Visual Art educational experiences in Grades 5-8 will ensure that students
Consider and compare the sources for subject matter, symbols and ideas in their own and others’ work

Know and compare the characteristics and purposes of works of art representing various cultures, historical periods and artists

Describe and place a variety of specific significant art objects by artist, style and historical and cultural context

Describe and analyze visual characteristics of works of art using visual art terminology

Compare a variety of individual responses to, and interpretation of, their own works of art and those from various eras and cultures

Describe their own responses to, and interpretations of, specific works of art

Reflect on and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of their own and others’ work using specific criteria (e.g. technique, formal and expressive qualities, content)

Language Arts educational experiences in Grades 5-8 will ensure that students
Determine purpose, point of view and audience, then use the appropriate features of persuasive, narrative, expository, and poetic writing to achieve desired results

Plan, organize, create and revise visual, written and oral pieces at a level of elaboration appropriate for middle school

Identify and use primary and secondary sources to paraphrase, elaborate on, and integrate information into a final product (e.g. historical fiction, news article, research paper, documentary)

Use and examine the effectiveness of multiple ways of generating ideas (brainstorming, listing, writing, talking, webbing, drawing), then compose, revise, edit, and present a variety of products

The above goals align with this lesson and were selected from The Connecticut Framework: K-12 Curricular Goals and Standards (adopted in March 1998, published by the Connecticut State Department of Education, Division of Teaching and Learning). 

Please share your suggestions for making the lesson better. Let the Museum know how this lesson worked for you and your students by sending your comments and suggestions to david@flogris.org. Educators are encouraged to submit copies of final products and/or digital images to be shared on our website.

1. Begin by reading aloud The Story of Miss Florence and the Lyme Art Colony to introduce students to the Lyme Art Colony.

2. Introduce the assignment of comparing two works of art from the Florence Griswold Museum’s collection in terms of subject matter (what is painted), style (how it’s painted), and impact (how the subject matter and style work together). Have the students gather information about subject matter and style via their computer by going to The Fox Chase section of the Museum’s on-line learning site. After their virtual visit, they will select two panels from the Museum’s collection of painted panels to compare and contrast using the new vocabulary.

3. Divide the class into working groups of three or four and distribute a color printout of both paintings listed below. Ask the groups to determine the subject of the paintings by making a list of everything they see in both paintings. Instruct them to draw a line between similar things in both paintings. Have the groups report out their discussion.

4. Distribute the definitions of Tonalism and American Impressionism, the two painting styles popular in Old Lyme. Have the groups read the definitions and match a style to each painting and list why they made that choice. Have the groups consider the following questions in terms of subject matter and style. What questions do they have now? What more would they like to know? What did the definitions make them think about? Do they have any pictures in their heads after reading the definition of other paintings? Which style do they like more?

5. Ask volunteers from the class to identify their favorite part of the paintings. This is a list of personal “wows.”

6. Before ending, ask the whole class to respond in writing to this question: How does the style of a painting change the way you feel about it?

7. Ask students to share their answers with each other.

8. Instruct the student to visit the In Situ: The Painted Panels section of the website to select two panels from the collection to write about. They need to select one good example of Tonalism and one good example of American Impressionism. They should write an essay comparing the two panels in terms of subject matter and artistic style. They should end with why they chose the panels identifying their favorite parts (the wow) as well as how the artists’ choices of subject matter and artistic style work together for each panel.

9. During the draft stage, have students occasionally gather in their groups to share their research, ideas, and writing. Encourage students to make suggestions to enhance each other’s writing.

Tonalism: The Tonalists sought to capture the old-fashioned qualities of the region, the quiet forest interiors and time-worn small farms, using earthy tones of browns, golds and muted greens. Tonalism is characterized by subdued and poetic landscapes that were rich with mood and sentiment. Twilight and dusk were favored times of day for the Tonalists, as were more atmospheric conditions of fog, mist, and rain. They painted dimly lit woods and rural settings, and finished them with a layer of toned varnish.

American Impressionism: American Impressionism, like its European inspiration, featured bright colors and painterly, broken brushstrokes that sought to capture the fleeting emotion, or “impression” of a scene. Unlike their French paintings, however, the subjects did not derive from the modernity of urban Paris but rather presented a fresh look at rural New England. They often layered thick brushstrokes of paint upon the canvas to suggest the light hitting their subject, enhancing the color and form. Inspired by Japanese prints and black and white photography, their compositions incorporated areas of flat color and pattern with abrupt cropping, slight blurring of edges, and intriguing juxtapositions.

In preparation for the students to select and write their own compare and contrast essays about two of the painted panels, have them use a computer to investigate The Fox Chase to see and read more about subject matter and style. Visit the Fox Chase.

The following suggestions of where to look on-line might help speed up their discovery process.

Subject Matter
Where on The Fox Chase to find information:

The Cow
The Village of Old Lyme
The Lyme Landscape

Artistic Styles
Where on The Fox Chase to find information:

Henry Ward Ranger
Childe Hassam
Painting Tools
Tonalism from the Henry Ward Ranger
American Impressionism from Childe Hassam