NCAS.A.7: Perceiving and Analyzing Artistic Work

Overview

Lesson Procedure

55-60 minutes of class time across 5 phases.

1. Warm-Up5 minutes
2. Direct Instruction15 minutes
3. Guided Practice15 minutes
4. Independent Practice15 minutes
5. Closure5-10 minutes

1. Warm-Up5 minutes

   Warm-Up Prompt

   "Look at the front wall of this classroom for 60 seconds without talking. Then write down as many things as you can that someone else could check by looking: colors, shapes, positions, sizes, words. Do not write whether you like anything."

   Ask three students to read their lists. For each item, ask the class: "Could someone check that just by looking?" Items like "the clock is above the door" stay. Items like "the wall is ugly" or "the poster is about teamwork" go in a separate column labeled later. Tell students that today's anchor lives in the first column, and that the "later" column belongs to the next two anchors.

2. Direct Instruction15 minutes

   Terms for the lesson.

   • Perceive: take in a work through the senses and notice what is there. An observation is a statement about the work that another person could check by looking or listening: "The lamppost stands in the middle."
   • Analyze: explain how the parts of a work relate to each other and to the whole: "The lamppost splits the scene into two halves, so the eye reads the left and right sides as separate spaces." An analysis statement always rests on observations.
   • Element: a basic ingredient of a work, such as color, line, pitch, rhythm, a movement, a spoken line, or a shot.
   • Structure: how a work is built: its parts and their order in time (sections, scenes, phrases, shots) or in space (foreground and background, left and right, high and low).
   • Repetition and contrast: what comes back, and what changes or is set against something else. Most analysis starts by finding one or the other.

   Two things wait for later: interpretation (what the work means, anchor 8) and judgment (how good it is, anchor 9).

   A sculptor shows how to look. Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) was a French sculptor. In the passage below, published in English in 1912, he talks with the writer Paul Gsell about a statue by the sculptor François Rude of Michel Ney, one of Napoleon's marshals, completed in 1853 and standing in a square in Paris. Rodin then asks Gsell to look at Rodin's own statue Saint John the Baptist, a figure of a man walking. A sabre is a curved sword; the sheath is its case. Paragraphs are numbered.

   1“You mentioned just now the statue of Marshal Ney by Rude. Do you recall the figure clearly?”

   2“Yes,” I said. “The hero raises his sword, shouting ‘Forward’ to his troops at the top of his voice.”

   3“Exactly! Well—when you next pass that statue, look at it still more closely. You will then notice this: the legs of the statue and the hand which holds the sheath of the sabre are placed in the attitude that they had when he drew—the left leg is drawn back so that the sabre may be easily grasped by the right hand, which has just drawn it; and as for the left hand, it is arrested in the air as if still offering the sheath.

   4“Now examine the body. It must have been slightly bent toward the left at the moment when it performed the act which I have described, but here it is erect, here is the chest thrown out, here is the head turning towards the soldiers as it roars out the order to attack; here, finally, is the right arm raised and brandishing the sabre.

   5“So there you have a confirmation of what I have just said; the movement in this statue is only the change from a first attitude—that which the Marshal had as he drew his sabre—into a second, that which he had as he rushes, arm aloft, upon the enemy.

   6“In that is all the secret of movement as interpreted by art. The sculptor compels, so to speak, the spectator to follow the development of an act in an individual. In the example that we have chosen, the eyes are forced to travel upward from the lower limbs to the raised arm, and, as in so doing they find the different parts of the figure represented at successive instants, they have the illusion of beholding the movement performed.”

   7As it happened, the casts of the Iron Age and of Saint John the Baptist stood in the great hall where we were. Rodin asked me to look at them. And I at once recognized the truth of his words. [...]

   8In the same way I next studied Saint John. And I saw that the rhythm of this figure led, as Rodin had said, to a sort of evolution between two balances. The figure leaning, at first, all its weight upon the left foot, which presses the ground with all its strength, seems to balance there while the eyes look to the right. You then see all the body bent in that direction, then the right leg advances and the foot takes hold of the ground. At the same time the left shoulder, which is raised, seems to endeavor to bring the weight of the body to this side in order to aid the leg which is behind to come forward. Now, the science of the sculptor has consisted precisely in imposing all these facts upon the spectator in the order in which I have stated them, so that their succession will give the impression of movement.

   Read paragraphs 3-6 aloud and trace them on Diagram 1. Rodin first perceives: he lists where each part of the body is (paragraphs 3 and 4). Only then does he analyze: the lower body still holds the moment of drawing the sabre, the upper body already holds the moment of attack, and the viewer's eye, moving upward, sees one change into the other (paragraphs 5 and 6). Ask: "Which sentences could you check by walking around the statue? Which sentences explain how the parts work together?"

   Five works to perceive. The cards below describe one real painting made before 1930, now in the public domain, and four works invented for this page. The facts on Card 1 come from the museum's records and published descriptions of the painting. Read the cards aloud, one per volunteer. The card number is the paragraph number.

   1Card 1. Visual art. Gustave Caillebotte (French, 1848-1894), Paris Street; Rainy Day, 1877. Oil on canvas, about 212 by 276 cm: taller than most adults and almost three meters wide. It hangs in the Art Institute of Chicago. The painting shows a wide street crossing in Paris on a wet day. In the foreground, very close to the viewer, a man and a woman walk together under one umbrella; both look at something beyond the edge of the picture. A tall green lamppost stands in the middle of the canvas and splits it into two halves. Behind it, about two dozen smaller people cross the street, many under umbrellas, in front of pale stone buildings painted with strokes of grey and blue. No falling raindrops are painted: the umbrellas and faint reflections on the wet cobblestones show the weather. The lines of the street and the buildings lead back toward two different points in the distance.

   2Card 2. Music (an invented piece). Night Ferry, about three minutes long, for clarinet, cello and hand drum. It opens with one low cello note held for about 8 seconds. The hand drum enters with soft, even taps at a slow walking pace and keeps that same beat to the end. At about 0:20 the clarinet plays a short tune that climbs in three steps and then falls back; the cello answers with the same tune, lower. In the middle section, from about 1:10 to 2:00, the drum grows louder and the clarinet and cello trade quick, short notes. At about 2:00 the opening tune returns, softer, and the piece ends with the clarinet alone on one long note that fades out.

   3Card 3. Dance (an invented piece). Crossing, a two-minute dance for three dancers on a bare floor, with no music: the only sound is their feet. The dancers begin in three corners of the space, crouched low. One at a time they rise and travel on straight diagonal paths to the center, where they meet, freeze for four counts, turn their backs to one another and walk back. The same rise-and-travel phrase happens three times, faster each time. The third time, only two dancers reach the center; the third stops halfway and stays low while the other two hold still.

   4Card 4. Theatre (an invented scene). The Last Bus, a one-minute scene for two actors and one bench. An older woman sits at one end of the bench with a paper bag on her lap. A teenager stands at the far edge of the stage, checking a paper timetable. No one speaks for the first fifteen seconds. The teenager says, "It's late," and the woman answers, "It always is." The teenager sits at the other end of the bench. Each time one of them speaks, the other slides a little closer, until they meet in the middle. The scene ends when the woman takes a sandwich from the bag, breaks it in half and holds one half out.

   5Card 5. Media arts (an invented video). Window, a 40-second silent video made of six shots, with a plain cut between each. Shot 1, 10 seconds: a wide shot of a kitchen window at dawn. Shot 2, 4 seconds: a close-up of a hand setting a cup on the windowsill. Shot 3, 10 seconds: the same wide shot as Shot 1, now in bright daylight. Shot 4, 4 seconds: a close-up of the cup, now empty. Shot 5, 8 seconds: the same wide shot again, at dusk. Shot 6, 4 seconds: a close-up of the empty windowsill.

   • Observation or analysis? (visual art)

     Two statements about Card 1: (a) "A tall green lamppost stands in the middle of the canvas." (b) "The lamppost divides the street into two separate spaces, so the couple in front seems cut off from the crowd behind."

     Result: (a) is an observation: anyone can check where the lamppost is. (b) is an analysis: it explains what the placement does to the rest of the picture, and it rests on observation (a). Both belong to anchor 7. Neither says what the painting means or whether it is good.

   • Perceive the structure in time (music)

     Card 2 gives three time markers: the middle section runs from about 1:10 to 2:00, the opening tune returns at about 2:00, and the piece lasts about three minutes. How long is each part?

     Result: Opening section: 0:00 to 1:10, about 70 seconds. Middle section: 1:10 to 2:00, about 50 seconds. Return: 2:00 to 3:00, about 60 seconds. The structure is opening, contrast, return (often written A B A). The analysis: the drum's steady beat runs through all three parts, so it holds the piece together while the tune leaves and comes back.

   • Analyze repetition with change (dance)

     Card 3: the same rise-and-travel phrase happens three times, faster each time, and the third time only two dancers reach the center.

     Result: Observation: one phrase, three times, faster each time. Analysis: repeating the phrase sets up an expectation, speeding it up builds tension, and breaking the pattern on the last repetition makes the dancer who stops halfway the focus. The change is noticeable only because of the repetition before it.

   • Analyze a pattern of contrasts (media arts)

     Card 5 lists six shots: wide, close, wide, close, wide, close. Diagram 2 draws them to scale on the 40-second timeline.

     Result: The shots alternate between far and near. The wide shots repeat the same window, so the only change in them is the light. The close-ups each show one small object. Together they build a day out of a pattern: the window shows the time passing, the close-ups show what happened in between.

   Point out that every analysis in the examples began from details stated on the card. If a student says "the dance is sad," ask, "What did you see that made you say that?" The answer is the observation; the word "sad" is an interpretation to save for anchor 8.

3. Guided Practice15 minutes

   Sort a classmate's notes. The notes below were written for this lesson by an invented eighth grader about Card 5, Window. Some are careful observations, some are analysis, some jump ahead to meaning or judgment, and at least one gets a fact wrong. Paragraphs are numbered by note.

   1Note 1. The video is 40 seconds long and has six shots.

   2Note 2. It is boring because nothing happens.

   3Note 3. Shots 1, 3 and 5 are the same wide view of the window. Only the light changes: dawn, then daylight, then dusk.

   4Note 4. Every close-up lasts 4 seconds, and every wide shot lasts longer than that.

   5Note 5. The wide shots and the close-ups take turns, so the video has a back-and-forth rhythm: far, near, far, near, far, near.

   6Note 6. The person who lives there is lonely.

   7Note 7. Because the wide shot always shows the same window, the changing light becomes the main event, and the close-ups mark what changed in between: the cup arrives, the cup is empty, the cup is gone.

   8Note 8. The last wide shot is 10 seconds long, the same as the first one.

   Sort the notes (students fill in the empty cells)

   Kind of statement	Note number(s)	How you can tell
   Observation that matches the card	Students fill in	Students fill in
   Analysis (how parts relate)	Students fill in	Students fill in
   Jumps ahead to meaning or judgment	Students fill in	Students fill in
   Gets a fact wrong	Students fill in	Students fill in

   1. Sort. Pairs fill in the table, checking every observation against Card 5 and Diagram 2. Grades 6-8 place each note in one row; grades 9-12 also mark any note that does two things at once.
   2. Repair. Pairs rewrite each note in the third and fourth rows. A judgment or interpretation becomes an observation the writer could have used as evidence; a wrong fact is corrected from the card.
   3. Extend. Each pair adds one new analysis statement about Card 5 that is not in the notes and names the observation it rests on.
4. Independent Practice15 minutes

   Perceive and analyze one card. Each student chooses Card 2, 3 or 4 and writes a short response in two labeled parts.

   • Grades 6-8: under "I notice," list five observations taken from the card; under "How it works," write two analysis sentences, each using the frame "Because ___ (observation), ___ (what it does in the work)."
   • Grades 9-12: list six observations, including at least one about structure in time or space; then write an analysis paragraph of 4-6 sentences that explains how one repetition and one contrast work together in the piece, citing the card's details.

   Collect the responses as a check on whether students keep observation and analysis apart and avoid moving into meaning or judgment.

5. Closure5-10 minutes

   Exit ticket: Write one observation and one analysis statement about the classroom wall from the Warm-Up, and draw an arrow from the analysis to the observation it depends on.

   Teacher note on the passage: Michel Ney was one of Napoleon's marshals; after Napoleon's fall, the restored royal government had him shot for treason, and the later statue honors him as a military hero. The lesson uses the passage only for what Rodin says about looking at a statue. Paragraph 7 ends with a marked cut: the omitted paragraphs discuss another Rodin statue.

   For homework: students use the three works below, written for this lesson. The works are invented. Paragraphs are lettered A, B and C by work.

   1Work A. Visual art. Tide Line, a cut-paper collage 30 cm tall and 45 cm wide. Across the lower third runs a band of torn strips of blue paper in four different blues, overlapping like shingles. The upper two-thirds is plain white paper. One small orange circle, about 3 cm across, sits near the top right corner. The edges of the blue strips are all torn and rough; the circle and the outer edges of the collage are cut clean and smooth.

   2Work B. Music. Stairs, a 90-second piece for solo piano made of six phrases, each 15 seconds long. Each phrase plays the same short pattern of notes, but starts one step higher than the phrase before. Each phrase is also a little louder than the one before. The sixth phrase is the loudest and stops suddenly in the middle of the pattern, leaving silence.

   3Work C. Dance. Echo, a one-minute duet. Dancer 1 makes a movement, and Dancer 2 copies it exactly one count later, like an echo, for most of the dance. The two dancers face the same direction and stay about two meters apart. In the last ten seconds, Dancer 2 stops copying: each time Dancer 1 rises, Dancer 2 sinks, and each time Dancer 1 reaches out, Dancer 2 pulls in.

Differentiation Strategies

Assessment Guidance

1. Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Which statement about Card 1 (Paris Street; Rainy Day) is an observation, in the sense used for anchor 7?

   AThe painter wanted viewers to feel sorry for people in the rain. BNo falling raindrops are painted anywhere in the scene. CThe painting is far too large to be enjoyed in one look. DThe couple in front must be walking to some unhappy event.

2. Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   According to Card 1, where do the lines of the street and the buildings lead the viewer's eye?

   AToward the umbrella held by the couple in front BToward the top edge of the frame, above the buildings CToward one single point at the very center DToward two different points in the distance

3. Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In paragraph 4 of the Rodin passage, how must Ney's body have been placed at the moment he drew the sabre?

   ABent slightly toward the left BBent slightly toward the right CLeaning far back on its heels DThrown forward at the soldiers

4. Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   In paragraph 8, where does the Saint John figure hold its weight at first?

   AOn the right foot, which is placed ahead BOn both feet, spread evenly on the ground COn the left foot, which presses the ground DOn the raised left shoulder and the arms

5. Question 5 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   According to paragraph 8, what gives the viewer the impression that Saint John is moving?

   AThe sculptor shows the facts in an order, so their succession reads as a movement BThe sculptor shows the figure with one foot lifted high off the ground CThe sculptor sets the figure on a base that turns slowly in the hall DThe sculptor turns the figure's eyes to look straight out at the viewer

6. Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   A student writes: "In Card 4, the paper bag is on the woman's lap from the start and is opened only in the last moment, so the prop ties the opening of the scene to its ending." What kind of statement is this?

   AAn observation only, with nothing added to it BA judgment of how well the scene was acted CAn analysis that rests on an observation DAn interpretation of what the scene means

7. Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   According to Card 4, how long does the scene run before anyone speaks?

   AAbout five seconds BAbout fifteen seconds CAbout thirty seconds DThe whole minute

8. Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   What is the problem with Note 2 in the observation notes on Window?

   AIt gives the wrong number of shots in the video. BIt analyzes the cuts but never names any shot. CIt describes sound, though the video is silent. DIt is a judgment, and something does happen.

9. Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Which of the eight notes gets a fact about Card 5 wrong?

   ANote 1, about the total length and the number of shots BNote 4, about the length of the close-ups CNote 8, about the length of the last wide shot DNote 3, about which shots show the same view

10. Question 10 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Why does Note 6 ("The person who lives there is lonely") not belong in an anchor 7 response?

    AIt states a meaning, and the card shows no person but a hand. BIt counts the shots wrongly and leaves out the last one. CIt confuses a close-up of the cup with a wide shot. DIt names the wrong times of day for the wide shots.

11. Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Which note is an analysis rather than a plain observation?

    ANote 1 BNote 3 CNote 4 DNote 7

12. Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    A student writes: "The painting has a red square in the bottom left corner and a small red dot in the top right corner." Which addition would turn this observation into an analysis?

    ASaying whether the red is a pleasant color to look at BSaying how the two reds link the corners and pull the eye across CSaying what the painter was feeling on the day it was made DSaying that the colors are bright, bold and strong in tone

13. Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Which pair gives an observation from Card 2 (Night Ferry) and then an analysis that depends on it?

    AThe cello repeats the clarinet's tune, lower. / The repeat links the two instruments, so the tune is heard as shared. BThe piece is about a journey at night. / The drum must stand for the sound of a ferry engine. CThe clarinet part is the best part of the piece. / The cello part is weaker than the clarinet part. DThe piece lasts about three minutes. / That is far too short for a listener to enjoy it.

14. Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    In Card 5, what share of the 40-second video is made of wide shots?

    A30 of 40 seconds, or 75% B12 of 40 seconds, or 30% C28 of 40 seconds, or 70% D20 of 40 seconds, or 50%

15. Question 15 of 20 · Short Answer

    Write three observations about Card 3 (Crossing) that a classmate could check from the card. Then explain in one sentence why "The dance is beautiful" is not an observation.

    Show model answer

16. Question 16 of 20 · Short Answer

    Analyze how the distance between the two actors is used across the scene in Card 4 (The Last Bus). Cite at least two details from the card.

    Show model answer

17. Question 17 of 20 · Short Answer

    Rodin says in paragraph 6 that a viewer sees movement when the eye finds parts of a figure "represented at successive instants." Using his idea, explain how a painter could make a figure of a runner seem to move. Name the body parts and the moment each would show.

    Show model answer

18. Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer

    Card 1 says the couple in front "look at something beyond the edge of the picture." Analyze what this choice does to the viewer's attention. Use at least one other detail from Card 1.

    Show model answer

19. Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer

    A classmate writes: "Night Ferry is a calm, sad piece." Rewrite this as two observations from Card 2 and one analysis statement that builds on them.

    Show model answer

20. Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer

    You will see a short dance or theatre scene once, live, with no recording. Describe a process for perceiving and analyzing it, in at least three steps, for any art form you choose.

    Show model answer

SVHS editors suggest these links for NCAS.A.7: the anchor just before it, the other anchors in the Responding process, the first anchor of the next process, and ELA anchors with a similar skill.

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