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511 Warburton Ave, Yonkers NY 10701 • www.hrm.org • 914-963-4550

Insect Inspiration Lesson Plan Length: 3 hours over 3 lessons Grade Level(s): 1-12 Subjects: Social Studies, Art, ELA, Science / Technology

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The Neo-Victorians: Contemporary Artists Revive Gilded-Age Glamour February 10 - May 13, 2018

Decadence is often alluring in its exuberance, but it can also be sinister and subversive in its

indulgence. The Neo-Victorians explores a resurgence of interest over the last decade in ornamental

lushness that conceals pointed social commentary beneath a seductive surface technique.

There is no coherent “Neo-Victorian” movement—no manifesto or single guiding principle subscribed to by each of these artists. Rather, the exhibition highlights a wide range of artists’ engagement with the aesthetics of the 19th century, which they have shaped, molded, and transformed to reflect today’s concerns, commenting on gender roles and societal tensions under the guise of the overt beauty.

The exhibition looks at these works through three broad thematic groupings: the artist as naturalist, the artist as purveyor of the fantastical, and the artist as explorer of domesticity. Some of the artists featured in the exhibition focus on just one of these themes, while others intersect with recurring motifs layered within these broad ideas.

Artists in the exhibition include: Troy Abbott, Jennifer Angus, Joan Bankemper, Nancy

Blum, Ebony Bolt, Laurent Chehere, Alison Collins, Camille Eskell, Lisa A. Frank, Kirsten

Hassenfeld, Dan Hillier, Marilyn Holsing, Patrick Jacobs, Pat Lasch, Catherine Latson, Zachari

Logan, Davy and Kristin McGuire, Chet Morrison, Donna Sharrett, Deborah Simon, Nick

Simpson, and Darren Waterston.

Each of the artists in The Neo-Victorians rejects the notion of industrial mass production, instead visibly emphasizing and reveling in elaborate construction, a surfeit of detailed design, and a visceral appeal to the senses. The artists on view conjure a staggering array of possible approaches to the subject matter, using a wide variety of materials designed to engage the eye.

The Neo-Victorians will encourage audiences both familiar and unfamiliar with the Gilded Age—on view in the Hudson River Museum’s historic home Glenview—to look at the growing group of contemporary artists imbued with a “Victorian aesthetic” and recognize how visual influences of the past continue to shape art in the present day.

Curriculum Description

In this curriculum packet, you will find three lessons inspired by the exhibition The Neo-Victorians with

an emphasis on the theme Artist as Naturalist. The three lessons comprise a pre-visit discussion and

activity for the classroom prior to coming to the museum, a hands-on workshop to complement a guided

tour of the exhibition, and a final post-visit discussion and activity back in the classroom, rounding out

the students’ experiences at the Hudson River Museum. The activities and discussion are geared

towards students in grades 1-12, and explore ideas of student as artist and naturalist and the role that

insects play in the ecosystem.

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES Students will be able to:

Understand who naturalists are and what they do Consider the impact people have on the environment, both positive and negative Creatively explore the role of insects on the ecosystem Write and illustrate their own insect stories Draw and print insect designs Collage Victorian-inspired insect wallpaper and textile patterns

NATIONAL CORE ARTS STANDARDS

Visual Arts Creating: Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.

Creating: Anchor Standard 2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.

Creating: Anchor Standard 3: Refine and complete artistic work.

Responding: Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.

Responding: Anchor Standard 8: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.

Connecting: Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.

Connecting: Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.

COMMON CORE STANDARDS English Language Arts CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.5 Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.6 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2 Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.3 Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using

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context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.6 Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression. History / Social Studies CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6 Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts). CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas. Science & Technical Subjects CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.9 Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations or descriptions.

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CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.2 Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; trace the text's explanation or depiction of a complex process, phenomenon, or concept; provide an accurate summary of the text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.6 Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text, defining the question the author seeks to address. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.9-10.7 Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e.g., a table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into words. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.2 Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize complex concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing them in simpler but still accurate terms. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.6 Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text, identifying important issues that remain unresolved. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem. ESSENTIAL QUESTION

How do naturalists use art to communicate about the environment? SUB QUESTIONS

What is a naturalist? What role do insects play in the environment and their ecosystems? How does artist Jennifer Angus’ work reflect and communicate concerns about the

environment? How can we use stories and artwork to communicate various environmental concerns to the

public?

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Contents PRE-VISIT LESSON IN THE SCHOOL CLASSROOM ................................................................................. 8

VISIT LESSON AT THE HUDSON RIVER MUSEUM ................................................................................. 12

POST-VISIT LESSON IN THE SCHOOL CLASSROOM ............................................................................ 15

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PRE-VISIT LESSON IN THE SCHOOL CLASSROOM IMAGES

Jennifer Angus DYING OF CURIOSITY 2018 Mixed media installation Dimensions Variable Courtesy of the artist

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION In the Great Hall of Glenview, Jennifer Angus has created a site-specific installation that illuminates a unique aspect of the Victorian era as an age of scientific classification. Darwin’s shocking theories of evolution, popularized after the publication of On the Origin of Species in 1859, inspired the collection of natural history specimens, particularly insects. The formation of these collections represented an impulse frequently cited as both a compliment and criticism of the Victorians— the obsessive classification of objects. Insects are rife with decorative possibilities, as their visual diversity and small size make them the perfect raw material for unlimited combinations of patterning. Angus’s installation is composed of commercially harvested, not endangered, insects pinned to the walls in repeating geometric designs that resemble Victorian wallpaper. It is only upon closer inspection that these marvelous patterns reveal themselves to be the preserved remains of living creatures, thereby exposing a tension between the beauty and knowledge that can be gained from collection and the true cost of doing so. Angus plays on the dichotomy between the formal beauty of some insects, such as the butterfly, and our general instinctive unease around many others, such as wasps. We tend to associate insects with poison, contamination, or disease. Angus often installs her work in grand architectural spaces that signal wealth and prestige—the last place we might expect to find so many insects. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS – PRIOR TO VIEWING WORK

What are some of the ways that people impact the environment? What comes to mind when you think about environmental protection or environmentalism? What are some ways that we can protect the environment? Why do you think it is important to protect the environment? What is a naturalist?

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Today we are going to be thinking differently than we usually do about the impact people can have on the environment and ecosystem. (Show the image of the hallway)

QUESTIONS FOR VIEWING

Take a moment to look at the entire artwork. What do you notice? This is an installation by an artist named Jennifer Angus within the historic home, Glenview.

Why do you think her art is displayed in a home? What materials do you think she uses to make her art? (Show a close up image) Look closely at this detail. What do you notice now that you may not

have seen from a distance? How does her artwork make you feel? Why? Jennifer Angus makes patterns entirely out of different insects. She believes they are speaking

for their species and calling attention to the impact of environmental degradation on all forms of life, including insects. She also wants people to feel a sense of wonder and discovery when they look at the insects. That is what we will be thinking about today.

ACTIVITY Students will write and illustrate their own children’s stories featuring insects. To get them thinking, students will read a short passage from an example story, e.g. James and the Giant Peach, Miss Spider’s Tea Party, etc. They will consider the elements of a story: character, setting, plot / action, and beginning, middle, and end. To brainstorm for their own stories, students will fill out a Story Question handout. Once they’ve planned out their stories, they will write and illustrate short children’s books. MATERIALS

Drawing paper (3 pieces folded in half and stapled) Pencils Erasers Colored pencils Story Question handouts

ASSESSMENT

Students have planned out a children’s story featuring insects, and have begun writing and illustrating their stories.

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Name:______________________________ Class:______________ Date:__________ Characters: Setting: Problem:

Beginning:

Middle:

End:

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VISIT LESSON AT THE HUDSON RIVER MUSEUM IMAGES

Jennifer Angus DYING OF CURIOSITY 2018 Mixed media installation Dimensions Variable Courtesy of the artist

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QUESTIONS FOR VIEWING

Look at the installation by Jennifer Angus again. What do you notice? What do you remember about it from the pre-visit lesson?

Look at the images of the insects. There is a grasshopper, leaf mimic insect, two beetles, and a cicada. What do you notice about them? How would you describe them?

These are all insects Angus used in her work in Glenview. Why do you think she chose these insects?

What patterns do you notice in their wings or shells? ACTIVITY Students will look closely at the shape, and with old students the color, of the insect images. Each student will use one type of insect as an inspiration for their own insect print. The workshop space will be set up with four tables, each representing one type of insect (grasshopper, leaf mimic, beetle, and cicada) and with several images as examples. After selecting their insect, students will select one image and draw the exact shape that they see. Once the outline of the insect is complete, students

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will create their own patterns to fill in the wings and bodies of the insects. Students should only use lines to draw the body and create the pattern for their insect. Younger children will take their drawing and layer carbon paper underneath with a foam board under everything. They will trace their drawing, transferring the lines onto the foam board. Once the lines are all copied, students will use their pencil to press the lines into the foam, creating indents or grooves. This will be their printing plate. The lines of their insects will be white while the color will appear in the spaces between. Students will have their choice of color paper and ink to print their design. To print, students will use rollers to spread ink or paint over the foam printing plate, turn the plate over, and press it firmly onto a piece of paper. They can then make additional prints of their insect image, if time allows. Older students will take their completed drawing and place a clear piece of Plexiglass on top. Working quickly, they will fill in the lines of their drawing with different colors, inspired by the colors of their insect. Once they are done painting and before the paint dries, they will turn the Plexiglass over and press it onto a piece of white paper. This is called a monotype print, where typically only one print can be made. Students can wash off their Plexiglass and paint their insect again using different colors, if time allows. Students will focus solely on their insect and the design of its body. They should not design or decorate a background. These prints will be used to create a textile or wallpaper design in the subsequent lesson. MATERIALS

Example images of insects (grasshopper, leaf mimic insect, beetle, cicada) Pencils Paper Erasers Foam boards (one per student) Carbon paper Printing ink Acrylic paint Printing rollers Paint brushes Plexiglass (one per student) Printmaking or drawing paper

ASSESSMENT

Students have designed, drawn, and printed an insect print.

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POST-VISIT LESSON IN THE SCHOOL CLASSROOM IMAGES

Jennifer Angus DYING OF CURIOSITY 2018 Mixed media installation Dimensions Variable Courtesy of the artist

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QUESTIONS FOR VIEWING We have been looking closely at the insects that make up Jennifer Angus’s “Dying of

Curiosity.” Take a step back and look at the overall pattern created by the insects. What do you notice?

How would you describe the patterns Angus is making? What kinds of patterns would you make with your insects?

ACTIVITY Students will work in small groups to create their own Jennifer Angus inspired Victorian wallpaper or textile design. Each group will be given cardstock that will be used as the base of their collage pattern. Students will use their insect prints from the museum visit to create their pattern, cutting them out and gluing them to the cardstock. Each group will be composed of at least one of each insect (grasshopper, leaf mimic insect, beetle, and cicada). As groups work, they can draw or collage additional insects or other elements to fill in the design. To give the groups ideas for their patterns, each group will receive examples of Victorian designs as well as templates for various patterns. Students are not required to use the templates, and can create their own pattern, apart from the examples. MATERIALS

Large cardstock (one per group, in different colors) Insect prints (from museum workshop) Scissors Glue Construction paper Newspaper Tissue paper Pencils Erasers Markers Colored pencils Examples images of each insect Examples of Victorian wallpaper and textile design

ASSESSMENT

Students groups will have a completed Victorian-inspired pattern using their insect prints.

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Pattern Template Example 1

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Pattern Template Example 2

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Pattern Template Example 3

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Pattern Template Example 4

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Pattern Template Example 5

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Victorian Pattern Example 1

Victorian Pattern Example 2