Introduction

This WebQuest was produced as part of an assignment for the Computers in the Classroom course at the University of Richmond. The students in this class are all pre-service teachers learning how to integrate technology and learning. The WebQuests produced are intended to satisfy the Virginia Standards of Learning.

This lesson combines the roles of artists, art historians, and archaeologists. It is intended to inform students of the role each of these professionals play in restoring lost or damaged artwork. Most importantly, this WebQuest is meant to teach students about the characteristics of Greek art by asking them to 'fill in the blanks' of the Nike of Samothrace based on existent classical examples.

Learners

The objectives of this lesson are most closely aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning for intermediate and advanced visual arts. It is designed to teach art history as well as art production. The lesson could just as easily be modified for use in an art history class. Also, the possibility exists to expand this lesson into a world history curriculum if so desired.

Most of the skills and background knowledge will be acquired as the lesson progresses. However, the lesson does assume that students have basic drawing and sculptural skills. It is also assumed that students have, at some point, looked at historical works of art for the purpose of criticism.

Curriculum Standards

As stated, this WebQuest fulfills many of the Virginia Standards of Learning in intermediate and advanced art.

Art II Standards Addressed

• AII.12 The student will demonstrate an understanding of an art career through oral or written communication.
• AII.13 The student will identify works of art and artistic developments that relate to historical time periods and locations.
• AII.14 The student will discuss or write about art history using an expanded art vocabulary.
• AII.16 The student will describe distinguishing features in works of art which may be used to differentiate among a variety of historical periods and cultural contexts.

Art III Standards Addressed

• AIII.1 The student will maintain a sketchbook/journal that demonstrates research, fluency of ideas, concepts, media, and processes.
• AIII.14 The student will identify the distinguishing features that place a work of art within a particular style, region, or period.
• AIII.25 The student will demonstrate in writing the ability to identify, analyze, and apply criteria for making visual aesthetic judgments.

Of course, creative production of the sketch or model is the primary focus of the lesson. Likewise, students are called upon to utilize creative problem-solving in making choices concerning the restoration process. Finally, students are asked to observe and categorize examples of artwork in order to assess the works' relevance to the task of restoration.

Process

Completion of the WebQuest will most likely require at least four class periods, depending upon the length of the period. As stated before, this lesson can be taught in conjunction with a world history curriculum.

Students should be divided into groups of three. It might be beneficial to the success of the groups if 'differently -abled' students are spread out. In other words, students who excel in research situations should be dispersed so that there is one in every group. Likewise, there should be a strong artist in each group, and a student who enjoys art history in each group. This is, of course, an ideal situation.

Some students may wish to use the computer to assist them in their restoration and final sketch/model of the statue. This is fine as long as the computer is being used as a tool and not as the artist. The finished product should be mostly their work, unless you are interested in using this lesson as a way of teaching computer graphics.

There are no special skills required to teach this lesson. If you were able to navigate your way to this page then you are in good shape.

The following is the process that students are expected to follow:

• First, you will be assigned to a team of 3 students.

• Next, each team member must pick a role to play based on their interests or strengths: artist, archaeologist, or art historian. All are extremely important and at times each person will be playing more than one role.

• Access the background information on the Nike of Samothrace.

• So that you will have some idea about other missing or damaged classical sculptures that have been restored or re-created, find out about the missing sculpture of Athena Parthenos. Visit this site and follow the appropriate links. Keep notes in your sketchbook on your findings everyday you work on the project.

• Archaeologists should look at the Web resources on the background of Nike then report your findings to the group. Likewise, archaeologists need to research the site where the Nike was found and report to the group. Group members should take notes in their sketchbooks and share with the rest of their group.
• Art historians need to research Greek art of the same time period as well as the treatment of the female figure in Greek sculpture . You might want to check out the Louvre's collection of Greek sculpture. Gardener's Art Through The Ages and Janson's The History of Art  are especially valuable resources for characteristics of Hellenistic Greek sculpture. Keep taking notes in your sketchbook and share your findings with the rest of the group.
• Artists should be familiarizing themselves with the statue itself and its setting. They should also be looking closely at the statue from different angles in order to best re-create it. Take notes in your sketchbook and share them with your group members.

 

• Once your team has researched the Nike and sculptures like it, it is time to make decisions about your restoration of the sculpture. Consider the base of the sculpture and its sculptural setting, as well as whether or not the sculpture was painted. Take notes.

• At this time sketches can be made. You may use a computer as a tool in this process. Remember, well-executed final sketches will be accepted, but added points will be given to teams that create well-executed 3-D models.

• Prepare the sketch/model for presentation to the class along with your paper supporting the choices you made in restoring the statue.

Variations

It is possible to vary the form of the final sketch or model depending upon what medium you might be stressing at the time. For example, if you are just finishing a sculpture unit you may want to require that groups produce a sculptural model of the restored Nike. Likewise, if you teach computer graphics you may want to require students to render the final sketch/model in electronic form.

Feel free to make your own decisions when implementing this lesson. Overall, you are encouraged to make this lesson your own.
 

Resources Needed

Access to computers and the Internet, either in the classroom or in a lab, is the only foreseeable resource you will need. It is assumed that students have access to basic art materials.

Reference to art textbooks in the process section of the student page as print resources can offer information for ambitious students. These are Gardener's Art Through The Ages and Janson's The History of Art. These are most likely available in any library or through Amazon.

Only one teacher is needed to implement this WebQuest. Although, it always helps to have at least one technologically savvy student in the classroom who can help his/her peers.

An enrichment to this lesson might be to ask a local gallery or museum to display the more outstanding sketches/models of restoration.

Evaluation

Use the following as a spring-board for evaluation; supplementing it with any assessment tools or evaluations that you currently use to evaluate student work.

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Sketch or model of the restored Nike	Poorly executed sketch or model showing little attention to craftsmanship, if any. Ideas are very basic and lack supporting evidence.	Begins to formulate an idea based on examples. Craftsmanship still lacks.	Nice attention to presentation. Firm ideas based on many examples. Creativity is employed.	Excellent craftsmanship and above-average presentation. Choices are extremely well thought out and it shows.
Paper explaining the choices made in restoration	Poorly organized and few ideas with very few, if any, research examples to back them up.	A loose organization with a few beginning ideas stated. Mechanics and spelling jeopardize the effectiveness of the paper.	Well organized ideas supported by 5 specific examples from the research. Minimal spelling and grammatical errors.	Well written and organized paper which flows from one idea to another. Creative interpretations of examples. No grammatical or spelling errors.
In-class presentation	Not willing to volunteer information to the audience because of reticence or lack of information to share.	Presentation which wanders at times and little evidence  given for the choices made in restoration.	All members of the group contribute significantly to the presentation. It is well organized, focused, and cites examples for restoration choices.	Presentation which maintains audience interest, is well organized, focused, and full of examples. References to the actual restored product are made.
Sketchbook notes	Non-existent or 'one-word' notes.	Notes for several but not all steps of the restoration process.	Notes describing every day and step of the restoration process.	Comprehensive notes on the process, as well as analysis and reflection on the project.

Conclusion

As you probably have experienced, it is often hard to excite students when studying ancient art history. It is the intention of this WebQuest to make art history more fun by involving students in a process, instead of lecturing to them.

Credits and Copyright

This WebQuest was created by a pre-service teacher in the Education Department at University of Richmond.

The original document for this WebQuest was created by Sean Durmmond during the spring semester of 2001. This WebQuest was created in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a course on integrating technology across the curriculum.

Assistance for this project was provided by Kimberlye P. Joyce. This site is maintained as an interactive resource for educators, students and parents by Kimberlye P. Joyce, M.Ed. and Patricia Stohr-Hunt, Ph.D.. All inquiries and comments regarding this document should be mailed to them at: kjoyce@richmond.edu and pstohrhu@richmond.edu.

Teachers may adapt this lesson for classroom use only or per variations that have been suggested. The reproduction of any portion of this site for an entire school or school system is strictly prohibited. No part of this publication may be transmitted, stored, recorded or published in any form without written permission from Kimberlye P. Joyce, M.Ed. or Patricia Stohr-Hunt, Ph.D.. Modifications, updates and changes to the actual site by making adaptations to create a new genre, theme or grade level, in which a new site is developed for publication to the WWW, must also be approved. Appropriate citations and links to the original document must be included within the new site.

Based on a template from The WebQuest Page

Able Muse. (1999). San Jose, CA. Retrieved March 25, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://www.ablemuse.com/premiere/bhouston_nike.htm

Curran, L. Maecenas: Images of Ancient Greece and Rome. (2000, December 17). Retrieved March 29,2001, from the World Wide Web: http://wings.buffalo.edu/AandL/Maecenas/

Gardener, H., Tansey, R.G., De La Croix, H., & Kleiner, F.S. (1995). Gardener's Art Through The Ages. Chicago, Illinois: Harcourt College Publishers.

Hee Yun's Graphic Collection. (1996, September 12). Korea. Retrieved April 2, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://soback.kornet.nm.kr/~pixeline/heeyun/graphics.html

Metropolitan Museum of Art. (2001). New York: Metropolitan Museum. Retrieved March 27, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://www.metmuseum.org/