Jana KopczickSmyser School

8th GradeLanguage Arts/Art

An Exploration of Brace’s Rock, Brace’s Cove, 1864

Developed Through the Terra Teacher Lab, 2007-08

Fitz Henry LaneBrace’s Rock, Brace’s Cove, 1864Oil on CanvasTerra Foundation

The piece is more about emotion and mood, rather than documenting a specific location

It was painted in 1864 during the Civil War

The mood of this painting reflects what is being felt by society as a whole in the United States during the Civil War

Style—dream-like qualities

Calm (still sky and water), gentle lapping waves representing permanence of eternity/afterlife

Lack of movement—stillness. There is no life—bushes are in their last days, ship is wrecked/beached symbolizing death and destruction

Contrast of dark and light in the artwork

Brace’s Cove was a very dangerous place with treacherous rocks off a point (Shows it as a peaceful, calm place)

Key Ideas about the Artwork that Informed the Lesson:

What I Wanted Students to Learn:

Artists and writers use a variety of techniques to create mood

The mood of a visual or literary presentation affects how we receive its underlying message

The subject of a painting can be symbolic

Symbols can convey content, messages, and mood

A Few Major Learning Activities:

Interpret and analyze the painting Brace’s Rock, Brace’s Cove, 1864

Write a 5 line poem using this painting as inspiration Read about the artist, the painting, and the historical

context of the painting Identify the mood of the painting using formal analysis to

support one’s answer Using the same 5 line poem format, write a new poem

that conveys a contextual understanding of the poem Create an illustration the captures and communicates

the mood of the painting

Brace’s Rock, Brace’s Cove, 1864

Poem #1: Initial Observations

Poem 1: Initial Observations

Poem 1: Initial Observations

Students read through facts and categorized them as information About the artist, artwork, and historical context

Group Categorizing Activity

Poem 2: Revising with Understanding

Poem 4: Revising with Understanding

Illustrating Mood Through Water Color

Illustrating Mood Through Water Color

Illustrating Mood Through Water Color

What My Students Learned:

Our interpretations of an image are initially based on our own experiences

Our interpretations are not always what the artist intended

Art communicates a message Appreciation of American art To be more observant

What I Learned:

Our interpretations of an image are initially based on our own experiences

Our interpretations are not always what the artist intended

Appropriate information to use when doing a formal analysis (or close read) of a painting

Strategies for facilitating a close read of a painting The importance of incorporating art across the

curriculum