TO THE AGES OF AGES: RECONCEPTUALIZING HIGH SCHOOL ART HISTORY CURRICULUM

Abstract

TO THE AGES OF AGES: RECONCEPTUALIZING HIGH SCHOOL ART HISTORY CURRICULUM Amy Michele Bergh, M.A.E. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Art Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011 Director: Dr. Nancy A. Lampert, Assistant Professor, Department of Art Education Through this curriculum study, I explored the application of ideas found within contemporary art education to a course of traditional secondary art history. These contemporary art education ideas included: visual culture instruction, interdisciplinary instruction, contemporary art instruction, curriculum development, the use of enduring ideas, and the inclusion of a variety of perspectives based on gender and ethnicity. Through these art education ideas, a new curriculum was formed, that pushed both the students and the teacher toward a more inclusive art history course that made real connections for students and allowed students to be active members in their own learning. Instruction shifted away from lecture and became more dialogue and discussion oriented. Unit examples are included for Romanticism, Dadaism, and American Social Realism.