Grades/Level: Middle School (6–8)
Subjects: Visual Arts, English–Language Arts, History–Social Science
Time Required: 3–5–Part Lesson
Four to five class periods
Author: J. Paul Getty Museum Education Staff

Permissions:
The lesson plan and downloadable materials on this page are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Lesson Overview

Students will discuss the evolution of women's work from the mid-19th century to the present day and then create an artwork depicting women in contemporary times.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:
• compare and contrast the use of space and color in two paintings depicting women;
• research the nature of women's work during the mid-19th and early 20th centuries in Europe and the United States and compare this to women's roles today;
• examine how works of art can provide insight into trends and influential events of a particular time;
• create a mixed-media work depicting a modern-day fashionable celebrity and a woman from the working class;
• discuss how judgments about clothing can lead to bias, generalizations, or prejudice about individuals.

Materials

• Reproduction of Portrait of the Marquise de Miramon, née Thérèse Feuillant by Jacques Joseph Tissot
• Reproduction of The Milliners by Edgar Germain Hilaire Degas
• Background Information and Questions for Teaching about the paintings (click on the thumbnails of the paintings below)
• An assortment of fashion and celebrity news magazines
• Scissors
• Pencils
• Scratch paper
• Glue
• Drawing paper
• Oil pastels
• Ink-jet transparencies (available at most office supply stores)

Lesson Steps

Download the complete lesson by clicking on the "download this lesson" icon above.

Additional Resource:
Learn more about and compare two 19th-century paintings portraying women: Portrait of the Marquise de Miramon, née, Thérèse Feuillant by Jacques Joseph Tissot and The Milliners by Edgar Germain Hilaire Degas.

Glossary Terms:
Words in bold on these pages and in the lesson are defined in the glossary for this curriculum (see "For the Classroom" links above).

Standards Addressed

Common Core Standards for English Language Arts

Grades 6–8

WRITING
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

SPEAKING AND LISTENING
Comprehension and Collaboration
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.
2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.


For more national and California state standards for this curriculum, refer to the charts found in the links at the top right of this page.