Outline for Van Gogh Study

After much study on Van Gogh I could not, as many of you predicted, just study Van Gogh's Sunflowers with my children.

I hope this site is helpful for those studying Van Gogh. What a fascinating man! He sought after the Lord with all his heart and soul, was passionate about art and the world around him, and overcome by the torture of mental illness. He was surely a man who was misunderstood in his time. What wonderful gifts he has left the world.

When doing a unit study with my children I like to cover

several areas across the curriculum. The table below

is a loose guideline for our unit study. We may cover

it all or not, or we may go on and do much more. It

is a very generic guideline.

Our children are older ( jr high ). Thus this outline

is suited for children in upper levels. My children will

gather all their assignments in either notebook form

or a lap book ( their choice).

Subject

Topic Covered or Lesson

History/

Bible

(bible history, not our regular study)

• Daily Biography

• Each day we will read a portion about the Life of Van Gogh. We will practice taking notes from the readings.
• Each day we will learn something about the culture of the time period. ( example: A Day in Brussels, England, Paris, Brabant, Antwerp, Provence, Arles: Occupations, Building Styles, Food, Clothing, Toys, Games, Social graces, etc) We will do a page on each culture.
• We will make a timeline showing the different periods of Van Gogh’s life.
• We will make a Van Gogh Family and Friends Tree.
• We will learn about the Dutch Reform Church.

Geography

• Traveling with Van Gogh

• We will map Van Gogh’s travels and moves in the following countries: Netherlands, France, Belgium, and England.
• We will label all the characteristics of each country.
• We will label important cities in each country.

Art and Science

• Technique and Style of the Master
• The Masters Color Palette
• Light of the South

• We will learn how each of Van Gogh’s art techniques and styles emerge as we read his Biography.
• We will study paintings that exhibit each technique and style.
• We will draw or paint from each of these styles: Journal or canvas.
• We will learn about Van Gogh’s Palette and the science of paint at the time.
• We will study light as it pertains to Van Gogh.

Language Arts

• The Letters
• Quotes
• Vocabulary
• Literature
• Composition

• We will study a portion of Van Gogh’s letters.
• Review proper letter writing.
• We will study some of Van Gogh’s quotes.
• We will compare and contrast quotes of the time. ( writing styles, purpose, )
• We will write our own quotes
• We will study about opinion vs fact, how to know the difference.
• We will review how to study a topic using the web, books, magazines, videos., and how to properly document them.
• We will know how to spell and define the words on the vocabulary list.
• Each child will write an essay on their favorite period in Van Goghs painting career .
• Each Child will write an essay on their favorite art work of Van Gogh.
• Each child will choose at least one book from the time period to read. ( fact or fiction)

Vocabulary List

Dutch Reform Church

boarding school

clergyman

commission

watercolor

pen and ink

peasant

hatching

Impressionist

Impasto

masterpiece

Japanese Woodblock

Japonisme

landscape

Pointillism,

portraits

Brabant period

psychotic episode

asylum

still life

symbolists