A WebQuest for Kindergartners
(With a little help from their families!)

Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Teacher Tips

Introduction:

This WebQuest was designed to give young children a fun and interactive way to learn about famous artists and become familiar with doing research on the Internet.  The children will not only learn about two artists, but they will also use critical thinking skills when analyzing two pieces of their art. Critical thinking is a crucial component of the beginning reading curriculum.  Your child will need your assistance, so hopefully the two of you will enjoy this "quest" together!

Task:

In this WebQuest, kindergartners will research two artists of their choice.  They will fill out a form with specific information on those artists.  They will choose one piece of art for each artist (the art should be from the MFA in Boston), critique it  and answer two response questions for each piece.  These two pieces of art will be compared and contrasted by completing a Venn diagram.  Finally, each child will fill out a rubric to determine if all the tasks were completed.  This is a LONG quest.  Don't expect your child to complete it all at once.

Process:

1. Choose two artists. Click on a portrait to learn more about the artist.

Claude Monet	Edgar Degas	Pierre Renoir
Georgia O'Keeffe	Pablo Picasso	Vincent Van Gogh

2. Print out this form to answer the following questions for each artist
     a. What is the name of the artist?
     b. When was he/she born?
     c. Is he/she still living?
     d. What country/state is he/she from?

3. Go to the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston) website to find one painting by each artist.  Click on "Collections." Then use the Collections Search to find work by your artist.  The painting does not need to be currently on display (although it would be fun for your child to see it "for real" when we go on our field trip.)  You might want to print out copies of the paintings or bookmark them for easy reference.

4. Indicate your choice of paintings.  Critique each painting by answering the question ~ Why do you like it?

5. Answer two (2) response questions (use the same form)
For each painting, please indicate (by letter) which response questions you're answering. 
     a. What is happening in the painting?
     b. What is going to happen next?
     c. How does the painting make you feel?
     d. What would you change about it?
     e. If you could ask the artist a question about the painting,
         what would that question be?

6. Print out and use this Venn diagram to compare (find things that are the same) and contrast (find things that are different) your two paintings.  Be sure to list at least three things for each painting that are different and at least three things that are the same. You can use "kid writing" or ask and adult to do the writing.

7. Print out and use this rubric when you've completed all the above tasks.

8. Bring your answer form, Venn diagram and rubric to school when they are completed.

Evaluation:

Have you completed everything? Check here to see.

Click here to print out this rubric.

Conclusion:

Hopefully, upon completion of this WebQuest, your child will:

• feel confident using the Internet to do research for collecting simple biographical information about two famous artists

• have critiqued, compared and contrasted two pieces of art

• have had an opportunity for "kid writing" 

• have become excited about our upcoming field trip to the MFA in Boston

Teacher Tips:

1. Your child can fill in the WebQuest Answer Form and Venn diagram by using "kid writing" or you can do the writing for them.  If you'd like to learn more about kid writing, please click here.  This information was designed for the classroom, but can be adapted for home use.

2. Please keep this in mind:  This should be a FUN activity.  Please don't force your child to do this WebQuest if he/she isn't interested.

3. You might want to print out copies of the paintings or bookmark them for easy reference.

4. This is a LONG quest.  Don't expect your child to complete it all at once.

5. Have fun!

This WebQuest was created by Laura Donovan.
www.hinghamschools.com/prs/teachers/donovanl/index.htm