Teacher Planning Information

Introduction

Artists have played important roles in interpreting the Yellowstone region. Early written and oral reports of the marvelous Yellowstone features were often disbelieved. In 1870, magazine publishers rejected a manuscript because the words of expedition members were not proof enough that such a wonderland existed. Fortunately, a year later, the visual images created by photographer William Henry Jackson and painter Thomas Moran produced believable documentation that brought the Yellowstone region to the attention of a wide public and helped convince the United States Congress to establish the first national park.

Yellowstone and other national parks continue to inspire painters, photographers, and other artists. Today, like yesterday, artists record and document natural resources. In turn, their works of art contribute to the interpretation of nature and promote preservation.

Join us as we visualize Yellowstone with the eyes of an artist. Simply open your mind, post your questions on the message board, and see for yourselves how art influenced the creation of Yellowstone National Park.

Be sure your students view the Park Orientation Program first!

Pre- and/or Post-Program Lesson Plans:

Related Web Sites:

http://www.nps.gov/yose/ (National Park Service, Yosemite)

http://www.nps.gov/yell/ (National Park Service, Yellowstone)

http://www.nps.gov/cagr/  (National Park Service, Casa Grande)

http://www.nps.gov/romo (National Park Service, Rocky Mountain)

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/nphtml/nphome.html (Mapping the National Park Collection. A site developed by the Library of Congress)

http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/haines1/ (on-line book: Aubrey L. Haines, Yellowstone National Park)

http://www.yellowstone-online.com (An individual's site; has excellent historical documents on Yellowstone, such as journals and Congressional proceedings, and other features)

Art and History
http://askart.com (database with information on American artists)

http://www.artsfortheparks.com (information on Arts for the Parks competition)

http://www.ynat.org (site for Yellowstone National Art Trust-under construction)

http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Landscapes (A virtual exhibition on Panoramas: The North American Landscape in Art. Covers Canada, Mexico and the United States. Includes some works by Moran and Jackson)

http://www.nmaa.si.edu (Smithsonian American Art Museum site. Good site for American art. Use Browse to locate works by Thomas Moran, William Henry Jackson and others)

http://www.nara.gov/nara/nail.html (National Archives and Records Administration Website. Link goes to NAIL, the National Archives Information Locator, which is a great on-line source for searching a wide range of NARA's collection holdings)

http://gowest.coalliance.org/ (Denver Public Library in partnership with the Colorado Historical Society and the Denver Art Museum. Great resource for historic images)

William H. Jackson
http://www.bbhc.org/wgwa/WHJ.cfm (link to article on Buffalo Bill Historical Center site about William H. Jackson; see site also for history and culture of the American West)

http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/sontag/jackson.htm (National Park Service site, biography vignette on Jackson)

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/jackson_william_henry.html (Artcyclopedia Site. Provides links to works by Jackson in on-line art museum sites)

http://www.fit.edu/InfoTechSys/resources/cogsei/whjte.html (An individual's site; a useful on-line bibliography of web-based information on Jackson)

http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/moran/intro1.htm (National Park Service. Overview of past exhibit, American Visionaries: Thomas Moran. Site focuses on Moran but also includes information and photographs by Jackson)

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/moran_thomas.html (Artcyclopedia Site. Provides links to works by Moran in on-line art museum sites)

http://www.nga.gov/feature/moran/index.html (Wonderful site based on 1997-1998 Thomas Moran exhibition organized by the National Gallery of Art, in association with the Gilcrease Museum)

(Prepared by Whitney Gallery of Western Art, Buffalo Bill Historical Center)

CURRICULUM TOPICS

· Explorations and survey groups: Hayden Expedition of 1871
· Establishment of Yellowstone Park
· Artists: Thomas Moran paintings and William Henry Jackson photographs
· Visual arts in documenting western exploration
· Composition, line, color, balance, and perspective in landscape images
· Art's role in promotion of National Parks
· Advantages and disadvantages to development of the Yellowstone region
· Paintings and photography as forms of documentation
· Realistic versus abstract art
· Continuing influence of visual images of Yellowstone National Park

STANDARDS

Influence of Art in Yellowstone can be used in meeting Educational Performance Standards. Consult your State Education Department or local school district for Content and Performance Standards specific to your area. Examples of Performance Standards that could be met include (but are not limited to):

Art
· Aesthetic Perception
· Aesthetic Valuing
· Historical and Cultural Context
· Applications to Life

History
· Chronological Thinking
· Historical Comprehension
· Historical Analysis and Interpretation
· Historical Research Capabilities
· Historical Issues-Analysis and Decision-making

English
· Reading texts
· Apply strategies to comprehend
· Adjust spoken, written and visual language to communicate
· Conduct research
· Use variety of technological and information resources
· Understand and respect diversity