Implementation of “Slava Raskaj – Life and work of a famous Croatian Artist” (SOI-HR-403)
Author: Nataša Tram, Art teacher
School/Organization: I. gimnazija Osijek
During March, I look back at great women in art with the students. For this reason, I chose this scenario because it emphasizes the uniqueness of the artist Slava Raškaj and at the same time gives an idea of her life. This performance is part of a theme that deals with the position of female artists in society at the turn of the century. LS gave significance to the artist who wove her experience of the world into pictures in silence.
The scenario was implemented during an Art class. The theme of Slava Raškaj fits into the plan and program of fine arts in the 4th grade for students aged 18 and over. It took us two school lessons (90 minutes) to go through all the activities that took place at school. These students are already experienced in searching Europeana collections, they have been using it in almost every Art lesson for the fourth year in a row. I basically followed the steps recommended by the author of the scenario, with a minor adjustment. Instead of working at home, the students did research at school, and I adapted the last activity to Art classes.
Life and creativity
In the first activity, students were divided into groups. They researched Europeana resources and other available content on the Internet to find information about the life and work of Slava Raškaj. The students used all the collected information to show how much they know about the artist in their favorite Kahoot quiz.
The power of female artist
A large part of the class joined the discussion about the position of deaf female artists in society at the turn of the century. They talked about her strength and uniqueness, about what Slava Raškaj proved, about the way in which female artists are viewed today…
In this activity, the students closed their eyes and while I was redaing excerpts from the life of Slava Raškaj, they imagined a picture. After that, they combined the appropriate picture with the text in the exercise in the Learning Apps digital tool on the mobile phone. After talking about the artist, they continued with the creative task with new experiences.
The student connects the picture with the text
Origami water lilies
In the last activity, students recreated a watercolor by Slava Raškaj, Lopoči. They made origami water lilies. One student expressed his desire to lead the workshop. He very skillfully explained to his friends in the class step by step how to make a water lily. I played the song “The Sound of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel, which created a pleasant atmosphere in the class. We glued colored water lilies made with the origami technique onto a printed black and white example of the picture. The students were delighted with what they had achieved as a class.
A student leads an origami workshop
The student makes an origami water lily
Recreated work of art “Water Lilies” – student’s work
Learning outcomes
Students researched the life and work of Slava Raškaj by studying Europeana sources and content from the Internet. They used ICT skills in activities. They developed their collaborative skills by critically reflecting on the position of female artists in society. They got acquainted with the work of Slava Raškaj. All students participated in the creation of the joint work. They gladly accepted the creation of an origami water lily, which awakened the students’ creativity. Several students confirmed that they have been enjoying making paper figures for years.
Outcomes for the educator
For me as an Art teacher, Europeana resources are a valuable resource in teaching different topics. Europeana with its rich digital heritage makes it easy for me to work, especially when it comes to copyright where I can check the license very easily.
Choose one of the female pioneers in art and science at Europeana as your teaching inspiration https://www.europeana.eu/en/exhibitions/pioneers
Let them support you in the interdisciplinary teaching of lessons.
Did you find this story of implementation interesting? Why don’t you read about the related learning scenario? Slava Raskaj – Life and work of a famous Croatian Artist created by Božica Krpes-Pregun
Did you find this story of implementation interesting? You might also like:
- Women and Art: Let’s meet them in an art museum implemented by Androula Fouskotou
- Visualizing Women in Art: Women as Art Creators and as Protagonists of Artistic Creations implemented by Juan Antonio Colao Barbas
- Umjetnost i identitet implemented by Ivana Devernay Cimić
Do you want to discover more stories of implementation? Click here.
Public Domain Mark 1.0: the featured image used to illustrate this article has been found on Europeana and has been provided by the Albertina.