Standard 4: Applying History

Students will recognize the continuing importance of historical thinking and historical knowledge in their own lives and in the world in which they live.

K-12 Performance Standards

Educational experiences in Grades K-4 will ensure that students:

exhibit curiosity and pose questions about the past when presented with artifacts, records or other evidence of the past;
seek historical background when confronted with problems and issues of the past, as well as of today’s world and their own lives;
be active learners at cultural institutions, such as museums and historical exhibitions;
display empathy for people who have lived in the past; and
recognize relationships between events and people of the past and present circumstances, concerns, and developments.

Educational experiences in Grades 5-8 will ensure that students:

initiate questions and hypotheses about historic events being studied;
describe and analyze, using historical data and understandings, the options which are available to parties involved in contemporary conflicts or decision making;
be active learners at cultural institutions such as museums and historical exhibitions;
display empathy for people who have lived in the past; and
describe relationships between historical subject matter and other subjects they study, current issues, and personal concerns.

Educational experiences in Grades 9-12 will ensure that students:

initiate questions and hypotheses about historic events they are studying;
describe and analyze, using historical data and understandings, the options which are available to parties involved in contemporary conflicts or decision making;
be active learners at cultural institutions such as museums and historical exhibitions;
display empathy for people who have lived in the past; and
describe relationships between historical subject matter and other subjects they study, current issues, and personal concerns.

Using the On-Line Learning Sites to Teach about Applying History

The Museum’s on-line learning sites can be used to expose your students to variety of people and ideas from the past to foster their application of history in their lives.

The Florence Griswold Museum is dedicated to promoting the understanding of Connecticut’s contribution to American art, with an emphasis on the art, history, and landscape of the Lyme region. This is accomplished through the exhibitions and displays on view at the Museum as well as through these on-line learning sites. Through exposure to the Museum’s resources students should recognize the continuing importance of historical thinking and historical knowledge in their own lives and in the world in which they live.

Using the On-Line Learning Sites to Foster Applying History

There are several sections of The Fox Chase site that can foster the application of history:

Go to The Griswold House: Intro for information regarding the boardinghouse where many of the Old Lyme painters stayed including a virtual tour.
Go to The Griswold House: Imagine Yourself as an Artist for a description of how a typical artist would get to Old Lyme.
Go to The Griswold House: Who’s Who for information regarding the different roles people filled at the boardinghouse for artists.
Go to The Griswold House: Inside the House for a virtual tour of the boardinghouse where many of the Old Lyme painters stayed.
Go to School of Lyme for information regarding the development of the Lyme Art Colony including their working methods and leisure activities.

There are several sections of the In Situ site that can foster historical thinking.

Go to Country Road in Summer by William Chadwick for information about his panel that hides the work of another artist.

Have students imagine how it would feel to be Chadwick!

Go to Rocky Seacoast by Robert Fullonton for information about his “hidden” panel. Have students imagine how it would feel to be Fullonton!
Go to Woman with a White Dress and Pink Hat by Alonzo M. Kimball for information about how this artist used his talent to earn money in advertising.

Each of the following selections from the menu of Scholar Essays contains information that fosters the application of history:

Go to Lyme Art Colony for information regarding the development of the Lyme Art Colony.
Go to Miss Florence for information regarding Florence Ann Griswold, the sea captain’s daughter who opened her house to the artists.
Go to CT Impressionism for information regarding the development of this American version of the French painting style.
Go to New England Identity for information regarding the Colonial Revival movement in America and its impact on art, architecture, and the decorative arts.
Go to Boardinghouse for information regarding the development of the boardinghouse system in American at the end of the 19th century.

Suggested Activities to Foster Historical Thinking

Go to Dear Miss Florence . . . for a lesson plan that prompts students to write a letter using a historic voice.
Go to Movie House to view all of the vintage film footage available from the Lyme Artists reels. Have your students create dialogue for the people in the film using appropriate historic voices.
Go to Planning a Visit for information regarding a field trip to the Florence Griswold Museum. Field trips include guided tours of the historic areas of the Griswold boardinghouse.
Go to Art Goes to School for information regarding the Museum’s outreach program Curtain Up On a Day at the Griswold Boardinghouse for Artists.
Have students write a letter to Miss Florence using the voice of one of the artists. Ask them to imagine what they experienced during their stay at her boardinghouse. Encourage them to use The Fox Chase website to get specific ideas and information about their artist.
Have the students write a diary entry using the voice of one of the artists. Ask them to describe a whole day from waking up to going to bed as part of the Lyme Art Colony.
Divide the students into small groups and have them design their own artist colony. Encourage them to give it a name and imagine where it would be, where the artists would stay, what kind of things would they make, what art style would they choose, etc. Have the various art colonies create examples of their artwork and report out to the class.
Have students create short skits based on ideas that are in The Story of Miss Florence and the Lyme Art Colony Have them decide where in the boardinghouse their skit would take place.