Chapter Two: Passion for Life
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My First Adventure | Passion for Life | Perils of Cupid
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While visiting the Louvre Museum in Paris, nine-year-old Indy meets young Norman Rockwell. Norman offers to show Indy the "real" artists' quarter in Paris, and the two set off on an adventure in Montmartre. In a bohemian café, they find themselves caught up in a humorous scheme of the brash young artist Pablo Picasso to prove to the aging Edgar Degas that Picasso can paint as well as Degas. The boys are invited to the famous banquet at Picasso's studio in honor of Henri Rousseau, and along the way they learn what Cubism is all about.

A year later, Indy and his family meet Theodore Roosevelt, former President of the United States, who is on safari in British East Africa (now Kenya). Roosevelt is on an official expedition sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution to collect specimens for the National Museum in Washington. Indy befriends a Massai boy and learns about the ecology chain from a Massai elder. He helps locate a rare species of antelope that Roosevelt is seeking, but also learns how the enthusiasm for hunting causes the unnecessary slaughter of rare animals.

Key Topics:

“Art appreciation” lessons with iconic painters; lesson in environmental conservation while on safari with Teddy Roosevelt (this film can easily be divided into two separate lessons; each stands alone very well!)

Historic People:

Theodore Roosevelt-- 26th President of the US, war hero, naturalist, explorer, author, and Nobel Prize recipient.
Norman Rockwell-- iconic American illustrator
Pablo Picasso-- Spanish-born artist who was a founder of cubism and considered one of the masters of modern art
George Braque-- French painter who utilized cubism in his art
Edgar Degas-- French painter who was a founder of Impressionism
Henri Rousseau-- French painter known for primitive or folk-art

Included Documentaries:

-Theodore Roosevelt and The American Century
-Ecology: Pulse of the Planet
-American Dreams: Norman Rockwell and the Saturday Evening Post
-Art Rebellion: The Making of the Modern
-Edgar Degas: Reluctant Rebel
-Braque + Picasso: A Collaboration Cubed

Indy Connections:

Click here to see current event articles that relate to the events, topics, and people seen in this Young Indy chapter.

National Social Studies Strands:

Culture; Power, Authority and Governance, Individuals, Groups and Institutions, Global Connections

Suggested Resources:

Theodore Roosevelt | Pablo Picasso

Norman Rockwell | Edgar Degas

Ecology


Theodore Roosevelt

Descriptor

The 26th President of the US who is respected as one of the most influential and progressive executives to ever hold office. A well-known naturalist, Roosevelt is remembered for preserving thousands of acres for National Parks & Forests. He is also viewed as the president who brought America into the 20th Century and made it a major player in world trade & politics.


Books

Dalton, Kathleen. Theodore Roosevelt, A Strenuous Life. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002.

Morris, Edmund. Theodore Rex. New York: Modern Library, 2002.

Theodore Roosevelt's Diaries of Boyhood and Youth. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1928.


Websites

LOC- Roosevelt on Video

BBC- TR Bio

White House Bio of TR

Theodore Roosevelt Association

1906 Nobel Prize


Pablo Picasso

Descriptor

Spanish painter and co-founder of cubism. Often regarded as one of the most recognizable painters of the twentieth century, Picasso's style forever changed the direction of art. His personal life is equally as fascinating and controversial as his art.


Books

Karmel, Pepe. Picasso and the Invention of Cubism. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.

Richardson, John. A Life of Picasso Volume I: 1881-1906. New York: Random House, 1991.

Richardson, John. A Life of Picasso Volume II: 1907-1917. New York: Random House, 1996.


Websites

Musee National Picasso

Cubism

Picasso Online Project

Picasso Estate

Picasso Bio


Norman Rockwell

Descriptor

Iconic American painter best known for his Saturday Evening Post cover illustrations that depicted everyday American life. Rockwell produced more than 4000 original works, most of which were destroyed or are currently in permanent collections. His most well-known illustrations include:
Rosie the Riveter (1943)
The Four Freedoms (1943)
The Marriage License (1955)
The Runaway (1958)
Triple Self-Portrait (1960)
The Problem We All Live With (1964)


Books

Claridge, Laura Norman Rockwell, A Life. New York: Random House, 2001.

Finch, Christopher. Norman Rockwell's America. New York: Harry M. Abrams, 1985.


Websites

Rockwell Official Site

The Norman Rockwell Museum

Rockwell Museum Vermont

PBS- Rockwell Bio


Edgar Degas

Descriptor

French painter and sculptor who was a founder of Impressionism. Degas is best known for his paintings of dancers and dancing, but was skilled at capturing modern life. His most famous paintings include:
New Orleans Cotton Exchange
The Dance Class
Place de la Concorde


Books

Carandente, Giovanni Degas. New York: Avenel Books, 1979.

Boggs, Jean Sutherland. Artists in Focus: Degas. Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago, 1996.


Websites

Metropolitan Museum of Art- Degas

Analysis of The Dance Lesson

Degas at the Races

National Gallery of Art- Degas


Ecology

Descriptor

As our planet continues to grow and flourish, humans tirelessly innovate and develop technology. Too often we ignore the consequences of progress and damage the very planet we call home. Whether it's destroying an ecosystem or expanding the hole in the Ozone layer, we have a duty to understand our planet and try to save it.


Books

Ponting, Clive A Green History of the World. New York: Penguin Books, USA Inc., 1991.

Fifty Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth. Ashland, OR: Earthworks Press, 1989.


Websites

Ecology Global Network

Earthday Network

History of the Conservation Movement

Science Daily- Ecology

Lesson Plans:

Coming Soon!

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