Lesson 8: CAMIO: Catalog of Art Museum Images Online

Basic Discovery Exercise Part III:

1.  I typed in "Sioux" in the search box on CAMIO and got 63 results.  I thought it was interesting how many types of art were included, as well as the age of some of the items.  There were different mediums  under categories such as costume and jewelry, textiles, sculpture, photographs, and paintings.  The age of the items I looked at ranged from 1846 to 1991.

2.  This resource could be used by me and by the teachers in my school to supplement literature or social studies lessons as well as in a traditional art classroom.  The search for #1 above under "Sioux" brings up some images that go along with Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve's book, The Christmas Coat: Memories of my Sioux Childhood.  For example, the doll, the star quilt, and some of the ceremonial clothing all used in the Christmas pageant could be shown to the class.

3.  Choosing images to put in "View in Favorites" does offer some interesting options.  You can view the ones you selected in a slideshow, compare two slides side by side, or arrange them in a different order.  I chose to put in three pairs of shoes.  These could be shown with Litwin's Pete the Cat: Rocking in my School Shoes.  Students could draw a "favorite" pair of shoes they remember or are wearing today.

Common Core Connections:

I would use CAMIO to teach the digital component of this standard to fifth graders:

5.RI.7  Informational Text: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.

1. Find a picture of a star quilt by a Native American artist.
a.  What is the quilter's name? (Carla Running Horse)
b.  What is the museum that holds this quilt? (Minneapolis Museum of Art)

2. How does it compare to the one in Sneve's A Christmas Coat, which they placed on the doll in the manger in the nativity play?  (Could compare size, colors, patterns)

3.  What is the meaning or symbolism of a star quilt?  Use a print or a different online source to answer.

4.  What type of art is it (what category)?  (Textiles)

Here is an example of how CAMIO could be used for a public speaking lesson for fifth graders:

SL.5.5 Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

Find a picture of a bowl on CAMIO.
Describe the bowl to the class.  (size, color, material made of)
What was it used for?  (decoration or function?)
How old is it?  (when was it made? used?)
Does it tell you anything about the group of people who used it? (pictures on the sides)