Classroom use.

Classroom use. PRIMARY Use the Art Print to expand youngsters' knowledge of line.Show students the Art Print and have them use a finger to trace thecourse of the spiral. Ask students what the spiral line reminds them of.(Students might say a snake, a rope, the inside of a shell, etc.) Next, ask students to name animals or objects in nature that form aspiral. Generate a list of all ideas. Do a Google search of"spirals in nature," where you will find hundreds of images ofnaturally occurring spirals, and show a selection of these pictures tothe class. To promote sensory learning, give students a handful of Wikki Stix[R] or yarn, and have them form a spiral shape. Next, inform them theywill be creating a three-dimensional work of art that features thespiral. Bring in a variety of natural materials, such as pebbles, leaves,feathers and shells, and give students time to play with the objects,with the goal of coming up with a final design. When students are ready,show them how to glue the pieces onto a piece of cardboard in theorientation of their design. After all pieces are completely dry,display the work alongside the Art Print. ELEMENTARY Share the Art Print with students and explain Smithson is known fora type of sculpture known as an earthwork. Tell students Smithson verycarefully chose the sites in which he built his sculptures, such as thelocation of Spiral Jetty in the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Take advantage of the late spring and summer weather to go on anature walk with the goal of finding a site in which students will buildsmall earthwork sculptures. Once a site is found (preferably on schoolgrounds), lead students on a search for abundant natural materials thatcould be used to create the piece. Students can work in pairs or small groups to collect materials,and to design and construct their sculpture. Photograph each completedearthwork, and display the images in a class gallery alongside the ArtPrint. MIDDLE SCHOOL The spiral is commonly found in the writing and iconography of manyancient cultures. Share the Art Print with students and inform them theartist, Robert Smithson, was interested in anthropology, naturalhistory, and the symbolism of ancient art and language systems, such asthe pre-Columbian civilization, as exemplified by the Great SerpentMound in Ohio. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Give students time to research examples of earth art from ancientcivilizations. Challenge students to identify similarities anddifferences between the works found in their research and Spiral Jetty.As a project, ask students to create a design for an earthwork thatincorporates elements of iconography found in ancient cultures. HIGH SCHOOL Share the Art Print with the class, and introduce Smithson and theconcept of earthworks, also known as land art or earth art. Directstudents to the official website of the estate of Robert Smithson,www.robertsmithson.com. Once at the site, assign students to read theintroduction, entitled "About Robert Smithson." This excellentreading provides extensive information on the artist'sphilosophical beliefs about art, and how his work relates to the processof entropy. After students have acquired enough background information aboutSmithson and his seminal work, Spiral Jetty, divide the class intogroups of four. Assign these groups the task of designing and creating"Spiral Jetty II." Have students keep in mind they are creating an original work ofart, while also paying homage to the original work and its creator.Student design proposals should take into realistic account various siteoptions and limitations, scale, natural materials found in the area,construction challenges, and conservation issues. If possible, givegroups the time to actually create their design. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Robert Smithson, "Spiral Jetty," 1970