Suggested Activities > Image Specific Activities

“Going and Coming 1 and 2” One of the first new technologies Norman Rockwell illustrated for the cover of the Post was the automobile. Since its introduction in 1896, the automobile had changed the way Americans lived. When trains were the most common form of travel, station wagons were used only as taxis to carry large numbers of people and their luggage to and from stations. They soon became popular consumer cars. On this cover, Rockwell pays incredible attention to detail in the differences between scenes. Can you find the only character who does not change? Published Aug. 30, 1947

Suggested Activity: “Going and Coming 1 and 2”

Objectives

Students will:

• Use visual-thinking strategies to analyze the “Coming and Going” image.
• Listen to the story “The Relatives Came,” by Cynthia Rylant.
• Determine how the characters are different when leaving on vacation than when returning home.
• Write a story about a trip.
• Draw two pictures to accompany the story — one about leaving on vacation and the other about returning home.

Academic Standards

Supplies needed

• selected Rockwell image for students to view
• art supplies (paper, colored pencils, etc.)
• writing supplies
• scanner or digital camera

Optional:

• drawing software
• word-processing software

Procedure

1. Use “A Teacher’s Guide to Looking at and Talking About Art” to introduce visual-thinking strategies to your class. Complete this activity with the following “Be an Art Detective” activity.
2. Read and discuss “The Relatives Came,” by Cynthia Rylant.
3. Discuss vacations and include vacations where one family visits another.
4. Discuss the differences in cars, people and car activities between today and the 1940s. (Examples: Car bingo game in the past and electronic games in the present.)
5. Write a story about what happened on their trip or a trip you would like to take.

It all began one exciting day when the whole family piled in the car and traveled to …

6. Draw a picture of your family in the car on their way to their destination and on the way home.
7. Convert student work to digital format.
8. Make an e-scrapbook.

Enrichment Activities

• Focus on one aspect of the picture such as “Sally was working on her bubble gum wrapper collection. Guess how many pieces she chewed while on our vacation.”
• Discuss where the family might have traveled on this vacation. Create a class map showing the location of the destinations. Using your hometown as the base, have students determine the roundtrip mileage to their chosen destination.
• Give students different roles and have them act out this painting.

• Books
  
  

  K-2 • THE RELATIVES CAME. Cynthia Rylant. • ARTHUR'S FAMILY VACATION. Marc Brown. • MR. BEAR'S VACATION. Debi Gliori. • THE BEST VACATION EVER. Stuart J. Murphy. 3-5 • LENNY AND MEL'S SUMMER VACATION. Erik P. Kraft. • FUDGE-A-MANIA. Judy Blume. • THE INCREDIBLE VACATION ACTIVITY BOOK. Angela Wilkes. • FUN ON THE RUN: TRAVEL GAMES AND SONGS. Joanna Cole.

Family Learning Home Connection

• Write a postcard home to your family detailing your vacation. Be sure to draw a picture that shows one of your favorite sites.
• Ask your parent which character they most closely related to in the painting.
• Have your parent describe a favorite childhood trip.
• Create a “Family Vacation” scrapbook about your favorite family trip. Use the interview worksheet to get started.

K-5 checklist

© 1947 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN - All rights reserved. www.curtispublishing.com