Understanding History and Society through Images, 1776-1914

Enduring Understandings

An understanding that all forms of artistic expression be they oil paintings, song lyrics, letters, plays or photographs have a power to influence their audience is a key concept I want to impart. As they make connections between these various media, students will begin to develop confidence in their emotional literacy, while developing an awareness of political literacy.

My students are reaching the age of responsibility at a time when instant access to information has created a global economy and communication network previous unimaginable. In a country that declares them legal adults at the age 18, with a civic responsibility to vote, the themes inherent to this unit will be relevant and compelling.

Knowledge of an artist's background, the historical and cultural context in which art was created, and close visual analysis will lead to deeper understanding. Interpretation of art is a skill that can be developed and is especially beneficial for students who struggle with engagement and expression in a text-based environment. Opinions about art require evidence from the text itself, and students will learn to cite evidence from any type of text. Rigorous content and the expression of knowledge through higher order thinking skills are essential skills for individuals to hone as high school students.

For their final demonstration of comprehension, students will select an image that represents a subject about which they feel personally concerned. Immigration, the environment, animal cruelty, the death penalty, the justice system, or any other issue may be utilized to express their desire to utilize the practice of civil disobedience to combat injustice. Students will closely analyze their carefully selected image for qualities such as line, shape, mass, volume, color, value, texture, spatial depth, perspective, scale, proportion, motion, principles of design, unity and variety, balance, etc. Students will make an arguable assertion, or thesis, about the image and utilize their observations of the artwork to prove their point of view. Students will write a five-paragraph essay about their chosen piece of art. After an introduction about the piece and artist, students will write a well-researched paragraph with citations about the issue they find socially concerning. Next, students use the elements of art and the principles of design to express what they see in one paragraph. The third paragraph focuses on mood, setting and subject matter as part of interpretation. In the fourth paragraph students will outline appropriate acts of civil disobedience that they feel would effectively draw public awareness to this issue, as well as express the resolution they feel would be most desirable. The conclusion should remind the reader why this piece is the most powerful image, able to convey emotion and a message to the public about a social injustice. Students must qualify their judgment with evidence from the text/image and end with a call to action.