History in Our Everyday Lives

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 15.03.01

  1. Unit Guide
  1. An Overview
  2. The School by the Avenue
  3. Essential Questions
  4. The Content
  5. Why Public Art?
  6. The Origins of Monument Avenue and the Robert E. Lee Statue
  7. Richmond’s Connection to the Civil War, A Brief Overview
  8. The Other Confederate Monuments
  9. The Politics of Power and Voice
  10. Arthur Ashe, The Man
  11. Arthur Ashe, The Monument
  12. The Planning Process
  13. The Politics of Public Art
  14. Strategies
  15. Activities
  16. The Summative Activity
  17. Virginia State Standards
  18. Bibliography
  19. Notes

Richmond’s Divisive Monuments: A Look into One City’s Debate over Public Art, Memory, and History

Jeanne Callahan

Published September 2015

Tools for this Unit:

The Summative Activity

The summative activity for this unit will involve students composing their own letter to the editor arguing whether or not they agree with the placement of Arthur Ashe on Monument Avenue. This activity will follow multiple class periods building background knowledge, researching questions, and analyzing various arguments from both proponents and opponents of the monument from letters and newspapers. After analyzing a variety of texts, students will use their newfound knowledge to support their persuasive arguments. Students will also practice including a counterargument in their letter using direct quotes from an article or letter of which they disagree. In the final paragraph of their letter, students will add what they would like City Council to do next in regards to Monument Avenue. Students will edit their letters and present them to the class. Each class will then vote on the three strongest letters to submit to the local newspaper.

As a supplemental activity in collaboration with the art class, students will design a mural for us to submit, along with our best letters, to a local community-based art studio.

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