Content Objectives
With this unit, my students will explore and evaluate protests, movements, and the political and cultural climates of the 60s. Students will investigate a social issue, past or present, to evaluate and create artwork about. They will learn various forms of printmaking alongside and through the exploration of the 60s. For the culminating project, they will each create a display to present a song, an original flier for an “event”, an original poster for a “protest”, and an original art piece or other visual representation of their social issue. Students will also write a personal statement regarding the display they have created and the issue they are presenting.
This unit could be used in U.S. History, African American History, or English classes studying the 60s voting rights, civil rights, Black history, or modern-day controversial issues. Any lesson that presents two sides, challenges the status quo, or addresses other political controversy would pair well with, or could be mimicked by, this unit. The unit can be a tie-in for deeper understanding in other subjects or a standalone unit in Art. Students will investigate through art, photography, and music, as well as rally fliers and signs, magazine covers, political cartoons, videos, magazines, the internet, books, and first-person experiences in the 60s.
We are typically so ingrained in our beliefs that we don’t fully consider opposing points of view. For this reason, students should be expected to identify the “other” side of their chosen social issue and, in their own words, present the other side's justification for their beliefs to some degree. It can be easier to justify your own point when you understand the counterpoint. For this reason, I will also present both sides of the movements to students, as much as possible.
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