<p dir="ltr">Communicating about light, the atmosphere, and the electromagnetic spectrum with the paintings of Alma Thomas.</p> <p dir="ltr">SKILL: As scientists, we will make sense of natural phenomena and convey information to a wider audience in multiple ways. We will iterate in order to make our communication more successful.</p> <p dir="ltr">CONTENT: Light is one, small part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Each part of the spectrum has different effects. The way scientists communicate about content can be refined to be more effective.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>PROTOCOL: </strong>The <em>Background</em> and <em>Compare</em> sections of this lesson facilitate teacher-led instruction and class discussion. The <em>Connect</em> and <em>Communicate</em> sections should be completed in small groups using a worksheet<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1meJm2cjxlJt-Zkbj0FBY1U5NZhdp0-mxPZxzTTPTGes/edit?usp=sharing"> </a>as a guideline. The <em>Extension</em> section combines teacher-led instruction and class discussion with a guided note taking sheet. The <em>Research Extension</em> section provides the opportunity for individual research and creative work.</p> <p><em>This Learning Lab collection was created by Roey Leonardi, a student in the summer 2022 Smithsonian Digital Learning and Engagement Internship, in collaboration with Emerson Collective and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. #SAintern</em><em><br></em></p> <p><em><em>This project received support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative</em><br></em></p>

<p>Using descriptive language and prepositional phrases to write about the paintings of Alma Thomas.</p> <p dir="ltr">SKILL: As writers, we will use creative comparisons and build prepositional phrases to create descriptions of artworks.</p> <p dir="ltr">CONTENT: Descriptive language, including similes, metaphors and prepositional phrases, invites readers to imagine something in a more dynamic, interesting way.</p> <p>PROTOCOL: Artist Alma Thomas found beauty all around her. In fact, she invented a new way of painting, which she called “Alma’s Stripes,” when she saw the shadows from her holly bush moving along the wall one day. Using her work as a point of reference, students will practice parts of speech and exercise their descriptive language.</p> <p dir="ltr">There is a support resource with example writings and word pools <a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAFFviOyNQU/S92_lWpQoL6RGg5FSUjFew/edit?utm_content=DAFFviOyNQU&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton">here</a>. For younger students, consider focusing more on the descriptive words than the parts of speech. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Activities 1 & 4</em> facilitate whole class discussion. <em>Activities 2 & 3</em> and the <em></em><em>F</em><em>ormative </em><em>Assessment</em> can be completed by students in small groups using the worksheets provided within this collection. The<em> Summative Assessment</em> gives students the opportunity to produce an individual creative response to what they've learned.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>This Learning Lab collection was created by Roey Leonardi, a student in the summer 2022 Smithsonian Digital Learning and Engagement Internship, in collaboration with Emerson Collective and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. #SAintern</em></p> <p><em>This project received support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative</em></p>

<p>This collection examines the relationship between art, race, representation, and political activism by putting the artwork of Alma Thomas and Faith Ringgold in conversation with the historical debate between Harlem Renaissance leaders Alain Locke and W.E.B. DuBois on the distinction between art and propaganda and the role of each in the movement for Black liberation and equality. </p> <p><em>This Learning Lab collection was created by Roey Leonardi, a student in the summer 2022 Smithsonian Digital Learning and Engagement Internship, in collaboration with Emerson Collective and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. #SAintern</em></p>