<p>This lesson learning lab is to be used as an introductory activity for students who will be reading the texts <em>Killers of the Flower</em> <em>Moon</em> and/or stories written by Zitkala-Sa.  Full details of the lesson are attached within the learning lab.</p>

<p>This lesson makes an important connection to<em> novel The Westing Game</em> which uses clues from the lyrics of "America the Beautiful."</p> <p>As students read, they will discover that certain clues from the novel make up the lyrics from "America the Beautiful." Students can analyze the lyrics by looking at locations that served as source of inspiration for the original poem by Katherine Lee Bates.  They can fill out the attached worksheet as they "travel" through Bates's journey across the country which served as her inspiration.</p> <p>Student can then do a Think / Puzzle / Explore with "Electronic Superhighway" by Nam Jun Paik. They can discuss what served as inspiration for this artist's depiction of the United States. They can make connections between Paik and Bates. What did their creations say about the country? What is similar or different about their work or interpretations?</p> <p>The artwork can then serve as a catalyst for student creative writing. Students will write their own short stories as if the artwork is a time/travel warp to the depictions of whatever state(s) they choose to visit.</p> <p>Overall, students will examine the vast beauty of the United States through a variety of information. </p>

<p>Students will make connections between art and the literature we read in class to the concept of Truth and Justice.</p> <p>Students will first do a whole class See / Think /Wonder on <em>Amendment 8 </em>by Mark Bradford. They then will choose or be assigned to an amendment and artwork that they will research further. By answering their own See / Think / Wonder about the artwork they will connect meaning of the artwork to the words of their amendment. They will then do further reading and research on their amendment by going to the provided links. Student will answer questions via their class link on the Learning Lab or on the Google Docs document in their online folder.</p> <p>**The Rockwell painting will be assigned to Amendment 1, <em>Westward Course </em>to Amendment 2, <em>Training for War </em>to Amendment 3 and <em>Independence</em> to Amendment 4.</p> <p><br /></p>

<p>This learning lab was created to help students reflect on the importance of voting and representation. Students should think about the struggles and discrimination that others in both the past and present have endured in order to assert their right to vote. </p> <p></p> <p>FIRST DAY</p> <p>Students will complete a See/ Think/ Wonder thinking routine for the following three items:  </p> <p>"Let America Be America Again" by Langston Hughes<br></p> <p>Alice Paul's "Jailed for Freedom" pin</p> <p>Mary Church Terrell portrait </p> <p> (For the portrait students can focus on the elements of portrayal during the "See" of See/ Think/ Wonder)</p> <p> Information about the objects can be shared in the accompanying texts.  End the session by going back to the poem.  How can students connect all three items together?  </p> <p> Ask students to write a headline about voting for their exit ticket.</p> <p></p> <p>SECOND DAY</p> <p>Have students look at the Ballot Box and then complete a Connect/ Extend/ Challenge thinking routine. </p> <p>What connections can you make with the three artifacts from yesterday and this ballot box? Students  should connect the ballot box to themes from yesterday's routines. </p> <p>Show the first  film from Young People Shake Up Elections.</p> <p>How did the artworks and film extend your thinking about the themes of the poem?</p> <p>Did any of the artifacts challenge your thinking about voting rights?  How so? </p> <p></p> <p>CHALLENGE ACTIVITY OPTION:</p> <p>Have students develop an action plan to help marginalized people with their voting rights. </p> <p>Have students write a poem to inspire people to assert their right to vote. </p> <p>Students can look at other resources in this lab or conduct their own research or curate their own learning lab that would exemplify such a plan or poem.</p> <p></p> <p>#SummerSessions #voting #elections #discrimination #suffragettes #Langston Hughes #voter suppression, </p>

<p> These materials address a unit on resilience and global competence as related to and extended from <em>The Book Thief </em>by Markus Zusak.  #SAAMteach</p>

<p>These pictures are to be used as a writing catalyst for writing club. Pick one to do a See / Think / Wonder as a whole group. Then students can complete their own individual ones. These pieces offer a variety of interpretations about the season of winter which may serve as an inspiration to write winter poetry.</p><p>Suggestion: You may also play an excerpt of Vivaldi's Four Seasons during this activity.</p>

<p>This collection is to be used with an accelerated/gifted eighth grade class quarter on leaders and heroism.  The anchor texts will be first be a unit on <em>The Iliad</em> followed by a unit on African American poetry. </p> <p><em> </em>As we read <em>The Iliad </em>each student will focus their reading on a particular leader or hero of their choice who could be regarded as  a leader or hero.  However, we will focus our observations through the lens of Beauty and Truth.  How do we show the beauty of leaders/heroes, and what is the truth at the foundation of their leadership or heroism?   This collection has four broad components:</p> <p>I.  To introduce the  topic students will have a whole group discussion using the visual thinking strategy Beauty and Truth with the the artwork <em>Achelous and Hercules <span></span></em> by Thomas Hart Benton.</p> <p>Il.  As students begin the text they will be assigned a character from the story, such as Achilles, Agamemnon, Helen, etc...  They will first look at an artwork concerning this character and fill out on a Beauty/Truth chart what they see as beautiful in this hero or leader.  Then as they read they will cite with examples from the text what they see as they truth (most likely negative) behind each character.</p> <p>III.  As we finish reading <em>The Iliad </em>students will analyze their charts and possibly create  rubric of what qualities in Beauty and Truth reflect or does not reflect effective or positive leadership and/or heroism.  They should see these qualities in the activism of African American poetry.   Using art that reflects social activism students can create poetry art on vellum.</p> <p>IV.  In the final activity students in small groups will use the visual thinking strategy Beauty and Truth using artwork representing various American Leaders, such as <em>Washington Resigning his Commission </em>or <em>Marian Anderson.</em> Then students will bring their own photo of themselves and will use vellum paper to superimpose their own artwork which should reflect their views on how they can show effective leadership or selfless heroism in today's society.  As students share their work, we will discuss the Beauty and Truth that they exhibit in their own pieces. </p><p>Extension:  Another possible flow-up activity would be for students to research an individual who they think should be memorialized.  Students can then create a proposal and a design for a monument/memorial for this person.   Students could write their local officials and/or representatives about this. </p><p><br /></p> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p>

<p>These pictures will be used to introduce a brief history of World War II before exploring communism with the novel <em>Animal Farm.</em><em></em> Students can either do one of the visual thinking strategies See / Think / Wonder or a Perceive / Know / Care About using the piece <em>We Can Do It.</em> The class can then proceed into the background overview of World War II.</p> <p>As students read <em>Animal Farm</em> and study techniques of propaganda, students can then explore the other posters listed in this learning lab. They can first do the sorting activity to differentiate between the Soviet and American posters followed by the discussion about whether the posters more alike or more similar to each other. Connections to the novel can be made throughout this lesson.<br /></p> <p>This lesson can also be extended by doing a See / Think / Wonder Activity with the photos of the Soviet Propaganda chess set.  Also the Chinese Cultural Revolution posters make a great connection if continuing your study with non-fiction memoir such as <em>Red Scarf Girl</em> by Ji-li Jiang. </p> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p>