<p>Subject: Language Arts <br /></p> <p>Age: 6th gifted - 8th regular classroom<br /></p> <p>Objectives:<br /></p> <p> 1. Students will be able to relate to the working class struggles of people living during the Great Depression.<br /></p> <p>2. Students will be able to use this understanding as an introduction to themes from the historical fiction novel No Promises in the Wind by Irene Hunt.</p>

<p>This lesson will provide catalysts for students to write their own third-person omniscient stories. Some instruction on different points of view should be completed before this activity.</p><p>The whole class will do a See / Think / Wonder with <em>Tenements Flats </em>after reading the first chapters of <em>The Westing Game </em>by Ellen Raskin. Students should be able to make coherent connections between the picture and themes of the book, such as class disparity, isolation, community, etc...</p><p>After the See / Think / Wonder put students in groups of two to three. Tell each group that they are going to write a third person ominscient story inspired by the painting, but each person in the group is going to write the narrative of a particular figure in the picture which will all link together into one story. Students can work on this story as we read the novel.</p><p>As the class continues reading the novel, do a whole group See / Think / Wonder with the other three paintings in this collection as themes of culture, patriotism, and strategy emerge in the story. At the end of the novel, each child should then pick one of these three pictures to do their own independent third-person omniscient story. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></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>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>

<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>This collection supports a unit that incorporates poetic perspectives on immigration.  It was created as part of curriculum project for the Teachers Poetry Institute at The Poetry Foundation with the following educators:  Joe Nelson, Cheryl Carter, Amber Bunnell, and Yolanda Toni.</p> <p><br></p> <p>See the attached pdf file for the full description  of the unit. </p>

<p>These pieces will be used to examine interpretations of the universe by comparing artwork and literature.</p>

<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>