Title of Lesson:  Slavery was abolished a long time ago…right??

National Standards:

Texas Essential Knowledge Skills (TEKS):

§117.14. Art, Grade 4.
(a)  Introduction.

(1)  Four basic strands--perception, creative expression/performance, historical and cultural heritage, and critical evaluation--provide broad, unifying structures for organizing the knowledge and skills students are expected to acquire. Students rely on their perceptions of the environment, developed through increasing visual awareness and sensitivity to surroundings, memory, imagination, and life experiences, as a source for creating artworks. They express their thoughts and ideas creatively, while challenging their imagination, fostering reflective thinking, and developing disciplined effort and problem-solving skills.

(2)  By analyzing artistic styles and historical periods students develop respect for the traditions and contributions of diverse cultures. Students respond to and analyze artworks, thus contributing to the development of lifelong skills of making informed judgments and evaluations.

(b)  Knowledge and skills.

(1)  Perception. The student develops and organizes ideas from the environment. The student is expected to:

(A)  communicate ideas about self, family, school, and community, using sensory knowledge and life experiences; and

(B)  choose appropriate vocabulary to discuss the use of art elements such as color, texture, form, line, space, and value and art principles such as emphasis, pattern, rhythm, balance, proportion, and unity.

(2)  Creative expression/performance. The student expresses ideas through original artworks, using a variety of media with appropriate skill. The student is expected to:

(A)  integrate a variety of ideas about self, life events, family, and community in original artworks;

(B)  design original artworks; and

(C)  invent ways to produce artworks and to explore photographic imagery, using a variety of art media and materials.

(3)  Historical/cultural heritage. The student demonstrates an understanding of art history and culture as records of human achievement. The student is expected to:

(A)  identify simple main ideas expressed in art;

(B)  compare and contrast selected artworks from a variety of cultural settings; and

(C)  identify the roles of art in American society.

(4)  Response/evaluation. The student makes informed judgments about personal artworks and the artworks of others. The student is expected to:

(A)  describe intent and form conclusions about personal artworks; and

(B)  interpret ideas and moods in original artworks, portfolios, and exhibitions by peers and others.

Objectives:

1.  To educate students that slavery is not a thing of the past and is still occurring all over the world, including the US
2.  To allow students to work through this new info by incorporating stories of past and modern slavery, adding their own thoughts

Social/Historic Context for Lesson:  Modern Day Slavery

Historic Artists Used:  Turner "The Slave Ship,", Norman Rockwell “Lincoln for the Defense”

Contemporary Artists Used:  Kara Walker

Websites:  http://www.art4abolition.org/, www.a21.org, www.love146.org http://www.arts4life.org/

Materials Used:  11x14” poster board; newspaper or online article printout about past slavery/human trafficking/modern slavery; magazine cutouts of various people; blue painters tape; liquid/stick glue; acrylic paints/markers/etc.;

Timeline for Lesson:  2 weeks

Activity/Procedure:

1.  I will spend 2 days discussing slavery in the past and then begin introducing modern slavery instances.  Being that this is elementary age students, certain aspects will be toned down(ie. sex trafficking), but focus on child labor.

2.  After the initial discussion, allow the students to research for more info via the internet/library and find articles to print and start looking through magazines for human images to add to the collage.

3.  Give each student a poster board and electrical tape to add randomly to the board.  Articles and pictures will be pasted around the tape.  After, chosen articles and pictures are pasted, use markers/paint/pens/pencils/etc. to further embellish. 

4.  After this is complete, remove electrical tape and instruct students to add any personal feelings, thoughts, etc. about modern day slavery in the blank spaces.

Assessments (objective or subjective):

1.  Subjective-to see how students react to the subject of slavery and how they use the collage art technique to share it with others