Art and Social Issues: "The Great Migration"
Unit theme: Social Issues in American History
Lesson: Representing Our "The Great Migration"
Integrated subjects: Social Studies, Language Arts
Level: 5th Grade
Projected Time: 30 minutes; 10 integrated background presentation, 20 minute studio experience.
Lesson: Representing Our "The Great Migration"
Integrated subjects: Social Studies, Language Arts
Level: 5th Grade
Projected Time: 30 minutes; 10 integrated background presentation, 20 minute studio experience.
Lesson Overview:
Students will be exposed to the historical period referred to as "The Great Migration." Students, through exposure to historical facts and a artistic reference, will create two-dimensional works of art. These pieces will be created out of layered construction paper. This project will allow students to artistically demonstrate their understanding of "The Great Migration."
Teacher Exemplar:
Standards Addressed:
Grade 5, Social Studies, Approved 2011
Standard 5-1: The student will demonstrate an understanding of Reconstruction and its impact on the United States.
Indicators Addressed:
5-1.2 Explain the effects of Reconstruction, including new rights under the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments; the actions of the Freedmen’s Bureau; and the move from a plantation system to sharecropping.
5-1.4 Compare the political, economic, and social effects of Reconstruction on different populations in the South and in other regions of the United States.
Standard 5-4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of American economic challenges in the 1920s and 1930s and world conflict in the 1940s
Indicators Addressed:
5-4.1 Summarize daily life in the post-World War I period of the 1920s, including improvements in the standard of living, transportation, and entertainment; the impact of the Nineteenth Amendment, the Great Migration, the Harlem Renaissance, and Prohibition; and racial and ethnic conflict.
Grade 5, Language Arts, Approved 2008
Standard 4: The student will create written work that has a clear focus, sufficient detail, coherent organization, effective use of voice, and correct use of the conventions of written Standard American English.
Indicators Addressed:
5-4.2 Use complete sentences in a variety of types (including simple, compound, and complex) in writing.
5-4.4 Use grammatical conventions of written Standard American English, including:
- irregular comparative and superlative adjectives,
- irregular adverbs,
- interjections,
- past participles of commonly misused verbs, and
- subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement with collective nouns.
5-4.5 Use revision strategies to improve the organization and development of conent and the quality of voice in written works.
5-4.6 Edit for the correct use of written Standard American English including:
- capitalization
- punctuation
- spelling
Standard 5: The student will write for a variety of purposes and audiences.
Indicators Addressed:
5-5.3 Create written descriptions using precise language and vivid details.
Grade 5, Visual Arts, Approved 2010
Standard 1: The student will demonstrate competence in the use of ideas, materials, techniques, and processes in the creation of works of visual art.
Indicators Addressed:
VA5-1.1 Identify the materials, techniques, and processes used in a variety of artworks.
VA5-1.5 Use all art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner.
Standard 2: The student will use composition and the elements and principles of design to communicate ideas.
Indicators Addressed:
VA5-2.1 Select a work of art, analyze its composition, and discuss which elements of art and principles of design are used in the work.
VA5-2.3 Select elements and principles of design to create artworks with a personal meaning.
Standard 3: The student will examine the content of works of visual art and use elements from them in creating his or her own works.
Indicators Addressed:
VA5-3.1 Identify and describe the content in a work of visual art.
VA5-3.3 Discuss the ways that choices of subject matter, symbols, and ideas combine to communicate meaning in his or her works of visual art.
Standard 4: The student will understand the visual arts in relation to history and world cultures and the technologies, tools, and materials used by artists.
Indicators Addressed:
VA5-4.1 Identify specific artworks and styles as belonging to particular artists, cultures, periods, and places.
Standard 6: The student will make connections between the visual arts and other arts disciplines, other content areas, and the world.
Indicators Addressed:
VA5-6.1 Identify connections between visual arts and content areas across the curriculum.
Important Vocabulary Terms (by subject):
Social Studies
Language Arts
- The Great Migration - the migration of African American from primarily the South, as well as the West and Midwest, to urban areas in the North from 1910-1970
- Reconstruction- The period following the Civil War in the South that contributed to the Great Migration
- Accent Color- A color used to create emphasis
- Additive process - the process adding of something else to alter or improve a work of art in some way, for example, to change the color or texture
- Collage- composition of materials pasted onto a surface in an artistic manner.
- Color Palette- range of colors used by an artist in a work of art
- Perspective - the simulation of depth in works of art
- Primary colors – the colors known as red, yellow and blue
- Secondary colors – these colors are made from mixing two primary colors. The secondary colors are orange, purple/violet, and green
Language Arts
- Nonfiction – Form of writing in which the narrative told is factual instead of fictional
Materials Needed (For a class of 22):
- 12X12 inch piece of white construction paper per pupil
- A large stack of full-sized, colored construction paper
- Two pieces of each color, red, yellow, blue, green, brown, orange, and black will be placed on each table (table consists of approximately 4 pupils)
- Large pieces to put under artwork to keep table tops clean
- Glue Sticks
- Scissors
- Metallic Colored Pencils (Any color)
- Paintbrushes (small foam brushes for applying optional Mod Podge mixture for layering paper)
- Optional: Pint of Mod Podge glossy (for sealing in color and added durability after completely done)
- Newsprint (to keep work surfaces in mint condition)
- (22) 3in X 8.5in piece of printer paper
Objectives: The Student will...
- Recognize how the Great Migration affected Americans, especially in terms of the African American population.
- Compose a written summary of their daily migration.
- Select an accent color
- Develop a visual adaptation of a personally written statement of their migration to their place of education.
- Apply a layering process with construction paper and glue to create recognizable images.
- Support his/her decision on how they visually adapted his/her story with the images he/she chose to create.
- Consider the advantage of preserving his/her work with a protectant such as Mod Podge.
Assessment:
The student composed a 2-5 sentence description of their daily commute to school. This description should include method of transportation, such as by car or by school bus. (For the college course this lesson plan was created in, students were asked to create a tale of their migration to Coastal Carolina University. The studio experience was to visually represent that migration.) The student selected and implemented the concept of an accent color into his/her finished product._The image generated represented the written component. The student demonstrated craftsmanship such as neat application of glue, as well as thoughtful construction.
Procedure:
Preparation (Before the Students Arrive):
- Place 18 X 24 inch pieces of newsprint at each student's seat. This is to protect the work surfaces from damage.
- Place 18 X 24 inch pieces of newsprint at each student's seat. This is to protect the work surfaces from damage.
- Cut down white construction paper into 12 X 12 inch pieces. Distribute these pieces to each of the students work spaces.
- Cut 12 X 18 inch assorted colors of construction paper down in half. One piece of each color should be placed so that two students can work from said paper. Extra pieces of each color should be cut down and available for distribution on an as needed basis.
- Distribute glue sticks and scissors to the work spaces. One per student is ideal, but one glue stick or one pair of scissors per two pupils is also an excellent ratio of materials to pupils.
- Cut down white printer paper into 3 X 8 inch pieces. Place one at each work space.
- Cut down 6 X 12 inch pieces of bright colored construction paper to be used as accent colors. Keep placed at the teacher's work space.
- Introduce the foundations of the Great Migration, such as the policies implemented during the era of Reconstruction in the South. Then lead into the history of the Great Migration. Emphasis the movement of African Americans from the rural South to the industrial North.
- Introduce the influence the Great Migration had on the African American artistic community. Introduce the artist connection for this lesson, Jacob Lawrence. Discuss how Lawrence was a child of migrants. Inform students that Lawrence was also a first hand witness of the Great Migration.
- Introduce the Great Migration series, the inspiration for this lesson and it's studio production. Show students panels from the series, an introduce the project for the day. Showcase the Exemplar.
- Have students write down a 2-5 sentence explanation of their daily "migration" to school. Students should proofread for proper usage and mechanics before continuing.
- Have Students Select an accent color out of the cut pieces of bright construction paper. Name off each of the colors. Have students raise their hands while naming off the colors and distribute to the students accordingly. Students are to use the accent colored paper to create a cut-out outline of the state as well as to incorporate the accent color in a manner of their choosing into the final product.
- Students are to take the colored construction paper and cut out shapes and images to represent their written tale of their daily migration to school.
- After cutting out images, students are to glue down the cut images to the 12 X 12 inch piece of white construction paper.
- Have students sign work before submitting. Narrative of the daily "migration" should be taped to the back of the work of art.
- Apply Mod Podge to seal the work.
- Have students who are finished share their narrative as well as their visual adaptation.
Visual Culture Component:
It has been proven that the best way to keep students focused and goal oriented is to connect what they are learning in the classroom with what they see and know from the world in which they live. If children turn on the television they are bound to be bombarded with media that showcases the migration of people, but it from their home to a store to moving across the nation. Commercials can be seen for rental cars, airlines, and even moving vans. Movies such as each of the three Toy Story's and Pirates of the Caribbean showcase migration. Any of these components can be associated with the idea of migration; the concept of moving from one place to another.
Artist Connection: Working with Jacob Lawrence:
Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000) was an African American artist. Living in Harlem during the years of the Great Depression, Lawrence witnessed the Great Migration firsthand.
Resources:
- South Carolina Social Studies Standards, which can be located at: http://ed.sc.gov/agency/se/Teacher-Effectiveness/Standards-and-Curriculum/documents/FINALAPPROVEDSSStandardsAugust182011.pdf
- South Carolina Visual Art Standards, which can be located at: https://learn.coastal.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-311407-dt-content-rid-2571421_1/courses/ARTE32902_FA12/AcademicStandardsforVisualArts%281%29.pdf
- South Carolina Language Arts Standards, which can be located at: http://ed.sc.gov/agency/se/Teacher-Effectiveness/Standards-and-Curriculum/documents/StateBoardApprovedFinalMay14.pdf
- Lining Up to Vote, Jacob Lawrence "The Migrants Arrive and Cast their Ballots," which can be located at: http://www.artbma.org/educators/atg/pdf/ATG_10-08.pdf
- Transcript of interview with Jacob Lawrence, which can be found at: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/remember/jan-june00/lawrence_6-13.html
- PDF containing questions that can be used with students discussing Jacob Lawrence's works of art, which can be located at: http://mag.rochester.edu/plugins/acrobat/teachers/1920sMigrants.pdf
- Lesson Plan developed by Crocker Art Museum, which contains great context information on the Great Migration, which can be located at: http://www.crockerartmuseum.org/school-educator/striking-gold/item/when-art-conveys-a-political-message-migrants-arrive-and-cast-their-ballots
- Whitney Museum interactive site showcasing the Migration Series and provides great information, and is also the source of the images above, which can be located at: http://whitney.org/www/jacoblawrence/art/migration.html
- Jacob Lawrence biography, which can be located at: http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_resources/bhm/bio/lawrence_j.htm
Reflection:
It is vital to reflect upon one's own work in order to better meet the needs of one's students. One thing one must remember when reflecting is to cover both positive AND negative asspects of their lessons. Simply focusing on one or the other leaves a large window for change out of the equation.
POSITIVES
Several things went extremely well when I taught my lesson. One of the biggest successes was the students' understandings of the concept of the "Great Migration." Students easily took hold of how migration plays a pivitol role in so many of our lives, even if it doesn't involve regional relocations.
The method of material distribution proved to be very effect as well. With everything precut, the lesson could move smoothly from presentation to art production. By having the pieces of construction paper, glue, scissors, newsprint, etc. sitting on each table, time was not lost distributing materials. Smooth transition are a must in the world of classroom management where just a split second of inattention can lead to havoc!
Finally, student participation in the lesson was excellent. Not one student resisted the lesson. By incorporating both writing and visual studio production, I believe all students had a means of connecting with the lesson. I also found having students share their pieces helped forge some common bonds among students with similar migration stories. Creating a sense of community is vital in the diverse world we live in. This lesson allowed students to realize they have more in common with their peers than they had previously expected.
NEGATIVES
When teaching Representing Our "Great Migration" , I realized several changes could be made to help improve the effectiveness of this lesson. The biggest issue with this lesson was how many students had created images very different from their written descriptions of their daily migrations. I would recommend that the students should be required to write a complete paragraph that outlines their migration. I would recommend having a list of adjectives displayed and have students use at least 5 of those adjectives in their narrative.
Another issue that arose was many students who did not finish early, or even at all, wanted to apply Mod Podge to their finished visual representations of their daily migration. I would recommend cutting down the size of the finished project to 8 X 8 inches to ensure more students complete the project in the projected allotment of time for this lesson. While Mod Podge can be messy, I would require all students to seal their work with this product. The day this lesson was taught it rained, and many students who did not seal their work had wet projects when they got home. Mod Podge used as a sealant would help preserve the works for the harsh realities of riding the school bus.
Creating the actual visual component of the lesson was also a challenge for many students. Verbal instructions proved effective, but only within a limited context. It is my biggest regret that I did not physically demonstrate how to layer the construction paper when presenting the lesson to the class. If I had done this, I do believe more students would have created works that were more detailed and complex.
CONCLUSION
Overall the works created were wonderful. The students thoroughly enjoyed themselves during the lesson. Despite the changes I would make outlined above, I would definitely teach this lesson again!
POSITIVES
Several things went extremely well when I taught my lesson. One of the biggest successes was the students' understandings of the concept of the "Great Migration." Students easily took hold of how migration plays a pivitol role in so many of our lives, even if it doesn't involve regional relocations.
The method of material distribution proved to be very effect as well. With everything precut, the lesson could move smoothly from presentation to art production. By having the pieces of construction paper, glue, scissors, newsprint, etc. sitting on each table, time was not lost distributing materials. Smooth transition are a must in the world of classroom management where just a split second of inattention can lead to havoc!
Finally, student participation in the lesson was excellent. Not one student resisted the lesson. By incorporating both writing and visual studio production, I believe all students had a means of connecting with the lesson. I also found having students share their pieces helped forge some common bonds among students with similar migration stories. Creating a sense of community is vital in the diverse world we live in. This lesson allowed students to realize they have more in common with their peers than they had previously expected.
NEGATIVES
When teaching Representing Our "Great Migration" , I realized several changes could be made to help improve the effectiveness of this lesson. The biggest issue with this lesson was how many students had created images very different from their written descriptions of their daily migrations. I would recommend that the students should be required to write a complete paragraph that outlines their migration. I would recommend having a list of adjectives displayed and have students use at least 5 of those adjectives in their narrative.
Another issue that arose was many students who did not finish early, or even at all, wanted to apply Mod Podge to their finished visual representations of their daily migration. I would recommend cutting down the size of the finished project to 8 X 8 inches to ensure more students complete the project in the projected allotment of time for this lesson. While Mod Podge can be messy, I would require all students to seal their work with this product. The day this lesson was taught it rained, and many students who did not seal their work had wet projects when they got home. Mod Podge used as a sealant would help preserve the works for the harsh realities of riding the school bus.
Creating the actual visual component of the lesson was also a challenge for many students. Verbal instructions proved effective, but only within a limited context. It is my biggest regret that I did not physically demonstrate how to layer the construction paper when presenting the lesson to the class. If I had done this, I do believe more students would have created works that were more detailed and complex.
CONCLUSION
Overall the works created were wonderful. The students thoroughly enjoyed themselves during the lesson. Despite the changes I would make outlined above, I would definitely teach this lesson again!