Lesson Plan: When Art Fuels Anger, Who Should Prevail? (E.L.A.)

Subjects:

English Language Arts, Fine Arts

Lesson Duration:

• 1-2 50-minute class periods

Essential Questions:

• What is art and who decides?
• How is art used to communicate messages and what should happen when those messages offend others?

Lesson Objectives:

Students will:

• Analyze different types of art in order to identify key characteristics.
• Consider different types of art and analyze whether others’ views support or contradict their own definitions.

Materials:

• Retro Report video “When Art Fuels Anger, Who Should Prevail?” (Transcript)
• Student Activity handout
• Free Online Art Learning Resources for Students and Teachers | National Gallery of Art
  • Chakaia Booker – “Egress” c. 2000
  • Spectator – “Speed of Light” 2001
  • Adriaen Coorte – “Still Life with a Hanging Bunch of Grapes, Two Medlars, and a Butterfly” 1687
  • Netherlandish – 15th Century “The Raising of Tabitha” c. 1460

Procedure:

1. Students will engage in Think-Pair-Share on the Student Activity handout to explore the warm-up question “What is art?”
   1. Does it reflect artistic skill? What is artistic skill?
   2. Do artists have to use their imagination to create art?
   3. Does art have to teach a lesson or can it just be something we enjoy?
   4. As students answer what they believe art is and is not, record their answers on a powerpoint slide, document or on the board. Each class will have individual answers, but will need to have access to other classes’ answers for the culminating activity.
2. Next, students will consider the following quote and write whether or not they agree with it, explaining why or why not.
   1. “I think when the art is insulting to a specific group, when it’s invading your own space, when it’s come to your own school then taking it down is acceptable.” – Marouane El Bahraoui
   2. Next, students will answer “Who is in charge of defining what art is and is not?”
   3. Have students briefly share responses to both questions, with the whole class or with a small group.
3. Explain to students that the quote is from a Retro Report video that they will be watching: “When Art Fuels Anger, Who Should Prevail?” (Transcript).
   1. Have students answer the questions related to the film, provided on the Student Activity form.
   2. As they finish, have students complete the Get the Gist strategy and write a brief main idea statement about the video.
4. After the video, ask students what examples from the video supported or went against what they wrote in response to: “Who is in charge of defining what art is and is not?” Follow up questions to the class could include:
   1. Do the people in charge of an award (whether it be money or some other prize) get to determine what is art? Do they get to decide what is offensive?
   2. Peter Jennings asks the question “Are members of congress meant to be defenders of a particular public taste?” What does he mean by this? What is the answer?
   3. What does it mean when the N.E.A. states that they are “taking into consideration general standards of decency and respect for the diverse beliefs and values of the American Public”? Are they doing that? If so, how?
   4. Does it matter if the “vast majority” (Dick Armey) believe something if others do not?
5. Using the thinking routine Looking: Ten Times Two from Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Project Zero, students will select one of the following works from the National Gallery of Art to analyze. They will Look at the image quietly for at least 30 seconds, letting their eyes wander, then list 10 words or phrases about any aspect of the picture. Looking at the image again, they will try to add 10 more words or phrases.
   1. Chakaia Booker – “Egress” c. 2000
   2. Spectator – “Speed of Light” 2001
   3. Adriaen Coorte “Still Life with a Hanging Bunch of Grapes, Two Medlars, and a Butterfly” 1687
   4. Netherlandish 15th Century “The Raising of Tabitha” c. 1460
   5. Other works may be provided for student analysis.
   6. Alternatively, the teacher may select one work that they believe will elicit conversation about what art is or is not for the whole class to analyze together.
      1. Optional: offer additional guidance as students work, such as: “What do you see? Think about colors, shapes and shadows.”
6. Students will use the words from their list to determine characteristics for what is considered art and whether they personally consider the selection a “work of art?” explaining why or why not.
7. After the discussion, give students time to search the National Gallery of Art for a piece of art they want to work with and discuss. Have them complete the same activity with the work of art they’ve chosen. They should record notes on the Student Activity handout.
8. Finally, have students complete the summation prompt: Consider the art that you viewed in this assignment (art in the film, along with the two artworks you examined from the National Gallery) and create a 2-3 sentence definition of art.

Extension Activities:

1. Instead of the summation prompt, have students compose a synthesis argumentative essay.
   1. Students would establish their own definition of art and use that definition to critically examine the works of art involved in the lesson.
   2. How do these pieces of art affirm or push back against your definition of art?
2. Research an artist whose works push back on what some might define as art. Write a paper discussing the merits of this art.

About the Author:

Stephanie Hasty grew up in Mansfield, Missouri and studied at Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University). While she has moved to the Washington DC area, she understands it is important to be proud of where you come from, as that helps you determine where you are going. She wants to be part of the foundation of what students and faculty might see as diversity, equity and inclusion. She knows this starts with challenging our thinking and learning from others’ experiences.

Standards

Common Core Literacy Standards

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.2: Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.8: Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.5: With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. 
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

National Visual Arts Anchor Standards

• Responding: 

• • Anchor Standard #7. Perceive and analyze artistic work.
  • Anchor Standard #8. Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
  • Anchor Standard #9. Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.