Students study the development of political art. After that, they produce original murals, political cartoons, or posters that showcase their knowledge of social justice topics.
WHY?
Studying art improves visual literacy and higher-order cognitive abilities. To create political art, students must comprehend satire, idioms, puns, irony, and dialogue.
LANGUAGE LEARNERS OF ENGLISH
Examining political art can be difficult for English language learners since it necessitates familiarity with the theme or subject. It will be easier for English language learners to approach political art with assurance if you use examples closely related to the main content. For extra English practice, students could take lessons with a private English teacher, for instance, https://livexp.com/skills/english. We recommend choosing an online tutor interested in the arts and sharpening your language skills in a specific area.
HOW?
Be prepared
Look for illustrations of social justice-related motifs and themes in political cartoons, murals, or posters. Several visual texts are included in the Perspectives central text anthology.
Use the resources from Using Editorial Cartoons to Teach Social Justice if time allows. Fourteen lessons in this unit help with this goal.
Decide if students will work independently or in groups.
Set up
Introduce political art to your kids. Provide several instances related to the concepts in the main text you have been studying. Introduce terms like "idiom," "satire," "context cues," "irony," "caricature," etc., that are linked with political art.
Inform students of the necessary materials, the work plan, and the deadlines. Utilize the rubric to specify project requirements and objectives and how you will evaluate students' efforts.
Present the Do Something Student Planning Handbook to the class. Students may use the guidance to choose the type of work they wish to create, their message, and the media they will employ.
Go!
Give students enough time to develop and edit their artwork and receive comments from peers and instructors.
Encourage discussions between kids and school officials about guidelines and authorization for an art exhibition.
Choose a suitable area to showcase student work. Please explain how the context and location of art may alter its impact. Possibilities include bulletin boards, wall space in hallways, and public spaces like the cafeteria, gym, or theater.
Take pictures to preserve and honor student effort.
REFLECTION
To encourage student contemplation, use talking circles or journaling. Here are a few ideas for contemplation questions: What was your favorite work of political art? What are its advantages? Why did it work so well?
Debate the merits of utilizing political art to promote social justice.
What did this experience teach you? What strikes you about the procedure?
What connections were made between the student-created artwork and the main text?
A RELATIONSHIP WITH ANTI-BIAS EDUCATION
Political art may inspire individuals to take action, significantly influence communities, and represent the realities of students' daily lives. Moreover, it allows students to imaginatively apply what they have learned in an engaging, real-world setting.