My unit has two
purposes
, or umbrella objectives, that will be relevant to each lesson in the unit, and although the first is the development of a skill and the second is based on absorbing content, they are not mutually exclusive, nor should the unit be thought of or taught as two separate components. It will be my responsibility, as author of this curriculum (and of any subsequent teachers who choose to apply this curriculum to their classrooms), to search for the richest content that helps set up the growth of skills.
The content I expect my students to understand is American history, specifically examining art produced during the period of 19th century continental expansion and its relationship to the national identity of that time. The focus is on American 19th century expansion and art, but the role of art as it relates to national identity could certainly be explored in other nations as well. Could the sentiments of politicians and orators be found in the paintings of the time? How did the artists represent such sentiment? These are examples of the types of questions I will apply to the selected pieces of art discussed below.
I hope my students develop the skills of comparison, interpretation, and analysis all higher level thinking skills. Essentially, the student should learn how to communicate better; to understand and then convert that understanding into words. This fundamental ability transcends the importance of any state-driven test.
The idea of art and identity could be used to teach any historical culture or epoch, so the reader of this unit is encouraged to apply the format and the skills taught to any topic he or she may be teaching in class. In fact, this unit could be taught in a variety of subject areas. The teacher would have to choose the specific art samples related to such an extension unit. Once the ideal pieces of art were selected, the teacher could apply the skills emphasized below to that extension material.