Lesson one: Immigration, Stereotyping, the Media and Internment.
My class periods are all doubles, totaling 90 minutes in length, I am able to deliver a lot of material: lecture, discussion and demonstration, followed usually by art production and student self-analysis and critique. Students are accustomed for the first 10 minutes to perform the warm-up activity on the blackboard. Students usually spend the second half of the period in art production. The beginning of this unit will be a little different. Students will spend the first 30 minutes rendering the “perception” portraits before the lesson.
Lesson one:
Objectives: Students will be able to:
1. Draw in contour lines a representational portrait of a 19th century & 21st century Japanese American.
2. Examine patterns of Japanese immigration and recognize the socio-economic and political conditions of that period.
a) Develop reasons for Japanese immigration.
3. Become familiar with the contributions made by various early Japanese to the building of America.
4. Examine issues of exclusion and racism in regard to the U.S. government’s immigration policy.
a) Discuss “Picture Brides” and how they shaped immigration policy.
b) Discuss whether “national security” should supercede constitutional rights and citizenship.
6. Analyze and decide whether the internment of Japanese Americans was an act of national security and /or institutional racism.
7. Define the term “stereotype” and examine the evolution of Japanese-American stereotyping.
a) Examine historical posters depicting the “Yellow Peril”
9. Analyze current magazine advertisements that show people in a variety of roles, discussing their perceptions of the advertiser’s illustrations of different ethnicities. a. Examine if they reinforce stereotyping of a culture or not.
10. Examine the ramifications of stereotyping all non-majority Americans.
Class time: 4 periods (2 double periods)
Procedure and materials: (paper and pencils)
|
1.
|
Students entering class will be directed to draw the portraits (these will be put away, to be discussed later) a. Review characteristics of contour lines and speedball nib inking techniques.
|
|
2.
|
Point out to students they will be examining early 19th century Japanese immigration experiences to America. Ask students to discuss their own families’ histories, what are some of the reasons that led to immigration of their specific ethnic group. Discuss historical overview of Japanese immigration to the U.S.
|
|
3.
|
View the film “Picture Brides.”
|
a) Discuss the problems the Picture Brides encountered.
b) Have students role play the Picture Bride’s first impressions of America.
|
4.
|
Discuss and apply the following terms to the Japanese American experience: discrimination, racism, intolerance, exclusion, scapegoating.
|
|
5.
|
Present and examine historical images depicting Yellow Peril & American Propaganda of the 1940’s.
|
Discuss student’s feelings about the negative portrayals and the accuracy in depicting Japanese and Japanese-Americans,
b. How would they feel if they were Japanese-Americans and they saw these images?
Discuss the power the media has in influencing perception.
what are the similarities and differences between the posters?
where do you think these posters were hung?
what emotions do these posters prompt?
6. Have students examine advertisements in the major magazines.
Explain that they are to find ads that reinforce stereotypes of ethnicity.
Discuss their perceptions and the devices the media uses to perpetuate stereotypes.
Examine what conclusions they have drawn about the people depicted.
|
7.
|
Ask students to get out their earlier drawings of Japanese- Americans, (Have students present their drawings to the whole class, taping them to a walls, students will walk around the room carefully viewing all the drawings)
|
a) Discuss what influences (personal or media) do they see in the representations,
b) Did they think these are accurate portrayals, if not, how would they change them?
c) Discuss why was this an important activity, what did they learn?
Homework: Students will write 1-2 pages about what each individual can do to help educate society about the devaluating consequences of racism. If possible, include an experience that has occurred to them, a member of their family, or someone they know.
Class time: 3 double periods
Lesson Two
Objectives: Students will be able to:
Students will view the documentary “Children of the Camps.”
Examine the psycho historical aspects of what took place during the Japanese American internment.
Discuss the impact of the internment experience on Japanese American families and the children.
Discuss how students and their families would react in similar circumstances. Could this happen today?
Discuss student’s feelings as they were viewing the film, with whom did they identify with the most, why?
Examine artwork done by internees documented in “A View From Within.”
Develop a sense of empathy by drawing the situations which Japanese American children faced.
Procedure and materials: (paper, mixed media)
|
1.
|
Review and discuss student’s homework assignment. In order to ensure every one has an opportunity to share their stories/comments, Larger classes should be broken into groups of 6-8 if necessary. Consider sharing your own personal experience(s), students will be more comfortable doing the same. Validate all responses.
|
|
2.
|
Show the documentary “Children of the Camps”
|
Discuss the internment experience on the Japanese-American families and the children, Ask with whom students identified. Discuss their thoughts and feelings as they were viewing the film. Ask them to imagine and discuss what it would feel like being told they had to leave their homes. How did the Japanese families react? Why? How would they react?
|
3.
|
Discuss and distribute a copy of Executive Order 9066.* a. Have students debate the rights of citizens to disobey an Executive Order.
|
|
4.
|
View the paintings, from “The View From Within” (Suggested artworks for discussion: Mine Okubo, “Mother and Children-Crying Baby”; Dan Taneyuki Harada, “Barracks”; and Matsusaburo Hibi, “Topaz-Coyotes come out of the desert”), guide student discussion to interpret on the basis of description and analysis, their own experience, and background knowledge of the period, the meaning of the artwork and how it makes them feel.
|
b) Students will discuss why the artist painted the painting, and what they think the artist was feeling.
c) Students will be asked to prove their assumptions.
|
5.
|
Students will draw their own interpretations of life in the camps using a variety of media, placing emphasis on the subject content, the elements of art and personal style. Have students compare and contrast the styles and directions the artists have taken in the “View From Within.” Making note of what tools and media was used, what art elements are stressed in each. I encourage the use of photographic material as resources for drawings. Paintings and photographs are not to be duplicated, but can easily be used as resource material. Spend a little time on this concept.
|
|
6.
|
Discuss selective seeing and recording so students understand the concept of choosing what to include and what to leave out in their work. You might also spend a short discussion to emphasize imagination. Imagination is making up things that are not necessarily based on reality, as opposed to the recalling of stored and remembered visual imagery. Both are vital resources for artists.
|
|
7.
|
Discuss imagination and its role in Surrealism and other imagined imagery. Help students to establish an understanding of the meaning and use of imagination. Student production should not be limited to only representation.
|
Class time: 3 double periods
Lesson Three
Objectives: Students will be able to:
|
1.
|
Read and discuss “ The Artist’s Story.”
|
|
2.
|
Observe Roger Shimomura’s art and understand how he used the Japanese American internment as a theme in his work.
|
|
3.
|
Students will compare and contrast images of Roger Shimomura’s “Memories of Childhood” to the images in “Children of the Camps”
|
|
4.
|
Examine the visual relationship of his American identity and his Japanese heritage.
|
|
5.
|
Discuss his use of slick pop art images of painting flat in his work
|
|
6.
|
Analyze & identify some of the social issues in the paintings.
|
|
7.
|
Become familiar with Ukiyo-e wood blocks
|
|
8.
|
Make visual connections from the work of Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol to Shimomura’s work.
|
|
9.
|
Plan Layout: make preliminary sketches for the bas-relief triptych that depicts a personal history : a. Student’s ancestral past, b. Student’s present showing their identity & relationship to America, c. a utopian world where every human being is valued.
|
Procedure and Materials: (paper and pencils)
|
1.
|
Students will read “The Artist’s Story.” Ask students to identify how Roger Shimomura’s ancestry might be reflected in his art.
|
|
2.
|
Show slides from “Memories of Childhood,” explaining to students this series of paintings was originally part of a traveling exhibition titled “Memories of Childhood...so we’re not the Cleavers or the Brady Bunch”. ( Fifteen artists were asked to write stories of their early childhood memories and create ten images based on these stories. Their work was intended to become a picture book for young children.)
|
|
3.
|
Distribute color copies of “Memories of Childhood’* to students
|
a) Discuss how the individual paintings are related to each other.
b) Ask students what is Shimomura trying to say to us in painting these images?
c) Have students look closely at each one , discuss how the statements for each painting affect the meaning of each.
|
4.
|
Compare and contrast images of Shimomura’s “Memories” to the images in “Children of the Camps.” a. Discuss the use of pale muted colors by Shimomura. Examine why he chose this palette.
|
|
5.
|
Introduce Shimomura’s paintings from the “An American Diary” *
|
|
a)
|
Ask students how these paintings mirror the social relations of the Japanese-American internees.
|
b) Compare and contrast Shimomura’s depiction of his grandmother in the paintings and her actual photo. What is Shimomura saying about his grandmother assimilation to America? c. Why is his family’s history important to preserve?
|
c)
|
Examine Shimomura’s comic book style appropriation in this series. Guide students in making the connection to work of Lichenstein and Warhol.
|
|
d)
|
How slide of “Valeda Daze.” Ask how does Shimomura appear to feel about each culture and the mixing of two cultures? Is it presented in a positive or negative light? Does the work suggest pressure to adapt to the American culture? Is it possible or desirable to keep cultures separate? Show and discuss other series, “Oriental Masterpiece,” “Issei, Nisei, Sansei,” “The Return of the Yellow Peril”
|
|
6.
|
Show examples of Japanese-American artist’s connections to their culture and identity: Mitsuo Toshida, Takao Nagai, and portraits (and self-portraits) made by multi-ethnic artists: Dinh Le(“The Temptation of Christ”), Betye and Alison Saar (“Aunt Jemima”), Hung Li (Resident Alien”), Jaune Quick-to-See Smith( “Trade”), Maria Gutierrez (“Biography, 1988”).
|
|
a)
|
Discuss how each artist appears to feel about each culture and the mixing of two cultures.
|
b) Ask students if the artists are making clear statements, taking a neutral stance or asking a question in the artwork.
c) Do the cultural identities depicted in the artworks seem voluntarily taken on or imposed by others?
d) Does the artwork imply coercion to adapt to the American culture?
|
7.
|
Ask students to read statements made by the artists after viewing the examples of their work. Discuss how this influences the student’s perception of the artworks.
|
|
8.
|
Students will begin preliminary layouts for the Bas-relief triptychs. Explain to students they will be integrating pop art imagery & flat painting in 3D reliefs on 3 panels (triptych format) depicting their personal histories and hopes for humanity. The first panel will consist of a depiction of their ancestral origins ; the second, a mixture of their ethnicity and American culture; and the third, their view of what a multi-cultural society looks like where every human being is valued. Panel 1. Brainstorm with students about what type of images are representative of their ancestral culture. They should identify their emotional ties (if any) and attitudes. Explain to students these images are purely subjective, and can be juxtapositioned to change their meanings. Encourage sophistication of ideas and visualization. Images within the panels are not restricted to only one panel, students should break out of the panels with some elements if consistent with the narrative. Be creative with the design. Panel 2. Explain this panel is a self portrait which represents the relationship of their two cultures, ancestral and American, answering the question: “Who are you in this society, where is your family from, why did they come here and how do you feel about it ? How are both parts of you cultural identity connected ?”
|
|
a)
|
Remind students how the artists we studied articulated their own identities.
|
|
b).
|
Encourage students to incorporate their own experiences as they integrate their concept of a bicultural identity. Panel 3. Explain this panel symbolizes a synthesis of our cultural unity and declaration of belonging to the American utopian ideal. Brainstorm with students what this would look like? Is it a symbol? metaphoric prose and images? or a labyrinth of mixed images? What kind of viewpoint will you try to show? Humor? Parody? Irony? Optimism?
|
|
9.
|
Have students create a minimum of three thumbnail sketches to choose from before proceeding to a comprehensive layout.
|
10.Discuss with students the meaning of each panel, Check for completeness and clarity of narratives.
Lesson Four: Art Production: Bas- relief Triptych
A bas-relief is a sculpted form which has areas that project but do not stand entirely free from the background, this plan describes how pariscraft can be used in sculpting reliefs.
Objectives: Students will be able to:
1. Plan and construct a Bas-Relief triptych
2. Demonstrate techniques in application of media.
3. Integrate the use of flat painting in their work
Procedure and Materials: Pariscraft, modeling paste, canvas panels, cardboard, modeling tools, acrylic paint
|
1.
|
Explain to students they will be using their comprehensive layouts for transferring the triptych designs.
|
|
2.
|
Demonstrate to students the technique of transfer tracing. Have students transfer their comprehensive layouts, keeping it simple, using outlines, (details are not necessary at this point), onto a piece of tracing paper. Then turning the tracing paper over; cover the lines evenly with graphite from a pencil.
|
|
3.
|
Transfer the traced layout to canvas panels (to be used later) and cardboard. Cut out from the cardboard the major shapes and related areas.( If the composition includes a house with a person standing in front of it, tree, horizon line and sky. The house, person and tree should be cut out separately. Overlap and detail after the individual pieces are built up.) Building up is achieved by using dry pieces of newspaper in overlapping patterns or shapes secured with masking tape. Give students the option of either making a high or low relief.
|
|
4.
|
Demonstrate Pariscrafting technique and application: Dip the Pariscraft into water, smooth excess water off, taking care to keep the edges of the gauze flat and smooth, cover the desired area and smooth with moist finger tips. Stress the importance of maintaining distance between the dry Pariscraft and the water source. (Once the Pariscraft has hardened it cannot be reworked, and must be thrown away.) Reinforce the concept of applying the Pariscraft by demonstrating improper application with regard to the smoothing of the edges. When applied, the joining of layers should be imperceptible.
|
|
5.
|
Continue Pariscrafting until all built up pieces are covered. Let harden.
|
|
6.
|
Address details. I usually incorporate laminating paper to get the specificity needed. Lamination involves gluing several layers of various thick nesses of paper. Depending on the thickness it can be shaped or molded over a base.
|
|
a)
|
Using the comprehensive layout as a guide, trace and transfer the details of all the major elements. Model with Pariscraft, let dry.
|
|
7.
|
Adhere details to the hardened pieces with modeling paste, refine modeling. Cover the entire piece with modeling paste and smooth. Allow to dry. Using extra fine sanding paper, smooth out excess modeling paste and pariscraft. Allow to dry.
|
|
8.
|
Discuss color and mood. Paint flat the objects of the composition, taking care to insure sides and approximately ¼” of the under surface receives color.
|
|
9.
|
Using the traced layout canvas panel, paint background and attach relief pieces with a glue gun. Touch up edges.
|
|
10.
|
Students will present, critique and discuss their projects.
|
Class time: 16 classes
