Jennifer M. Ports
I plan to teach the unit's objectives through the use of visual images, supplemental readings, and art analysis techniques, students will aim to describe, develop an interpretation of, ask questions of, read about, and discuss various examples of visual art from the time period. Since most students will enter the classroom without much knowledge of how to discuss or look at a piece of art, they will need explicit instruction to begin the process, connecting to my first objective. Without these tools it may be difficult for them to be able to construct meaning from a piece. For example, students will conduct a "See, Think, Wonder" exercise where they list all that they see (no observation being too small), make an interpretation as to what might be be going on or what might be the larger significance based on what they saw, and then "wonder" by asking questions of the piece. Students will also learn to analyze a piece of art similarly to how they are taught to analyze any other primary source–by asking and answering questions about audience, intent, and historical context. They will also be guided and encourage to make connections to today and think about artistic technique.
While the above strategies will sharpen their observation, description, and inquiry skills, another objective is for students to also sharpen their discussion skills, focusing on discussing race, class, gender, and economy in colonial America. All of these skills are real life skills that are just as applicable outside the history classroom as they are in it, so it is important to not assume students will be able to do this well. It is easy assume students can observe and discuss since they can list things they see and love to talk, but these are skills that need to be taught and crafted. Teaching students to make observations about what they see is challenging for many students. Some students may get stuck after three, four, or even five observations and need encouragement and modeling in order to succeed. With practice, modeling, and instruction students will learn how to really observe and what to look for in a painting that will point to large ideas and significance. Similarly, students should be taught how to engage in genuine discussion. Discussion can either be teacher or student centered. In teacher centered discussion much of the direction of conversation is dictated by the teacher. Sometimes it appears that students speak to the teacher as opposed to their peers. When students do respond to another student's idea, they may still address the student instead of the peer him or herself. While there is value in this, discussing the themes of race, class, gender, and economy through art gives many opportunities for teaching students how to productively speak to and respond to each other, with little or no teacher intervention.
As mentioned earlier, it is important as educators to make all that students learn relevant. Using art to teach about race, class, gender, and economy in colonial America will help engage to students of varying skill and knowledge, but also engage them in thinking about these themes today. What is different about race, class, gender, and economy today? What purpose did art serve then and what purpose does it serve now? Students can use what they uncover about these themes through art to compare colonial America then to America now, but also compare how these themes were depicted and seen in art then to how they are depicted and seen in art today. These ideas would make for great discussion and allow them to really solidify their understanding of colonial America through the process of comparing it to their world.
