Pamela Coleman, Deb Liu, Ann Reis, and Ellen Shea Solomon School Grades 6th, 7th & 8th Social Studies, Language Arts, Fine Arts Understanding the 1960s Civil Rights Era Through Black Creative Expressions

Romare Bearden (American, ) The Dove, 1964 Cut-and-pasted printed paper, gouache, pencil, & colored pencil on board Museum of Modern Art, New York City ( )

Key Ideas  Art communicates ideas. Community is defined by the individual and the group.  Collage may be used as a metaphor for community.  The arts often reflect personal experiences/reactions to the historical events of a time period.

We wanted our students :  To increase their understanding of the Civil Rights Era of the 1960s.  To appreciate the Black experience as diverse yet also universal. To appreciate the arts as an individual/group/community expression.  To understand collage as the “gluing together” of disparate parts.  To appreciate American art.

videos, music, books, poetry, art reproductions, technology

Major Learning Activities :  View DVD on important events of the 1960s Civil Rights Era  Write reflections/poetry/summaries of those important events  Close read of The Dove In-depth read on Romare Bearden and his art work  Read/Listen to Black American poetry/music of the era  Create A to Z collages celebrating 50 years of Motown Create Bearden-inspired individual/group/community collages

Our Students Learned:  To appreciate American art and artists. To appreciate their own creative talents.  To understand that creativity is often sparked by external events.  The 1960s was an era of social and political change reflected in art, literature, and music.

We Learned that:  Exposing our students to American art and devoting time to observe and discuss the artwork helps to develop their appreciation of art.  Our students understand that art communicates ideas.  Using the arts to personalize historical events deepens students’ understanding of those events and contributes to their ability to empathize with the experiences of others.  Collage is an effective medium/metaphor for the expression of individual, group and community identities.