Heroes in Art

Though often used in shows of patriotism, Bruce Springsteen's 1985 song "Born in the U.S.A." is critical of America's role in the Vietnam war and its treatment of American veterans. High schoolers analyze the song's lyrics in an activity...

Introduce protagonists, antagonists, antiheros, and foils to your unit on Ernest J. Gaines's A Lesson Before Dying. After reading the first 13 chapters from the book, learners discuss Grant's behavior and reactions to different events,...

Visual literacy can be experienced in many different ways. Learners discuss the times, graphic art, and cultural significance of activism in art as they explore artist and Black Panther, Emory Douglas. This is a discussion-based lesson...

What does it mean to be a hero? Who qualifies as a hero? In groups, middle and high schoolers brainstorm a list of heroes and create a list of characteristics that a person must possess in order to be a hero. Extend this lesson by having...

Students explore several themes relevant to the life of Paul Robeson and the social, artistic, & political realities of the first half of the 20th century, identify and interview heroes in their communities, and publish profiles on...

I love lessons like this because they let kids see the power of art, poetry, and activism in times of social injustice and unrest. They'll analyze the art used by Emory Douglas in the production of the Black Panther newspaper and...

Students identify American heroes. In this research skills lesson, students discuss the characteristics of heroes and examine society's definition of heroes. Students research selected American heroes of the 20th century and create...

Students study the life and times of actor Paul Robeson. For this social activism lesson, students research primary and secondary documents to create multi-media presentations featuring Paul Robeson's life and political activism.

Students identify the attributes of heroes. In this critical thinking skills lesson, students share what heroes are and then select the people from the provided list that are indeed heroes according the definitions they shared. Students...

Take the text of the Ramayana and let it become a visual funfest of student interaction.  View through PowerPoint artistic representations of the characters of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, and have pupils complete the character study...