ART & ACTIVITY:ENGAGING VISUAL LITERACY SKILLS & PRIOR KNOWLEDGETO EXPLORE POST WWI GERMAN SOCIETY

A lesson inspired by MoMA’s ART & Activity MOOC.

by Kate Gukeisenkategukeisen.com

ART, SOCIETY & POLITICS

TARGET LEARNING GROUP:

10 T H GRADE

WORLD HISTORY STUDENTS

TARGET LEARNING THEME:

SOCIETY & POLITICS

POST WORLD WAR I GERMANY

The big question that provides focus to this lesson is:

Do you think the central idea of the work you are investigating reflects what you have learned about Post

World War I German society?

ACTIVITYDESCRIPTIONThis activity will involve students closely looking at artwork from a period they have studied in their world history class in three different phases to determine a central idea and to draw conclusions based on prior knowledge, discussion, and personal reflection.

The groups will use the following big question to frame their investigation: Do you think the central idea of this work reflects what you have learned about Post World War I German society? 

Phase 1: 

Students will break out into three large groups where each group will investigate one of three works from German artists created during the Post World War I era they have studied in their World History course. Students will each record their own observations and group take-aways through traditional note taking, mind mapping, sketching symbols representative or ideas, or in any other way that student is able to represent their ideas for recall and reflection later.

Phase 2:

After investigating one artwork with their large group, students will break out into groups of three, composed of one member from each large group, to discuss, compare, and contrast the artwork and observations they investigated in their large groups.

Phase 3:

The entire class will come together and students will be asked to take a few minutes to think about one Top Take Away--an observation, reflection, or revelation that they would like to share with everyone about the central idea, the artwork they investigated, or the process of discussion and idea sharing. Then, each student will be given time to share that Top Take Away with the class.

Reflection:

While students will not share a physical product with the class for this activity, there are multiple opportunities for reflection within the activity itself. Whether students choose to express themselves primarily orally, through extensive note-taking, or through mapping and sketching ideas, each student will reflect through discussion with classmates during each phase of the activity. The "main event" for reflection will be when they orally share their chosen Top Take Away with the class.

CONNECTIONSTO LEARNING STANDARDS & CURRICULUM

Engaging visual literacy skills is an important element of gathering evidence to provide context to history and social studies curriculum. In this activity, 10th grade world history students who are studying Post World War I World History will use their visual literacy skills to explore one work of art from from Germany during the time period spanning the inter-war period from 1918-1939, and will determine the central idea of that work of art based on their observation of details in the work and their prior knowledge of society Post World War I.

 When students come to this lesson, they will have explored the way in which the effect of WWI on the rise of totalitarian leaders in the Soviet Union, Germany, and Italy, and investigated the social, political, and economic impact of those ideologies in a global context. Focusing on works of art produced in one country (Germany) during this time period will provide students with a focused and nuanced comparative discussion.

This lesson was inspired by the Spring Semester curriculum map from the SAUSD Common Core Aligned Curriculum Map for Social Studies World History Grade 10, which can be found at the following address: http://www.sausd.us/cms/lib5/CA01000471/Centricity/Domain/5397/2013-2014%20Curriculum%20Map%20Grade%2010%20World%20History.pdf

CC9-10.RH/SS.2GRADES 9-10, READING, HISTORY, SOCIAL STUDIES

DETERMINE THE CENTRAL IDEAS OR INFORMATION OF A PRIMARY OR SECONDARY SOURCE; PROVIDE AN ACCURATE SUMMARY OF HOW KEY EVENTS OR IDEAS DEVELOP OVER THE COURSE OF THE TEXT.

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

This lesson will focus on visual literacy, rather than written text.

1.1.7MAKE SENSE OF INFORMATION GATHERED FROM DIVERSE SOURCES BY IDENTIFYING MISCONCEPTIONS, MAIN AND SUPPORTING IDEAS, CONFLICTING INFORMATION, AND POINT OF VIEW BIAS.

2.1.3USE STRATEGIES TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS FROM INFORMATION AND APPLY KNOWLEDGE TO CURRICULAR AREAS, REAL WORLD SITUATIONS, AND FURTHER INVESTIGATION.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS STANDARDS

Students will make sense of information individually and in small groups, then will compare potentially conflicting information in a larger group to explore point of view.

Students will draw conclusions and reflect after individual investigation, small group exploration, and large group discussion.

ACTIVITY GOAL 1

Determine a central idea using close looking and prior knowledge. 

Students will be randomly divided into three groups for Part I of this activity. Each group of students will gather information through close looking at a work from Post World War I Germany to determine the central idea of the artwork, considering the context of what they have learned in general about society during the industrial revolution.

ACTIVITY GOAL 2

Draw conclusions from visual information.

 

Students will draw conclusions, individually and in large groups, from visual information. They will then apply that knowledge to discuss, compare, and contrast their observations and conclusions with a small group composed of one person from each of the three initial groups.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONSINTRODUCE & ENGAGETo begin the lesson:

 

Ask students to divide into three groups or have students count off "one, two three" and have all "ones" go to station one, etc..

 

Explain to students that you are going to engage your visual literacy skills to closely look at three paintings from a period about which they have been studying in their world history class. Tell them you are interested in learning whether they think that the artwork created in Germany during the time they are studying reflects what they have learned about the period or whether they think it does not.

Reassure students that there is no "right" answer, but that you are looking for their opinion and their unique observations that support their opinion.

 

Tell students you will have them work in their large group and that each group will discuss and share ideas about one work of art, then they will divide into small groups where each member will have investigated a different artwork. In their large group, they will focus on finding a central idea, and it is ok to disagree on what the central idea is. In their smaller groups, they will compare and contrast their findings from large group discussion. 

Inform students that during the reflection session, the class will come together as a large group and each student will be asked to share one Top Take Away from their investigation. This Top Take Away can be an observation, reflection, or revelation about the central idea, artwork, subject, or the process of discussion.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONSINVESTIGATE AND RECORD

Ask students to study the artwork together, discuss their ideas and observations about the work and its central idea, and to record notes in whatever way they prefer. Remind the students they may use any materials in the library to look up further information about the artist and the time period.

Let students know they have about twenty minutes, and that you will circulate to ask and answer questions about the process.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONSREPORT, INVESTIGATE, & ANALYZEAfter giving students a five-minute "wrap this phase up" warning and corresponding time to wrap up their discussions, ask (or assign) students to team up in groups of three--one student from each large discussion group.

 

Ask students to share the artwork they studied (either via handout or on their iPad), and to report the central theme of that work based on their large group discussion and personal observations. Let students know they are free to search and investigate, compare and contrast, share and reflect for the next thirty minutes with their team of three. Remind them to take notes so that at the end of the discussion they can identify their Top Take Away to share with the class later.

 

Circulate to spur discussion with open-ended questions that encourage students to investigate the artist or artwork further.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONSREFLECTION & SHARINGAfter giving students a verbal cue that they should wrap up their discussion, walk around the room to see if there are any concerns or questions that should be addressed before large group reflection. Ask students to come back to the large group and to take a few moments to reflect and record their Top Take Away from the activity. You can offer students the opportunity to read their Top Take Away or to have you read them anonymously, in which case you will want to collect any anonymous observations now.

 

Have each student share a Top Take Away (or you share the anonymous ones), and encourage students to investigate their Top Take Away further--as well as to continue the discussion later about all of the other interesting Top Take Aways.

INVESTIGATE & RECORDTHE NEXT SLIDES FEATURE THE ARTWORK THIS LESSON EMPLOYS TO ENGAGE STUDENTS. PLEASE TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO INVESTIGATE THE NEXT SLIDES.

THINK ABOUT

WHAT YOU SEE.

HOW YOU FEEL.

WHAT YOU NOTICE.

George Grosz

(American, born Germany. 1893-1959)

Republican Automatons (Republikanische Automaten)

Watercolor and pencil on paper

Print, from MoMA’s Prints and Illustrated Books Dehttp://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=34169partment

MoMA Number: 120.1946

Date: 1920

REPUBLICAN AUTOMATONS

Otto Dix

(German, 1891-1969)

Shock Troops Advance under Gas (strumtruppe geht unter Gas vor) from The War (Der Krieg)

Etching, aquatint, and drypoint from a portfolio of fifty etching, aquatint and drypoints

http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=63260

MoMA Number: 159.1934.12

Date: 1924

SHOCK TROOPS ADVANCE UNDER GAS

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

(German, 1880-1938)

Winter Moonlit Night (Wintermondnacht)

Woodcut

http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=70114

MoMA Number: 495.1949

Date: 1919

WINTER MOONLIT NIGHT

REPORT,INVESTIGATE, & ANALYZECONTINUE TO ASK OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS AND GIVE STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVESTIGATE THEIR OWN QUESTIONS IN RELATION TO THE WORK AND TO WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNED ABOUT POST WWI GERMAN SOCIETY.

ASK STUDENTS TO THINK ABOUT

WHAT THEY SEE.

HOW THEY FEEL.

WHAT THEY NOTICE.

A FEW SUGGESTEDOPEN ENDED QUESTIONSPreparing at least three open ended questions to ask your students will help you guide inquiry toward your learning goals, and will provide students the opportunity to express their different observations and opinions.

Three open ended questions for this lesson are:

1. What do you notice about this work that leads you to identify your central idea?

2. Do you find that this piece reflects what you have learned about life and society in Post World War I Germany?

3. Please tell me about whether you think the artist was conveying a message with this work.

REFLECTION &SHARING

SHARING WORK AND REFLECTING ON THE ACHIEVEMENT OF A LESSON’S GOALS IS

INCREDIBLY MOTIVATING FOR STUDENTS

A WONDERFUL WAY TO REINFORCE LESSON CONCEPTS

AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN ENCOURAGING FURTHER INQUIRY

DIRECTIONSFOR REFLECTION

While students will not share a physical product with the class for this activity, there are multiple opportunities for reflection within the activity itself.

Whether students choose to express themselves primarily orally, through extensive note-taking, or through mapping and sketching ideas, each student will reflect through discussion with classmates during each phase of the activity.

The "main event" for reflection will be when they verbally share their chosen Top Take Away with the class.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

PROVIDE

CLEAR DIRECTIONS

CONTEXT

ENCOURAGEMENT

OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPRESSION

PROVIDECLEAR DIRECTIONS

Provide an overview of the lesson prior to starting, and

clearly feature the BIG QUESTION on which you are asking students to focus.

PROVIDECONTEXT

In this lesson, students will use the resources available in the library and on their iPads to:

view and closely explore the work of art

investigate the artists and artwork further using the MoMA website and library encyclopedia and databases

PROVIDEENCOURAGEMENT

Throughout this activity, students are encouraged to share their:

observations

connections

questions

PROVIDEOPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPRESSION

In this activity, students will engage in a variety of discussions with different sized groups of classmates to:

share their observations

determine central ideas

gain new understanding

incorporate prior knowledge

reflect on what they have learned

This lesson could be further enriched by presenting students with art and culture beyond the visual artwork represented here. For example, having students listen to a variety of music from this period, and then engaging in similar discussion to that presented here would be an engaging activity.

Another idea for extending this lesson is to encourage students to place themselves “in the shoes of” an average citizen or particular person of historical significance of this era and having them create a work of art that represents their feelings, concerns, or lifestyle.

ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS

ADDITIONAL RESOURCESGEORGE GROSZ:

MOMA | THE COLLECTION: GEORGE GROSZHTTP://WWW.MOMA.ORG/COLLECTION/ARTIST.PHP?ARTIST_ID=2374

OTTO DIX:

THE GUARDIAN | THE FIRST WORLD WAR IN GERMAN ARTHTTP://WWW.THEGUARDIAN.COM/ARTANDDESIGN/2014/MAY/14/FIRST-WORLD-WAR-GERMAN-ART-OTTO-DIX

ERNST LUDWIG KIRCHNER:

THE ART STORY | YOUR GUIDE TO MODERN ART: ERNST LUDWIG KIRCHNERHTTP://WWW.THEARTSTORY.ORG/ARTIST-KIRCHNER-ERNST-LUDWIG.HTM

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

DIGGING DEEPER INTO THE CONTENT AREA

NEWS WEEKLY | WEIMAR GERMANY: WHY ART FLOURISHED AND DEMOCRACY PERISHEDHTTP://NEWSWEEKLY.COM.AU/ARTICLE.PHP?ID=5130

WEIMAR STUDIES NETWORK | RESEARCH ON THE HISTORY, CULTURE AND SOCIETY OF THE WEIMAR REPUBLICHTTP://WEIMARSTUDIES.WORDPRESS.COM

MOMA | GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM : WORKS FROM THE COLLECTIONHTTP://WWW.MOMA.ORG/EXPLORE/COLLECTION/GE/