Art
Today we'll whirlwind our way through some important art in the 1950s - abstract expressionism and color field are the terms the academy uses. I've linked each artist to a website* with his/her works and for most, some explanation about their lives, the art, etc. I'd like for you to work in groups, so you can get a wider sense of the art. To start, each person choose three artists you're interested in and click on the link. You can read the background if you want; my preference is that you spend some time looking at the art. In your journals, write down title and artist and what you see (these are notes for you, so you can do this any way that suits you). Look through a few pieces and try to find similarities between them. Try to understand the form/technique by looking at the way the artists use elements and principles of art (that might mean going back to read some of the explanations). Don;t reject out of hand ("my brother could do this") - instead try to understand. When you are done, talk together and show each other the art you thought was particularly interesting.
* I could not find a website for Yeffe Kimball. My guess is that this is due in part to the fact that most of her work is housed in the Department of the Interior, rather than to a museum. It may also be in part because she was a Native American woman artist. Her ink goes to a google image search of her work - you'll need to click on images that interest you for more information.