Embedded Files
The Arts & Religion Unit
The Arts & Religion Unit
Lesson title: introduction to Activism & protest art
Lesson title: introduction to Activism & protest art
Summary & Background Information:
Summary & Background Information:
This unit focuses on art as activism. Students will be introduced to the topic by learning that activism is much more than what is often thought of as protests and campaigns. This lesson will give students a brief overview of the history of protest art and the forms it can take. Students will be introduced to the terms "activist" and "activism" and asked to think how activists demonstrate traits of effective community leaders. Students will be urged to think about how works of art can show support for a local issue. Finally, students will be asked to compose a piece of artwork that illustrates an individual in their life demonstrating an effective leadership trait.
Curriculum Links:
Curriculum Links:
Visual Art:
D1.1 Create art works, using a variety of traditional forms and current media technologies, that express feelings, ideas, and issues.
D3.2 Identify and analyse some of the social, political, and economic factors that affect the creation of visual and media arts and the visual and media arts community.
Religious Education:
Grade 6:
LS1.3 Identify the areas of “personal responsibility” that students assume in their lives and connect this to the vocation to participate in family, school and parish.
LS2.3 Identify situations of injustice in society, our country and the world which oppose the virtue of human dignity and fundamental human rights.
Grade 7:
LS2.2 Describe the forms of solidarity which can effectively address socio-economic problems and explain through example how these forms of solidarity can promote social change and respect for the common good.
LS2.3 Describe the ways that the “principle of solidarity” is manifested by the distribution of goods and the remuneration for work in the local and global communities.
Grade 8:
LS1.3 Recognize signs of the growing human interdependence of the global community and identify ways it is challenging Catholic organizations and individuals in their mission of promoting social justice principles.
LS1.4 Articulate the three essential elements of the Common Good and link them to ecological justice and the universal common good of protecting the earth’s resources for future generations.
Guiding Questions:
Guiding Questions:
How can we alleviate injustice in the local and global community? - What is our personal responsibility?
What is an activist?
What do activists do?
What is protest art and how can it be used to make a difference?
What makes an effective community leader?
Learning Goals:
Learning Goals:
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
understand what an activist is and what they do.
understand the purpose of protest art.
identify traits of an effective community leader.
begin to see the connection between our behaviour and our responsibility as Catholics.
Success Criteria:
Success Criteria:
I can…
explain what activism and activists do.
name some local activists.
explain what protest art is.
identify examples of protest art.
Activities
Activities
Part A: Minds On - What is Activism? (Approx. 20min)
Part A: Minds On - What is Activism? (Approx. 20min)
Vocabulary:
Vocabulary:
Activism is the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change.
Activist is a person who campaigns to bring about political or social change.
Protest art is the creative works produced by activists and social movements.
Discussion
Discussion
Ask students: What do you believe are issues facing your community? Record student answers on a blackboard, chart paper or in online platform.
Have students look at the "Images of Activism" slide deck.
With an elbow partner have students answer the questions below and then have them share their responses with the class.
What is an activist?
Who are activists?
What are the people in the images fighting for?
Ask students: What are ways people can have their voices heard about issues in their community? Record student answers on a blackboard, chart paper or in online platform. (Examples may include protests, radio, editorials, town hall, etc.)
Part B: Action - Protest Art (Approx. 20min)
Part B: Action - Protest Art (Approx. 20min)
Ask students to silently ponder the question: How might people use art to help solve problems, show support, or address an important issue in their community? (You will return to this question later in the lesson.)
Explain to students that when we think of activism we often think of the images we looked at in our Minds On activity, but that art itself can be a form of activism.
Tell students over the course of the next series of lessons they will be learning about protest art and why people create it.
1. Slide Deck: Introduction to Protest Art
1. Slide Deck: Introduction to Protest Art
Share with students the "Introduction to Protest Art" slide deck depicting various forms of protest art including murals, portraits and self-portraits, music, symbols and spoken word.
Pause where necessary to clarify points of confusion, answer questions, and illicit conversation.
Explain to students that these works of art were all created to raise awareness.
Have students complete the See, Think, Wonder graphic organizer as they progress through the slide deck.
After the slide deck ask students to share their thoughts and wonderings.
Revisit the question: “How might people use art to help solve problems, show support, or address an important issue in their community?”
At the end of the lesson have students submit their graphic organizer.
2. Catholic Connection
2. Catholic Connection
Ask students:
What makes an effective community leader? (change maker, good listener, responsive to needs of people, stands up for important issues, wants to help community, etc.)
Do you believe activist artists embody many of these characteristics? How so?
Do you think activist artists can be effective community leaders?
Show students the "Five Takeaways from Pope Francis' Fratelli Tutti" video.
Explore the questions below by having the students independently answer the questions, then discuss their responses in pairs and lastly share their ideas with the class (i.e.Think-Pair-Share).
How is it our responsibility as Catholics to connect how we live our lives to how the voiceless are treated?
Why are we doing God’s work when we speak out against injustices?
Pope Francis reminds us in Fratelli Tutti we need politics rooted in compassion and charity that seeks the common good, places human dignity at the center, unites us and builds community, and demonstrates a preferential love for those in greatest need. How can the leadership of activist artists help do this?
Teacher Notes on Fratelli Tutti
Fratelli Tutti is an encyclical (a letter from the Pope to all Catholics)
Papal encyclicals like this one provide analysis, in the light of the Gospel and of the Tradition of the Church, on relevant issues for the faithful.
Many encyclicals are a response to issues raised by social movements and calls for societal change.
"Fratelli Tutti" literally means "all brothers and sisters."
Pope Francis published "Fratelli Tutti" after seeing how the COVID 19 pandemic was highlighting the inequalities and unfair treatment of many people around the world.
The Gospel story at the heart of Fratelli Tutti is the parable of the Good Samaritan: Pope Francis calls on us all to see how interconnected we all are and to respond to our sister or brother in need, whoever they are, wherever they may come from.
Fratelli Tutti also calls upon governments and corporations to act justly and care for others when making financial, social and political decisions--everyone must be treated with respect and dignity.
Part C: Consolidation (Approx. 20min)
Part C: Consolidation (Approx. 20min)
Illustration
Illustration
Tell students that Pope Franics says in Fratelli Tutti ‘"God has created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity, and has called them to live together as brothers and sisters."
Helping means rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty because it is the surest way to find Jesus.
Have students sketch themselves doing something to help out in their community (ask students to reflect on the traits the class identified as being important to being an effective community leader to help).
Underneath the sketch students are to identify how this sketch demonstrates God's work being done.
Part D: Extension
Part D: Extension
Have students find examples of protest art in their neighbourhood and share pictures with the class. As an alternative, students can find examples of protest art online.
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