Arts & Religion Overview

The Arts & Religion Unit

Unit Title: Art to raise awareness

Summary & Background Information:

This unit focuses on art to raise awareness. Students will be introduced to the topic through a series of lessons that explore protest art--both its form and function. Lessons will provide a condensed introduction to portraiture, music, spoken word, graffiti and murals as a way to raise awareness of social and political injustices. Students will be asked to think about their experiences with these art forms, then asked to ponder creating their own.

At the end of the unit students will demonstrate their understanding of the purpose and function of protest art, by creating their own piece individually or as part of a larger class-selected project aimed at raising awareness about a social or civic issue and a call to action.

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.

D2.2 Analyse ways in which elements and principles of design are used in a variety of art works to communicate a theme or message, and evaluate the effectiveness of their use on the basis of criteria generated by the class.

D3.1 Identify and describe some of the ways in which visual art forms and styles reflect the beliefs and traditions of a variety of cultures and civilizations.

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.

Music:

C1.3 Create musical compositions in a variety of forms for specific purposes and audiences.

Drama:

B1.1 Engage actively in drama exploration and role play, with a focus on identifying and examining a range of issues, themes, and ideas.

Religious Education:

Grade 3:

LS2: Focus: Human dignity

Understand that God created all persons in his one image; equal in their human dignity yet

diverse in their being (i.e. male and female, weak and strong, diversity of race, colour,

creed, charisms, talents) and this equality and diversity is to be respected.

Grade 4:

LS2: Focus: the common good and stewardship of creation

Demonstrate an understanding of how the gifts received as human beings invite us to be

responsible stewards of creation (i.e. natural world created by God) and to bring about His

reign in the human community (i.e. common good of societies and nations of the earth).

Grade 5:

LS2: Focus: Fundamental love for the poor and vulnerable

Understand that human solidarity in our Christian living, understood as “friendship”, is

reflected in the example of Jesus who calls us to act justly by putting the needs of the poor

and vulnerable first.

Catholic Graduate Expectations:

3. REFLECTIVE, CREATIVE AND HOLISTIC THINKER who solves problems and makes responsible decisions with an informed moral conscience for the common good.

6. A CARING FAMILY MEMBER who attends to family, school, parish and the wider community.

7. A RESPONSIBLE CITIZEN who gives witness to Catholic social teaching by promoting peace, justice and the sacredness of human life.

Guiding Questions:

1. How can we use our God-given gifts and talents to make the world a better place?

2. How can we help to alleviate injustice in the local and global community? - What is our personal responsibility? What is an activist?

3. What do activists do?

4. What is protest art and how can it be used to make a difference?

5. What makes an effective community leader?

6. What should a portrait or self-portrait show about an individual or group of people?

7. What features can make a portrait or self-portrait into an activist statement?

8. How can music play a role in social and political activism?

9. What is protest music?

10. What songs inspire you to make a difference?

11. Has music ever changed your point of view? How?

12. How can Spoken Word poetry play a role in social and political activism?

13. How can poetry inspire you to make a difference?

14. Has poetry ever changed your point of view? How?

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.

• begin to understand the selections artists make when creating a composition that highlights certain traits of a subject.

• begin to understand techniques specific to portraiture that artists use to draw attention to certain features.

• begin to make connections between using artistic gifts and making change in the world.

• see how music can be a social and political commentary.

• understand how music and songwriting can move people to make change.

• begin identifying elements of musical composition for the purpose of raising awareness.

• see the power of Spoken Word poetry as a socio-political commentary.

• recognize certain graffiti and murals as means for artistic expression as social commentary.

• apply their knowledge of protest art to their own creations.

Success Criteria:

I can…

• explain what activism is and what activists do.

• name some local activists.

• explain what protest art is.

• identify some examples of protest art.

• understand that my behaviour in defending what is right is what God expects of me.

• begin to identify choices artists make when trying to create a portrait that highlights certain traits of the subject that they want the audience to see.

• begin to identify techniques used in photography and painting that draw attention to certain features of a subject.

• identify musical compositions created for the purpose of raising awareness.

• understand the connection between using my God-given gifts and talents and making a contribution to the world.

• understand how music can be a social and political commentary to create critical messages, inspire action, and achieve lasting change.

• understand how Spoken Word poetry can be a social and political commentary to create critical messages, inspire action, and achieve lasting change.

• describe how murals and graffiti can be accessible and respected forms of protest art.