Murals and Muralists: What's the message?

Unit:

Murals and Mural Making

Textbook references:

Learning objectives:

-To introduce students to the work of a famous muralist. To begin to draw meaning from content of the murals.

- For students to critically discuss contexualizing murals within theme and place.

-For students to consider the context of a mural and the collaborative planning, work and resources required

Key Questions, Concepts, or Themes:

How much can we learn from looking at murals (e.g. how much history can we learn from a mural vs. how much do we already need to know before fully understanding the artist's story)? Does place matter (neighborhood, city, country) where the murals are located? How can we dig deeper to create and understand images in murals?

Stage 1:

10-minute Activity: Mural Puzzle (by Meredith Hill)
In groups of three, students receive a picture of a Diego Rivera mural that has been cut in small squares. Without speaking or making sounds, students must together fit the pieces where they belong and tape/glue pieces to another sheet of paper. Each group has the same mural puzzle to put together. Groups can compete to see which group collaborates with most efficiency.

Materials: Envelope with mural pieces, paper, glue stick/tape

Stage 2:

Activty 2: Finish Theme Team Activity: When the murals are completed, each group takes a turn while the rest of the class guesses what theme the mural signifies.

Discussion questions: What is difficult about finding the theme? What's easy? How can we dig deeper with our images? For each team ask these questions of the students. Where would we hang this mural? Why (challenge the students assumptions about place). How could we make this into a "CSS mural" (i.e. CSS and environment, CSS and Arts/Culture)

Materials: Finished team murals.

Purpose: For students to critically discuss contexualizing murals within theme and place.

Stage 3:

Great Wall guessing game/pop quiz - Ask the students to answer these questions for a quick guessing game quiz. How long do you think the mural is (2754 ft, apprx 1/2 mile)? Where do you think it is located (Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley)? The mural is called the History of California - what kinds of themes do you think are on the mural? What do you think the timeframe of the mural is (e.g. the history of California is from when to when (pre-historic to 1950's, decades are being added up to the present)? Given the name, what types of stories do you think are told (history of the ethnic peoples of california)? How long do you think it took to make the mural (10 years, 5 summers painting) When do you think it was made (1978-1983)? Who do you think made it (artists, oral historians, ethnologists, scholars, youth and adults)? How many people do you think worked on it over the years (700+) How do you think the drawings are transferred from blueprints to the wall (grids, math)? For what reasons would the mural need to be restored? (pollution, sunlight, fertilizer)

Materials: Pencil, paper

Purpose: For students to consider the context of a mural and the collaborative planning, work and resources required

Video clips: http://www.sparcmurals.org/sparcone/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27&Itemid=59

1. Play great wall testimonial. It is a testimonial from a woman who as a teenager worked on the Great Wall. She discusses bringing people from different races and cultures together. Ask students for their reactions.

2. Play PBS Clip. It answers some questions asked in the pop quiz about the Great Wall.

3. Great wall 3D streaming video.

http://www.sparcmurals.org/sparcone/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=60

4. Show el Puente murals in Williamsburg. Discuss with students content and composition.

Homework: Respond to this question: Think about the different places and locations that we find murals. Think broadly about the different neighborhoods, cities, and countries murals are located. How much does place matter? (For instance, could our CSS mural be placed on a garden wall in Paris and have the same effect? At a hospital in Chicago) Why does place matter for murals?

Assessments: (attach/link copies)

__ Group assessment

__X Observation of process/student work

__ Self-assessment by student

__X Teacher generated assignment

__X Written project

__X Test/Quiz

__ Other: ____________________________________