American Identity
Jennifer HankesDaniel Webster Elementary8th GradeLanguage and Visual Arts and Social Science
Archibald J. Motley, Jr. (1891-1981)Self-Portrait, 1920Oil on canvas; 30 1/8 X 22 1/8 in.The Art Institute of Chicago
Archibald J. Motley, Jr. Nightlife, 1943Oil on canvas; 36 x 47 3/4 in.The Art Institute of Chicago
Key information & ideas about the artworks that informed the lesson:
Self-Portrait--wanted to show he was an artist and a gentleman
Painted during the Great Migration and the Harlem Renaissance
Negative stereotypes and few opportunities existed for African Americans in art during this time
Goals for Lesson--what I wanted students to learn:
Artists tell stories through the images in their work
Stereotypes influence how we see others and ourselves
What does it mean to be an American?
One can express his/her identity through texts and illustrations
A few major learning activities:
Close Read: Formal analysis of Self-Portrait
Research the artwork, artist, and time period
Compare and contrast two different paintings (Self-Portrait and Nightlife)
Compose a narrative to accompany Nightlife
Create a self-portrait
Short Story to accompany to the painting Nightlife
Poem written to accompany the painting Nightlife
Self Portrait
Self-Portrait
What my students learned:
• “Paintings tell a story.” –Andrenetta
• “Painting yourself is hard to do.” – Ronald
• “I learned that paintings can be based on true events.” –Renita
• “His painting [Archibald Motley’s Self-Portrait] tells a lesson about not to judge others by how they look.” –Tachetti
What I learned:
Lack of art experience and exposure in elementary education. Visual arts are easily integrated into language arts.
American art is a great tool to grab students’ interest into a historical time period.