An Arts Integrated Unit about the Japanese American Relocation Camps featuring visual art, poetry, and music by Jeff Fessler February 2012
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
An
Arts
Integrated
Unit
about
the
Japanese
American
Relocation
Camps
featuring
visual
art,
poetry,
and
music
by
Jeff
Fessler
February
2012
Title: Grade 5–Human Rights & Wrongs: An arts integrated unit combining language arts and visual arts – Part 1 of 6 Student Target Timeline: Six 90-minute lessons Reading: Essential Idea: Classroom Procedures and Thoughtful Reading Strand: Reading Process Standard: Reading Comprehension Benchmarks: LA.5.1.7.7 The student will compare and contrast elements in multiple texts. Student Target: I can compare and contrast characters and settings. Background Information: When readers compare and contrast they are able to analyze the material to determine patterns (Allen, 2004) and gain a deeper understanding of the text. This makes the information memorable and leads students to successful learning across the curriculum. Good readers who compare and contrast gain stronger observation and thinking skills, allowing them to focus on both main ideas and details. Visual Art: Big Idea: Historical and Global Connections Enduring Understanding: Through study in the arts, we learn about and honor others and the worlds in which they live(d). Benchmark: VA.5.H.1.1: The student will examine historical and cultural influences that inspire artists and their work. Theatre Student Target: I can examine the historical and cultural influences that inspired artists and their work. Background Information: Every work of art tells a story, literally or symbolically. The arts are a springboard for an interdisciplinary approach to examining history and culture. They provide a concrete connection for students, offering an engaging way to explain the unexplainable, analyze and celebrate our past, and promote active student inquiry. Materials& Preparation Before the lesson, divide the class into cooperative learning teams of four to five students each, grouped heterogeneously with regard to gender and
proficiency levels. Within each team assign partners (teams of five will have
partnerships of two and of three students).
Review the Lesson-Plan-at-a-Glance to see a summary of Lessons 1 – 6,
as well as all of the benchmarks addressed in each lesson (only one
primary benchmark per subject area is shown in each lesson plan but all
benchmarks are shown on the Lesson Plan-at-a-Glance).
Teachers:
• Link 1: Lesson-Plan-at-a-Glance
• the book Baseball Saved Us, by Ken Mochizuki
• Link 2: Human Rights & Wrongs PowerPoint
• Link 3: Painting with Words answer page
• write on the board: hyperbole, onomatopoeia
Students:
• Assigned turn and talk partners within cooperative learning teams of
4 to 5 students
• Link 4 – Painting with Words student page (double-sided copy, 1 per
student)
• Link 5 - Image Web: Rotting on the Shore (1 per student)
Warm-Up
Distribute Painting with Words and Image Web student pages, but
place in a stack at each team until students need these.
Show PowerPoint slide #2, the painting Rotting on the Shore. Take a
look at this painting. This will give you a hint about the topic of our next few
lessons. Tell your partner what you think our topic might be. After a few
moments, ask a few volunteers to share their predictions.
I’m not going to tell you the topic yet, but I will tell you that we are going to
practice a couple of skills. The first is a reading skill: comparing and
contrasting. Tell a partner how comparing and contrasting can help
readers. After a moment ask several students to share.
We are also going to practice a skill from art: Figure out how something
that happens in history can affect an artist’s work. You’re going to see how
a piece of art can teach us about history as much as a history book!Imagine you are here in class when suddenly your family shows up and takes you out of school. They tell you that the government is requiring all people with your cultural background to immediately report to a special camp. You and your family only have a few minutes to go home and pack one suitcase each. You don’t know how long you and your family will be gone or even where you are going. Tell your partner how you would feel. After a moment, ask one or two students to share aloud. Do you think something like this has ever happened in the United States? It actually has. In 1942 the United States was at war with Japan. There were many people of Japanese descent living in the United States at the time. They had moved from Japan to the United States years ago, had families, opened businesses, and became part of American communities. But President Franklin Roosevelt worried that they would somehow help Japan. So he ordered more than 100,000 of them to report to internment camps, especially those living on the west coast of the United States. Most of these people were American citizens, and none had broken any laws. They had a short time to pack a suitcase before they were sent by bus to internment camps in the desert or other remote areas, leaving their homes and businesses behind. These camps continued for three years, until 1945. Lesson/Activity Language Art Connections Hold up the book “Baseball Saved Us.”I’m going to read a short story about a boy and his family who are in one of the internment camps. It is called Baseball Saved Us, written by Ken Mochizuki and illustrated by Dom Lee. This story takes place in 1942. As we read this story and other selections in the coming lessons, you will learn some helpful tips about the interesting ways authors use words. Tell students to take a copy of the Painting with Words student page. Just like an artist uses a brush and paint to express feelings, an author paints with words. You are going to discover some of the ways authors express themselves by painting with words. This chart will help you keep track of those ways. I’ll let you know when it’s time to add to this chart. Read the story, asking questions such as the ones below:
1st page of text (Dad and son staring at desert) Before I read, look at this illustration. What does the illustrator tell us through his art about this camp? (e.g. isolated location, dreary, bleak, like a prison, hot, dusty) Compare how Dad and son are reacting to being in this camp. (e.g. Dad is angry, and the son is confused as to why they are even there.) In the first sentence the author talks about the “endless” desert. What does “endless” mean? Help students use the suffix “less” to define this word: less=without; without end. Is the desert actually endless? (no) Then why did he use this word? (e.g. standing in the desert, you can’t see the end; the desert seems like it never ends, especially when one is imprisoned in a camp, etc.).Write the word “hyperbole” on the board. Explain that “endless” is an example of a hyperbole, which is an exaggeration an author uses to emphasize something. In this case, he wanted us to understand the remote location of the camp. Have students add this information to their Painting with Words student page. 2nd page of text (boys standing in line) Make sure students understand that this is a flashback to life before the camp. Look closely at this illustration of the boys in line. Besides being small, why does our main character get picked on? (e.g. he is the only Japanese American). Why did the author flash back to life before the camp? (e.g. it allows us to compare and contrast his current life and his previous life, etc.) Compare and contrast the son’s life in the camp and his life back home? (e.g. compare: he is mistreated in both places; contrast: he is a prisoner in the camp but not at home, etc.) 4th page of text (Dad pointing finger at Teddy) Why is Teddy acting so differently from when he lived at home? (e.g. he is influenced by the friends he hangs around with; the terrible conditions are affecting his behavior; he doesn’t spend time with his family anymore, etc.) 5th page of text (three illustrations of preparations for baseball)
Why does Dad think they need baseball? (e.g. he feels it could make people feel better, it could relieve some of the tension, etc.) 6th page of text (baseball game) How does the man in the tower affect the son? (e.g. The man motivates him to be better at baseball.) Why is the son so affected by this man in the tower? (e.g. The man represents the people responsible for putting the Japanese- Americans in this camp; he is the “bad guy,” etc.) 8th page of text (guard) Before reading this page, ask students if they know the definition of “glinting.”If not, ask them to look for clues as you read about the guard “leaning on the rail with the blinding sun glinting off his sunglasses.” Now can you tell what “glinting” means? (e.g. shining or flashing). How were you able to determine the definition? (using the clues in the sentence; it had something to do with the sun shining on his sunglasses).Why did the author use “glinting” instead of a word we might be more familiar with, like shining? (“glinting” is more interesting and helps us make a better picture in our head of what’s happening). Have students record this information on their Painting with Words student page. 10th page of text (van being packed; son eating alone) Compare and contrast life for the son now with his life in the camp. (e.g. compare: people treat him poorly because of his race; contrast: he is not a prisoner, etc.) Why are the son and his family still treated poorly even after they are home? (e.g. people were still prejudiced against Japanese Americans, etc.) 14th page of text (swinging the bat) How was the son finally able to get a hit? (e.g. The pitcher reminded him of the man in the guard tower, and that motivated him.) Reread the sentence: I swung and felt that solid whack again. What does “whack” mean? (a sharp blow that makes a loud noise) Why is this a good word for the author to use? (e.g. it helps us make a picture in our
mind of the action, makes the story more exciting, etc.) Write the word “onomatopoeia” on the board. Explain that “whack” is an example of onomatopoeia, or using a word that imitates the actual sound made by an object (like “boom” or “pop”). Have students record this information on their Painting with Words student page. Do you think all people will treat him fairly now? (e.g. probably not all people, but his friends will, etc.) Why did the author title this book “Baseball Saved Us?” (e.g. playing baseball helped the Japanese Americans feel more normal while they were in the camps, it helped that make it through these very challenging times, etc.) Why do you think Ken Mochizuki wrote this book? (e.g. to help us know about an important event in history, etc.) Explain that Ken Mochizuki’s parents were sent to an internment camp during World War II. Now that you know this, could there be other reasons he wrote this book? (e.g. to honor his parents, to keep their history alive so we can all learn from it, etc.) Providing Background Show PowerPoint slides 3 – 13 to provide additional background information on the internment camps, asking questions and providing clarification such as: Slide 3 The triangles represent the location of the Japanese American internment camps. Slide 4 “Jap” is considered an offensive term. Why did the newspapers use this term in their headline? (e.g. They were prejudiced against Japanese Americans since the government decided they were potential “enemies,” etc.) Slide 5 This is a billboard that a group of American workers put up at the edge of a neighborhood where many Japanese Americans lived in San Francisco, California. Why would they do this? (e.g. They were prejudiced against Japanese Americans since the government decided they were potential “enemies,” etc.)
Slide 6 Why would a Japanese American grocer put up this sign? (e.g. After the U.S. government declared that Japanese Americans could be a threat to our country, he was trying to say that he was loyal to the U.S., etc.) Slide 7 How do you think Japanese Americans felt when they first read these signs that were posted all over town? Slide 8 Why do you think the photographer, Dorthea Lange, decided to take this photograph? (e.g. to show the harsh conditions at the camps, etc.) Slide 9 Hold up the illustration from Baseball Saved Us that is next to the sixth page of text (showing a baseball game in progress). Why are the illustration and photograph so similar? (e.g. the illustrator probably used the photograph as the inspiration for his illustration, he wanted to be historically accurate, etc.) Slide 10 What are these people thinking as they board this bus to the camp? Compare and contrast the thoughts and feelings of the adults and children. Slide 11 Why did the government locate these camps in such remote places? (e.g. since they felt the Japanese Americans could be dangerous, they wanted them far away from cities, etc.) Slide 12 How did this family try to make their barracks feel like home? Compare and contrast life in the barracks with how their life at home probably was. Visual Art Connection Not all Japanese Americans were sent to internment camps. Yasuo Kuniyoshi (pronounced YA-sue-oh koo-nee-OH-she) was a famous Japanese American artist and photographer who lived in New York City. Show PowerPoint slide #14 of Kuniyoshi. He had been living in the
United States for 35 years, since he was a boy. But when the U.S. declared war on Japan, he had to give up his camera and was locked in his studio without access to his bank account. He had committed no crimes. The only way he could express his feelings about what was happening to Japanese Americans was through his painting. Tell your partner what kind of paintings you imagine Kuniyoshi creating. Show PowerPoint slide #15, Rotting on the Shore by Yasuo Kuniyoshi. Explain that this was a painting Kuniyoshi created while he was confined to his studio, expressing his feelings about what was happening to Japanese Americans in the United States in 1942. Point out the title. Did any of you correctly predict the topic of the lesson? Did any of you think this was the type of painting Kuniyoshi created? Talk with your partner about what you see in this painting. After speaking with your partner, use your Image Web student page to list six elements in this painting that you feel are important to what Kuniyoshi was expressing. The web includes six boxes where you can record each element, along with a brief description of each. An “element” is an object, a color, the way the painting is arranged, shapes, textures, lines, etc. So for example, in Box 1 you might write “tree branch: dead, light brown, some branches cut off, standing up.” Allow about 10-15 minutes for students to complete this activity. Ask several students to share what they recorded, and especially how they chose which elements were important. Wrap-Up Explain to your partner some ways the author used words in interesting ways. After a moment, ask a few students to share (e.g. by using hyperbole like “endless desert,” or onomatopoeia like “whack.”) Explain to your partner how we figured out the definition of “glinting.” After a moment, ask a few students to share (by reading the whole sentence where the word appears and looking for clues) Tell your partner if you think you could express your feelings through a painting. After a moment ask a few students to share. What other ways do you think these Japanese Americans expressed their feelings? Daily Assessment
Review Painting with Words and Image Web student pages, and monitor student discussions for comprehension of concepts.
student page, p. 1
Painting with Words
Complete
the
chart
below
as
you
learn
about
the
ways
authors
use
words
in
interesting
ways.
word
or
phrase
where
it
was
found
tips
&
explanations
student page, p. 2
Painting with Words
Complete
the
chart
below
as
you
learn
about
the
ways
authors
use
words
in
interesting
ways.
word
or
phrase
where
it
was
found
tips
&
explanations
teacher page, p. 1
Painting with Words (Answer Sheet)
Complete
the
chart
below
as
you
learn
about
the
ways
authors
use
words
in
interesting
ways.
word
or
phrase
where
it
was
found
tips
&
explanations
-suffix helps us define the word
Baseball Saved (less=without; without end)
endless Us, by Ken -this is a hyperbole, an exaggeration
Mochizuki used to emphasize something
-to define a word, look at the whole
Baseball Saved sentence
glinting Us, by Ken -“glinting” is a more descriptive word
Mochizuki than shining; it helps us make a
picture in our mind
-this is an onomatopoeia, a word that
Baseball Saved imitates the sound something makes
whack Us, by Ken -it helps us make a picture in our
Mochizuki mind
apple blossoms -this is a metaphor, using a thing to
waving free/ Manzanar by represent something else
prisoners in Tom Russell -the prisoners dream of being free,
Manzanar and the apple blossoms waving in the
wind is what they envision
basis, faces, Remembering -rhyme
places, traces, Manzanar by -the rhymes give attention to the
cases, races, Margie Yasuko important words in the poem
erases, erases Motowaki Wong -the rhyming sound in each word is a
“hiss” and almost unpleasant
-endless horizon -“endless” is hyperbole to emphasize
-crows flying free Poetry from the the horrible location of the camp
Internment by - crows flying free are metaphor of
Sojin Tokiji Takei prisoners in camp—which shows the
contrast
tomato seeds In Response to tomato seeds are a metaphor; they
Executive Order represent love, hope, friendship
9066 by Dwight
Okitateacher page, p. 2
Painting with Words (Answer Sheet)
Complete
the
chart
below
as
you
learn
about
the
ways
authors
use
words
in
interesting
ways.
word
or
phrase
where
it
was
found
tips
&
explanations
U.S. Internment -idiom (phrase that doesn’t have a
Camps a Sad literal meaning)
flew the coop Moment in -means to leave or get away
History” by -idioms help emphasize the point
Shelley Preston
-simile
like a gift box with The Bracelet -helps us feel the heartbreak she
no gift inside by Yoshiko feels about leaving her room and
Uchida house
It (the garden) -personification
looked the way The Bracelet -gives the garden human qualities so
Emi felt—lonely by Yoshiko we understand the difficulty the family
and abandoned. Uchida is experiencing as they leave their
home
-alliteration (repeating initial sound in
dark, dirty The Bracelet 2 or more neighboring words)
by Yoshiko -gives emphasis to what’s being
Uchida described; makes us realize the
horrible conditions
-personification
red and yellow The Bracelet -helps us picture the beauty of this
kites dancing in by Yoshiko memory
the wind Uchida
-rhyme
vain, pain, rain, Be Like the - the rhymes give attention to the
remain Cactus by Kimii important words in the poem
Nagata
-personification
be like the cactus Be Like the -helps us understand the great effort
Cactus by Kimii it takes them to get through this
Nagata terrible ordealstudent page
Image Web: Rotting on the Shore
painted
by
Yasuo
Kuniyoshi
Write
the
name
of
the
painting
and
the
artist
in
the
center
circle.
Next
identify
six
elements
in
the
painting
that
you
feel
may
be
important
(an
object,
a
color,
shapes,
textures,
lines,
the
arrangement
of
things,
etc.).
List
and
describe
each
element
separately
in
the
boxes
below.
1.
2.
6.
3.
Name
of
painting
&artist
name
5.
4.
How
did
you
choose
which
items
were
important?
_________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Title: Grade 5–Human Rights & Wrongs: An arts integrated unit combining language arts and visual arts – Part 2 of 6 Student Target Timeline: Six 90-minute lessons Reading: Essential Idea: Classroom Procedures and Thoughtful Reading Strand: Reading Process Standard: Reading Comprehension Benchmarks: LA.5.1.7.7 The student will compare and contrast elements in multiple texts. Student Target: I can compare and contrast the messages in a painting and in a text. Background Information: When readers compare and contrast they are able to analyze the material to determine patterns (Allen, 2004) and gain a deeper understanding of the text. This makes the information memorable and leads students to successful learning across the curriculum. Good readers who compare and contrast gain stronger observation and thinking skills, allowing them to focus on both main ideas and details. Visual Art: Big Idea: Historical and Global Connections Enduring Understanding: Through study in the arts, we learn about and honor others and the worlds in which they live(d). Benchmark: VA.5.H.1.1: The student will examine historical and cultural influences that inspire artists and their work. Theatre Student Target: I can examine the historical and cultural influences that inspired artists and their work. Background Information: Every work of art tells a story, either literally or symbolically. The arts are an effective springboard for an interdisciplinary approach to examining history and culture. They provide a concrete connection for students, offering an engaging way to explain the unexplainable, analyze and celebrate our past, and promote active student inquiry. Materials& Preparation
Maintain the same cooperative learning teams and partnerships throughout
the unit.
Review the Lesson Plan-at-a-Glance to see a summary of Lessons 1 – 6,
as well as all of the benchmarks addressed in each lesson (only one
primary benchmark per subject area is shown in each lesson plan but all
benchmarks are shown on the Lesson Plan-at-a-Glance).
Teachers:
• Link 1: Lesson-Plan-at-a-Glance
• Recording of “Manzanar” performed by Laurie Lewis (available for
download on iTunes)
• Link 2: Human Rights & Wrongs PowerPoint
• write on the board: metaphor
• Link 3: Painting with Words answer page
• Link 4: Guide for Interpreting Emotions: Rotting on the Shore
Students:
• Assigned turn and talk partners within cooperative learning teams of
four to five students
• Painting with Words student page from previous lesson
• Link 5 –Elements of Art student page (1 per student)
• Link 6 – Artist Background student page (1 per student)
• Link 7 – Interpreting Emotions student page (1 per student)
Warm-Up
Distribute Elements of Art, Painting with Words, and Artist
Background student pages to each team. Place in a stack at each
team until the pages are needed in the lesson.
Music Connection
Show PowerPoint slide #16, the lyrics to the song Manzanar. I’m going
to play a song written in 2008 by American folksinger Tom Russell, and
performed by American bluegrass singer Laurie Lewis. It’s called
“Manzanar,” which was the name of a Japanese American internment
camp in California. Follow along with the lyrics as you listen to the music.
Play the song Manzanar. Afterwards ask questions such as:
Why would someone write a song about something that happened so long
ago?(e.g. to honor the people who were in the camps, to teach usabout what happened, to make this part of history more personal, etc.) Why is the name of the camp a challenge for the people in the camp? (“Manzanar” is Spanish for “apple orchard,” but there was nothing at the camp but desert.) With your partner, compare and contrast how Nakashimau, the subject of the song, feels about his experience while he is in the camp, and then 50 years later.(e.g. in the camp: he felt like a prisoner; 50 years later: he wishes that he would forget the shame and sorrow he felt at Manzanar) What does the songwriter mean when he writes, “And we dream of apple blossoms, Waving free beneath the stars” in the chorus?(e.g. he is comparing the people imprisoned in the camps with apple blossoms fluttering in the wind). Explain that when a writer uses a thing to represent something else, he is using a metaphor. In this case, the metaphor helps us see the huge difference between being free and being a prisoner; it paints a picture in our mind. Write “metaphor” on the board, and ask students to add this information to their “Painting with Words” student page. Why is writing a song a good way to express feelings about this historical event? (e.g. just like artists, songwriters can paint with words and make the message more meaningful, etc.) Which is the most effective way to express feelings, through a painting or through a song? Why? (answers will vary) Review Explain to your partner why Japanese Americans were put into internment camps in 1942. After a few moments ask a student to share an answer with the class. (e.g. When the U.S. went to war against Japan, President Roosevelt felt Japanese Americans were a threat, and decided to put them in internment camps in remote places) Give your partner a summary of the story Baseball Saved Us. A summary is a short description of the story, just a sentence or two, which explains
what the story is mostly about. After a few moments ask one or two students to share with the class. (e.g. a Japanese American boy and his family try to adjust to the difficult life in an internment camp, and find some joy playing and watching baseball) Tell your partner some ways the author of that story painted with words, or made his words sound interesting. After a few moments ask one or two students to share with the class (e.g. using hyperbole such as “endless desert” or onomatopoeia such as “whack” the ball) Explain to your partner why the artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi painted “Rotting on the Shore.”(e.g. he was confined to his studio in New York during World War II because he was Japanese American, and he expressed his feelings about what was happening through his artwork) Lesson/Activity Visual Art Connection Today we are going to take a closer look at the painting “Rotting on the Shore.” First I’ll show you one way to better understand this work of art. Show PowerPoint slide #17. If you really want to understand a painting, it’s important to look at the elements that make up every work of art. All artwork is created with one or more of these seven elements: line, color, space, shape, form, value, and texture. Most of the time, these elements are combined in a painting—just like they are in this painting. But we are going to look at each one of them separately right now to understand what they mean. As you describe each element, refer to the examples on The Elements of Art PowerPoint slide. Students can also refer to their Elements of Art student page. LINE a mark made by a pointed tool, such as a pen or paint brush lines can be straight or curvy, horizontal or vertical, thick or thin different types of lines can represent different feelings…What kind of feeling would a squiggly or curvy line give? (e.g. fun, crazy, informal, lighthearted) What kind of feeling would a straight line give? (e.g. formal, serious)
COLOR also called pigments or hues divided into primary (red, yellow, blue) and secondary (orange, green, purple) can be warm (red, yellow, orange) or cool (blue, green) the intensity of a color refers to its brightness (neon yellow is an intense color) often represent feelings…What kind of a feeling does blue represent? (e.g. sad, melancholy) What kind of a feeling does red represent? (e.g. angry, enraged) Colors can also be associated with something else…What is green often associated with?(e.g. environment/nature, or someone who is very new at something, or a person who is jealous) SPACE the area around, under, between, or within shapes there is positive space (the area within a shape) and negative space (the area around the shape) the negative space is often as important as the positive space SHAPE a flat, enclosed area with just two dimensions, length and width shapes can be geometric with hard, sharp angles (triangle, square) or organic with freeform characteristics (like a cloud shape) different shapes are often associated with certain types of feelings What kind of feelings can geometric shapes represent?(e.g. organized, formal, intense, serious) What kind of feelings can organic shapes represent? (e.g. casual, informal, laid back) FORM objects that are three-dimensional with length, width, and height you can see all sides of a three-dimensional form—top, bottom, sides forms take up space, such as a rock or a person VALUE this refers to the light and dark ranges in a work of art oranges and yellows are in the light range purples and blues are in the dark range artists often use values to give their painting a certain mood or feeling What kinds of feeling would dark values represent? (e.g.serious, evil,
frightening, sad) What kind of feelings would you get from light values? (e.g.light-hearted, joyful, lively) TEXTURE the feeling of a surface can be rough, smooth, bumpy, sharp, etc. artists are able to create the look of any texture different textures can represent different feelings….What kind of feeling would you get if you saw sharp, jagged rocks in a painting? (danger, treacherous) What kind of feeling would you get if you saw smooth, silky textures in a painting? (luxury, richness) Keep these elements of art in mind when you take another look at Yasuo Kuniyoshi’s painting “Rotting on the Shore” a little later in the lesson. Language Art Connections Besides looking at the elements of art to better understand a painting, there is another way to help your understanding of a work of art: finding out about the life of the artist. Most artwork is influenced by the life experiences of the artist who created it. For example, the artist Pablo Picasso went through some difficult times for several years, and during this time his paintings were in dark, sad colors and showed depressing subject matter. The artist Andy Warhol worked in an advertising company when he was young, and later in life he created many works of art featuring products such as Campbell’s Soup. Let’s look at Kuniyoshi’s life and how it influenced his artwork. Ask students to read the Artist Background student page and complete the questions at the bottom. Then summarize the passage and ask for responses to the questions. As you read in the artist background information, many of Kuniyoshi’s life experiences affected his artwork. Keep those in mind as we analyze his painting again. Art Connections Show the Rotting on the Shore painting, PowerPoint #15.Yesterday you identified six elements in this painting that you thought were important. Now that you know about the importance of the elements of art and the artist’s background, I want you to look at this painting with new eyes.
Ask students to look at the Interpreting Emotions student page. Your task today is to identify four elements you feel are important. They may be the same elements as you chose in the previous lesson, or you may choose new elements now that you have learned a little more about how to look at art. Record the elements in the first column. But this time you must also decide what each element means in the painting. Kuniyoshi used many symbols in his work, items that represented something else. To help you figure out the meaning of each item, think about Kuniyoshi’s life, and think about the elements of art too. For example, I might write “dead tree branch” in the first column. I remember that Kuniyoshi was very upset about what was happening to Japanese Americans. I also remember that a crooked, sharp shape (like this tree branch) gives us an unpleasant feeling. So in the second column I might say: “The tree has no life in it, just like the people in the camp barely had a life anymore.” Students complete Interpreting Emotions student page. Afterwards, ask volunteers to share their answers with the class. Wrap-Up Explain to your partner how reading about Kuniyoshi’s life helped you better understand the painting. After a moment, ask a few students to share. Daily Assessment Review Painting with Words and Interpreting Emotions student pages, and monitor student discussions for comprehension of concepts.
student page
Elements of Art
Art Element Example Definition Meanings
a mark made by a pointed tool straight
line
=
formal,
serious
line
straight or curvy, horizontal or curvy
lines
=
informal,
fun,
crazy
vertical, thick or thin
pigments or hues
can be primary (red,
yellow, blue
blue = sad, melancholy
red = angry, enraged)
green = nature, envy
color
can be secondary(orange,
green, purple)
warm (red, yellow, orange) or
cool (blue, green)
the intensity of a color is its
brightness (neon yellow is an
intense color)
the area around, under,
between, or within shapes
can be positive space (the
negative space is often as
important as positive space
space
area within a shape)
can be negative space (the
area around the shape)
shape
a flat, enclosed area with only
2 dimensions, length & width
can be geometric with hard,
geometric shapes = organ-
ized, formal, intense,
serious)
sharp angles (triangle) organic shapes = casual,
can be organic with freeform informal, laid back
characteristics (cloud shape)
objects that are 3-dimensional
with length, width, and height
you can see all sides --top,
a form can represent an
actual object (rock)
a form can be a symbol for
form
bottom, sides something else (a heart =
forms take up space, such as love)
a rock or a person
the light and dark ranges in a
work of art
oranges and yellows are in
dark values = serious, evil,
frightening, sad
light values = joyful, lively
value
the light range
purples and blues are in the
dark range
texture
the feeling of a surface
can be rough, smooth,
bumpy, sharp, etc.
sharp, jagged rocks =
danger, treacherous
What kind of feeling would
artists can create the look of you get if you saw smooth,
any texture silky textures in a painting?
(luxury, richness)student page Artist Background: Yasuo Kuniyoshi Born in Japan in 1893, Yasuo Kuniyoshi studied weaving and dyeing in technical school. In 1906 he convinced his father to let him move to the United States instead of doing his required duty in the Japanese army. He moved to Los Angeles, California and attended public school and the Los Angeles School of Art Design. He supported himself by picking fruit in the summer and working at hotels in the winter. In 1910, at the age of 17, he moved to New York and for the next ten years trained at several art schools. In 1927 he helped start an art school in Woodstock, New York. By 1930 his oil paintings were included in exhibits all across America. Kuniyoshi created fantasy landscapes with symbols and unexpected “twists” for the viewer to find. His paintings were a mix of the oriental style from his native Japan and of modernism, a popular style in which artists experimented in completely new ways. Kuniyoshi represented the feelings in America through the careful arrangement of inanimate, or non-‐living, objects. For many years Kuniyoshi painted from his imagination or memory. But after returning from a trip to Paris in 1928 he began to paint in a realistic style directly from models. This change showed how he was fascinated with the physical characteristics of objects. He also became interested in photography and used it as another way to express his creativity. Kuniyoshi was greatly affected by World War II. After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the U.S. government sent more than 100,000 Japanese Americans to internment camps. While Kuniyoshi was not sent to a camp, he was forced to surrender his camera to the New York City police. Even though he had lived in the U.S. for 35 years and even created posters for the U.S. army, he was considered an “enemy alien” in his own country. He was locked up in his studio and his bank account was blocked. In response to the racial discrimination he faced, his paintings became more serious and had themes of decay and loneliness. He continued this style until his death in 1953. Two years after he completed Rotting on the Shore, Kuniyoshi said that the war had been the backdrop for a great number of his artworks. He especially focused on the things that resulted from war, such as destruction, lifelessness, death, and loneliness.” Rotting on the Shore, painted during the last year of World War II, shows that Kuniyoshi returned to the symbolic way of painting he had done as a youth. To him, the broken and decaying objects in his painting showed his concern for world events at the time. He said, “If a man feels deeply about the war, or any sorrow or gladness, you can use symbols to say clearly how the sorrow or gladness is felt deeply in your heart…” 1. Underline the events in Kuniyoshi’s life that caused him to feel sad or angry. 2. Which sentence best explains why Kuniyoshi painted the way he did? a. His paintings came from his memory. b. He was also a photographer. c. At the age of 17 he moved to New York City and enrolled in art school. d. He felt that symbols could clearly show what you felt in your heart. 3. According to the definition in the passage above, which of the following is an example of an inanimate object? a. butterfly b. clock c. dancer d. tree
student page
Interpreting Emotions: Rotting on the Shore
What
I
See
What
It
Means
1.
2.
3.
4.
teacher page
Guide for Interpreting Emotions: Rotting on the Shore
The following interpretations are not definitive nor based on information from the author. They
are speculations from various viewers, and only provided to give examples to the teacher.
Students should feel comfortable knowing that interpreting art is a subjective exercise with no
“right” answers.
Element Possible Interpretation
rotting, mounted fish in silver goblet, could represent prized possessions left behind when
cloth, chunk of amber people went to internment camps; since this stack of
items is at center of painting it has importance; since it is
propped up with a piece of wood and a stone, could
represent the will of the people to preserve what they
have or people trying to organize the chaos
rotting fish and the title of could refer to decomposition, in which things die but help
the painting new things grow again; could refer to hopefulness
dragonfly on rock in Japan the dragonfly is a symbol of power, so it could
represent the will of the people to survive
board running lengthwise at left view from window, just as Kuniyoshi was confined into
his studio with only a window view of the world; could
show the contrast between evil (dark area at left) and
good (lighter areas on right)
beach could represent west coast of the U.S., where Japanese
Americans were removed
dead branch absence of life, despair; branch rests between the inside
and outside, which could represent an attempt to keep
two worlds together; pruned ends means humans
chopped away at the branch; could represent the fact
that humans caused this terrible event to happen
preying mantis (at far left in traditionally a symbol of stillness, could represent the
dark area) absence of people
orange colors in center the only “happy” color in the painting; orange is a symbol
of happiness in Asia; could represent the happiness the
people left behind as they went to the camps; might
represent hope
clouds could represent airplanes used in warTitle: Grade 5–Human Rights & Wrongs: An arts integrated unit combining language arts and visual arts – Part 3 of 6 Student Target Timeline: Six 90-minute lessons Reading: Essential Idea: Classroom Procedures and Thoughtful Reading Strand: Reading Process Standard: Reading Comprehension Benchmarks: LA.5.1.7.7 The student will compare and contrast elements in multiple texts. Student Target: I can compare and contrast the messages in a painting and in text. Background Information: When readers compare and contrast they are able to analyze the material to determine patterns (Allen, 2004) and gain a deeper understanding of the text. This makes the information memorable and leads students to successful learning across the curriculum. Good readers who compare and contrast gain stronger observation and thinking skills, allowing them to focus on both main ideas and details. Visual Art: Big Idea: Historical and Global Connections Enduring Understanding: Through study in the arts, we learn about and honor others and the worlds in which they live(d). Benchmark: VA.5.H.1.1: The student will examine historical and cultural influences that inspire artists and their work. Theatre Student Target: I can examine the historical and cultural influences that inspired artists and their work. Background Information: Every work of art tells a story, either literally or symbolically. The arts are an effective springboard for an interdisciplinary approach to examining history and culture. They provide a concrete connection for students, offering an engaging way to explain the unexplainable, analyze and celebrate our past, and promote active student inquiry. Materials& Preparation Maintain the same cooperative learning teams and partnerships throughout the unit.
Review the Lesson Plan-at-a-Glance to see a summary of Lessons 1 – 6,
as well as all of the benchmarks addressed in each lesson (only one
primary benchmark per subject area is shown in each lesson plan but all
benchmarks are shown on the Lesson Plan-at-a-Glance).
Teachers:
• Link 1: Lesson-Plan-at-a-Glance
• Link 2: Human Rights & Wrongs PowerPoint
• write on the board: rhyme, hyperbole, metaphor
• Link 3: Painting with Words answer page
Students:
• Assigned turn and talk partners within cooperative learning teams of
four to five students
• Painting with Words student page from previous lesson
• Link 4 – Emotions through Poetry (double-sided copy, 1 per student)
• Link 5 - Color copy of the emotion scale (1 per team)
• various colors of construction paper, markers/crayons/colored
pencils, glue/glue sticks, scissors (a supply for each team)
Warm-Up
Distribute Painting with Words and Emotions through Poetry student
pages to each team. Place in a stack at each team until the pages are
needed in the lesson.
Visual Art Connection
Show PowerPoint slide #18, the emotions scale. Explain that this is just
one example of a scale that shows the range of emotions we can go
through. It ranges from the most positive at the top to the most negative at
the bottom.
Tell your partner why this scale uses these particular colors. After a
moment, ask a student to share. (e.g. the bright orange at top is the
most positive color, and the dark color at the bottom is the most
negative.)
Think about the emotions that Kuniyoshi expresses in his painting Rotting
on the Shore. Tell your partner where these emotions would fall on this
scale. After a moment, ask several students to share and to justify
their answer. (answers will vary based upon their interpretations ofthe painting; justifications can probably be made for those who choose a scale from 5 to 8) Do you think all Japanese Americans had the same exact emotional feelings about what was happening to them during WWII? (no) Why? (e.g. everyone reacts differently to situations) Do you think there were other painters who used their art to express their feelings about what was happening? Besides visual artists, what other type of artists could express their feelings through their art? (e.g. musicians, singers, actors, dancers, poets) Today you will see how three poets expressed their feelings about the Japanese American internment camps. Two of the poets lived in the camps. The other poet is the son of a woman who lived in the camps. Lesson/Activity Language Arts Connection Show PowerPoint slide #19, Remembering Manzanar, and ask students to take a copy of the Emotions through Poetry. This was written by a Japanese American woman who lived in the Manzanar relocation camp in California. As I read this, follow along on your copy and try to determine the emotions she is expressing. Read the poem, and allow students to discuss the meaning. (e.g. people in the camps had done nothing wrong but were imprisoned just because of their race; she will never forget what happened there). Have teams look at their color copy of the emotions scale. Allow them to determine where the emotions fall on the scale, and to make sure they can justify their decision. Use a show of hands to see what students decided (e.g. Raise your hand if you said this was #6 on the emotions scale, etc.). Ask a student or two to share their justifications for their responses. The poet uses a special technique in this poem to bring attention to important words. What is it? (rhyme) By making the last word in each line rhyme (e.g. faces, races, erases) we see and hear what the poet feels is most important. How does it feel to say those words? (e.g. there is a hissing sound when you say those words, and it’s not exactly
pleasant—which matches the tone and topic of the poem). Record this information on your Painting with Words student page. Show PowerPoint slide #20, Poetry from the Internment. This was written by a Japanese American man who went to a relocation camp. As I read this, follow along on your copy and try to determine the emotions he expresses. Read the poem, then allow students to discuss the meaning (e.g. the birds fly free in the sky yet the people are locked in a camp; there is no hope). Have teams look at their color copy of the emotions scale again, and follow the same routine as with the previous poem. The poet writes the line “into the endless horizon.” Do you remember what the use of that word “endless” is called? (hyperbole) Why does the poet use hyperbole? (to bring attention to the remote location of the camps). Can you find the metaphor the poet uses? (the crows flying free are contrasted with the prisoners in the camps) Why would he use this metaphor? (it makes us really feel the pain the prisoners are in). Record this information on your Painting with Words student page. Show PowerPoint slide #21, In Response to Executive Order 9066. This was written by the son of a Japanese American woman who went with her family to a relocation camp when she was 14. As I read this, follow along on your copy and try to determine the emotions the girl in the poem expresses. Read the poem, then allow students to discuss the meaning (e.g. she thinks it’s an adventure at the beginning—probably because her parents didn’t tell her exactly what was happening—but she gets sadder as her friend turns against her and her father says her tomato seed won’t grow where they are going; at the end she is hopeful that Denise will be her friend again). Did you notice anything different about the emotions in this poem compared to the other two poems? (they changed throughout the poem). Have teams look at their color copy of the emotions scale, and follow the same routine as with the previous poem.
The poet uses a metaphor in this poem to—can you identify it? (the tomato seed represents love, hope, friendship) Why does the poet use this metaphor? (it helps us understand her feelings). Record this information on your Painting with Words student page. Of the three poems and Kuniyoshi’s painting, which one would be more toward the positive end of the emotions scale? Why? Which would be more toward the negative end of the scale? Why? Visual Art Connection Like Kuniyoshi, you now have the opportunity to use art to express emotions. Your challenge is to choose one of the poems we just read, and create visual art that expresses those emotions. But you will use a particular style of art called abstract art. Show PowerPoint slide #22, the Mark Rothko painting. This is an example of abstract art. In abstract art you do not use realistic looking objects. You let only color, line, and form express your message. When you are planning your art, think about our discussion on the elements of art, and how certain colors, lines, and forms can represent different feelings. Show PowerPoint slides #23 – 25 for more abstract art examples. Each of you will choose 1 sheet of construction paper as the base of your art. Then you can use markers, crayons, colored pencils, and cut-up construction paper to express the emotions from one of the poems. After you finish you will write a sentence or two explaining your artistic decisions. It should include the name of the poem you chose. Distribute materials and allow students to begin their composition. Circulate throughout the room to assure that students are using the elements of art to express the emotions from one of the paintings. Wrap-Up Ask volunteers to share their composition with the class, explaining their artistic choices.
Daily Assessment Review Painting with Words, monitor student discussions for comprehension of concepts, and review visual art compositions to assure understanding of the visual art and language arts benchmarks.
student page, p.1
Emotions Through Poetry
REMEMBERING MANZANAR
Margie
Yasuko
Motowaki
Wong
Just
on
the
basis
of
our
different
faces,
they
locked
us
in
places
like
Manzanar.
There
were
no
traces
of
disloyal
cases,
but
differences
in
races
built
Manzanar.
They
say
time
erases
the
pain
on
our
faces,
but
time
never
erases
Manzanar.
Poetry from the Internment
Sojin
Tokiji
Takei
There
is
no
fence
High
up
in
the
sky.
The
evening
crows
Fly
up
and
disappear
Into
the
endless
horizon.
How
many
more
thousand
miles
Does
this
wasteland
continue?
Beyond
the
end
of
the
horizon
And
over
the
mountain
–
Again,
more
wasteland.
You can also read
