Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Social Commentary
Expose your class to the genre of political cartoons less concerned with serious political issues. This political cartoon analysis handout features social commentary on the many entertainments of youth, ironically paired with their...
Curated OER
Understanding Social Commentary
By learning how to identify and understand social commentary students can flex their critical thinking skills.
University of Virginia
Analyzing Social Commentary in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn continues to be one of the most frequently banned books. The satire and social commentary present challenges when using the book as a core text. Direct readers' attention to how Twain uses plot,...
Curated OER
Art as Social Commentary
Students view artworks that make a statement about social conditions. They discuss the artworks, write about them and present their ideas to the class. They create socially conscious art pieces of their own.
Curated OER
Art as Social Commentary
High schoolers engage in this thought-provoking lesson which has them view images from the past that depict the social condition. During the series of four lessons, pupils design a PowerPoint and a photo montage of images they collect...
Curated OER
What Makes the Writer Write
Your 11th and 12th graders are ready to critique society! Channel that inclination by studying a novel that offers social criticism of other eras (book recommendations included). This resource presents a well-thought-out overview of such...
Curated OER
Mightier than the Sword
Students complete a variety of activities as they use the Washington Post Newspaper in the study of editorial cartoons, cartoonists, social commentary and freedom of speech.
Curated OER
Documenting History: Photographs as Social Commentaries
Students examine photographs that make social statements. They examine content, symbolism, and their personal reactions to works of art that make expressive statements about social issues.
Teaching Tolerance
Collage of Concerns
A picture can speak louder than words. An interesting lesson introduces the themes of social justice and diversity to young learners by having them create artwork. Scholars create collages from a variety of sources to showcase what...
Teaching Tolerance
Spotlight on Change Agents
A thought-provoking resource guides learners as they interview agents of social change and share their findings. Scholars select an individual, create questions, conduct the interview, and create a profile of the person they selected....
J. Paul Getty Trust
Picturing a Story: Photo Essay about a Community, Event or Issue
Picture this. Class members follow in the footsteps of W. Eugene Smith, Dorothea Lange, James Nachtwey, and Lewis Hine by creating their own photo essay about a local event or issue.
Little Stones
How Can Poetry Make People Think and Care?
Can beautiful words change the world? Literary scholars discover how to paint their visions of change using poetry in a series of three workshops. Each independent topic gives participants a chance to examine their feelings about...
Facing History and Ourselves
Public Art as a Form of Participation
David Binnington's mural commemorating the 1936 Battle of Cable Street is the focus of a lesson that looks at public art as a form of civic participation. After reading background material about the mural, individuals analyze a segment...
Curated OER
Using Cross-Genre Comparisons to Find the Message in Hip-Hop
Students analyze two cross -genre songs written in the early 1980s for lyrical content and social commentary. They consider the artistic merit of hip hop music in today's culture.
Curated OER
Statement of Principles
Students create their own work of art that serves as a social commentary. In this art statement lesson, students research how art conveyed moral and ethical ideals during the Neoclassical period and create a drawing that addresses a...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: The Market Roller Coaster
Hop on the stock market rollercoaster! This political cartoon analysis has scholars examine a cartoon about the ups and downs of a volatile market. Background information and a quote provide context for analyzing the cartoon, and 3...
Curated OER
The Ashcan School of Artists
Complete with explanations and many examples of relevant paintings, this presentation takes students through the characteristics of the Ashcan School of Artists. The slides include works by artists such as Everett Shinn, John Sloan, and...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: The Market Roller Coaster
In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon about the American Stock Market and respond to 3 talking point questions.
Curated OER
Talkin' About My Generation
High schoolers research notable figures from their generation and write a research paper illustrating the various figures' impact and influence on their generation in terms of language, leisure and politics.
Curated OER
Giant Fast Food - McTwisted
Students discover the basics of Trademark Law understanding that companies are very protective of their trademarks and trade dress. Companies should be contacted for permission to derive their products. After obtaining permission,...
Curated OER
Martin Puryear's Ladder for Booker T. Washington
Students examine the art of Martin Puryear. In this visual arts lesson, students analyze the sculpture "Ladder for Booker T. Washington". Students consider how the sculpture reflects the life and contributions of Booker T. Washington....
PBS
Pbs Teachers: The Making of Dead Man Walking (Classroom Content)
Go directly to two lesson plans developed by the producers of the PBS documentary "The Making of Dead Man Walking" about an opera based on the work of Helen Prejean. Use the lessons to help students examine how art and music can define...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Community and Memory, Making of African American Identity: V. 3
A story that defines community as a connection between the past and the present. This resource links to Henry Dumas's short story, "Ark of Bones" and reviews its social commentary as it applies to African American community.
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