LESSON ONE Things you can tell just by looking at her: An exploration of women's history through fashion &

art Class time: 90 minutes Class size: 24 students

Reesha Grosso Grade level 8th

Objectives Students will be able to decipher the role of women in society across time through the study of depictions of women in art history. Students will be able to analyze their assumptions for evidence of their own modern biases. Direct Instruction As part of a unit on art history, we will examine the art of fashion and how it has changed across time. The teacher will briefly review the history of fashion, highlighting the large shifts in construction- from animal hides to woven fabrics, from belting to buttons, from tailoring to mass production. Students will be invited to share how fashion has changed in the last year, or in their lifetimes. Guided Practice Students will be shown a series of images of women in clothing de rigeur and will work together to arrange them chronologically. This would be a great project for the SMARTboard. The teacher will initiate a discussion about how they created this timeline and the implications of the fashion of the times. The students will be asked to turn and talk about what they notice- how have the garments changed across time (e.g. more/less restrictive clothing, bifurcation, ornament), how does this affect range of motion, and what does this suggest about the roles of women at this moment in history? Students will share their ideas with the class. A series of images of works of art depicting women will be displayed and students will use fashion as a context clue to arrange them within the previous timeline. As a class we will discuss how they created this timeline- what other contextual clues did they use? What do they know, or what do they think they know about this woman? What position does she occupy in society? How can they find the answers they need to know for sure? How do we see social class reflected in clothing? How did ideals of beauty change over time? Students will be encouraged to analyze each others assumptions for cultural and temporal biases. Independent Practice Teacher will explain the concept of remixes- mashups or collages that are made by reworking any types of media. Students are likely already familiar with these (though perhaps not by name) and will be asked to offer examples from their lives. If necessary, examples will be provided. Students will remix a historical work of art which depicts an image of a woman to create a piece that portrays women's status in society today. Alternatively, students will take a piece of modern art and reframe it within another historical era. The original work can take any form- painting, sculpture, film, literature, fashion (or anything else a student can defend the selection of and is feeling ambitious enough to tackle), and the new work can be the same or an alternate form of art. Materials will be provided and students can continue as homework if the project outgrows the class period.

Assessment Students will prepare a brief written accompaniment to frame and present their work in the form of an essay or multimedia presentation. The accompaniment must provide a defense of their creative decisions alongside a comparison of the imagined lifestyles of the women. Themes & Standards NCSSS theme: Time, Continuity, and Change. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

LESSON TWO Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain: The reflection of money and power in art history Reesha Grosso Grade level 8th Class time: 90 minutes Class size: 24 students

Objective Students will be able to identify the various influences that affect the production and value of art in order to critique the messages that a body of work conveys and analyze the intentions of the artist. Direct Instruction In this lesson we will take a step back and examine the factors that shaped the lens we have been using to look at womens history. The discussion will focus on changing structures of arts patronage, instruction- from apprenticeship to liberal arts college, and the position of the artist in society- from skilled artisan to creative thinker. Students will be asked to consider the influence that these changes may have on the work produced. The teacher will give some background information and we will watch a short (2 minute) biography of Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc). Her position as both a historical and religious figure will be highlighted. Students will be asked to draw a croquis (quick fashion sketch) of Joan of Arc based on what they have heard about her. Templates will be offered to make drawing the human figure less of a factor. We will discuss how the way that each student chose to draw Joan of Arc was affected by the images they had already seen of her. The only known image produced during her lifetime will be introduced, alongside the fact that the artist created this illustration from her reputation alone. We will compare this image to that the students have produced and discuss the symbols and identifiers that each incorporated. Guided Practice Various images of Joan of Arc produced over the course of history including film stills, sculpture, and painting, will be shared with the class in chronological order. Students will turn and talk about differences they see between the images, trying not to make assumptions about why these differences exist. We will compile a list of features that differ between images and will discuss what factors may have contributed to the changing image of Joan of Arc. Who created these images? Who funded them? How were women seen in society during the time this was produced? How can you tell? How much influence did the patron have on the image? Which of these images would you guess were created due to public or private patronage, or specifically for the church? Independent Practice Students will chose one image of Joan of Arc that has been presented in class. They will research the time period and location in which it was created, the artist who produced the work, and if possible, the institution who commissioned its production. Students will be directed to consider how these factors influenced the production of the image, and how this in turn affected the way Joan of Arc was seen through history. They will build on this research to complete the assessment project both within and outside of class time.

Assessment Students will have the option of either creating their own image of Joan of Arc or researching a second image for comparison. These images can be any medium, from painting to music or literature. If they create their own image, they should consider the influences that will affect the production of this image: their own opinion of Joan of Arc (this may require further research), their audience, their purpose. They will then write an analysis comparing these two images. How are the images created from these two points of view the same/different? What factors contributed to this? What are the artists intentions, and where do you see evidence of this? Which is likely a more authentic representation of this historical figure, and why? Moreover, how does the opinion of those who create or finance historical records affect the public conception of history? Themes & Standards NCSSS themes: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions Power, Authority, and Governance CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.6 Identify aspects of a text that reveal an authors point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).