COURAGE

&
POWER
LT C 8 7 4 0 C U R R I C U L U M I N A R T E D U C AT I O N
LESSON PLAN: COURAGE AND POWER
C R E AT E D B Y: A N N E T T E S A L D A A

CONTENT:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

SETTING GOALS & EXPECTATIONS

RESPONDING AND CONNECTING
CREATING
ASSESSMENT
PRESENTING
TEACHER REFLECTION

SETTING GOALS & EXPECTATIONS

Big Idea: Through visual art, we can discover how viewpoints about
power and courage are linked to personal values and identity.
Key Concepts
Student Goals
Essential questions:
Why is COURAGE important?
How might COURAGE help one overcome struggles (ex. injustice or
inequality)?
How can artists create a theme of COURAGE within portraiture?

RESPONDING AND CONNECTING

If I pose the question What does courage mean? I
expect that I will get various responses from students.
Courage means different things to different people (it can
be physical or emotional). It should make for an interesting
conversation. Students will be asked to bring in an image of
a portrait-based artwork that embodies the theme Courage
and Power. We will then have a VTS discussion based on
the visuals they collect.

VISUAL THINKING STRATEGIES

CAN BODY DECORATION CREATE

IDEAS OF POWER OR COURAGE
(EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER)?

C O M M E M O R AT I V E H E A D O F A
QUEEN MOTHER QUEEN
I D I A ( B E N I N , N I G E R I A , E A R LY
16TH CENTURY AD)
Queen Idia was the mother of Esigie, the
Oba of Benin who ruled from 1504 to
1550. She played a very significant role in
the rise and reign of her son. She has been
described as a great warrior who fought
relentlessly before and during her son's
reign as the Oba (king) of the Edo people.
Peaked coral war crown (symbol of
power).
Forehead charm (ensured any oncoming
stone or missile will not blind her).
Precautionary rope necklace w/ four
leopard teeth tied to it (reminded her to
be careful and to avoid danger).
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idia)

H AT S H E P S U T, ( E G Y P T I A N
L I M E S T O N E S TAT U E , C .
1485 BC)
Hatshepsut was the fifth pharaoh of the
Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt. Hatshepsut
came to the throne of Egypt in 1478 BC.
She is generally regarded by Egyptologists
as one of the most successful pharaohs,
reigning longer than any other woman of
an indigenous Egyptian dynasty. According
to Egyptologist James Henry Breasted she
is also known as "the first great woman in
history of whom we are informed.
Neck chain (pouch-like amulet similar to a
pendant worn by male pharaohs).
Khat headcloth (worn by Egyptian kings
during certain ritual performances).

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatshepsut)

GODFREY KNELLER.
PORTRAIT OF PETER
POTE MKI N (17TH CE NTURY)

Russian Ambassador to
England in 1682, courtier
and Lieutenant
Fur-trimmed hat and
elaborately embroidered
coat (displaying how welltraveled he was)

Cane/scepter (symbol of
royalty)

EXPLAIN AN ACT OF
POWER/COURAGE THAT YOU HAVE
YOU SEEN (ON TELEVISION, IN A
BOOK, IN YOUR OWN LIFE, ETC.)?

AMY JOHNSON

Amy Johnson was the first

female pilot to fly alone from
Britain to Australia, which she
achieved at the age of 26. Her
flying career began in 1928 and
other triumphs included
becoming the first female
ground engineer licensed by
the Air Ministry, and being
awarded the C.B.E. for her
flying achievements.
(http://www.sciencemuseum.or
g.uk/onlinestuff/stories/amy_jo
hnson.aspx)

HOW MIGHT INEQUALITY OR

INJUSTICE ADD TO OUR BELIEFS
BASED ON COURAGE AND POWER?

E L I Z A B E T H C AT L E T T.
SHARECROPPER (1952)
Elizabeth Catlett was influenced
by the spirit of activism which
inspired her to produce images of
the hardships endured by African
American women, as well as the
accomplishments of figures such
as Sojourner Truth and Harriet
Tubman. Sharecropper, like many
of her other works, shows
Catletts activism on behalf of
African American women in the
South, who she believed
maintained their dignity in the
face of great adversity.
(http://www.artic.edu/aic/collect
ions/artwork/117319)

HOW MIGHT BODY LANGUAGE ALTER

OUR PERCEPTION OF COURAGE AND
POWER?

CHARLES WHITE. PREACHER

(1952)

Preacher displays a
mastery of foreshortening
with a compressed figure,
and an expression of
spirituality, power, and
confidence.

K E H I N D E W I L E Y, O F F I C E R O F
THE HUSSARS, (2007)
Most of Kehinde Wiley's subjects are
men from the "hip-hop generation"
depicted in the styles of Western
paintings typically commissioned by
nobility and wealthy patrons of past
eras. Officer of the Hussars is one of
Wiley's portraits featuring horses, an
important theme in art history,
highlighted by perfect detail. Wiley's
work blurs the boundaries between
traditional and contemporary styles
and is infused with majestic and
subliminal messages.
(http://www.complex.com/style/201
3/02/the-25-most-iconic-artworks-ofanimals/officer)

CREATING:
Students will
create a
"power pose"
self-portrait

ASSESSMENT:
Formative and Summative Assessment

Portfolio Thumbnails
Critiques
Discussion/interview Questions
Rubrics

PRESENTING:
Students will receive oral feedback as I will monitor
progress of portrait creations.

Students will write about their work and explain the

effective strategies used to develop their artwork.
Students will also critique their peers artworks in the
future once projects are complete.

I will give written feedback to students after their work has

been assessed and evaluated.
Online gallery for faculty and staff

TEACHER REFLECTION:
As an art teacher who teaches grades 9-12, I regularly
see students who have yet to learn who they are as
individuals. They are expected to create artworks that
are expressive, meaningful, and personal, but they are
at a loss as to how to approach this task. Perhaps, the
first step into helping students find themselves is to
better understand what it is that makes them who
they are. This project was designed so that students
could explore the ways in which personal/cultural
identities based on courage and power shape us, why
they are important, and how they can be used to
convey messages in our art work.

RESOURCES:
RESOURCES (BOOKS/ARTICLES)Lala, K. (2012). Kehinde Wiley On the World Stage: A Conversation With the Artist. Huffington Post. Retrieved from:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kisa-lala/kehide-wiley-on-the-world_b_1418058.html

Roland, C. (2005). Identity in the Artroom. The Free Library. Retrieved from: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Identity in the artroom.-a0135932155
Stewart, M. & S. Walker (2005). Rethinking curriculum in art. Worcester, MA: Davis Publications
RESOURCES (ONLINE IMAGES)Commemorative head of a Queen Mother Queen Idia (Benin, Nigeria, early 16th century AD)

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_image.aspx?image=mm032900.jpg&retpage=15817
Hatshepsut, (Egyptian limestone statue, c. 1485 BC)
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/256896/Hatshepsut
Godfrey Kneller. Portrait of Petr Potemkin (17th century)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyotr_Potemkin#/media/File:Godfrey_Kneller_Petr_Potemkin.JPG
Elizabeth Catlett. Sharecropper (1952)
http://burgessfinearts.com/images/catlett/Sharecropper.jpg
Charles White. Preacher 1952)

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1oWEnAH9kys/T6M29CUlg9I/AAAAAAAAAOg/C1GU0y3RJYo/s1600/preacher.jpg
Kehinde Wiley, Officer of the Hussars, (2007)
http://prod-images.exhibit-e.com/www_skny_com/149e23cc.png