The Great Depression and Art

Transcription

1 Conrad A. Albrizio, The New Deal (1934) The Great Depression and Art Developed by Heidi Cornell

2 Teacher Overview Students will explore the causes and effects of the Great Depression. Working in a team, they will choose a painting or picture that interests them and describe what it reveals about the time period. 12th Grade American History State Standards: Identify and evaluate primary documents, material artifacts, and historic sites important in United States history from 1890-Present. Students will need the use of computers, the internet, books in the teacher resource portfolio, and power point. Introduction In October, 1929, a catastrophic event occurred: The New York Stock Exchange crashed. What ensued was a worsening of an economic downturn, and the United States slipped into a Great Depression, which would last through the decade of The Great Depression did not discriminate in its effects: it affected all people regardless of race, class, or gender. What were the wider causes of the Great Depression? Why did it last for a whole decade? How did it affect people s lives? How were the effects of the Great Depression illustrated in the art and the photography of the time period? Hugo Gellert, The Working Day, no. 37 (c. 1933) Great Depression and Art 2

3 Your Mission: You have just earned a job at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Museum is creating an exhibit on the Great Depression and is evaluating different pieces of art and photographs to be included. You are an expert of the Great Depression and its effects on American s lives and culture. You must choose a piece of artwork or photography from the teacher s resource portfolio. You must then create a power point presentation to present to the board of the museum explaining the piece s historical significance and how it illustrates issues of the Great Depression era. The board members are very interested in precise and accurate information that is summarized to the most important points. From your presentation, they will decide if the piece of art is significant enough to be included in the exhibit. Your presentation must answer these seven questions: 1. What does your artwork address? 2. What does it reveal about the Great Depression? 3. What kinds of emotions does it portray? 4. If you were a person living during the Great Depression and you saw this piece, how would it make you feel? 5. What are the themes of the work? 6. Put yourself into the painting how do you feel? What is your past like? What lies ahead in your future? 7. Why is this piece important to American history? Why should it be included in the Great Depression exhibit? Hugo Gellert, Primary Accumlation 19 (1933) Great Depression and Art 3

4 Investigation Explore these websites in order to become experts on the Great Depression. Document your information, using the school guidelines. Remember; look for causes of the Depression, and more importantly, the Depression s effects on people s lives. 1. Sliding into the Great Depression Explains the causes of the great depression in economic terms and why it was able to persist. 2. The Great Depression and the New Deal Explores key definitions, causes, and the government s efforts to provide relief. 3. Documenting America Pictures from the Great Depression. 4. Photographs of the Great Depression 5. The World Depression Causes of the Depression and its effects beyond the United States s Great Depression Gallery A newspaper exploring the decade. After you have explored each site, you should have a folder with all of your notes on the Great Depression. In your groups, talk about what you found and make any revisions necessary. Do you need more information? Do you have to narrow down the information you collected? Remember to find the key causes and really understand how the Depression affected people s lives. Now choose a painting or a piece of art from the folders up front. Each piece is labeled with the artist and citation, so you can find it on the internet. You should choose your painting as a group. The museum values group participation, so it is important for you to work together to come to a consensus. Gathering and Sorting Once you have chosen your painting or photograph, explore it more on the internet. You may find more information on the specific piece, or decide what the piece is conveying and explore that topic more. For example, if you chose a photograph of a homeless man, you may want to research the effect of the Depression on homeownership. Remember, your job is to present the importance of the work to United States history. Topics that may interest your group for further investigation may be: The artist and their themes relating to pieces made during the Depression. Homelessness Orphans Unemployment Labor Unions The role of the government Programs These are just suggested topics to get you thinking about the importance of your work. You are encouraged to explore any aspect of the Depression that is represented in your artwork. Each person must answer the questions fully, and then the group should decide on what is the most important and relevant information. Be creative and have fun trying to put yourself into the shoes of people during this time period! Great Depression and Art 4

5 The Portfolio Review the portfolio that your teacher has provided. In it you will find additional sources and books that will help you in your presentation to the board. Review the materials that you have collected in your research and choose the best and most prevalent information to add to the portfolio. Attach a 5x6 index card to your addition to the portfolio. How does the information enrich the portfolio? Why is it important? Why is it important to use when studying the Great Depression? Sharing Meet with your group. Using your individual responses to the questions, come to a group consensus on what you should present to the board members. Create a power point that presents your painting or photograph and its significance to the Great Depression. Provide background to its historical significance, the specific part of the Depression it addresses, and why it should be included in the Philadelphia Museum s exhibit. Each group member must be active in the creation and presentation of the presentation. Remember, this is your job, and the museum wants evidence that you are a good worker. You will be evaluated based on the attached rubric. Evaluation Following your presentation, you will asses your own work using the same rubric. In addition, you will answer these questions: 1. What did you like best about this activity? Why? 2. How did you approach the search? Why did you choose your piece of artwork? 3. What was interesting about the search? 4. Was your presentation effective? Do you think you convinced the board members to include your artwork in the exhibit? 5. What worked well? 6. What would you do differently next time? Why? Great Depression and Art 5