Studying the history, beauty, and richness, along side the battles, oppression and muffled outcries of the American Indian community, and discovering how to observe and portray cultural features, students will hone their voice, and will speak not only for their own story but speak to stand along side those that went before them through their art.
In summary, students will explore how to re-tell a story, notice cultural characteristics, and subsequently give the culture a voice in their own way by retelling the story through their artwork “using culture as commons”. This will open the door to the possibility of taking a political stance, expressed through the artistic voices of these urban middle school students. Specifically as it supports the making of their 2D art piece that will in their own way portray the statement they wish to make in imagery and text. Keeping in mind the current political and social issues surrounding and less-represented cultures in America, light will be shed and a connection will be made that we in the Melting Pot have a tendency to chronically misunderstand one another. The curriculum unit supports this by helping students see that what they have seen in their lifetime is not by any means the first of such tensions, moreover, the American Indian story is how it all began in our country. This is an invaluable connection to make for the children to sort out their own personal relationship with ethnicity, race, and culture as well as find positive attributes and commonalities in daily life.