Last updated: October 6, 2021
Lesson Plan
Missouri Capital Mural 5th & 6th Grade
- Grade Level:
- Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
- Subject:
- Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 30 Minutes
- State Standards:
- Missouri: #6 Knowledge - Cultural characteristics of all people: Compare cultural characteristics across historical time periods in the U.S. post c. 1800.
Kansas: - Consider who produced a document as well as the circumstances of its creation. - Additional Standards:
- Oklahoma: 4.3.2 - Examine the characteristics of culture, including the distribution and complexity of the regions of the U.S.
- Thinking Skills:
- Remembering: Recalling or recognizing information ideas, and principles. Understanding: Understand the main idea of material heard, viewed, or read. Interpret or summarize the ideas in own words. Applying: Apply an abstract idea in a concrete situation to solve a problem or relate it to a prior experience. Analyzing: Break down a concept or idea into parts and show the relationships among the parts. Creating: Bring together parts (elements, compounds) of knowledge to form a whole and build relationships for NEW situations. Evaluating: Make informed judgements about the value of ideas or materials. Use standards and criteria to support opinions and views.
Essential Question
How do images influence our views of the world?
Objective
Students will be able to connect the images of art to the shaping it creates on the views of the world.
Student Friendly Objective: I will be able to identify images in Benton's Mural and how they relate to Missouri history
Background
Background of Thomas Hart Benton
Background of Mark Twain
Mormon Expulsion
Thomas Joseph Pendergast - (July 22, 1872 - January 25, 1945), also known as T. J. Pendergast was an American political boss who controlled Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri from 1925 to 1939.
Links to various portions of Benton's Missouri State Capitol Mural, "Social History of Missouri"
Preparation
Show on Smartboard, if available: Background of Thomas Hart Benton
Example #2
Students should have paper, pens/pencils/markers/colored pencils
Show "The Capitol", Jefferson City, courtesy of the archives of Missouri Life Magazine
Show Mark Twain
Listen to Frankie & Johnny Audio; 2:52, Frankie and Johnny by Jimmie Rodgers, 1929
Show Mormon Expulsion
Show the links to various portions of Thomas Hart Benton's Missouri State Capitol Mural, "Social History of Missouri"Workers of Missouri, farmers, industrial, logging, mining.
Frankie and Johnny
Industrial, courtroom, farmer, Jesse James
Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, white traders and Indian
Boss Tom Pendergast, Frankie and Johnny
Kansas City stockyards
Frank and Jesse James
Materials
Lesson Hook/Preview
Discuss with students what is needed (which elements) to be present in a piece of art in order for it to be considered art. "What makes art, art?" Have students construct their own response (give 2 minutes of free write time: they are to list whatever comes to mind: no filter, just brainstorm), then, with a shoulder partner, compare their responses. Together, they must construct a response that combines BOTH of their independent responses (give 3 minutes). Once the pairs have shared and constructed their responses, they must find another pair and become a quad. They will repeat the same sharing process and then combine the pairs response into one quad. They will repeat the same sharing process and then combine the pairs response into one quad response (give 4 minutes). Bring the class back together and share out as a whole.
*After whole class share*
-What was challenging about this activity?
-What was the easiest part to agree on?
-What was the hardest part to agree on?
-Has your view of what art is changed? (Elaborate)
Procedure
Show following links to various portions of Thomas Hart Benton's Missouri State Capitol Mural, "Social History of Missouri", if possible print images and display around the classroom.
Workers of Missouri, farmers, industrial, logging, mining
Frankie and Johnny
Industrial, courtroom, farmer, Jesse James
Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, white traders and Indian
Boss Tom Pendergast, Frankie and Johnny
Kansas City stockyards
Frank and Jesse James
Have students use the Reactions Google doc or Reactions Microsoft Word Version document as they respond to the images. Place students in collaborations of no more than 4 at a time.
(You will need 7 images.) Have students pair up and have a "Seeing Conversation". Each student must choose 7 questions to ask their conversation partner. The person that is the youngest will choose whether to ask or respond to questions first and then the partner will do the same. As each partner is sharing, students are asked to NOT ONLY WRITE what is being shared, but to ILLUSTRATE what is being shared. The partner drawing is only to ask clarifying questions. Those giving the responses must provide enough detail that illustrations can be created. Once each partner has constructed their "Seeing Conversation", they must trade papers with their partner. On the back of the paper students must respond to what was created for them based off their answers.
- What surprised you about what was drawn/shown by your partner?
- What impressed you most about what your partner illustrated?
- What is one area you wish you could clarify better?
- Would you consider what you made with your partner art? Why or why not?
Teacher led, closing question:
How do life experiences influence the way you relate to art?
Vocabulary
Frankie & Johnny Audio - 2:52, Frankie and Johnny by Jimmie Rodgers 1929
Ragtime Music: 1)rhythm characterized by strong syncopation in the melody with a regularly accented accompaniement in stride-piano style 2)music having ragtime rhythm.
Mormon Expulsion: Missouri Executive Order 44, commonly known as the Mormon Extermination Order, was an executive order issued on October 27, 1838, by the Governor of Missouri, Lilburn Boggs. Governor Boggs directed that "the Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State if necessary for the public peace---their outrages are beyond all description."
Thomas Joseph Pendergast (July 22, 1872 - January 25, 1945), also known as T.J. Pendergast was an American political boss who controlled Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri, from 1925 to 1939.
Supports for Struggling Learners
Those that struggle to express themselves, provide them with following prompts:
1)What images stuck out to you the most during the gallery walk?
2)How do you best express yourself? (if the student is not as able to visually share their expressions, they are invited to use a scribe (another student) who can write or draw what they say OR they can create a video to share with their partner using Flipgrid if they would prefer that format.
Enrichment Activities
Have students create their own version of a mural by Thomas Hart Benton. Suggest that a new section of the Missouri State Capitol is being built and they have been commissioned to contribute art. They are free to construct any visual type of art they see fit. Have them include a written explanation of:
They intended message.
Why they chose the images that they did?
The hope that they want those that see their art to fee/do.