Description

This wonderful project celebrates freedom and Keith Haring at the same time, while helping students to understand what makes this country so unique and special.

Objective

To cultivate knowledge of how the arts shape and reflect history, society, and everyday life.

To share Keith Haring's art and his importance in the world.

To explore contrasting color, line, and symbolism in art.

Materials

Bond paper (or oak-tag)
Colored markers/colored pencils (or paints)

Procedure

I taught this lesson in regards to September 11th with my 3rd Graders.

DISCUSSION
We first discussed why we're proud to live in the U.S. - what does living here mean, etc... We discussed symbolism in the U.S. - tje Statue of Liberty was the big one that kept on coming up to represent FREEDOM.

KEITH HARING
I introduced Keith Haring's work and some of his quotes to the children. We examined the colors and lines and talked about what some of the works we looked at might mean.

DRAWING
The children were given vertical, rectangular sheets of bond paper (or oak-tag). They used colored markers, however, any drawing and/or painting utensils would work out fine.

Questions

How does the Statue of Liberty represent freedom?

Why is freedom so important ?

Explain different ways in which we are free (individually and within a society).

How have our ideas of freedom changed? How have they changed since the Statue of Liberty was first created?

Extensions

FOR OLDER STUDENTS
Examine proportion and look at classical figurative painting to map out the figure points prior to beginning the studies.

Discuss the history of the Statue of Liberty.

Have students write essays about what their own ideas of FREEDOM are.