- Develop research skills by obtaining information on current political events around conflict within a chosen country or between countries.
- Identify artists who have created Resistance artworks of the past and present who have reacted to the political events in the country/countries.
- Formulate a statement with supporting examples on how artists have expressed their reaction to the political events in their country or around the world.
Desired Outcomes: Students discover the connection between politics and art. Using the Internet as a topical and dynamic information resource, students should be able to:
Time: 2-3 hours (several computer sessions)
Number of Students: Dependent on the number of computers connected to the Internet available.
Method:
Step 1:
In groups of four (the Base Support Group) the students must decide on a present political event that has been a topical issue for at least a month with historical roots. The teacher can suggest a number of present political events, or simply direct the students to popular news web pages such as MSNBC. From this the students can decide on a current political event or situation that they want to learn more about. This could include finding more information on the Internet, in books for the historical background to the situation, and even talking to people who might know more about it.
Step 2:
The Base Support Group should now split into pairs, and in these pairs the students should search on the Internet for any Resistance Art that may have been created as a result of the identified political conflict. If none can be found (it is possible there is no documentation of it yet, if it is a very recent event), the students should look for any Resistance Art that has come from the chosen country/countries owing to a similar situation in the past.
Step 3:
The pairs should compare how artists respond to present political events (or political events in the past in a country other than South Africa), with the information given on this site. They should look specifically at the methods used to depict the political events and the artists' feelings about the situation.
Step 4:
The Base Support Group should now rejoin. Each pair must present the information they have gathered to the other pair. There could also be a larger group discussion on the different types of Resistance Art being produced at the moment and the causes of these artworks. The class could create a table for the classroom showing clearly the political event and artists' names and artworks representing the conflict.