Decolonizing November

Detail of Alcatraz 40th Anniversary Print by Jesus Barraza of Dignidad Rebelde. Retrieved from

dignidadrebelde.com/story/view/43.

Deconstructing and Unlearning Misconceptions and Stereotypes

Through Art

5th Grade

Danette Marie Albino

Description

People, including our students, are exposed to various types of

messages through various forms of media such as art, television,

movies, books, and social media. Some of these messages tell us

about how we are seen, how we should see ourselves, how other

people are seen, and how we should see other people. Not all of

these messages are truthful and respectful; in fact, many of these

messages are based on and reinforce systems of oppression,

misconceptions, and stereotypes, and have harmful consequences.

Particularly during this time of the year, with holidays such as Día de

los Muertos and Thanksgiving, we are given messages about Latin@

and indigenous people that are often based on misconceptions

and stereotypes. Aesthetics, customs, and traditions from these

cultures are taken out of context, striped of their significance, and

stereotyped, often under the pretense of multiculturalism. In this unit,

students will investigate, deconstruct, and unlearn the

misconceptions and stereotypes they are exposed to during this

time of the year with art and other forms of media.

Essential Questions

What is deconstruction?

What is unlearning?

Why do we need to deconstruct and unlearn certain concepts?

How can we deconstruct and unlearn?

What should we deconstruct and unlearn?

Are what we exposed to in art, television, movies, books, and so on

truthful and respectful about all people?

Who are usually respected in art, television, movies, books, and so

on? Who are not?

How can art, television, movies, books, and so on show people in a

truthful and respectful way?

Unit Objectives

Students will learn how art can be used to reinforce harmful

concepts and how art can be used to fight against harmful

concepts.

Students will learn how to use deconstruction and unlearning

through discussion and art.

Students will learn to be critical of all concepts they come across,

identify misconceptions and stereotypes, and determine what is

respectful and beneficial or not to all people.

Students will learn how to show solidarity through art.

Terms to Know

Often times, similar yet different terms are used interchangeable and

cause confusion in the discussion of race, ethnicity, and culture. Most of

the following terms will be used in the unit, could come up in discussions,

or are unknown but needed in discussions when explaining certain

concepts specifically associated with these terms. In order to have

comprehensive discussions, definitions have been selected from various

resources (such as the Afrlatin@ Forum and Open Minds to Equality) and

provided for the following terms:

Race – a socially-constructed classification of a group of people

often based on a common ancestry, geographic location or origin,

phenotype (i.e. skin color), and presumed behavioral traits;

constructs of race vary depending on the society

Ethnicity - an affiliation and/or identification with a large group of

people defined by national (i.e. Irish, Italian), tribal, religious (e.g.

Jewish), linguistic, and cultural origin or background

Nationality – citizenship in a nation-state; for indigenous people,

belonging to a particular ethnic group (i.e. Taíno, Cherokee)

Culture – the customary beliefs, social forms, practices, and

traditions of a social group (i.e. racial, ethnic, nationality)

Latin@ – an ethnicity often confused as a race; a person who is from

or whose cultural origins are in countries associated with Spanish

and Portuguese colonialism; usually associated with Spanish-

speaking people from or with origins in Latin America but it can also

be applied to native Floridians, Californians, Arizonans, etc. whose

families and cultures go back to pre-colonialism and have been

affected by colonialism, Filipin@s, Haitians, and other Caribbean

people; the “@” in Latino/Latina is used to be gender neutral and

has no set pronunciation

Hispanic – from the Latin term Hispania, meaning of or related to

Spain; often used interchangeably with the term Latin@; excludes

non-Spanish-speaking Latin@s and the ties and influences of

indigenous and African people and cultures in the Americas

Spanish – a Romance language originating from the country of

Spain; a person who is from or whose cultural origins are in Spain;

often used inaccurately to describe a Spanish-speaking Latin@

person

Indigenous Person – also referred to as tribal person, first person,

native person, and aboriginal person; there is no set definition of

what an indigenous person is, however there are certain

classifications indigenous people fall on which include but are not

limited to:

self-identification as indigenous

usually have a smaller population than that of the dominant

culture in their countries (with the exception of Bolivia and

Guatemala)

usually have (or had) their own languages different from that

of the dominant culture in their countries

have (or had) their own land/territory

Native American – an indigenous person who is from or whose

cultural origins are in the present-day United States of America

Indian – a person who is from or whose cultural origins are in India;

when Columbus landed in present-day Bahamas, he believed he

was in India and referred to the indigenous people of the Bahamas

as Indians – since then indigenous people of the Americas have

been inaccurate referred to as Indians

Prejudice – a negative personal behavior that discriminates against

individuals

Racism – a form of oppression based on race; an institutional belief

that one race has a right to more power and resources than

another; when [political, cultural] power is added to racial

prejudice, it becomes racism

Ethnocentrism – a form of oppression based on ethnicity; usually

tied in with racism, xenophobia, and linguicism

Xenophobia – a form of oppression based on what is foreign; usually

tied in with racism, ethnocentrism, and linguicism; im/migrants are

the main victims of xenophobia

Linguicism – a form of oppression based on language; usually tied in

with racism, ethnocentrism, xenophobia, classism, and ableism

(usually audism – discrimination against people who are deaf or

hard of hearing)

Cultural Appropriation – the act of taking an element or various

elements of a culture (usually a marginalized culture), out of its

context, by someone of a different culture (usually a cultural group

in power); not to be confused with assimilation; seen as cultural

theft and stereotyping; specific examples include but are not

limited to:

a person with no cultural ties to the sacred holiday Día de los

Muertos using sugar skulls aesthetics to celebrate Hallowe’en

a person with no cultural ties to indigenous cultures using

feathered headdresses, which to some indigenous cultures is

like a Purple Heart, something to be earned, as a costume

a person with no ties to Maori culture getting a Maori facial

tattoo, which is considered a form of identity theft to the

Maori people

Assimilation – the act of integrating in a culture (a cultural group in

power) by someone of a different culture (a marginalized culture);

often used as a survival tactic for im/migrants, people of color,

people in poverty, LGBTQA people, etc.; some elements or all

elements of one’s culture are given up in order to assimilate to the

dominant culture; specific examples include but are not limited to:

a person whose native language is not English refusing to

speak the native language in a region that primarily speaks

English

a person changing their name to an Anglo-Saxon name

a person changing their physical features (e.g. using skin

lightening products) and dressing to appear more like the

dominant culture

Forced Assimilation – the nonconsensual act of integrating in a

culture (a cultural group in power) by someone of a different

culture (a marginalized culture); a tactic for cultural genocide;

specific examples include but are not limited to:

the kidnapping of indigenous children to be “adopted” by

white families and be assimilated in their culture in the United

States of America, Australia, and so on

the banning of Hula dance and other customs and traditions

in Hawai’i by missionaries during the 1800s

the forced religious conversion by indigenous and African

people – caught practicing their own religious customs

usually resulted in abuse and/or death

Lesson 1: Representations of Latin@ and

Indigenous People in Our Media

Detail of an illustrated page from Norman Bridwell's Clifford's Halloween.

Retrieved from imagesofindiansinchildrensbooks.blogspot.com/2007/03/here-is-clifford-

big-red-dog-from.html.

Overview

This is an introductory lesson to the unit. Students will investigate

different forms of media for their representations of Latin@ and

indigenous people; specifically they will investigate Glen Keane’s

character design of Pocahontas for the Disney animated film

Pocahontas (as an introduction) and books from their school library

depicting Latin@ and indigenous people. Students will also learn to

build on their digital art skills in this lesson. After investigating books

and gaining skills to create digital art, students will create

information graphics to report their findings on the representations

of Latin@ and indigenous people.

Essential Questions

What is deconstruction and unlearning?

Why do we need to deconstruct and unlearn certain concepts?

How can we deconstruct and unlearn?

What should we deconstruct and unlearn?

Are what we exposed to in art, television, movies, books, and so on

truthful and respectful about all people?

Who are usually respected in art, television, movies, books, and so

on? Who are not?

How can art, television, movies, books, and so on show people in a

truthful and respectful way?

Sunshine State Standards

Use art-criticism processes to form a hypothesis about an artist's or

designer’s intent when creating artworks and/or utilitarian objects.

(VA.5.C.3.2)

Critique works of art to understand the content and make

connections with other content areas. (VA.5.C.3.3)

Create artwork to promote public awareness of community and/or

global concerns. (VA.5.F.3.1)

Create artwork that shows procedural and analytical thinking to

communicate ideas. (VA.5.F.3.2)

Work collaboratively with others to complete a task in art and show

leadership skills. (VA.5.F.3.3)

Lesson Objectives

Students will be introduced to deconstruction, unlearning, and

digital art techniques.

Students will practice using deconstructive skills, unlearning

methods, and digital art skills.

Students will create art reflecting knowledge of digital art

techniques and concerning the misconceptions and stereotypes of

a culture.

Tools and Materials

Sketchbooks; laptops or computers with Pixie or any other age-

appropriate creativity software program; a printer

Introduction

Introduce the lesson by playing a clip of animator Glen Keane

explaining his character design of Pocahontas

(youtube.com/watch?v=xus02QEJon0 – start at 1:53 and end at

6:24). After this clip, students will be shown a depiction of Matoaka

(the real Pocahontas). Students will compare and contrast the

Pocahontas character and Matoaka, and discuss Keane’s design

decisions and the misconceptions and stereotype of the design.

After the initial discussion, “The Pocahontas Myth” by the late

Powhatan chief Roy Crazy Horse will be read and discussed. In the

discussion of the passage, students will also brainstorm what the

artists and writers could have done in order to portray Matoaka and

the Powhatan people respectfully and accurately.

Detail of a portrait engraving of Matoaka by Simon de Passe. Retrieved

from wikipedia.org/wiki/pocahontas. Detail of a screen capture of Pocahontas by the Walt Disney Animation Studios.

After the discussion, give a brief explanation of what they will be

exploring in this unit, including how and why the essential questions

and the objectives will be specifically connected with Latin@ and

indigenous people and culture for the unit.

Process

1. Students will be given a numbered list [compiled with the help of

the school librarian] of all the books in the school library that

involve Latin@ and indigenous people and culture. (This list will

also state the total number of the library’s books.) Students will

be taken to the library with their sketchbooks and will evaluate

the books on Latin@ and indigenous people. They will tally the

books based on questions such as: How many books depict

Latin@ and indigenous characters as animals? How many Latin@

and indigenous characters are animals? How many are

humans? How many books talk about indigenous people in

today’s time and not in the past? How many books talk about

indigenous people are historic? How many indigenous

characters are from the past? How many are living in today’s

time? How many books avoid talking about specific cultures or

tribes within Latin@ and indigenous culture? How many specific

cultures or tribes within Latin@ and indigenous culture are talk

about? How many times are these cultures talked about? And so

on. Students will be responding to 3-4 tally questions of their

choice and write down their findings on their sketchbooks. After

students are finished tallying the books, students will share their

findings and discuss what these findings imply, what could stay

the same in their findings, what should change. Afterwards,

students will have a discussion based on the essential questions.

2. Students will be introduced to Pixie (or any other age-

appropriate creativity software program that’s accessible). They

will be informed on its basic functions and tools and shown how

to use them. After students are introduced to the software

program, they will have “free” time to use and explore it.

3. Students will be introduced to information graphics, or

infographics. They will be informed of the various ways of how

and why they are used. Use various examples of infographics

and bring special attention to Tina Kugler’s infographic on the

representation gap in children’s books. Discuss what the statistics

imply and how they relate to the school library’s collection, if at

all.

Detail of Tina Kugler's infographic on the representation gap in

children’s books. Retrieved from tinakugler.squarespace.com/blog/2013/6/28/illustration-friday-equality.

4. In their sketchbooks, students will first design three infographics

based on their findings. The designs should have a color scheme

of no more than 4 colors and have one or two

symbols/illustrations that relate to their findings. Students will

choose an infographic they think best depicts their findings in a

cohesive and aesthetically appealing manner. Students will

recreate their designs on Pixie. The students will use the same

color schemes, the same symbols, and one font. The text should

b legible.

5. The students’ infographics will be displayed in the school and

shared with the local Latin@ and indigenous organizations.

Assessment

Formative

During discussions, students will be observed for their

thoughtfulness and critical thinking skills.

Summative

Students’ infographics will be assessed using the following

rubric:

Category Excellent Good Average Needs

Work

Growth – Student met the

objectives, increased their

artistic skill, and applied new

skills in the work.

Creativity and

Craftsmanship –

Student created work

mindful of the art style and

explored innovative or

original ways to solve artistic

problems.

Effort – Student stayed on

task, used materials and

tools with care, and went

beyond the objectives.

Helpfulness – Student was

respectful, cooperative,

aided others without doing

the work for them, and

provided new questions that

advanced classroom

discussion.

Artists

Glen Keane - animator and illustrator; his most notable works

include his character animations of Ariel from The Little Mermaid,

Adam/the Beast from Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin from Aladdin,

Pocahontas from Pocahontas, and Tarzan from Tarzan; he has no

website or any social media profile, however “The Art of Glen Kean”

fan blog (theartofglenkeane.blogspot.com) is a good source for his

works, interviews, and lectures.

Tina Kugler – illustrator and storyboard artist; has published various

children’s books and has worked for companies such as Walt Disney

Studios, Nickelodeon Animation, and Warner Bros. Animation; you

can reach her website at tinakugler.squarespace.com.

Illustrators of Books on Latin@ and Indigenous People Featured in

the School Library – all school libraries vary in their collection of

books so the illustrators feature in the examined books will vary as

well.

Lesson 2: Día de los Muertos Is Not Our

Hallowe’en

Detail of a photograph of a catrina [created by Mexican artisan Emilio

Barocio Jacobo] by Florence Leyret Jeune. Retrieved from artisanos-de-michoacan.tumblr.com/post/44942791114.

Overview

This lesson will primarily focus on the Latin@ sacred holiday Día de

los Muertos and the representations of Latin@ people who

celebrate the holiday. A simple image search on Google is one

indicator on how the holiday, a holiday that traces back to pre-

colonialism and is celebrated among various Latin@ people [and

Filipin@ people] to honor loved ones past, is widely misunderstood

and how its aesthetics are appropriated for Hallowe’en

celebrations, fashion, art, and so on. For this lesson, students will

investigate, deconstruct, and unlearn the misconceptions and

stereotypes of the holiday and the people who celebrate it.

Students will first discuss what they know or what they believe to

know of the holiday and the cultures associated with it. Students will

then have a meeting with an artisan involved in the aesthetics of

Día de los Muertos and have a discussion on the history of the

holiday and its traditions and customs. Afterwards, students will

investigate various representations of Día de los Muertos (from its

cultural context and outside of its cultural context). From what is

learned through these activities, students will write a responsive

essay to the essential questions listed below.

Essential Questions

How do we determine what we’re exposed to in art, television,

movies, books, and so on to be truthful and respectful about all

people? How do we determine that they’re not truthful and

respectful?

How do we know when an element or elements of a culture are

appropriated and turned into something(s) completely different?

What should we do when we realize a visual artwork or any other

media work is not a truthful or respectful representation of a

culture?

How can we represent other cultures in art and other media

respectfully?

Sunshine State Standards

Examine historical and cultural influences that inspire artists and their

work. (VA.5.H.1.1)

Use suitable behavior as a member of an art audience. (VA.5.H.1.2)

Compare works of art on the basis of style, culture, or artist across

time to identify visual differences. (VA.5.H.2.1)

Describe the ways in which artworks and utilitarian objects impact

everyday life. (VA.5.H.2.2)

Lesson Objectives

Students will be introduced to Día de los Muertos and cultural

appropriation.

Students will practice using deconstruction skills and writing skills.

Students will write an essay reflecting knowledge of Día de los

Muertos, cultural appropriation, misconceptions, and stereotypes.

Tools and Materials

Copies of a K W L chart, the essential questions, and the petition

“Walt Disney Company: Stop Trademark of Dia de los Muertos;”

video conference equipment if needed

Introduction

Introduce the lesson by having students fill out the What I Know and

What I Want to Learn sections of a K W L chart on Día de los Muertos

and the cultures that celebrate the holiday. Have a discussion on

their responses. Afterwards, play the short animated film Día de los

Muertos [produced] by Ashley Graham, Kate Reynolds, and Lindsey

St. Pierre (vimeo.com/71853142). Discuss with students how the short

connects or not to their conceptions of the holiday, whether or not

the short was true to the purpose of the holiday, and whether or not

it was respectful of the holiday and cultures that celebrate it.

Details of screencaps of Día de los Muertos.

Process

1. Students will have a conference with an artisan involved with the

aesthetics of Día de los Muertos. (This will either be a classroom

visit or a video conference, depending on the availability of the

artisan.) The artisan will showcase their work and discuss the

history of the holiday and its traditions and customs. Students will

ask appropriate questions that further the conversation on the

holiday and the cultures that celebrate it. Students will begin

filling out the What I Learned section of their K W L charts.

2. Students will be shown various depictions of Día de los Muertos

both in its cultural context and outside of its cultural context.

Specifically, students will investigate images found in Google for

“Dia de los Muertos” (and possibly “Dia de los Muertos lesson”),

samples of José Guadalupe Posada’s artwork, Florence Leyret

Jeune’s photographs of Día de los Muertos observation. Students

will compare and contrast these images along with the artisan’s

works and begin discussing cultural appropriation and how it

reinforces misconceptions and stereotypes. Students will read

the online petition “Walt Disney Company: Stop Trademark of

Dia de los Muertos” (change.org/petitions/walt-disney-

company-stop-trademark-of-dia-de-los-muertos) and discuss

how it connects to common appropriations of the holiday and its

consequences. Students will finish their K W L charts.

Details of José Guadalupe Posada’s works: Alcoholic Calavera, Don’t

Forget Me!, Calavera of the Good Defenders, and Calavera of the Cyclists. Retrieved from moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=4707

Screencap of Google image results for "Dia de los Muertos."

Details of portraitures of those observing Día de los Muertos by Florence

Leyret Jeune. Retrieved from didyouseethewind.com/2013/06/05/la-mort-la-muerte

3. Using their K W L charts, students will write a responsive essay

based on the essential questions. The essay should have 2

paragraphs that have at least 5 sentences each; the first

paragraph should address how to determine when

representations of a culture are truthful or not and how to

determine when a culture is being appropriated (the first

essential questions), while the second paragraph should address

what should be done when representations are not truthful and

how to create representations that are truthful (the last essential

questions).

Assessment

Formative

Students will fill out a K W L chart during the lesson.

Summative

Students’ essays will be assessed using the following rubric:

4 - Strong 3 - Developing 2 - Emerging 1 - Beginning Score

Ideas - Establishes a

clear focus

- Uses

descriptive

language

- Provides

relevant

information

- Communicates

creative ideas

- Develops a focus

Uses some descriptive

language

- Details support idea

- Communicates

original ideas

- Attempts focus

- Ideas not fully

developed

- Lacks focus

and

development

Organization - Establishes a

strong

beginning,

middle and end

- Demonstrates

an orderly flow

of ideas

- Attempts an

adequate introduction

and ending

- Evidence of logical

sequencing

- Some evidence of

a beginning, middle

and end

- Sequencing is

attempted

- Little or no

organization

- Relies on

single idea

Expression - Uses effective

language

- Uses high-level

vocabulary

- Use of

sentence variety

- Diverse word choice

- Uses descriptive words

- Sentence variety

- Limited word

choice

- Basic sentence

structure

- No sense of

sentence

structure

Conventions - Few or no

errors in:

grammar,

spelling,

capitalization,

punctuation

- Some errors in:

grammar, spelling,

capitalization,

punctuation

- Has some difficulty

in: grammar,

spelling,

capitalization,

punctuation

- Little or no

evidence of

correct

grammar,

spelling,

capitalization

or

punctuation

Legibility - Easy to read

- Properly

spaced

- Proper letter

formation

- Readable with some

spacing/forming errors

- Difficult to read

due to spacing/

forming letter

- No

evidence of

spacing/

forming letters

Rubric compiled by Janelle Cox. Retrieved from

k6educators.about.com/od/GradingStudents/a/Writing-rubric.htm

Artists

Ashley Graham, Kate Reynolds, and Lindsey St. Pierre – illustrators,

cartoonists, animators, and recent graduates of the Ringling

College of Art and Design; they have gained recognition for their

senior thesis at Ringling, the award-winning animated short film Dia

de los Muertos; you can reach them respectively at

ashleygrahamart.blogspot.com, katereynoldsart.blogspot.com,

and gloryfeet.blogspot.com.

Artisan – this artisan should be involved with the aesthetics of Día de

los Muertos and be a member of a culture that celebrates it. If you

don’t know of one, get in touch with the local Latin@ community to

find such an artisan.

José Guadalupe Posada – printmaker, illustrator, and cartoonist;

born in 1852 and died in 1913; was a Mexican artist whose work

influenced many Latin@ artists; his work was usually satirical and

political; he is best known for his calaveras (skull/skeleton imagery),

especially La Calavera Garbancera, a print that represented

someone who was ashamed of their indigenous heritage and

assimilated to French culture by dressing in their style and wearing

make up to imitate white skin color; after his death, his work

became associated with Día de los Muertos; you can find more

information and samples of his work at

www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=4707.

Florence Leyret Jeune – photographer; is originally from France but

is based in New York City and Michoacán, Mexico; she focuses on

portraiture and socio-documentary photography and is known for

her portraits of the artisans of Michoacán (artisanos-de-

michoacan.tumblr.com) and her photography on the traditions

and rituals in Michoacán (didyouseethewind.tumblr.com); you can

reach her at didyouseethewind.com.

Lesson 3: Indigenous People and Solidarity

Detail of Giving Thanks for Over 520 Years of Indigenous Resistance by

Melanie Cervantes of Dignidad Rebelde. Retrieved from dignidadrebelde.com/story/view/173.

Overview

In this lesson, students will explore indigenous people and showing

solidarity through art. By now, students have learned how to break

down stereotypes and misconceptions and how to become

informed about different cultures; with this lesson, students will learn

how to help defend the rights of others through art. Firstly, students

will view a Pepper Ann episode called “Dances with Ignorance”

and have a responsive discussion on the possible ways one should

approach a new culture, apologizing when one has perpetuated

stereotypes, and how to fight against the reinforcement of

misconceptions and stereotypes through art. Students will then be

introduced to artists Rini Templeton and Dignidad Rebelde and their

activist art. Students will then research indigenous activists of their

choosing and create drawn and painted portraitures of the

activists. Students will present their portraitures and discuss the

activist of their choosing and their cause. Lastly, the drawn

portraitures will be copied and distributed to organizations and

activists to be utilized for their campaigns in the same way

Templeton distributed her work freely to support causes (this also

applies to Dignidad Rebelde as they have contributed their art for

free in the past).

Essential Questions

What are ways we can show solidarity?

What are ways to bring attention to the marginalization of others?

How can art, television, movies, books, and so on show people in a

truthful and respectful way?

How has art been used to depict people in truthful, respectful, and

supportive ways?

Why should art be used to depict people in truthful, respectful, and

supportive ways?

Sunshine State Standards

Create artworks to depict personal, cultural, and/or historical

themes. (VA.5.S.1.3)

Analyze works of art that document people and events from a

variety of places and times to synthesize ideas for creating artwork.

(VA.5.O.2.1)

Create meaningful and unique works of art to effectively

communicate and document a personal voice. (VA.5.O.3.1)

Discuss artworks found in public venues to identify the significance

of the work within the community. (VA.5.H.2.3)

Lesson Objectives

Students will be introduced to activist art, Rini Templeton, and

Dignidad Rebelde.

Students will practice using drawing and painting techniques.

Students will create art reflecting knowledge of activist art and

portraitures.

Tools and Materials

Sketchbooks; drawing pencils; paintbrushes; tempera paint; white

sulphite paper; copies of a list of indigenous activists

Introduction

Introduce the lesson by playing the episode “Dances with

Ignorance” from the animated series Pepper Ann

(youtu.be/aaClmdcnV1s). Discuss with students how Pepper Ann

should have firstly handled approaching a new culture, how she

worked to redeem herself, and the levels of apologizing when one

has perpetuated or reinforced misconceptions and stereotypes

(acknowledge what was done, apologize without excuses, make

sure to not repeat the action, and advocate against the action).

Extend the discussion by brainstorming on ways one can advocate

against the action and other forms of wrongdoing; towards the end

of the discussion, focus on activist art.

Details of screencaps of the Pepper Ann episode "Dances with

Ignorance."

Process

1. Students will be introduced to activist art, specifically the activist

art of Rini Templeton and Dignidad Rebelde. Students will be

informed of what activist art is, why people create art for little to

no profit, and the various ways activist art has been used.

Students will explore the art of Rini Templeton and Dignidad

Rebelde, focusing on the art they have created in solidarity for

indigenous people and their causes.

Three drawings by Rini Templeton in solidarity for the Zapotec and Navaho

people. Retrieved from www.riniart.org/?s=4&c=20

Detail of Free Hawai’i by Melanie Cervantes of Dignidad Rebelde.

Retrieved from dignidadrebelde.com/story/view/220

2. Students will be given a list of indigenous activists with brief

descriptions. (You can compile a list from

wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Native_Americans%27_rights_activis

ts or elsewhere.) Students will choose whom they desire to

research and represent in their portraitures. Students will be

expected to do their research outside of class.

3. Students will have drawing sessions to prepare for their

portraitures. They will practice facial proportions using this

handout as a guide:

Retrieved from artyfactory.com/portraits/pencil-portraits/proportions-of-a-

head.html

Students will then partner up and draw portraitures of each other

in their sketchbooks without using the guide. Afterwards, students

will be given new partners to practice drawing different physical

features.

4. By now, students have chosen and researched their activists.

Students will first create a simple line drawing of their activist in

sulphite paper. Students will then create a painting of their

activist with tempera paint in sulphite paper.

5. Students will present their portraitures and discuss the activists,

their cause(s), why they desired to show solidarity to the activists

and their cause(s), and their artistic decisions while creating the

portraitures.

6. The drawn portraitures will be copied and distributed to

organizations and activists (local and national) to be utilized for

their campaigns in the same way Templeton distributed her work

freely to support various causes.

Assessment

Formative

During discussions, students will be observed for their

thoughtfulness and critical thinking skills.

Summative

Students’ artworks will be assessed using the following rubric:

Category Excellent Good Average Needs

Work

Growth – Student met the

objectives, increased their

artistic skill, and applied new

skills in the work.

Creativity and

Craftsmanship –

Student created work

mindful of the art style and

explored innovative or

original ways to solve artistic

problems.

Effort – Student stayed on

task, used materials and

tools with care, and went

beyond the objectives.

Helpfulness – Student was

respectful, cooperative,

aided others without doing

the work for them, and

provided new questions that

advanced classroom

discussion.

Artists

Rini Templeton – artist-activist; born in 1935 and died in 1986; worked

in various places but was most active in Mexico and the Southwest

of the United States of America; her bold black-and-white drawings

were distributed unsigned and freely, making her work more widely

known than her name; she contributed her work to Latin@, labor,

feminist, indigenous, and other social justice movements; the Rini

Templeton Memorial Fund was established after her death and you

can reach them at riniart.org.

Dignidad Rebelde – Latin@ collaborative group between artist-

activists Melanie Cervantes and Jesus Barraza; often collaborates

with other artists and organizations; they create vibrant graphics,

prints, and illustrations on various topics such as censorship,

colonialism, genocide, exploitation, classism, racism, xenophobia,

sexism, homophobia, and so on; you can reach them at

dignidadrebelde.com.

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