Funding sponsored by:

www.qad.com

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Click here to view the project resources.

Project Description: Using technology and art, students integrate history and civic responsibility, not only learning from the past, but considering their roles in the present and future. Building upon classroom history lessons learned to date, as well as Rob Shetterly s artwork, Americans Who Tell the Truth, for inspiration, children & their families review and discuss his work on-line for homework, through Moodle. They then collaborate with their classmates in an online thread discussing their own observations and truths about life. After they create their own to-scale portrait with oil pastel, children scan in their portraits, then use Photoshop to add one of their truths to the portrait. All digital truth portraits are then compiled into a book as well as into a traveling mural to inspire others to take personal responsibility. Through this project, students use technology to research, collaborate and discuss, digitally image and create. Appropriate for grades 5-12.

How it works: After US History discussions in terms of how the teller's perspective can color the "truth," students brainstorm examples as a class. The teacher uses an LCD projector and large screen to present Rob Shetterley's artwork/portraits, "Americans Who Tell the Truth," from his website www.americanswhotellthetruth.org, discussing a few highlighted Americans. Students review and discuss these portraits with their families through the class Moodle website. This allows for the values/perceptions of the family to be shared, thus involving parents back in their child s education. In another session, continuing with topic of perspective and truth, students brainstorm their own truths about life and their role in it, beginning from an egocentric perspective to a global one. During homework, students record and share their "truths" through a collaborative online forum. After both class AND family discussion, students choose one of the American portrait individuals from Rob Shetterley s body of work for an internet mini-research report, which they present to the class on self-narrated Power Point slides, while the audience takes notes and critiques. Students then create oil pastel self-portraits, and after scanning them, they Photoshop their truth onto their portrait, all of which are later presented in a large school and community mural.

Assessment: A variety of assessment tools, both formal and informal, are used throughout this multi-week unit, including checklists; rubrics for power point project, research, oil pastel portraits and writing assessment; and anecdotal records covering class discussion and participation as well on online forum participation.

Standards: Social Studies: Perspectives-US History, Social & Civic Responsibility
Language Arts: Informational text, main idea, supporting details, incorporating technology, persuasive essay, listening, speaking
Art: creative expression, criticism, history, aesthetic, connections
Technology: presentation (scanner, Power Point, LCD projector), digital imaging (Photoshop, iPhoto), collaboration-online communication, research (Moodle, forums-discussion threads, internet), word processing

Estimated Number of Class Periods for Students To Complete Unit:  10 or more

Software or Materials Used:

Internet connection
digital camera or scanner
LCD projector
laptop
computer lab
Microsoft Office Power Point of Keynote
Adobe Photoshop
iPhoto (or similar)
Moodle - interactive class website
color photo stylus printer

Keywords: 

U.S. History
American History
Perspectives on history
Truths
Self Portraits
personal responsibility
global responsibility
student online collaboration
American biographies
Rob Shetterley
American quotes
American Children quotes
Americans Who Told the Truth
American Children Tell the Truth

The Students: This unit is appropriate for any grade where U.S. History is a focus. I taught a class of 30 students of varying abilities. After teaching how to use the Moodle website, almost all students were able to complete the homework and contribute in the forum. I met with one family to teach Internet use. Class discussion groups were small before becoming whole group. I partnered strong readers with English Language Learners where needed during reading of online research. The "truths" definitely reveal varying knowledge and abilities, but ALL students grasped the concepts taught in art, technology and writing.

Overall Value: The value of this unit is its timelessness, in terms of both content and critical thinking. Even if technology changes, the basic principles of bias, perspective, and truth are valuable and timely at any age. This unit uses technology in a meaningful way: 1.) as a method to obtain and interpret knowledge, both written and unwritten, and 2.) as a way to express knowledge and collaborate as a community or in presentation form. The collaboration on-line allows more success for students with less background or language than they might feel in classroom discussions, and allows them to learn and participate without shame for their lack of advantage. They learn from their peers in private, and in turn, feel confident in their abilities to contribute. Integrated, meaningful learning translates into better cognitive understanding and personal application. Bringing the family together in homework rather than pushing paper and pencil; priceless.

Subject Area: Social_Studies, Arts

Grade Levels: Grades 5-11

Tips for the Teacher:

1. Useful URL of Rob Shetterley's portraits:
http://www.americanswhotellthetruth.org/

2. TEACH how to use the class website forums, and give them a chance to practice one before they go home and do it for homework.