In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding, educators across the country are examining how to foster meaningful classroom conversations around national identity, civics, and history. The following lesson plan emerges from the thinking of young people on the topic of patriotism within Volume 26 of PLATO’s Questions: Philosophy for Young People Journal.

• Area: History and Social Studies, Literature/Language Arts, Social & Political Philosophy, Aesthetics, Civics, Art History
  
• Grade Level: High School & Beyond
  
• Topic: Patriotism, National Identity

Lesson Plan Overview:

This inquiry-based lesson plan uses artwork to help students critically analyze how visual culture constructs, reinforces, or subverts concepts of loyalty, national borders, and historical memory. Educators are invited to modify this lesson plan using artwork that is already within their curriculum or better suited for their school contexts. 

Central Question: What national symbol or historical narrative is the artist exploring through their artwork? How do they do this?

Warm Up: (5 minutes) 

• Ask students to list symbols, colors, or images they associate with patriotism (Patriotism looks like…). 
• Ask students to generate a list of words (one word or short phrase) that capture patriotism (A patriotic person is…).

Gallery Walk or Artwork Stations: (20 minutes)

• Divide students into groups of 4-6, where each group is assigned one of the three artworks (Muir, Kim, Kaphar).
• Students spend time examining the visual details of the artwork and it’s connection to the topic of patriotism and national loyalty.
  • What do you notice first? (symbols, colors, objects)
  • How does this artwork re-imagine or alter common objects/symbols?
  • What is your “takeaway” from this artwork? What is the artist trying to communicate (message or question)?
    • Encourage students to use the lists generated in the warm up to help their discussion
• If extending this lesson, groups can rotate artworks so that each group spends time with each artwork)

(Optional) – Whole Class Share: (15 minutes)

• Invite each group to briefly (3 minutes) present their artwork by providing their group’s analysis.

Group Inquiry Discussion: (20 – 40 minutes)

• Ask the class to generate a list of inquiry questions that emerged from their experience with the artworks. The class should then select one question to focus on for their discussion. The teacher will then facilitate the student-centered inquiry.
  • If time does not permit, the teacher may offer a list of possible questions for the class to vote on so that there is more time spent discussing (than generating questions)
  • The teacher may choose to spend this time only on generating questions and find another class period (or assignment structure) for students to engage with the question(s).

(Optional) – Art Making Activity: (20 minutes)

• Invite students to create their own artwork (using any medium of choice) that explores a concept related to patriotism. Students can be invited to describe an artwork they would create given time, expertise, and resources, if art-making is not possible.
  • Encourage students to use the ideas explored in the group’s inquiry discussion as inspiration.