LESSON PLAN ā¢ CREATIVE LAB
The Artist: Creative Civic Expression
Students explore how artists use visual storytelling to raise public awareness, then design an art installation or performance about an issue in their own community.
Students Will
- Analyze how a film uses images to make an argument
- Consider an issue from several perspectives
- Collaborate on a creative project
- Practice artistic expression
- Write an artist’s statemen
- Present their work to an audience
- Apply what they learn to their own community
Preparation
Select 1 to 4 films about art as a tool for civic expression. Use the films below, or search “art” in the SIMA Academy library. Review the examples in Step 3 and decide which art forms you will show.
AT A GLANCE
FOR
High school and higher education (art, design, communications)
TIME
Two class periods, plus project time depending on the installation’s scope
FORMAT
Small groups of 4 to 6
FILMS
1 to 4 films. Suggested films are listed below.
YOU’LL NEED
SIFT worksheet; materials for the installation; a location with permission to display
SUGGESTED DISCERNMENT LENSES
Construction and Engagement
Step 1: Inspiration. Art and public life
Open with a discussion:
- What is art for? Decoration, personal expression, public commentary, or something else?
- Can you think of a mural, poster, song, or performance that changed how people in a community saw an issue?
- How can art be a form of civic expression?
Step 2: Watch the films
Before viewing, introduce The Discernment Protocol. For this lesson, we suggest emphasizing the Construction lens: how do images, sound, and pacing shape what we feel? Students can also use the SIFT Worksheet to record sensations, images, feelings, and thoughts.
Screen the films. After each one, give students time to discuss their reactions as a class or in small groups. Then read the filmmaker Q&A: what choices did the filmmaker make, and why?
Tip: This reflection is where students make an emotional connection to the issue through the storytelling.
Step 3: Plan an installation
Ask students to name issues that matter in their school, neighborhood, or town. Students form groups of 4 to 6 around the issue that interests them most. Each group brainstorms an art installation or performance that makes a statement about that issue.
Show a few art forms for inspiration:
- Shepard Fairey’s Obey Giant exhibitions (poster and street art)
- Amina Iro and Hannah Halpern’s Common Ground slam poem (spoken word)
- Art Sphere’s community mural (public mural)
Once the concept takes shape, each group writes an action plan that includes:
- A full description of the installation or performance
- A timeline, including any related events and when the installation will come down
- A role for each group member, with tasks and deadlines
- A location, with permission granted
- A list of materials and where they will come from
Each group writes an artist’s statement describing the work, the motive behind it, and what they hope viewers take away.
Tip: Consider connecting the projects to a school event or a UN international day.
Step 4: Share the work
Groups present their installation, artist’s statement, and concept to the class. Photograph or film the installations and performances to share with the school and community. This documentation is also useful for a Changemaker Award application.
Take it further
Groups install their work in the school or a public space, with all required permissions, so the community can see it. Invite a local reporter to cover the pop-up exhibition.
Optional extension: free expression. If your students’ projects take the form of public demonstration, discuss the difference between free speech and hate speech, and the rights and responsibilities of public expression where you live. Resources: UNESCO on hate speech; for US classrooms, ACLU: Know Your Rights.
For higher education: run the installation as a public campus exhibition, with the artist’s statement as the written assessment.
Suggested films
Browse all SIMA Academy films. Go behind the scenes with the filmmaker Q&A.
ā CHANGEMAKER AWARD
Students, educators, and institutions who take their learning further can apply for the SIMA Changemaker Award.
Standards Alignment
Global competence: OECD PISA Global Competence; Asia Society Center for Global Education.
Common Core (US):
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1: Participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.2: Write informative and explanatory texts.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.5: Make strategic use of digital media in presentations.
International Baccalaureate: MYP: Arts; Individuals and Societies; Language and Literature. DP: Visual Arts; Film; CAS.
