Michael Moriarty

Art 1: Down Through The Generations

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Students begin this unit by viewing and discussing the works of Jacob Lawrence. By learning about Lawrence's "Migration Series" students see how a large narrative involving many subjects can be conveyed. While the visual style of Lawrence is simplistic in the series it does not lessen the impact or the importance of the stories being told.

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Students then write about their own families history and experiences. Students choose one of their stories to turn into a piece that uses similar strategies to Lawrence. Students use paper that was painted by the whole class to create their pieces. The result makes the finished product appear as though it is a painting when the construction is closer to a collage.