This resource was created by Michele Barcelona, in collaboration with Lynn Bowder, as part of ESU2's Mastering the Arts project. This project is a four year initiative focused on integrating arts into the core curriculum through teacher education and experiential learning.

This is the first lesson in a sequential unit. Students consider the ways that sculptors have represented concepts and ideals as symbolic forms in three dimensions. They compare historical examples to those in contemporary culture, and begin sketching designs for their own symbolic sculpture.

This lesson is part of a sequential unit. Students use criteria developed in class to evaluate which of their own sketches would make the best symbolic sculpture. They choose a final design, techniques and materials, and create sculptures based on their designs.

This lesson is part of a sequential unit. Students participate in a class critique of the symbolic sculptures they created. They critique the work of their peers by responding to questions about the symbolic content and applying criteria for sculpture developed in Lesson 1.

Franz von Stuck, The Sin, 1893 (Neue Pinakothek, Munich) Speakers: Dr. Beth Harris & Dr. Steven Zucker. Created by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker.

Symbolism in Indian ArtThis course encourages students to explore and understand the symbolic elements of design in Indian Art.. painting, sculpture, architecture.indian symbolsculptureof nataraja https://www.google.co.in/search?q=symbols+in+indian+sculptures&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjR74TN9MnVAhWBNSYKHTVUDPoQ_AUICigB&biw=1440&bih=794#imgrc=QdgjlIQcdT-SbM:Indian miniature paintings: viewDIY 

This lesson uses images and the "I See...and I Wonder" strategy to get students thinking about the bigger concepts that objects might represent.  Students often see symbols as mere objects with only a face value because of the speed with which they encounter them.  However, if we can encourage students to take more time to study an object, other concepts or meanings can come to light.This lesson uses images as an entry point to symbolism because they are less threatening than literature.  The images provided are a starting place, but feel free to remix and use your own images.   

This lesson uses images and the "I See...and I Wonder" strategy to get students thinking about the bigger concepts that objects might represent.  Students often see symbols as mere objects with only a only face value because of the speed with which they encounter them.  However, if we can encourage students to take more time to study an object, other concepts or meanings can come to light.This lesson uses images as an entry point to symbolism because they are less threatening than literature.  The images provided are a starting place, but feel free to remix and use your own images. This journaling activity is about writing (and discussing) to learn.  It can be graded or just formative.  Either way, items to assess would include:Do students really dig into the details, both large and small?Are they being thorough "readers" of the image in the quality of their "wondering"?  There is no length requirement, but the timer recommendations do communicate an expectation that responses to be more than just a sentence or two or a very brief list.For task 2, do students begin to make some interpretive claims?  Are those claims valid?  Are they grounded in the details?If students are struggling to make interpretive claims that make sense with the image, back up and do another image in small groups that might allow more modeling, deeper thinking prompts, or even questioning the students to better understand their interpretations.If students are successful with the images, transition to a short peice of text like a poem.  Students can use the same process of "I See...and I Wonder."  The Task 2 questions can be slightly modified to apply to text rather than image.

Met curator Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen on transience in Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Hair Ornament, c. 1904. Created by The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Professor Kate Rushin describes the Harlem Renaissance as a large social and cultural movement fueled by many factors in this video from A Walk Through Harlem.