High School

Katherine S., Freedom in the Wind.

The Essential Question
How can art communicate the importance of democracy?

Objective
Students will reflect on symbolism and learn about different printmaking strategies.

Materials
linoleum block, printmaking ink, carving tools, gel printing plate, tempera/acrylic paint

Procedures
1. Encourage students to learn about contemporary artists who create work that inspires democracy.
2. Ask students to brainstorm what democracy means to them by talking with their peers and participating in a class discussion.
3. After coming up with images and symbols that represent democracy and using their own photos or photos in the public domain as inspiration, students will draw and carve an image out of a linoleum block to be used for printing.
4. Have students work on their backgrounds by creating multiple monoprints on the gel printing plate with background colors and patterns that enhance their symbolism and meaning.
5. After printing their carved linoleum block image onto their backgrounds, students should choose the best print and write an artist statement describing their work and how it symbolizes democracy.
Extension: Use the images during a voter registration campaign for high-school seniors or in conjunction with history or social studies crosscurricular activities.

Assessment
Students share their work and read their artist statements to their classmates.

Colleen Lam is a visual arts teacher at Edgewater Elementary School in Edgewater, Colorado.