VTS II Blog Topic 5

Image #2

Louis Lang    Return of the 69th (Irish) Brigade, N.Y.S.M., From the Seat of War

My focus group is comprised of Stage 1-1½ viewers.  Tears came to my eyes when I realized just how closely my students identified with this image: the joy of reuniting with a loved one, the grief over the loss of or physical injury to a loved one, war, weapons, patriotism, celebration - for my military students, these are very real components of their everyday life. Being the storytellers that they are, and having the memories / personal associations, it was easy for them to step into this scene.

The discussion was robust, with many hands in the air at all times. Nearly every student participated. There is so much action taking place in Lang's piece, so many little side stories, initially I wondered if there were too many details. However, a few minutes into VTS, I felt like I had made an excellent choice. Students 'read' the side stories and then pieced them into the narrative.

Students understand that the big idea of our unit is 'Story'. I hoped this detail filled painting would allow them to see the importance of detail in the development of a narrative.

The group was sad when I closed the VTS session. There was speculation on the part of one child that this scene was Pearl Harbor, while another student said they felt it was the civil war time period. I asked where they might learn more, and students offered the choices of 'Look it up on Google' (at which my high functioning autistic student repeated 'Google it, Google it, Google it about twenty times.) and  to look for a book in the library.

We haven't begun the artmaking part of this unit, though I am worried I'll have a mutiny on my hands if we don't begin soon! (So far the promise that this will be a CLAY project is keeping them from complaining too much.) I think this image further reinforces the idea of telling a specific story through the creation of art.

I would definitely use this image again!