American Literature

Captain J. Kopacz

 

Project: Building a Memorial

 

We have been studying the rights of the people: racial, ethnic, gender, sexual preference, and handicapped. This project will require you to research more about events that have occurred in American History and then create a memorial that will commemorate people which have had an impact on their societies.

 

You may be able to visualize memorials in Sarasota, such as John and Mable Ringling, Spanish Pointe, and others throughout Sarasota. Other memorials focus on events. There is a memorial to the Civil Right movement on Montgomery, Alabama, and one to the Holocaust in Boston, Massachusetts, for example.

 

In developing your memorial, consider the following:

Think about memorials with which you are familiar. Why do they strike you? How do they touch their audience? What are they made of?  What do they memorialize? What is their purpose?

 

Think about the different kinds of expression available to you for this project: sculpture, painting, children’s book, quilt, song with musical instrument, pictures and music powerpoint. Choose the expression which fits your talents and best represents that which you are memorializing. Think of the appropriate symbols.

 

I.                    Planning the Project: Before you begin the construction of your memorial, you must answer the following questions. Typed or written in cursive with pen. (20 points)

  1. What are you remembering
  2. What mood am I trying to create? What is the message of the memorial?
  3. How do the materials and symbols I use convey the intended message?
  4. Why is it being remembered? Is it meant to preserve history? Is it meant to teach a lesson for the future? Due Date: May 1, 2007

 

II.                 Building and Construction: (20 points)

  1. Develop a sketch of the plans before actually creating memorial.  You should have a clear sense of why you are choosing particular materials. You must have questions handed in before building and construction outline is handed in to teacher. Due Date: May 7th, 2007

 

III.               Presentation: (40 points memorial, 10 points reflection)

  1. Students will showcase and present their memorials.
  2. Students will be required to write/type a one-paged “artist’s statement” about their experience designing and constructing the memorials. This is a thoughtful reflection Due Date: May 14th

 

IV Completion of task: (10 points on time, -10 every day late)

1. Students will complete the memorial on its due date, as well as other due dates from each section.

Suggested American History Topics:

The drafting of the Bill of Rights

The forced removal of the Cherokee Nation

Women Workers in the 19th century New England textile industry

Reconstruction in the post-Civil War South

The Pullman Strike

Immigration restrictions

Child Labor regulations

The temperance movement

Women’s suffrage

Civil Disobedience Movement

The Japanese Internments

Desegregation of the US Military

The Rights of the Homeless

The Rights of the Handicapped

The Harlem Renaissance

The Alamo

 

 

Other interests may be approved by Captain Kopacz.