Lesson 1 - LearningThroughMuseums

● Advance Preparation
• Prepare to display the reproduction of Harvest Talk in the classroom for student viewing.
• Review the Background Information section of this lesson about Harvest Talk.
● Vocabulary
compare
culture
diversity
evidence
scythe
● Procedure
1. Provide background information about Harvest Talk that you think is relevant for the students
to interpret it. Include the information about the context—that it shows two workers
sharpening a scythe, or curved blade, which they use to cut the tall grasses in the field at
harvest time. Explain to them that this was painted during a time in America when African
Americans were fighting for their civil rights and facing discrimination.
2. Ask students what they think the two workmen might have said to one another, or what their
talk might have been about.
3. Ask students to use the Inferring Values organizer to identify values represented by Harvest
Talk.
4. Then discuss with the students the values they inferred. Accept any values that students
identify with evidence, and emphasize that an artwork can communicate different values to
different people.
5. If the students do not suggest it, then explain that this artwork also is about the dignity of work.
Tell students that the dignity of work was the main idea that Charles White wanted to
communicate through the artwork. Ask them to identify evidence of that value in the work.
6. Explain that you are pointing out the dignity of work as a value to show that some values are
shared by different cultures since they saw the same value in The Weaver.
Days 3–4: Core Values
● Time Allotment
two days, 45 minutes each day (or two, 45-minute segments on one day)
● Materials
• Reproduction of The Child’s Bath, 1893
Materials for each student:
Copy of Inferring Values organizer (optional)
Copy of Picturing Values organizer
Copy of Writing to Communicate Values organizer
Colored Pencils (optional for Picture Values organizer)
Art Institute of Chicago • 99