Change of Heart
(Artistic Alternatives to Violence)

SAMPLE CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES


Curriculum Focus: THE SEPTEMBER 11 WTC ATTACK (JHS,HS)

1. "The Choice Game"—students actively choose: "What do you think is the worst problem about being at war—destruction to the environment, killing people, fear of being killed, the risk of having loved ones killed, security restrictions of personal freedoms, etc. and then verbally communicate the reasons for their choices OR write Monologues—First person accounts (as in a journal entry) of either one’s own feelings, or the feelings of an imagined victim of the attack.

2. Outline the related events that happened before, during and after the attack OR List categories of costs to NYC of the attack, e.g., loss of family income, loss of business income, cost of cleanup, etc. OR List kinds of businesses that have made money because of the attack and its aftermath.

3. "Word poem"—select feeling words or image words based on an emotional experience (the tragedy, terror, war, etc., and write a poem using those words
OR
Write a journalistic article about any aspect of the tragedy and/or its aftermath
OR Orally present Monologues written

4. Design a memorial (an architectural design, a poster, a quilt, etc.) to those who lost their lives in the WTC attack OR Make a photo montage of any aspect of the tragedy itself, or war, or terror, etc.

5. Select recorded theme music for a documentary on the attack, its aftermath, terrorism, patriotism, etc.

6. "Body Transformations" (statues) of feelings experienced (anger, sorrow, outrage, relief, hope, defeat, victory, etc.) OR "Who, What, and Where Games"—improvised movements of characters (policepersons, firefighters, young children, parents, soldiers, etc.)

7. "Choice Game"—students actively choose: "What do you think is the best course of action in response to the attack and its aftermath: live your life as usual; give cash or raise cash contributions to help needy people, collect donations of food, clothing & supplies, volunteer at charitable organizations to help those in need, etc. OR Develop a group creation based on one course of action in response to the attack or its aftermath (improvisational scenes, music or dance concert, art exhibit, etc.

8. Determine categories of what is needed to present a group expression of what has been learned and what is felt about what has been learned (e.g., time, space, costumes, sets, props, getting an audience, etc. OR Devise categories of assessment based on the proposed presentation: accuracy of facts presented, honesty of emotional expression, effectiveness of production, clarity of speech and movement, etc.

9. Write (or improvise), design, produce and present an arts-based culminating event.


Curriculum Focus: THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION (JHS/HS)

1. "The Choice Game"—students actively choose "If you were an American colonist in the 1770’s,What do you feel would be the most compelling reason to revolt against the British government –military occupation of your country, taxation without representation, etc.--and then verbally communicate the reasons for their choices OR Monologues—Imagined first person accounts of either a colonist or a British soldier just prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

2. Outline the relative events that happened before, during and after the signing of the Declaration of Independence OR Write a letter to the First Continental Congress as George Washington, requesting money for the troops at Valley Forge and include a budget.

3. "Word poem"—select feeling words or image words based on an emotional experience the colonists may have had and write a poem using those words OR Write a journalistic article about any news event in the 1770’s and then write a personal letter to someone in a distant town who had not yet heard the news OR Orally present Monologues written.

4. Design uniforms for the Continental army and uniforms for any division of the British army OR Make a photo montage of any aspect of the American Revolution OR Watch the films "The Patriot," or "April Morning" and discuss as a class

5. Listen to recorded music of the Revolutionary period (military songs, dance music and popular music). Discuss what can be learned about the period and the lives of the colonists by their music.

6. "Body Transformations" (statues) of imagined feelings experienced by the colonists (anger, sorrow, outrage, relief, hope, defeat, victory, etc.) OR "Who, What, and Where Games"—improvised movements of characters (British soldiers, young children, parents, businessmen, farmers, officers, etc.)

7. Develop a group creation based on any aspect of colonial life before or during the Revolutionary War (improvisational scenes, music or dance concert, art exhibit, etc.

8. Determine categories of what is needed to present a group expression of what has been learned and what is felt about what has been learned (e.g., time, space, costumes, sets, props, getting an audience, etc. OR Devise categories of assessment based on the proposed presentation: accuracy of facts presented, honesty of emotional expression, effectiveness of promotion, clarity of speech and movement, etc.

9. Write (or improvise), design, produce and present an arts-based culminating event.


Curriculum Focus: ECOLOGY OF THE RAINFOREST
(Elementary Grades)

1. "The Interdependence Game"—students, given the designations of community members (policeperson, firefighter, teacher, parent, etc.) determine that all are equally important as parts of the whole OR Monologues—each student pretends that he or she is a specific member of a community and tells class what he or she gives to the community and what the community gives in return .

2. Outline the different kinds of plants and animals that live in different layers of the rainforest from ground floor to treetops and/or vice versa OR Create charts of food chains and a food web logically explaining how all the plants and animals in a rainforest are interdependent.

3. "Word poem"—select feeling words or image words based on what may happen when a member of a community (or ecosystem) does not fulfill its designated role.
and write a poem using those words OR Write (or dictate) a paragraph about an example of a community not fulfilling his/her/its role (e.g., a child not doing its chores, a grocery store running out of an essential product, an animal changing its diet, etc.)

4. Design costumes and/or masks of various animals in a rainforest—to be worn by children OR Make a photo montage of any aspect of the rainforest OR Watch the film "Ferngully…The Last Rainforest" and discuss as a class OR Draw or construct a model of a rainforest (emphasizing the various layers of a rainforest

5. Listen to recorded sounds of a rainforest (animal sounds, wind through the trees, etc.) Then reproduce these sounds vocally OR Construct and use a "rainstick"
OR
Listen to recordings of rainforest native Indians.

6. "Machine Game"—students construct a working machine with their machine with their bodies, demonstrating the interconnection of parts OR "Organism Game"—students work together to develop an interconnected plant organism, using their bodies and demonstrating the effects of external forces (heat, cold, rain, drought, etc.)

7. Develop a group creation based on any aspect of the rainforest community (improvisational scenes, music or dance concert, art exhibit, etc.

8. Determine categories of what is needed to present a group expression of what has been learned and what is felt about what has been learned (e.g., time, space, costumes, sets, props, getting an audience, etc. OR Devise categories of assessment based on the proposed presentation: accuracy of facts presented, honesty of emotional expression, effectiveness of promotion, clarity of speech and movement, etc.

9. Write (or improvise), design, produce and present an arts-based culminating event.

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