Visual Analysis: Art in Public Places

In this lesson, students learn about Hawai‘i specific climate change through visual analysis of public art and create a walking tour in their local community.

Step 1 - Inquire: Students learn about the impact of climate change in Hawai‘i and explore artwork about climate change.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students visit and analyze local public art that tells the story of environmental impacts in Hawai‘i.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students design a local walking tour that includes public art, climate change impacts, and solutions.

Positives

• This lesson aligns with Hawai'i's Nā Hopena A'o HĀ-BREATH Framework.

• Students explore their neighborhood and the world around them by going outside.

• Students express choice and voice in identifying artwork and solutions.

• Students are exposed to a range of ways to respond creatively to the climate crisis.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should have some familiarity with climate change but can also watch this refresher on climate change and solutions.

• Students need devices and access to the Internet to research climate change and view the artworks in the virtual galleries.

• In order to take the in-person class field trip, it may be necessary to arrange transportation and permission from the school.

Differentiation

• This lesson can be paired with SubjectToClimate’s Climate Heroes unit.

• Art teachers can combine this lesson with the study of the mural "A Hui Hou."

• This lesson can be spread out over several days, with the Investigate and Inspire sections each taking one or two days.

• The lesson can be shortened by focusing only on virtual tours in the Investigate section.

• There are many places to take a class on a field trip.

• On O‘ahu:

• Kaimukī utility boxes and wall art

• Kaka'ako murals

• Hawaii Kai - Kalanianaole Highway Mural

• Kalihi & Palama Hawai'i Walls 2023

• On Maui:

• Wailuku Town murals

• Wailuku Murals (Sea Walls)

• Lahaina Mural Art

• On Hawai’i Island:

• Hilo Street Art

• Kailua-Kona Mural
• Other possible murals include Vanishing Murals

Students will learn ways to use art to illustrate the effects of climate change in Hawai'i in this lesson. One of the best ways to explain climate science and to deal with extreme climatic conditions like sea level rise, unpredictable and heavy rains, greater temperatures, etc. in Hawai'i, is through art. We fact-checked the instructional materials, and this lesson passed our examination of the science.

Primary Standards

• Common Core English Language Arts Standards (CCSS.ELA)
  • Reading: Literature (K-12)
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.7 Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden's "Musée des Beaux Arts" and Breughel's Landscape with the Fall of Icarus).
  • Writing (K-12)
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
• National Core Arts Standards
  • Media Arts: Standard 6 - Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.
    • MA:Pr6.1.IIa Curate and design the presentation and distribution of collections of media artworks through a variety of contexts, such as mass audiences, and physical and virtual channels.
  • Media Arts: Standard 8 - Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
    • MA:Re8.1.IIIa Analyze the intent, meanings and impacts of diverse media artworks, considering complex factors of context and bias.