Michigan Content Standards:

English Language Arts Writing:

1. 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.

 

English Language Arts Comprehension and Collaboration:

1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.

 

Common Core standards:

English Language Arts

1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.

2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.

 

Materials:

Paper/pen/pencil

Magazines for collaging

Glue or glue sticks

Ability to show videos

 

Introduction:  In a petition to institute a race relations course in high schools, Vinay Konuru wrote, “Real change can only happen by means of integration- building a sense of understanding, breaking down misconceptions, and constructing a baseline of trust and respect among students of varying backgrounds.” Using primary source materials, this lesson plan asks students to delve into their own place in the world, how they influence others, and how they cope when things are tough. Through poetry, narrative writing, and visual arts, students will express their own realities and do the real work of listening and empathizing with others while building their own resiliency skills.

 

Introductory Activity:

Day One:

Using the Ralph Ellison handout, attached, read the overview of the novel Invisible Man.

Discuss the novel’s meaning and how it applies to the students in your class or to yourself as a teacher.

 

Review the quotes from Invisible Man attached. Have students work in pairs and choose a quotation from the list. Have them discuss when there was a time they felt invisible. Can they find one quote that both in the pair respond to? Each of them then writes a one-page description of the event and how they felt. In describing the events, they should use full sentences, correct punctuation, etc. Then they share their work with the class. Finally, create a short video on your phone where the two of you discuss your project. Share the videos with the class.

 

Day Two:

Using the Ralph Ellison handout, reread the overview of the novel Invisible Man.

Discuss last class’ work and what impact it had on the students. What did they learn?

Ellison’s novel was written in 1952. But artists of all sorts are still experiencing these feelings now.

 

In 2016, poet Claudia Rankine presented a reading of her poetry at Marygrove College. She also had a focus on this feeling of being invisible.

 

Show video 1. Click here)

After discussing this, ask students if they have ever made someone feel invisible? Why? How did it make them feel?

 

Choose another one of the quotes from Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man and write a poem about this. Share with students.

 

Day Three:

Recap/summarize the last two days: what impact it had on the students? What did they learn?

Remember Claudia Rankine and her presentation. Claudia Rankine has another observation about invisibility. Show video 2.

Do you understand what she is discussing? The idea of having a second skin? Or being “another person”? Ask students to discuss this concept and give examples.

 

The artist, Nick Cave, is a well-known visual artist who creates what he calls “Sound Suits.” Let’s listen to what he says was the driving force of these suits. (Play one or both of these interviews.)

Nick Cave Interview  (short—2:48 minutes)

: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6cG5wYxRcw

 

Nick Cave Interview (long—13:17 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndvl8L_a72A

 

Discuss what was said and review the Nick Cave handout.

Working in pairs or alone, have students collage or draw on the paper cutout, or sew a Sound Suit that portrays their feelings.

 

If time, make life-size outlines of a person and have students collage the large size pieces.

 

Summarizing:

Retell the activities:

What is the main theme of the Rankine video?

What is the main theme of the Cave video?

Does this apply to you and this society?

How do you make people invisible?

How does your second skin help you in coping with tough situations?

 

Extensions:

Have students create longer videos and edit them.

Read chapters of Ellison’s Invisible Man and write reports.

Read more of Claudia Rankine’s work/watch full video in Marygrove Collection.

Have students create real Sound Suits using materials and objects.