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Lesson Plans


Re: Romare Bearden

From: Maggie White (mwhiteaz)
Date: Tue Feb 01 2000 - 18:57:10 PST

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    Teri Mason wrote:

    > Hey Gang,
    > I want to do a Romare Bearden style collage with my 5th graders for
    > African American History month. What I am wondering is how to get them
    > started, as in the subject of the collage. I don't want a bunch of mag
    > pictures slapped onto the paper with no focus. However, I am having a
    > hard time coming up with my own subject for an example, so I know they
    > will have trouble.

    Teri,

    Even my HS students have had trouble with collage. The most successful
    project, which they did after viewing Bearden's work, was to conjure up a
    special memory or person in their lives. These have often been the most
    moving works they've done. It seems to help if they start with large areas of
    a good colored paper, like Fadeless, and add magazine cut-out details. I tell
    them to look for symbolic shapes and colors. They may also enhance the
    collage with drawing, which makes them feel a little less frustrated, I think;
    they can draw details in if they can't find appropriate magazine pix.

    Scholastic Art had a great issue on Bearden several years ago. And, there's
    a great video on him, too ("Visual Jazz"?). He was also a jazz musician
    during the Harlem Renaissance era. The video would probably be over your
    kids' heads, but it does show him working on his collages.

    Maggie 

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