American Visions
The PBS series AMERICAN VISIONS is
an exploration of American History through its artwork. An eight-part series
hosted by art critic Robert Hughes, it premiered on PBS in the Spring of 1997.
The companion AMERICAN VISIONS Web site on Thirteen has a wealth of resources
including artwork, photographs, and thought-provoking commentary by Hughes.
wNetSchool brings you original lesson plans and reviews of selected social
studies sites, to help you use the AMERICAN VISIONS programs and online content
in your classroom.
Link to Thirteen's AMERICAN VISIONS
Site.
Check out TIME Magazine's AMERICAN VISIONS Teacher Guide.
Order the AMERICAN VISIONS videos to use in your classroom.
Original Lesson Plans
- Gotta Be
Me, Grades 2-6.
Using online content from the AMERICAN VISIONS episode
entitled "The Promised Land," students examine the importance of individual and
group identity in framing the way people see the world. Students create
self-portraits, design a model society, and write essays.
-
Hard Times, Soft Sell, Grades 9-12.
Students explore the social,
political, and artistic climate of the Great Depression. They conduct surveys and
interviews, and create and publish a variety of media about the Depression.
-
Memorials and Meaning: Connecting to the Past, Grades 5-8.
Students
explore the historical and cultural meaning of memorials, with a focus on works
and structures eulogizing the American Civil War. Using a variety of resources,
students also investigate how the Civil War impacted their community.
-
Streamlines and Breadlines, Grades 9-12.
Students learn about the growth
and development of U.S. cities from 1920 to 1940. Students write an essay
comparing two contrasting images from this time period.
-
The Immigrant Experience in America, Grades 5-8.
Students learn about
immigration, Ellis Island, and tenement life from 1890 to 1924. Students conduct
online research and write an essay about immigrant life.
American
Memory, Grades 5-12.
Students can browse through dozens of multimedia
exhibits of the holdings of the Library of Congress from all eras in American
History.
- Ellis Island,
Grades 5-12.
This site explains the history, significance, and processes of
Ellis Island. Past and present photographs of Ellis Island, its immigrants, and
its employees are integrated throughout. Most worthwhile are the dozens of sound
recordings throughout the site.
- National
Archives and Records Administration, Grades 5-12.
Students can explore
online exhibits of American-history-related multimedia and a searchable database
of government documents and media; lesson plans are provided in an area for
educators.
