Teaching Texas History with Art

Look in any social studies textbook and you will find reproductions of works of art – paintings, sculptures, and other works that tell stories of the past in visual form. Artists and photographers have captured both momentous and less important events of their time and made them accessible through the visual language of art. Through investigations of historical artworks, we can share in emotional dramas of the past, investigate different perspectives on historical events, explore the context of historical artworks, and compare the past with the present.

Pam Stephens and Nancy Walkup, Bridging the Curriculum through Art, Crystal Productions.

Yesterday I presented in Kilgore, Texas, at the regional service center for a Texas history workshop on connections between art and Texas history. I thought I would share my process for developing my presentation.

When I taught elementary art, I had my 4th graders use Texas concepts and ideas (native Texas animals, plants, birds, environments, architecture, etc.) as subject matter for many of their projects, so connecting with social studies was not a new idea for me.

The first thing I did was to look up the state objectives for social studies for grades 4 and 7, the grades in which Texas history is taught. Below you will see highlighted in red the concepts that I thought would best connect with art and (my bias) might best be taught through art. I believe that using art images (whatever the subject) as a focus is more engaging and memorable to students and that there are many meaningful connections to be found between art and other subjects.

§113.615. Social Studies, Grade 4

(1) In Grade 4, students examine the history of Texas from the early beginnings to the present within the context of influences of North America. Historical content focuses on Texas history, including the Texas Revolution, establishment of the Republic of Texas, and subsequent annexation to the United States. Students discuss important issues, events, and individuals of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Students conduct a thorough study of regions in Texas and North America resulting from human activity and from physical features. The location, distribution, and patterns of economic activities and settlement in Texas further enhance the concept of regions. Students describe how early American Indians in Texas and North America met their basic economic needs. Students identify motivations for European exploration and colonization and reasons for the establishment of Spanish settlements and missions. Students explain how American Indians governed themselves and identify characteristics of Spanish colonial and Mexican governments in Texas… Students identify the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups to Texas and describe the impact of science and technology on life in the state…  

(2) To support the teaching of the essential knowledge and skills, the use of a variety of rich primary and secondary source material such as documents, biographies, novels, speeches, letters, poetry, songs, and artworks is encouraged. Where appropriate, local topics should be included. Motivating resources are available from museums, historical sites, presidential libraries, and local and state preservation societies.

(b) (19) Culture. The student understands the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups to Texas. The student is expected to:

(A) identify the similarities and differences among various racial, ethnic, and religious groups in Texas;

(B) identify customs, celebrations, and traditions of various cultural, regional, and local groups in Texas such as Cinco de Mayo, Oktoberfest, the Strawberry Festival and Fiesta San Antonio;

§113.2319. Social Studies, Grade 7

In Grade 7, students study the history of Texas from early times to the present. Content is presented with more depth and breadth than in Grade 4.

I shared these with my participants, along with some websites I thought are particularly rich in images and educational materials. These included Resources for Teaching Texas History, Picturing America

Amon Carter Museum of American Art, and the Sid Richardson Museum. Then I passed out a number of large reproductions of artworks related to Texas in some way and we completed and discussed the following art-based activities.

Sticky Note Inquiry

Distribute large art reproductions, one each for every group of three to five students. Give each group a stack of sticky notes and ask that one person in each group be in charge of writing on the notes. Ask students to collaboratively list as many words as they can that are suggested by the image. It is easiest to start with descriptive words and then think about words that are more interpretive or concerned with meaning. Students should write one word or phrase on each sticky note and attach them to the edges of the reproduction (they should not cover up the image). Then ask students to collaborate on writing a paragraph that uses some of the vocabulary generated.

Venn Diagram Compare and Contrast Inquiry

Give each small group of three to five students a paper printout of a large Venn diagram and two art reproductions that are appropriate to compare and contrast. Where the Venn diagram overlaps, students write words or phrases for the characteristics the two artworks share. On each outside section, students write differences between each artwork. For example, compare Charles Russell’s The Scout, with Frederick Remington’s The Puncher.

Illustrated Letters

Have students read some of Charles Russell’s illustrated letters letters and then ask each student to assume a persona in Texas history and write and illustrate a letter from his/her point of view. Cowboy Charlie: The Story of Western artist Charles M. Russell by Jeanette Winter, 1995, is recommended for elementary students and Charles M. Russell, Word Painter; Letters, 1887-1926, 1993, is appropriate for all ages. 

Georgia O'Keeffe's West Texas Days

Before Georgia O'Keeffe became famous as an artist, she was an art teacher in West Texas near Palo Duro Canyon. (Supposedly she brought in a pony to stand on a table so her students could draw it.) Have students investigate closely drawings and watercolors O'Keeffe created during her time in Texas and have them write interpretive poems about them, such as acrostics or cinquains. (There are many wonderful children's books about O'Keeffe to share with your students, such as My Name is Georgia: A Portrait by Jeanette Winter.)

I hope this is helpful in suggesting approaches to make meaningful connections between art and other subjects, no matter what state you are in.