Migration through Art - Navigating Routes and Places
an art unit for upper elementary grades
by Sheri Majewski
Unit Overview
This project was developed for educational purposes as part of graduate studies in a program at the University of Florida.
It is a thematic unit with curriculum designed to explore world perspectives and personal connections to places through art. The unit focuses on personal heritage and uses migration voyages in Hawaiian history as a source for lesson development.
Studying art through stories based on places and ancestry is a significant subject that will build understanding for students about their personal identity, culture, and connections to the world. It is important for students to know how migration has influenced their society across time periods.
Art practice will provide experience in communicating through visual arts and literature. Foundational art understandings will help students to embrace critical skills that engage thinking and inquiry for overall conceptual development and personal transformation.
Unit Objectives
Students will develop inquiry skills and interact with research methods and sources to inform art making.
Students will develop understanding of the relationship between migratory voyages and survival.
Students will develop visual language skills, art vocabulary and art practices as a means to express ideas.
Areas of Focus for Lesson Plans
Heritage and Maps in Art
Click here to view lessons on family and geographic connections
Polynesian Voyages and Island Connections
Click here to view lessons from the region of Polynesia on preservation vs. extinction
The Art to Survive Another Season
Click here to view lessons from the animal kingdom on migration for survival