Resources

Objective: Students will explore primary documents, like Chiura Obata’s paintings, to understand the severity of the 1906 SF Earthquake.

Students will consider the ways art can be used as activism in the context of Environmentalism and National Park Preservation.

Create a zine to reflect and critically consider identities and the relationship between identity and context.

Understand the importance of Carlos Villa’s work to prioritize and spotlight artists who are underrepresented.

Lesson: Interview a grandparent, parent, guardian, or community member about their childhood, immigration story, family traditions or celebrations.

Lesson: Students will take inspiration from Sekimachi and write a short essay on the cultures, celebrations, and traditions that represent them.  They will then create a poster, slideshow, or video that illustrate your essay.

Lesson: Wong’s memoirs—Fifth Chinese Daughter (1950) and No Chinese Stranger (1975)—offer students many opportunities to examine issues related to Asian American identity, history, art, and storytelling.  Depending on how much time you have, you can assign one or both books or specific passages; no matter the length of the reading, Wong’s stories and reflections lend themselves to provocative discussions.

Lesson: Watch and discuss the film Jade Snow Wong to understand the cultural conflicts experienced by Chinese American women during the 1930s-40s and how similar tensions still exist today.

Lesson: Students will 1) become familiar with Wong’s artistic style and recognize how an artist can have many influences and sources of inspiration; 2) use compare-contrast skills in discussing artwork from different cultural contexts; and 3) practice online research skills, presentation skills, and working in groups.