The artwork created in the Live Free Or... project has been donated to Goochland County for public display at a meeting of the Board of Supervisors.
One of this year’s collaborative G21 projects was inspired by the University of Richmond Joan Oates Institute for Partners in the Arts program, in which Ms. Yearout Patton and Ms. Townsend attended Summer, 2010. Ms. Yearout Patton and Ms. Townsend created a lesson plan together entitled “Earning Freedom.” Ms. Yearout Patton and Ms. Townsend implemented/taught this lesson in the US Government classes at the beginning of this school year (2010). The essential questions that propelled this lesson were: “What events impacted the formation of the Constitution? What concepts did our forefathers apply, from previous thinkers or documents, to include in the Constitution?” and “How does the Constitution remain relevant in today’s society?” This last essential question regarding “relevance” was the catalyst of a year-long project in which three participating teachers implemented within their own classrooms for the Goochland G21 project, along with various members and organizations from the community.
The afore mentioned essential questions laid the foundation for the final element of the G21 project. This gave students an opportunity to create a piece of art which required them to apply their knowledge of how the Constitution is applicable in their everyday life, to tell a story of freedom. This project involved the collaboration of four teachers: Ms. Gargiulo, Ms. Long, Miss Townsend, and Ms. Yearout Patton. Ms. Yearout Patton is a history teacher at Goochland High School. Miss Gargiulo is a Special Education teacher who currently collaborates and teaches history classes at Goochland High School. Ms. Long is a fine arts teacher at Goochland High School. Finally, Ms. Townsend is an ESOL teacher at three schools: Goochland Elementary, Goochland Middle, and Goochland High School.
The G21 Live Free or... project consists of four parts:
1). Journals: Students were required to identify an experience in their own lives in which they felt their Constitutional rights were violated or upheld. Furthermore, they had to discuss it’s relevance. They did this in the form of journaling. In addition, students were required to discuss how they responded to this situation.
2). Piece of Artwork: Students chose one journal entry and drew/created a piece of artwork, which reflected their reactions or resistance. The theme is “Live Free or...”
3). Podcasts or Google Docs: Students recorded reflections on their journal and artwork in the form of a podcast or written reflection on Google Docs.
4). The art work will be donated to Goochland County and displayed in our administration building. County employees and representatives were active in participating in this project. The final product is a small token of the school’s appreciation for their interest and support.
Please, see their work and hear their stories here!
