This activity, created for MoMA's Art & Activity MOOC, involves students in closely looking at artwork from Post World War I Germany, which they have studied in their world history class. The activity has students looking at artwork in three different group sizes to determine a central idea and to draw conclusions based on prior knowledge, discussion, and personal reflection. Students are engaged as investigating, recording, reporting, and reflecting throughout this activity. The activity relies the following "big question" to frame investigation: Do you think the central idea of this work reflects what you have learned about Post World War I German society?

1. ART &
ACTIVITY:ENGAGING VISUAL LITERACY SKILLS & PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
TO EXPLORE POST WWI GERMAN SOCIETY
A lesson inspired by
MoMA’s ART & Activity MOOC.
by Kate Gukeisen
kategukeisen.com

2. ART,
SOCIETY & POLITICS
TARGET LEARNING GROUP:
10TH GRADE
WORLD HISTORY STUDENTS
TARGET LEARNING THEME:
SOCIETY & POLITICS
POST WORLD WAR I GERMANY

3. The big question that provides focus to this lesson is:
Do you think the central idea of the
work you are investigating reflects
what you have learned about Post
World War I German society?

4. ACTIVITY
DESCRIPTION
This activity will involve students closely looking at artwork from a period they have studied in their world history class in three
different phases to determine a central idea and to draw conclusions based on prior knowledge, discussion, and personal
reflection.
The groups will use the following big question to frame their investigation: Do you think the central idea of this work reflects what
you have learned about Post World War I German society?
Phase 1:
Students will break out into three large groups where each group will investigate one of three works from German artists created during the
Post World War I era they have studied in their World History course. Students will each record their own observations and group take-
aways through traditional note taking, mind mapping, sketching symbols representative or ideas, or in any other way that student is able to
represent their ideas for recall and reflection later.
Phase 2:
After investigating one artwork with their large group, students will break out into groups of three, composed of one member from each large
group, to discuss, compare, and contrast the artwork and observations they investigated in their large groups.
Phase 3:
The entire class will come together and students will be asked to take a few minutes to think about one Top Take Away--an observation,
reflection, or revelation that they would like to share with everyone about the central idea, the artwork they investigated, or the process of
discussion and idea sharing. Then, each student will be given time to share that Top Take Away with the class.
Reflection:
While students will not share a physical product with the class for this activity, there are multiple opportunities for reflection within the activity
itself. Whether students choose to express themselves primarily orally, through extensive note-taking, or through mapping and sketching
ideas, each student will reflect through discussion with classmates during each phase of the activity. The "main event" for reflection will be
when they orally share their chosen Top Take Away with the class.

5. CONNECTIONS
TO LEARNING STANDARDS & CURRICULUM
Engaging visual literacy skills is an important element of gathering evidence to provide
context to history and social studies curriculum. In this activity, 10th grade world
history students who are studying Post World War I World History will use their visual
literacy skills to explore one work of art from from Germany during the time period
spanning the inter-war period from 1918-1939, and will determine the central idea of
that work of art based on their observation of details in the work and their prior
knowledge of society Post World War I.
When students come to this lesson, they will have explored the way in which the effect
of WWI on the rise of totalitarian leaders in the Soviet Union, Germany, and Italy, and
investigated the social, political, and economic impact of those ideologies in a global
context. Focusing on works of art produced in one country (Germany) during this time
period will provide students with a focused and nuanced comparative discussion.
This lesson was inspired by the Spring Semester curriculum map from the SAUSD Common Core Aligned Curriculum Map for Social
Studies World History Grade 10, which can be found at the following address:
http://www.sausd.us/cms/lib5/CA01000471/Centricity/Domain/5397/2013-2014%20Curriculum%20Map%20Grade%2010%20World%20History.pdf

6. CC9-10.RH/SS.2
GRADES 9-10, READING, HISTORY, SOCIAL STUDIES
DETERMINE THE CENTRAL IDEAS OR
INFORMATION OF A PRIMARY OR SECONDARY
SOURCE; PROVIDE AN ACCURATE SUMMARY
OF HOW KEY EVENTS OR IDEAS DEVELOP
OVER THE COURSE OF THE TEXT.
COMMON CORE STANDARDS
This lesson will focus on visual literacy,
rather than written text.

7. 1.1.7
MAKE SENSE OF INFORMATION GATHERED FROM DIVERSE
SOURCES BY IDENTIFYING MISCONCEPTIONS, MAIN AND
SUPPORTING IDEAS, CONFLICTING INFORMATION, AND POINT
OF VIEW BIAS.
2.1.3
USE STRATEGIES TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS FROM
INFORMATION AND APPLY KNOWLEDGE TO CURRICULAR
AREAS, REAL WORLD SITUATIONS, AND FURTHER
INVESTIGATION.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL
LIBRARIANS STANDARDS
Students will make sense of information
individually and in small groups, then will
compare potentially conflicting
information in a larger group to explore
point of view.
Students will draw conclusions and
reflect after individual investigation, small
group exploration, and large group
discussion.

8. ACTIVITY GOAL 1
Determine a central idea using close
looking and prior knowledge.
Students will be randomly divided into three groups for Part I
of this activity. Each group of students will gather
information through close looking at a work from Post World
War I Germany to determine the central idea of the artwork,
considering the context of what they have learned in general
about society during the industrial revolution.

9. ACTIVITY GOAL 2
Draw conclusions from visual information.
Students will draw conclusions, individually and in
large groups, from visual information. They will
then apply that knowledge to discuss, compare,
and contrast their observations and conclusions
with a small group composed of one person from
each of the three initial groups.

10. ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS
INTRODUCE & ENGAGE
To begin the lesson:
Ask students to divide into three groups or have students count off "one, two three" and have
all "ones" go to station one, etc..
Explain to students that you are going to engage your visual literacy skills to closely look at
three paintings from a period about which they have been studying in their world history class.
Tell them you are interested in learning whether they think that the artwork created in Germany
during the time they are studying reflects what they have learned about the period or whether
they think it does not.
Reassure students that there is no "right" answer, but that you are looking for their opinion and
their unique observations that support their opinion.
Tell students you will have them work in their large group and that each group will discuss and
share ideas about one work of art, then they will divide into small groups where each member
will have investigated a different artwork. In their large group, they will focus on finding a central
idea, and it is ok to disagree on what the central idea is. In their smaller groups, they will
compare and contrast their findings from large group discussion.
Inform students that during the reflection session, the class will come together as a large group
and each student will be asked to share one Top Take Away from their investigation. This Top
Take Away can be an observation, reflection, or revelation about the central idea, artwork,
subject, or the process of discussion.

11. ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS
INVESTIGATE AND RECORD
Ask students to study the artwork together, discuss their
ideas and observations about the work and its central idea,
and to record notes in whatever way they prefer. Remind the
students they may use any materials in the library to look up
further information about the artist and the time period.
Let students know they have about twenty minutes, and that
you will circulate to ask and answer questions about the
process.

12. ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS
REPORT, INVESTIGATE, & ANALYZE
After giving students a five-minute "wrap this phase up"
warning and corresponding time to wrap up their discussions,
ask (or assign) students to team up in groups of three--one
student from each large discussion group.
Ask students to share the artwork they studied (either via
handout or on their iPad), and to report the central theme of that
work based on their large group discussion and personal
observations. Let students know they are free to search and
investigate, compare and contrast, share and reflect for the next
thirty minutes with their team of three. Remind them to take
notes so that at the end of the discussion they can identify their
Top Take Away to share with the class later.
Circulate to spur discussion with open-ended questions that
encourage students to investigate the artist or artwork further.

13. ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS
REFLECTION & SHARING
After giving students a verbal cue that they should wrap up their
discussion, walk around the room to see if there are any
concerns or questions that should be addressed before large
group reflection. Ask students to come back to the large group
and to take a few moments to reflect and record their Top Take
Away from the activity. You can offer students the opportunity to
read their Top Take Away or to have you read them
anonymously, in which case you will want to collect any
anonymous observations now.
Have each student share a Top Take Away (or you share the
anonymous ones), and encourage students to investigate their
Top Take Away further--as well as to continue the discussion
later about all of the other interesting Top Take Aways.

14. INVESTIGATE &
RECORD
THE NEXT SLIDES FEATURE THE ARTWORK THIS LESSON EMPLOYS TO
ENGAGE STUDENTS. PLEASE TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO INVESTIGATE THE
NEXT SLIDES.
THINK ABOUT
WHAT YOU SEE.
HOW YOU FEEL.
WHAT YOU NOTICE.

16. George Grosz
(American, born Germany.
1893-1959)
Republican Automatons
(Republikanische Automaten)
Watercolor and pencil on paper
Print, from MoMA’s Prints and Illustrated Books
Dehttp://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?
object_id=34169partment
MoMA Number: 120.1946
Date: 1920
REPUBLICAN
AUTOMATONS

18. Otto Dix
(German, 1891-1969)
Shock Troops Advance under
Gas (strumtruppe geht unter
Gas vor) from The War (Der
Krieg)
Etching, aquatint, and drypoint
from a portfolio of fifty etching,
aquatint and drypoints
http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=63260
MoMA Number: 159.1934.12
Date: 1924
SHOCK TROOPS
ADVANCE UNDER GAS

20. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
(German, 1880-1938)
Winter Moonlit Night
(Wintermondnacht)
Woodcut
http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id
=70114
MoMA Number: 495.1949
Date: 1919
WINTER MOONLIT
NIGHT

21. REPORT,
INVESTIGATE, &
ANALYZE
CONTINUE TO ASK OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS AND GIVE STUDENTS THE
OPPORTUNITY TO INVESTIGATE THEIR OWN QUESTIONS IN RELATION TO TH E
WORK AND TO WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNED ABOUT POST WWI GERMAN
SOCIETY.
ASK STUDENTS TO THINK ABOUT
WHAT THEY SEE.
HOW THEY FEEL.
WHAT THEY NOTICE.

22. A FEW SUGGESTED
OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS
Preparing at least three open ended questions to ask your students will help you guide
inquiry toward your learning goals, and will provide students the opportunity to express their
different observations and opinions.
Three open ended questions for this lesson are:
1. What do you notice about this work that leads
you to identify your central idea?
2. Do you find that this piece reflects what you
have learned about life and society in Post
World War I Germany?
3. Please tell me about whether you think the
artist was conveying a message with this work.

23. REFLECTION &
SHARING
SHARING WORK AND REFLECTING ON THE ACHIEVEMENT OF A
LESSON’S GOALS IS
INCREDIBLY MOTIVATING FOR STUDENTS
A WONDERFUL WAY TO REINFORCE LESSON CONCEPTS
AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN ENCOURAGING FURTHER INQUIRY

24. DIRECTIONS
FOR REFLECTION
While students will not share a physical product with the
class for this activity, there are multiple opportunities for
reflection within the activity itself.
Whether students choose to express themselves primarily
orally, through extensive note-taking, or through mapping
and sketching ideas, each student will reflect through
discussion with classmates during each phase of the activity.
The "main event" for reflection will be when they verbally
share their chosen Top Take Away with the class.

25. KEYS TO
SUCCESS
PROVIDE
CLEAR DIRECTIONS
CONTEXT
ENCOURAGEMENT
OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPRESSION

26. PROVIDE
CLEAR DIRECTIONS
Provide an overview of the lesson prior to starting, and
clearly feature the BIG QUESTION
on which you are asking students to focus.

27. PROVIDE
CONTEXT
In this lesson, students will use the resources available in the
library and on their iPads to:
view and closely explore the work of art
investigate the artists and artwork further using the MoMA
website and library encyclopedia and databases

28. PROVIDE
ENCOURAGEMENT
Throughout this activity, students are encouraged to share their:
observations
connections
questions

29. PROVIDE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPRESSION
In this activity, students will engage in a variety of discussions with
different sized groups of classmates to:
share their observations
determine central ideas
gain new understanding
incorporate prior knowledge
reflect on what they have learned

30. This lesson could be further enriched by presenting students with art and culture beyond
the visual artwork represented here. For example, having students listen to a variety of
music from this period, and then engaging in similar discussion to that presented here
would be an engaging activity.
Another idea for extending this lesson is to encourage students to place themselves “in
the shoes of” an average citizen or particular person of historical significance of this era
and having them create a work of art that represents their feelings, concerns, or lifestyle.
ADDITIONAL
SUGGESTIONS

31. ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES
GEORGE GROSZ:
MOMA | THE COLLECTION: GEORGE GROSZ
HTTP://W WW.MOMA.ORG/COLLECTION/ARTIST.PHP?ARTIST_ID= 2374
OTTO DIX:
THE GUARDIAN | THE FIRST WORLD WAR IN GERMAN ART
HTTP://W WW.THEGUARDIAN.COM/ARTANDDESIGN/2014/MAY/14/FIRST -W ORLD-W AR-GERMAN-ART-OTTO-DIX
ERNST LUDWIG KIRCHNER:
THE ART STORY | YOUR GUIDE TO MODERN ART: ERNST
LUDWIG KIRCHNER
HTTP://W WW.THEARTSTORY.ORG/ARTIST -KIRCHNER-ERNST-LUDW IG.HTM

32. ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES
DIGGING DEEPER INTO THE CONTENT AREA
NEWS WEEKLY | WEIMAR GERMANY: WHY ART FLOURISHED
AND DEMOCRACY PERISHED
HTTP://NEWSWEEKLY.COM.AU/ARTICLE.PHP?ID= 5130
WEIMAR STUDIES NETWORK | RESEARCH ON THE HISTORY,
CULTURE AND SOCIETY OF THE WEIMAR REPUBLIC
HTTP://WEIMARSTUDIES.WORDPRESS.COM
MOMA | GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM : WORKS FROM THE
COLLECTION
HTTP://WWW.MOMA.ORG/EXPLORE/COLLECTION/GE /