Lesson: Their Side of the Story

Review students’ notes from their “Graphic Organizer: Working With Narrative” skills sheets.

1. Read “Their Side of the Story.” Invite students to study the three works. Divide them into groups or pairs, with each focusing on one of the artists and works.
2. Ask: How do these artists create narratives in their works? (Kara Walker uses a pop-up book format to make viewers feel unsettled when looking at her work; Leigh Ruple draws inspiration from her life in Queens and her experiences as a teacher to tell a story about the figures’ communications; Dana Schutz brings viewers into her narrative by inviting them to participate in the action and interpret the meaning behind a gesture.)
3. Have students read the Q&A with Leigh Ruple. Ask: How do Ruple’s thoughts about her process affect your interpretation of her painting on page 11? (Answers will vary but should refer to both texts.)
4. Have students share their findings with the class and ask them to record these findings in their “Graphic Organizer: Working With Narrative” skills sheets.

• Compare Friendship with Appraisal on page 7. (Answers will vary but may mention that the narratives center around figures’ interactions, and that both artists draw inspiration from the regions in which they live.)
• What do you think is the second subject in Poke? (Answers will vary but should refer to the images and text.)

• Choose one of the featured artworks. Consider the artist’s point of view and message. Write a fictional story about the artwork. What would the figures say to one another? What happens before and after the scene depicted in the artwork?

• Have students complete the “Sketchbook Starter” on page 10.