Hats Off to Women

Program Description

1. Focus: To identify the contributions of women in history, explore gender roles and issues, and develop skills in traditional local crafts.
2. Rationale: In a format from basic to higher order thinking, students will attain this prerequisite knowledge of overlooked concepts applied in the classroom to lead to greater self, community, and gender awareness.

Overview: A collaborative, cross-curricular lesson unit unifying art, library, language arts/writing, and guidance through which students will explore: table as metaphor, gender studies and symbology, The Dinner Party (art history), traditional techniques through local guest artists, production of a hat representing a woman in history, research and writing to give the woman a “voice”, and presenting the “voice” to classmates and the community.

Unit 1- Table

1. Enduring idea: Relationships
2. Key Concepts and Essential Questions: Exploring table as metaphor to define roles beyond familial labels. What relationships occur at a table? How can table layout delineate roles? What do you bring to the table?
3. Rationale: To provide the foundation on which students can comprehend the many uses of a common physical concept everyone uses: table. “Me outside of it all.”

Unit 2- Gender Studies and Symbology

1. Enduring idea: Identity
2. Key Concepts and Essential Questions: Recognizing how objects and symbolism affect how we view ourselves while probing gender roles and issues. What determines gender appropriateness of items? How are gender roles defined in our society?
3. Rationale: To allow students to explore gender and its part in their personal identities. “Exploration of self.”

Unit 3- The Dinner Party

1. Enduring idea: Historical connection
2. Key Concepts and Essential Questions: Understanding the importance of women’s contributions to history. How did gender inequality impact the women in history? Who from your own dinner table would you invite to The Dinner Party table?
3. Rationale: To comprehend what women have overcome and accomplished in history. “What has come before me?”

Unit 4- Community Arts Connection

1. Enduring idea: Connecting to local history
2. Key Concepts and Essential Questions: Practicing traditional art forms: calligraphy, embroidery, scherenschnitte, and weaving. How did craft influence and shape identities and gender roles? What symbols have you seen in our community?
3. Rationale: To enable students to understand traditional art forms and connect to their community and its history, while providing them with the skill set to create their own artwork. “How can I link to my local history?”

Unit 5- Millinery- Production of the hat

1. Enduring idea: Representation
2. Key Concepts and Essential Questions: Using their new skill set to amalgamate the characteristics of their chosen woman with textiles to create a hat which represents her. Which traditional art form will you use to represent your nominee? Why?
3. Rationale: To facilitate the application of historical knowledge of the nominee and tradition art forms in the construction of a hat she would wear or one that represents her. “How can I represent a woman with whom I connect?”

Unit 6- Presentation- Giving the woman a VOICE

1. Enduring idea: Voice
2. Key Concepts and Essential Questions: Celebrating the nominee’s place in history by writing a statement the student will read while wearing or presenting her hat and presenting her to the class/grade/school/community. What makes this woman such an integral part of our history? What words could this woman say to promote her message?
3. Rationale: To encourage students to find their own voice through the personification of their nominee. “How do I disseminate my connection?”

Unit 7- Culminating Reflection

1. Enduring idea: Assimilation
2. Key Concepts and Essential Questions: Reflecting upon women’s history to recognize their struggles and realize the significance of their actions, while articulating a viewpoint unfettered by gender roles. Write a letter of encouragement to a younger relative giving them advice on how to live without the gender role boundaries implicated by society.
3. Rationale: To give students their own voice and to document their growth through a year-long curriculum exploring sense of self, belonging to a community, and navigating gender roles. “Being cognizant of my current role and its impact to my relationships.”