Sample Themes
possible Essential Questions for comparative study
related Key Concepts
and (some) Related Artists
Chaos and Order/ Harmony and Discord
Essential Questions:
What is the importance of civilization and what factors support or destroy its fabric?
What are the positive and negative aspects of both chaos and order?
What are the responsibilities and consequences of this new world order described as “global”?
What role does chaos play in the creative process?
What are the politics and consequences of war, and how do these vary based on an individual or cultural perspective?
Key Concepts:
Love/ Hate relationships
The human mind/ mood swings/ schizophrenia/ the meddling mind: our own worst enemy
Disturbing the peace
The broken family/ divorce/ merged families
Meditation to escape the discord of modern day life
Prescribed medication to minimize the discord in life--but eliminates the harmony?
A visual battle: a mess of clashing colors or styles
Things in the wrong environment: placing objects unexpectedly in different locations to create discord
Artists:
Anselm Kiefer, Hieronymous Bosch
Constructing Identities
Essential Questions:
How do we form and shape our identities?
In a culture where we are bombarded with ideas and images of “what we should be,” how does one form an identity that
remains true and authentic for her/himself?
What turning points determine our individual pathways to adulthood?
In a culture where we are bombarded with other people trying to define us, how do we make decisions for ourselves?
Key Concepts:
Identity can be about reinvention.
Identity is about status.
Identity is about assimilation.
Identity is about the inside and outside.
Identity can be about the fear of loss.
Identity is about stereotypes.
Identity can be about pecking order.
Identity can be about insecurity.
Identity is about change.
Identity is physical.
Identity is about models.
Identity is a tension between self and others.
Identity can be about internal dilemmas.
Identity is a search.
Identity is about occupation.
Identity is about mimicry.
Identity can be about denial.
Identity is about multiplicity.
Identity is about contradiction.
Identity is both public and private.
Identity is both individual and group.
Artists:
Chuck Close, William Wegman, Howardena Pindell (creating the self with layered and fragmented biographical information), Richard Avedon, Duane Hanson, Edgar Heap of Birds, Deborah Butterfield, Frida Kahlo (creating the self through personal and cultural symbols), Lucas Samaras (presenting the self through concealment as well as revelation), Jim Dine (presenting the self through surrogate personal objects), Robert Arneson (presenting the self with exaggeration and humor).
Creation
What is creativity and what is its importance for the individual / the culture?
What is art and its function in our lives?
Does a culture / community / institution have the right to censor its artists?
Power, Freedom and Responsibility
Essential Questions:
What is freedom?
Is freedom ever free?
What is the relationship between freedom and responsibility?
What are the essential liberties?
Is liberty and justice for all attainable?
Should people sacrifice freedom in the interest of security?
When does government have the right to restrict the freedoms of people?
When is the restriction of freedom a good thing?
Key Concepts (Power is about...):
Excess
Scarcity
Recognition
Privilege
Fear
Inclusion and Exclusion
Control
Voice
Change
Insiders and Outsiders
Rules
Disruption
Artists:
Ai Weiwei, Banksy, Keith Haring, Barbara Kruger, Leon Golub, David Hamonds,
Good and Evil in the World
Is humankind inherently good or evil?
Have the forces of good and evil changed over time and if so, how?
How do different cultures shape the definitions of good and evil?
Heroes and Sheroes
Essential Questions:
Do the attributes of a hero remain the same over time?
When does a positive personality trait become a tragic flaw?
What is the role of a hero or “sheroe” (coined by Maya Angelou) in a culture?
How do various cultures reward / recognize their heroes and “sheroes”?
Why is it important for people and cultures to construct narratives about their experience?
What is the relevance of studying multicultural texts?
How does the media shape our view of the world and ourselves?
In a culture where we are bombarded with other people trying to define us, how do we make decisions for ourselves?
Key Concepts:
Heroes can be personal or cultural.
Heroes are often publicly honored.
Heroes are not the same as celebrities.
Heroic characteristics change over time.
Heroes can be god-like.
Heroes represent moral values.
What makes a hero is not uniformly agreed upon nor who is a hero.
Heroes are often associated with strength, youth, beauty, and immortality.
Artists:
The Human Condition / Spirit
Essential Questions:
In the face of adversity, what causes some individuals to prevail while others fail?
What is the meaning of life?
What is the meaning of life and does that shape our beliefs regarding death?
Are we governed/guided by fate, free will, a greater power, or do we fall somewhere on the spectrum between?
Key Concepts:
Human Emotions
Belief systems
Artists:
Mark Rothko, Jim Dine, Sean Scully, Robert Motherwell
Illusion vs. Reality
Essential Questions:
What is reality and how is it constructed?
What tools can the individual use to judge the difference, or draw a line between, illusion and reality?
What is hypocrisy and what can the individual / subculture / culture do about it?
Key Concepts (Dreams):
Dreams are common to the human experience. Everyone dreams.
Dreams are mixtures of reality and unreality.
Dreams can be clues to understanding reality.
Dreams can elicit strong emotions.
Dreams can help us to imagine new possibilities.
Dreams twist, distort, skew, warp, and exaggerate reality.
Dreams that express extreme fears and bizarre experiences are labeled nightmares.
Dreams are often indirectly related to personal experiences.
Artists:
Sandy Skoglund, Marc Chagall, Rene Magritte
Language and Literature
How is our understanding of culture and society constructed through and by language?
How can language be powerful?
How can you use language to empower yourself?
How is language used to manipulate us?
In what ways are language and power inseparable?
Is it possible to have culture without language?
Is it possible to think without language?
How does language influence the way we think, act, and perceive the world?
How do authors use the resources of language to impact an audience?
How is literature like life?
What is literature supposed to do?
What influences a writer to create?
What is the purpose and function of art in our culture?
How does literature reveal the values of a given culture or time period?
How does the study of fiction and nonfiction texts help individuals construct their understanding of reality?
In what ways are all narratives influenced by bias and perspective?
Where does the meaning of a text reside? Within the text, within the reader, or in the transaction that occurs between them?
What are enduring questions and conflicts that writers (and their cultures) grappled with hundreds of years ago and are still
relevant today?
How do we gauge the optimism or pessimism of a particular time period or particular group of writers?
Are there universal themes in literature that are of interest or concern to all cultures and societies?
What are the characteristics or elements that cause a piece of literature to endure?
Artists:
Glenn Ligon, Barbara Kruger, Dylan Roscover, Jenny Holzer, Jasper Johns, Jean Michel Basquiat, Annie Vought, Bruce Nauman
Love and Sacrifice
If any, what are the boundaries of love and sacrifice, and where does one draw the line between them?
What are the factors that move individuals / communities / nations to great sacrifice and what are the consequences?
Nature in the Balance
Essential Questions:
What are the responsibilities of the individual / society / superpowers in regard to the health of the environment? (local,
regional, national or international context can be used)
What are the consequences of being unconcerned with nature’s balance/harmony?
Key Concepts: Humans assume a variety of attitudes toward nature, such as:
Nature acts as a background for human events.
Nature is fragile and in need of protection.
Nature is ruthless and powerful.
Nature is nurturing.
Nature is controllable and can be made to be submissive.
Nature can become a collaborative partner with humans.
Nature can inspire.
Artists:
Andy Goldsworthy, Sandy Skoglund, Meg Webster, Mel Chin, Walter DeMaria, Stan Herd, Christo and Jean-Claude, Nancy Holt, Georgia O'Keefe
Our View of the World and Ourselves
How do we know what we know?
How does what we know about the world shape the way we view ourselves?
How do our personal experiences shape our view of others?
What does it mean to be an insider or an outsider?
What does it mean to “grow up”?
Do you believe that things are fated no matter what, or do you believe your actions can change the course of your life?
Have the forces of good and evil changed over time?
What is the relevance of studying multicultural texts?
How does the media shape our view of the world and ourselves?
In a culture where we are bombarded with other people trying to define us, how do we make decisions for ourselves?
What turning points determine our individual pathways to adulthood?
Past, Present, and Future
Why do we bother to study/examine the past, present or future?
What are the recurrent motifs of history and in what ways have they changed or remained the same?
The Pursuit of Happiness
What is happiness and what is the degree of importance in one’s life?
To what extent does a culture / society / subculture shape an individual’s understanding or concept of happiness?
Relationships and Community
What are the elements that build a strong friendship?
How do friendships change over time?
What impact does family have during different stages of our lives?
What can we learn from different generations?
How is conflict an inevitable part of relationships?
How do you know if a relationship is healthy or hurtful?
What personal qualities help or hinder the formation of relationships?
How are people transformed through their relationships with others?
What is community and what are the individual’s responsibilities to the community as well as the community’s
responsibilities to the individual?
Shades of Truth
Are there certain truths that can be considered universal or absolute?
What are the consequences of examining “all of the shades of gray”?
How does perspective shape or alter truth?
The American Dream
What is the American Dream and to what extent is it achievable for all Americans?
In what ways does the American Dream mean different things for different Americans?
How has the American Dream changed over time?
What is the perspective of a given nature, culture, or region in regard to the American Dream and what factors create those
perceptions?
What are the responsibilities and consequences of being a "world superpower"?
Are independence and dependence separable or inseparable?
Culture: Values, Beliefs & Rituals
How do individuals develop values and beliefs?
What factors shape our values and beliefs?
How do values and beliefs change over time?
How does family play a role in shaping our values and beliefs?
Why do we need beliefs and values?
What happens when belief systems of societies and individuals come into conflict?
When should an individual take a stand in opposition to an individual or larger group?
When is it appropriate to challenge the beliefs or values of society?
Are there universal characteristics of belief systems that are common across people and time?
To what extent do belief systems shape and/or reflect culture and society?
How are belief systems represented and reproduced through history, literature, art, and music?
How do beliefs, ethics, or values influence different people's behavior?
How do individuals reconcile competing belief systems within a given society (e.g., moral beliefs conflicting with legal codes)?
When a person’s individual choices are in direct conflict with his/her society, what are the consequences?
What is morality and what are the factors that have an impact on the development of our morality?
What role or purpose does religion / spirituality serve in a culture?
What purpose or function do ethics / philosophy have in governing technological advances?
How do our values and beliefs shape who we are as individuals and influence our behavior?
Social Justice
What is social justice?
To what extent does power or the lack of power affect individuals?
What is oppression and what is the root cause?
How are prejudice and bias created? How do we overcome them?
What are the responsibilities of the individual in regard to issues of social justice?
Can literature serve as a vehicle for social change?
When should an individual take a stand against what he/she believes to be an injustice? What are the most effective ways to do this?
What are the factors that create an imbalance of power within a culture?
What does power have to do with fairness and justice?
Is it ever necessary to question the status quo?
What are the benefits and consequences of questioning / challenging social order?
Do we have choices concerning fairness and justice?
Does labeling and stereotyping influence how we look at and understand the world?
What does it mean to be invisible? (context: minorities)
In what ways can a minority keep their issues on the larger culture’s "radar screen?"
Does an institution/culture ever have a right to censor its artists?
What creates prejudice and what can an individual overcome it?
What are the causes and consequences of prejudice and injustice, and how does an individual’s response to them reveal his/her true character?
What allows some individuals to take a stand against prejudice/oppression while others choose to participate in it?
What are the causes and consequences of prejudice and how does an individual’s response to it reveal his/her morals, ethics, and values?
Utopia and Dystopia
How would we define a utopian society?
Has the concept of utopia changed over time and/or across cultures or societies?
What are the ideals (e.g., freedom, responsibility, justice, community, etc.) that should be honored in a utopian society?
Why do people continue to pursue the concept of a utopian society?
How do competing notions of what a utopian society should look like lead to conflict?
What are the purposes and/or consequence of creating and/or maintaining a dystopian society?
Is utopia attainable? At what cost would it be worth attaining?
By attempting to eradicate disease and disfigurement, are we moving toward or away from utopia?
Adversity, Conflict, and Change
How does conflict lead to change?
What problem-solving strategies can individuals use to manage conflict and change?
How does an individual’s point of view affect the way they deal with conflict?
What personal qualities have helped you to deal with conflict and change?
How might if feel to live through a conflict that disrupts your way of life?
How does conflict influence an individual’s decisions and actions?
How are people transformed through their relationships with others?
What is community and what are the individual’s responsibility to the community as well as the community’s responsibility to the individual?
Adapted by L. Beltchenko 2007-2008 From: Greece Central School District, New York
Also adapted from Walker, S. (2001). Teaching Meaning in Artmaking.