K-12 Classroom Resources

How can works of art strengthen the dialogue between American history and civic mindedness?

Engaging with visual art can challenge and expand our understanding of the world and our place within it. In this set of resources for K-12 educators, discover works of American art by a diverse group of historical and contemporary artists. Encourage students to look at and enjoy art as a way to consider themes of equality, freedom, and justice in American history and their personal lives.

We the People: The Radical Notion of Democracy

The inspiration for this collection of artworks and related resources comes from a special exhibition at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art - We the People: The Radical Notion of Democracy. This unique exhibition placed a rare, original print of the US Constitution (one of only eleven known in the world) in conversation with works of art that provide diverse American perspectives on the nation’s founding principles.

In this microsite, educators will find what they need to balance critical, creative, and historical thinking through:

Essays
Classroom activities
Essential Questions for students
Downloadable high-resolution image sets
Selected additional resources

For tips on art and storytelling in the classroom, as well as a better understanding of art as a primary or secondary source, click here.

Art & Civic Values

Explore the art collection, lesson plans, and resources that address civic values of equality, freedom, and justice by visiting the classroom resources available on the pages below.

Justice

The US Constitution speaks directly about establishing justice “in Order to form a more perfect Union.” What did the idea of justice mean to the framers of the Constitution, and how has that notion changed in the twenty-first century?

Freedom

The First Amendment to the Constitution protects freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and the right to petition the government. The interpretation of these freedoms and how to exercise them responsibly has been a source of debate for years in government and society at large. Is the Constitution a living document that can evolve over time and adapt to America’s changing politics, economy, and social mores?

Equality

The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution makes everyone born in the United States a citizen, entitled to equal protection in every state. How have notions of equality shifted with the recognition and intersection of race, class, and gender in American society?

Content Contributors

Exhibition sponsored by Kenneth C. Griffin

Learning and engagement programming for
We the People: The Radical Notion of Democracy is sponsored by: