Spirituality

Compare two paintings that address industrialization, urban development, and complex social strata. Investigate ways in which activists advocate for a “living wage” throughout the country, taking into account how the working poor make ends meet, and under what circumstances.

	Metamorphosis Grades 6–12 Consider the moral codes and religious precepts that pervaded early New England life, and the ways in which these precepts were promoted in clever books intended to instruct children through play.
	A Secret World of Symbols Grades 6–12 Examine a tracing board from the Freemason community. One of its aims was to have members learn and eventually memorize the fraternal order’s coded language. Consider the power and meaning of a coded language by developing an original work of art laden with secret symbols.
	Paradise Lost Grades 6–12 Explore self-taught artist Edgar Tolson’s minimalist sculpture portraying the moment of Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Consider this story as a metaphor for modern-day circumstances and develop a persuasive essay describing how society can reclaim the idea of Eden.
	Earthly Transformation Grades 6–12 Investigate a mixed-media sculpture by prolific self-taught artist Bessie Harvey, focusing particularly on her choice of materials and notions of animism.