Social Studies Lesson Plans
Folk Art is a term used to describe works created by people with little or no formal training as artists. In other words, folk art is the work of ordinary people. In the 1800s, items like weathervanes, pottery, or blankets served utilitarian purposes. Sometimes folk art was created solely for decorative purposes. Regularly, however, these works were created to celebrate and commemorate ordinary peoples’ lives.
Go to this lesson plan »
The 1800’s was a time of rapid growth for the nation. There was a great push for western expansion. The nation offered the promise of a vast western frontier as a place for a fresh start. Settlers traveled west looking for this new prosperity and Native Americans were caught in a fight to save their traditional culture and lands.
European-American artists responded to this period of western expansion by creating works with different perspectives on western expansion and Native Americans. Some artists displayed their struggle, others proposed a more idealistic view.
Go to this lesson plan »
