As a culmination of the research, students will design and build a prototype monument that documents and memorializes the people and the movement.
The lesson today introduced students to the idea of a memorial through a study of several national monuments including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. Students explored the differences between abstract and realistic memorials. They learned that the Vietnam Veterans Memorial artist, Maya Lin, designed the wall to look like a wound that cut the earth. They were challenged to think about why Lin chose black granite, and this lead to an interesting conversation about the word reflective. The shiny granite is reflective literally, allowing each person to see him or herself among the names, and figuratively, providing a simple backdrop for reflective thought.
