(At the following of what we did last time)

People were shocked and surprised by this action.

The journalist even said that people at the auction got “Banksy-ed”. It means that they got pranked by Banksy’s action as they were unaware of what would happen to the piece of art.

Afterwards, Banksy posted a video of himself on Instagram revealing how he elaborated his prank. He even quoted Picasso: “The urge to destroy is also a creative urge”. In fact, he booby-trapped (a hidden prank) a painting frame in case one of his piece of art would be sold at an auction.

Through this action, Banksy wanted to denounce social injustice and consumerism in the world of art.

As a result, the final price of this stunt could bring him a minimum of 5 million dollars and it can even go up to 7 million dollars.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 Meghan Markle’s Speech at the United Nations Conference (March 2015)

We can hear the famous African-American actress Meghan Markle giving a speech at the UN conference. She shares an experience she went through when she was 11 years old. She saw a commercial for a dishwashing soap with a tagline that said: “Women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans”. Afterwards, 2 boys in her class agreed with the tagline saying that women belonged to the kitchen. M. Markle was shocked, upset and hurt by this comment.

Her father encouraged her to write letters to women in powerful positions such as the First the Lady at the time: Hilary Clinton, and another female figure who was the Powerhouse attorney for the state of California at the time. Eventually, she wrote to the manufacturer of the soap company.

As a consequence, she received answers to her letters and on top of that, the tagline of the commercial for the product was changed to “people all over America”.

Through this action and by sharing her testimony, she wanted to encourage everyone, even young girls to stand up and fight for gender parity in all the social spheres.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Banksy’s shredded piece of art

The document under study is a video published in 2018 by Good Morning America. It deals with an artwork made by Banksy that self-destructed during an auction art in London. It was sold to private collector for $1.4 million. However, the canvas shredded in tiny strips.

Banksy’s aim through this action was to denounce social injustice and consumerism in the world of art. It was an organized prank orchestrated by Banksy himself. Moreover, he also wanted to mock the art world by making his own piece a satirical one.  People were shocked by this action.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Underground Art – Banksy

The document under study is the trailer for a documentary about Banksy, a famous British anonymous street artist. It was released in 2019. We have learned that Banksy created a global movement through his outlaw art. It is interesting to note that any movements have in common the fact that they came out of poverty, of struggle and a hunger and a thrust people felt for something to happen and to move.

Banksy is seen as an outsider. Besides, through his art, he is seen as a social activist as he likes to denounce political facts. Moreover, he is seen as the leader of an artistic revolution: every place he chooses to expose his graffiti is chosen in purpose. In fact, he wishes not to be seen, not to be arrested and to keep in identity private. But still, the way he does it is illegal because he has no authorization to paint where he wants to. Therefore, he is depicted as an outsider and a “Maverick” (someone who has an independent mind, seen as a non-conformist).

To conclude, according to Banksy, the goal of art is to change the world.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 Ketanji Brown Jackson breaking glass-ceiling.

Ketanji Brown Jackson made history by being the first black woman nominated to the Supreme Court. Indeed, she is one of the only judges that is not a white man. In fact, throughout the years, there have been 150 supreme court judges and 108 of them were white men.

She was nominated by Biden in June 2021 and had the support of three Republican judges. At the time, she was 51 years. She graduated from Harvard Law School. She has been known for being a public defender. Now, with her new position she is considered as a stepping stone for the black community as she is paving the way to other women and people of color to access this position or any other powerful positions someday.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

The Power of Fire and Ice

The document under study is news report from PBS News Hour, published in 2019. It deals with two American eco-artists. The first one is Jeff Frost, who is seen as an alarmist because his goal is to warn people about the danger of global warming on forests. Indeed, there are more and more fires in forests that destroy the wildlife and people’s houses. This artist creates time-lapse video art with images shot in California, to show how a fire can destroy everything.

The second artist is Zaria Forman, she uses art because, according to her, art is able to have an impact on people’s emotions, thus their emotions could lead them to act against global warming. She creates drawing with pastels. She represents vanishing ice.

Both artists are dealing with global warming issues, however, they focus on different aspects of the impact of climate change. Besides, they are not using the same method to create their arts. One is directing videos and another one is drawing. As opposed to Jeff Frost who is making people scared and worried by displaying the destruction of nature with fire, Zaria Forman is showing the beauty of these places to make people want to protect and preserve them.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 The Blue Whale

The document under study is an article extracted from Albuquerque Journal, published in 2019. It is about a piece of art made out of plastic from two eco-artists from California.

This sculpture was created with polyethylene. This sculpture has the same weight and height as an adult blue whale. Indeed, the artists wanted people to be aware of the amount of plastic that ends up in the ocean by creating a whale in plastic that represents the exact weight of used plastic found in the ocean every nine minutes.

The piece of art was exhibited for 6 months in San Francisco 2019, then, it would be exhibited in Santa Fe in 2020.

The name of this artwork is “Ethyl” because it comes from the material used to make it. The message is that this sculpture is considered as a real animal to be taken care of, it is referred to with the pronoun “she” in the whole article.  

This artwork was made by two artists who picked out and sorted recycled bottles, bags, milk jugs. They washed them and they melted them into tiles that they placed on a life-size whale frame.

The article suggests that art can share a message of anti-pollution and make people aware of environmental issues caused by plastic. People and companies should stop using single-use plastic but items made in recycled plastic that can last longer.

To conclude, the journalist’s tone seems to be a positive one towards the artwork as he is very supportive of the artists and their work.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 Kamala Harris, First Female Vice President of the USA: She Put another crack in that glass-ceiling”

The document under study is a video from ABC News published 2021.  It deals with the new vice president at the time who was the first black female vice president and first of Asian Indian descent.

We have learned that she was 56 at the time of the video. She is a wife and a step-mother. She is the daughter of immigrants: a Jamaican father and an Indian mother. Her mother gave her many words advice to help her succeed.

On top of that, Kamala is known as a person who broke barriers because she was the first in many things: she was the first black female district attorney of San Francisco, the first female and the first black attorney general of the state of California. She was the second black female to become a US Senator.

It is important to see someone who looks like you in position of power because it will encourage young girls and women to achieve their dreams as they have a role model. Moreover, it shows that this position is accessible to everyone.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 (At the following of what we did last time)

She could reconcile both her private life and professional career by having the support of her family and mainly her husband. Indeed, her husband decided to stay at home to take care of their baby. Moreover, she also decide to take her baby with her for professional traveling but also in her office some time to time. She is adjusting her life.

Furthermore, when she says that her husband is “a parent too and not a babysitter”, she means that most of the men think that when they take care of their children, it is a task as a favor they are doing to their partners. However, through this sentence, she highlights the fact that it is the roe of a parent to take care of their child no matter their gender.

To conclude, when Jacinda says “we’ll make it work”, it shows that she feels very confident, lucky, thankful and privileged to benefit from such help. She has a partner who takes full responsibility of his role as a father.

 Homework: Learn the lesson.

Sugar Tax

The document under study is a news report from CGTN Africa, published in  2017. It deals with a South African eco-artist whose name is Mbongeni Buthelezi who created pieces of art from plastic cuts that he took from junk food (plastic packaging from sugary drinks or snacks). The name of his exhibition is called Sugar Tax. His message is to denounce the sugar tax in South Africa and to share his history. Moreover, he also wants to make a balance between the environment and what we consume as a society. Indeed, everything can be problematic if it is not well managed.

In his artworks, he represents people surrounding him in the everyday life such as his relatives mainly and some friends. He shares his story.

Finally, he exhibits his work in African Art Museum in New York City, in the Van Gogh Museum in Germany and in Prague. The aim is to reach the whole world and show waste in a different way as it can be a symbol of hope.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Melting Away, Camille Seaman a photographer eco-artist.

The document under study is an interview of Camille Seaman an eco-artist and a photographer. The scene takes place in Alaska, North America. It is considered as being America’s ground zero for climate change, meaning it is the place where we will see the real impact of global warming.

We have learned that Camille Seaman is from California, she is a city girl. When her parents divorced, she went to live in New York State near her grandparents. Her grandmother liked to garden and fish, and her grandfather taught her that everything was connected to nature. She learned that nature is to be respected. Indeed, her grandparents were Native Americans.

C. Seaman came to Alaska to create art. Her point of view evolved on climate change because of what she heard from the scientists and what she saw through her photographer journey. Moreover, as she has a daughter, she is concerned about the future of our planet. Indeed, she wants her grandchildren to see the beautiful landscapes that should be preserved the best we can otherwise they will become myths and legends as everything might disappear because of global warming.

On top of that, the scientists confirm that the situation is critical and it is our job to change it and protect the climate.

To conclude, the message through her pictures is that she wants to show that the world is decaying/degrading. She wants to raise awareness on this issue and bring out attention to the whole world to show nice places of the world that are changing because of us.

Dear Students, 

It is indeed almost the end of the year, but we are not there yet! 

I wish you to spend a nice break! Take some time to rest and take care of yourselves. Meanwhile, organize yourselves to make the best of this break to do the work you need to do before going back to school!

I count on you guys!

All the best,

Mrs. Wagnac

An Unfulfilled Dream

Group 1

The document under study is a song extract entitled “Like a King”, sung by Ben Harper, released in 1992. In this song, the singer is denouncing police brutality on the African-American community, especially on Rodney King, a black man who was a victim of police brutality in 1991 in Los Angeles.

Group 2

The document under study is a song extract entitled “Sister Rosa”, sung by The Neville Brothers, released in 1989. The person mentioned in this extract is the famous activist Rosa Parks. This song is paying a tribute to her actions and legacy in the Civil Rights Movement.

Group 3

The documents under study are two quotes from famous African-American female writers Toni Morrison (a novelist) and Maya Angelou (a poet). Morrison is saying that black people always have to prove that they deserve their human rights even if segregation is over. It is an ongoing battle.

(We will continue the study of these extracts next time. Be ready!)

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Be ready for a Reading Comprehension Evaluation on the Theme of the Chapter on Tuesday April 29th.

Be ready fot the Final Task: Talk Show Time Celebrating African-American History in Films.

On Friday, May 2nd.

Enjoy Your Vacation! 😉

We’ll make it work!

The document under study is an extract of an article from the British newspaper the Guardian, published in 2018. It deals with Jacinda Arden, New Zealand Prime Minister at the time who had a child six weeks before going back to work.

Her life partner/husband is Clark Gayford, they had a daughter named Neve. We have learned that her husband does not have a job. She considers him as being a full parent as her, therefore he should care of the baby as much as she does. Hence, she feels lucky to have him as a life partner because he takes his responsibilities as a parent seriously.

The impact of her actions on other mother could on one hand inspiring because she just gave birth and she is already working full time, meaning she is not putting her career a side. She is showing that she can be a mother and at the same time handling her professional career successfully. Moreover, the fact that the PM she took a break of 6 weeks while having a stressful and important job aims at signaling to all of the women in the world that whatever your job is, you have the right and the need to take a break to recover after giving birth.

On the other hand, the fact that she goes back to work that quickly may make some women feel guilty about taking a longer break. They may feel the urge to go back to work earlier as this woman of power is showing another example. Some women would need more time to rest and to take care of their child for example.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Enjoy your vacation! 😉

An Unfulfilled Dream

Group 1

The document under study is an extract from a song entitled “Like a King” by Ben Harper, released in 1992.

The people mentioned in this extract are the famous African-American pastor, Martin Luther King Jr. and Rodney King, an African-American man who was a victim of police brutality in Los Angeles in 1991.

Group 2

The document under study is an extract from a song entitled “Sister Rosa”, by the Neville Brothers, released in 1989. It is about the story of Rosa Parks, her actions and the consequences of her actions.

Group 3

The documents under study are two quotes from two famous African-American female writers: Toni Morrison, a novelist and Maya Angelou, a poet. Morrison is saying that even today, despite the fact that segregation is over, she feels that as a black person she still has to claim for a freedom.

(We will continue the study of these extracts next time. Be ready!)

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Be ready for a Reading Comprehension Evaluation on the Theme of the Chapter on Tuesday April 29th.

Be ready fot the Final Task: Talk Show Time Celebrating African-American History in Films.

On Friday, May 2nd.

Enjoy Your Vacation! 😉

 A Silence That Speaks Volumes (Part 2)

The document under study is a news report from Al Jazeera English published in 2017. It is about the famous African-American NFL player Colin Kaepernick who protested during the national anthem by putting a knee down to denounce police brutality against African-Americans. To do so, he had to be very courageous. At the time of the action, he was 29 years old. His action was significant as it went viral in the media, even Trump mentioned it in one of his rallies. In the mid-time, the Black lives Matter movement was also growing due to the mistreatment black people were going through in that period.

As a consequence, Kaepernick lost his contract with his NFL team. No other team wanted to hire him. On top of that, his detractors were saying that the reason why no team wanted to have him was not because of his protest action but because of his athletic performance that was degrading. Eventually, Kaepernick suffered from a form of injustice because the NFL used him as an example to intimidate the other players.

Nevertheless, there are still some protest gestures done by other athletes even nowadays as Keapernick started a sort of movement.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Be ready for a Reading Comprehension on the Theme of the Chapter on Tuesday April 29th

Artists’ thoughts

The document under study is a collection of different quotes from eco-artists. They explain their vision of art and its impact on the society. All these artists are working towards a greener future by collecting waste to use in their art in order to raise awareness on global warming and other environmental issues.

These quotes illustrate the idea that eco-art is changing the world by changing our view on consuming. Moreover, through their pieces of art, they are warning us. Besides, artists and scientists complement one another by helping people understand the current issues.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Art + Sustainability 

The document under study is an article from a website entitled “Incandescent Cloud”, published in 2014. It deals with an artwork entitled “Cloud art” created by Caitlind Brown and Wayne Garrett. They are Canadian from Calgary. They exhibited their piece of art in Singapore.

To create their artwork, they used sustainable, recycled materials such as burnt out light bulbs and scrapyard steel. 

Through their artwork, the artists want to denounce the negative impacts of humans on the climate and how it affects climate change. 

They feel legitimate as artists to spread their message because they have a different perspective on the world from ordinary people. Hence/therefore, their goal is to wake people up by making them aware of the circumstances and encourage them to change their mindsets and habits.

This artwork illustrates climate change because it is a mix of nature and human inventions. We can see how nature is impacted by pollution created through humans’ actions as the light bulbs become a cloud. Besides, the fact that people can interact with it by switching the light bulbs on and off can help them to understand their impact on the climate individually and collectively.

To conclude, this artwork promotes sustainability and inspire positive action because it was created with recycled light bulbs and it inspires positive action because people can understand the message and react to it as they can manipulate the sculpture. 

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 #HeForShe

The document under study is a video for the campaign #HeForShe, published in 2014. In this video, men are interviewed to talk about the way they perceive gender inequalities and the way women are treated.

The advice that is given is that, one should be able to put themselves in someone else’s shoes and imagine if they would like how their sisters, mothers or daughters would be treated. Indeed, these men became aware that people close to them could be the victims of gender inequalities.

Moreover, they said that men should change their chauvinistic attitude (to think that they are superior to women) towards women, because if they don’t, nothing will change. Men are the ones who put women in their unfair situations, therefore, they are the only one and have the responsibility to change their conditions. To finish with, one activist even said that women are by right the pillars of our societies. It means that without them societies cannot exist or function properly.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 #HeForShe

The document under study is a video for the campaign called #HeForShe, published in 2014 by heforshe.org. It is an organization mainly composed of men who defend women’s rights

In the video, we can hear the opinions of several men who explain why it is important to defend women’s rights. Moreover, they are denouncing the existing inequalities that women have to face in the society.

They advise the viewers to put themselves in women’s shoes to sympathize with them and find solutions to improve their situation. On top of that, as men they need to change their attitude/behavior towards women. They know that their behavior is responsible for the daily mistreatment that women suffer from unlike men.

Besides, they all mentioned that they all have wives, sisters, mothers… They become aware that people close to them are impacted by these social inequalities that are completely unfair. Eventually, one said that women are the pillars of our societies the latter cannot exist without women.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 A Silence that Speaks Volumes (Part 1)

The document under study is a news report from CBS News, published in 2016. There is an interview of the famous African-American track and field athlete Tommie Smith. In fact, him along with his colleague, John Carlos, had been invited to the White House to be honored by Barack Obama nearly 50 years after their protest gesture on the victory stand.

At the time, they felt the need to protest on the victory stand because there were still inequalities in the USA regarding the Black community despite the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Their action was controversial, they were hated and vilified because of it. This showed that things needed to change. As a consequence, they lost their medals back then. On top of that, they were banned from the Olympic community for decades. Nevertheless, in 2016, thanks to Obama who decided to honor them for their protest gesture and their victory because they paved the way for the future generations to speak out against inequalities. Indeed, nowadays a new generation of athletes continue to protest in their fields.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 Artists and Waste:

Doc 1: Dereck Gores

 

The two artworks under study are pieces made by the American artist Dereck Gores. The first one, Blowing Bubbles, represents a young boy lying on the grass blowing bubbles. The second one, called Full Volume Tokyo, represents a woman in Tokyo. At first, when you look from afar, they could almost look like paintings. However, when you zoom in, we can see pieces of newspapers and magazines glued together to form a collage. The message of the author could be that trash can have a second life and can be kept in a timeless creation.  

Doc 2: Tom Deininger

This artwork is a sculpture, a big 3D eye. It was made of recycled plastic and waste glued together to form an eye. The message of the artist is that we can make art out of nothing. He may be saying through his piece of art that we should stop polluting but we should use our waste to create art instead. Tom Deininger is a trash artist who exhibits mostly online.

Doc 3: Marina Debris

  

These two pieces of art were made by Marina Debris, an American “Trashion” artist (a portmanteau word made of “trash” and “fashion”). Her art represents pieces of clothing (hat, dress, skirt, gloves…) made out of waste materials such as chips packaging, plastic cutlery, lighters, bottles caps… this trash often ends up on beaches and in the oceans. She did not intend people to wear her art clothing. Her message could be to say that waste could be more useful than we think it is. Indeed, it can be reused.

To conclude, the artists have in common is that they all use waste or recycled materials to create their art. They chose to use these materials because we produce a lot of waste and it could be a good way to reuse them. Moreover, it is a good way to give our waste a second life.

Exhibiting in English will enable them to reach a broader and international audience. 

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 (At the following of what we did last time)

Their strategies was to organize their sit-in at a five and dime, because everyone could afford having lunch there. Besides, not welcoming people at a lunch counter of a five and dime was legally and morally indefensible.

They organized a diversion with a group of people outside to divert the police so that the other activists could go inside the restaurant and start their sit-in without being bothered by the police.

The objectives were to show everyone that just by siting peacefully and asked to be served politely resulting into a violent mistreatment was to show the absurdity of the situation. Eventually, the aim was to put pressure on the government to end legal segregation. On top of that, they wanted to highlight the belief that every citizen should be treated equally despite their skin color.

As a result, this sit-in became the most photographed of the sit-in movement. In fact, the pictures went viral all around the world. The day after the publishing of this picture many people wanted to join their movement.

It is interesting to note that the Civil Rights Movement should not be reduced to MLK or Rosa Parks only because it would diminish the accomplishments of the sit-in movement and all the actions put in place by other activists, Blacks and Whites working together for the fight against injustice.

To conclude, nowadays, the situation has changed for African Americans since segregation was declared unconstitutional in 1964 with the Civil Rights Act. Even though there are still some kind of discriminations against the black community, African Americans now have greater opportunities than previous generations.

Homework: Learn the lesson. 

 Raising Awareness for Equality (Part 1)

The document under study is a video for the campaign #BalanceForBetter, in 2019 promoted on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

We can hear the opinions of several women and men: they are saying that women should be hired to more higher positions and they should be more respected in their leadership. Moreover, we should talk more frequently about the inequalities between the genders in order to educate people and raise awareness on this social issue. Furthermore, they are encouraging women to not be afraid to speak their minds and share their ideas openly. Besides, they would like people to be seen for their actions, skills and achievements regardless of gender. They want to see equality in all the aspects of life, whether it be cultural, political or social. On top of that, they think that gender equality should not be a privilege but a right. To finish with, they would like to see women in all the fields, especially in technology and science.

The best initiative would be to see more and more women in all the working places, particularly in science in order to prove everyone that women can be successful everywhere. Another initiative that should be put in place would be to keep on talking about the existing inequalities between men and women in order to erase them. Finally, seeing as much women as men in leadership positions would be a great achievement.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 (At the following of what we did last time)

Their strategies were to go to a five and dime because everyone could afford it, no one was usually unwelcomed. First, they put in place a diversion outside the diner to allow the Tugaloo students to go inside and be able to sit at the counter without being bothered by the cops. Then, they asked to be served peacefully and politely. The aim was to show the violence and the mistreatment of white people towards the black community.

As a result, this event was the most photographed sit-in and the pictures went viral all over the world. More and more people volunteered to help the activists to put an end to segregation.

Nowadays, the situation for black people has evolved, every American citizen has the same rights.

To conclude, it is interesting to note that the Civil Rights Movement should not be reduced to MLK and Rosa Parks only because other people, white people took also part actively to the cause. They were not only followers but also real actors fighting for equal rights for everyone.   

 Homework: Learn the lesson.

 Seizing Opportunities: Yes, She Can!

The document under study is a news report from CBC News published in 2018. It deals with new representatives elected during the US midterms. It was the first time that there were several women from different ethnic groups that were elected to the US Congress in that same year. They made history.

The first one mentioned was Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American woman elected for the state of Michigan. She is also a Muslim. The second one mentioned was Ilhan Omar, a Somali-American, a Muslim and a former refugee. She was elected for the state of Minnesota. Then, we heard about Sharice Davids, a Native American elected for the state of Kansas. Besides, she also was the first lesbian to be elected (a former MMA fighter). Another Native American representative was mentioned: Deb Halaand, elected for the state of New Mexico. Moreover, two Hispanic women were mentioned: Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia. Furthermore, Ayanna Pressley, an African-American woman, was elected for the state of Massachusetts. Finally, Alexandria Occasio Cortez, a Latino-American woman, was the youngest representative elected at 29 years old for the state of New York.

All these women stood out compared to the other senators elected so far they represented the firsts from their respective ethnic communities and religious confession to be elected in their states. They are game changers because they brought progressive ideas.

To conclude, the message conveyed through the report is to show the generational and the social changes in the US history. Through them, the voters wanted to be better represented. Therefore, this showed the diversity in the US population.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Seizing Opportunities: Yes, She Can!

The document under study is a TV report from CBC News published in 2018. It deals with the US midterms of that same year, when for the first time several women from different ethnic groups and religious confession were elected to Congress. They made history.

The first one mentioned was Rashida Tlaib, she was elected to be a representative for the state of Michigan. She is a Palestinian-American and a Muslim. Then, the second one mentioned was Ilhan Omar, she was elected to be a representative for the state of Minnesota, she is a Somali-American, a Muslim and a former refugee. Then, we heard about Sharice Davids, who was a Native American, elected in the state of Kansas. She is also a lesbian. Deb Halaand, also a Native American elected in New Mexico, she is part of the Pueblo Laguna Tribe. Moreover, two Hispanic women are mentioned: Veronica Escobar and Sylvia Garcia. The youngest women ever elected was Alexandra Occasio Cortez, indeed, she was 29 years old at the time, a Latina American woman elected for the state of New York. Finally, Ayanna Pressley, an African-American woman elected for the state of Massachusetts.

 All of these women stood out because they represented the first from their ethnic group to be elected representatives in their states. They were game changers and had progressive ideas.

To conclude, the message conveyed through this report is that whatever your origins, or sexual orientation and your gender and your beliefs, it is possible to represent every American citizen. Through them, the voters wanted to renew the generation of politicians and bring change in order to be truly represented.

Homework: Learn the lesson.