Learning Goals
Students will be able to analyze Jackson Pollock and other Abstract Expressionists' use of gesture, scale, and color to communicate Cold War anxiety, freedom, and conflict.
Students will be able to investigate how Cold War political context shaped the meaning and reception of Abstract Expressionist painting in the United States.
Students will be able to experiment with expressive mark-making and compositional choices to develop a one-page abstract painting that conveys a chosen Cold War emotion or idea.
Products
Cold War Abstract Research Notebook
A personal investigation record documenting the student's question development, source/image notes, analysis of Pollock and Cold War context, and process sketches. It serves as evidence of individual content mastery and methodical inquiry.
Cold War Abstract Expressionism Investigation Report and Gallery Presentation
A collaborative report and presentation that synthesizes team members' evidence into shared findings about how Abstract Expressionists responded to Cold War tensions. It includes methodological rationale, visual evidence, conclusions, limitations, and follow-up questions.
No rubric has been generated yet.