🎉EXTRA: Creative Resistance
Close reading, active listening, rich discussion, making art!
Anchor Text(s) for this Lesson
Artist-Made Tools Resist Algorithmic Racism and Empower Communities, by Theadora Walsh, June 10, 2020 in KQED
Supporting Text(s)/ Resources for this Lesson
p5.js editor
materials for making art project
Lesson Overview
This lesson shifts gears from focusing on the nitty gritty of working toward new legislation to exploring the ways in which artist-activists are using their creative power to express their resistance to surveillance technologies. Students will view a video about a small group of artists specific projects that 'trick' or otherwise interfere with different surveillance technologies. They will also read excerpts from the article "Artist-Made Tools Resist Algorithmic Racism and Empower Communities" and consider how and whether such activism should be protected. Students make their own art project that is designed to interact with a surveillance technology in some way OR expresses their position on the use of surveillance technologies in their community.
Nota Bene
The opportunities for the creative project in this lesson are endless and could very much tie in to the students' end of unit project work. Adjust as needed for your setting. If you are looking for a code-related option, consider extending this lesson across three days to give students sufficient time to watch two tutorial videos from Black Girls Code to learn some basics about working in the p5.js code editor, which will give them the information they need to start coding an digital informational/ protest poster in p5.
Objectives
Create an artwork that addresses some aspect of FRT.
Consider the role of regulation in guaranteeing civil liberties.
Suggested Duration
45 minutes (adjust according to your students' needs)
NYS Next Generation ELA Standards
RH9: Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.
RH7: Integrate and evaluate visual and technical information (e.g., in research data, charts, graphs, photographs, videos or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
NYS Computer Science & Digital Fluency Standards
9-12.IC.5 Describe ways that complex computer systems can be designed for inclusivity and to mitigate unintended consequences.
9-12.CT.10: Collaboratively design and develop a program or computational artifact for a specific audience and create documentation outlining implementation features to inform collaborators and users.
9-12.DL.2: Communicate and work collaboratively with others using digital tools to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
Vocabulary
legislation: a law or a set of laws passed by a government body
oversight: the state of being in charge of someone or something
perpetuate: to cause something to continue indefinitely; to keep something going, especially something that is negative or harmful.
systemic injustice: injustices that are deeply rooted in the system or society, and not just individual actions or beliefs.
ethical: relating to moral principles and values; conforming to standards of good conduct and behavior.
Hook
Invite students to design a prop that they could use to avoid being scanned by surveillance cameras. Provide students with the choice to sketch their design or describe it in paragraph form (or both!) Ask students to explain why their design would be effective. Ask them who might be interested in such a prop and why.
Mini-Lesson
Students will view a video about a small group of artists specific projects that 'trick' or otherwise interfere with different surveillance technologies.
Students read excerpts from the article "Artist-Made Tools Resist Algorithmic Racism and Empower Communities" and consider how and whether such activism should be protected.
Activity
Students create their project. This might be an extension of what they drafted during the hook or a new idea that emerged after exploring the lesson materials. Project types can vary according to student interests and the materials you are able to make available.
If students will be creating digital protest posters, they will need laptops, headphones (if they are listening independently to tutorial videos), and to set up an account on the p5 editor (this is covered in the first tutorial). Students working on a coding project will need more than one class period, especially if they are new to p5!
Wrap Up
[coming soon!]
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