IDENTITY &

SCULPTING SPACES

GRADES 9-12

Identity refers to a person’s sameness or alikeness with other people or things.  As complex beings, people identify themselves in many ways.  Although Noguchi experienced discrimination in Japan for being an American and in America for being Japanese, he identified himself with both cultures equally.  Coming to terms with his dual identity was a challenge Noguchi faced throughout his life. 

Art has the potential to be an intense mode of personal and cultural expression as well as a powerful means of communication.  Throughout his career, Noguchi made art that expressed his views on various political and social issues.  These works are powerful statements that reflect Noguchi’s desire, through art, to speak out against social injustices throughout the world.

Noguchi’s bicultural heritage had an important influence on his artistic and social values.  Noguchi, who was treated as a foreigner in both America and Japan, once said that he felt at home everywhere, because he felt truly at home nowhere.   At the end of his life, however, Isamu Noguchi maintained residences both in New York and Japan.  When creating The Noguchi Museum, Noguchi transformed an industrial site into a quiet oasis where he said his hope was that visitors would come whenever they wanted to and make the place “their own.”

PERSONAL OBJECT ACTIVITY

GRADES 9-12 SAMPLE LESSON

NOTE

For this lesson, students must bring in an object of significant value to them.  Any reason is acceptable. Also, an understanding of mutual respect is essential for this activity.  It is important that students respond genuinely to the questions outlined in this plan.

OBJECTIVE:

Students will learn that objects can communicate information about their owners by first examining an object owned by Isamu Noguchi as a group, and then studying objects owned by classmates.

MATERIALS

Image of a Noguchi collectible

A personal object of students’ choice

Writing paper

Pen or pencil

COOPERATIVE DISCIPLINES

Language Arts, Social Studies, Science

MOTIVATION/PROCEDURE

o         Introduce the theme of the lesson to students.  Explain that the focus of their work today will be on determining what information can be revealed about an object’s owner based on looking at the object itself.

o         Show students the image of a Noguchi’s collectible.  Ask them to take a moment to look at it carefully.

o         Ask, “Thinking about the theme of today’s work, what do you notice about this object?  What sort of person do you think might own or have owned this?”

o         Summarize the students’ responses, and make relevant connections to Isamu Noguchi.  Introduce Noguchi if students have not previously learned about him.

o         Next, ask students to anonymously install their objects in the classroom or in a particular area that you designate. 

o         Ask students to do the following: Take a walk around the room and look at the objects, and write one word that immediately comes to mind when viewing each object on their paper.  (This should not take too long; it should be an immediate response or impression.)

o         Next, ask students to choose one of the objects to look at more closely.

o         Ask students to write their responses to the following questions:

-          What do you see here? 

-          Where do you think this object is from? 

-          How can you tell? 

-          How old might this object be? 

-          What characteristics of the object make you think this? 

-          Have you ever seen anything like this object before?  If yes, please give one example of when or where. 

-          Do you have an object similar to this in your own possession? 

-          What sort of person might own this object?  Why?

o         After students have completed this step, ask everyone to sit down.

o         Invite a student to identify a particular object that struck them.  Ask, “What was it about this object that you noticed or that made you want to mention it now?”

o         Next ask the student to share the word that they wrote for this object during the first step of this activity.

o         Have the rest of the class tell their words for the same object.

o         Did any words come up more than once?  What can be learned from this list?

o         Then, ask someone else to tell which object they chose to write about for the second step of the activity.

o         Again, ask the person to explain why they chose this object.

o         Ask student to read their different responses to the object.

o         Invite students to respond as to whether they agree or disagree with the responses.  Note: agreement and disagreement must include justification.

o         If anyone else chose the same object, have them share their responses too.

o         Finally, ask the person to whom the object belongs to identify themselves.  Are students surprised?   Were responses accurate?  What can be learned here?

o         Repeat the process.

SHARING

o         Have students reflect on what they noticed and learned today.  Did they learn anything new about the owners of the objects presented?  Were they surprised by what they found?  Were there similarities in the objects people chose as ‘valuable’?

o         Finally, ask students to write a reflection on why they chose the particular object that they did to bring for this lesson.  What can we learn about the students?  What can we learn about values?  What is the object’s history?  How does it reflect the student’s history?