Sixth Grade Women’s History Lesson Plan
Maya Lin – Artist, Architect, Environmentalist
Content/Theme:
Environmental Art, Architecture and Controversy Grade
Level:
6
Textbook Connection:
Eastern Hemisphere. 2001. Prentice Hall.
•
Chapter 20 “South and Southeast Asia” Page 585-587
Benchmark:
•
SS.A.5.2.3: The student understands U.S. History from 1880 to the present
day. Understands ways that signifies how individuals and events influenced
economic, social and political systems in the United States after 1880.
Time: 1 class period
Objectives:
1. Students will learn about the life of Maya Lin.
2. Students will study the impact of Maya Lin’s architectural philosophy on her
work.
3. Students will trace the history of the Vietnam Memorial from its conception
by Maya Lin, to the present day.
4. Students will analyze some of the causes and effects of the controversy
surrounding the choice of Maya Lin as architect for the Memorial.
Activities:
1. Students will create a time line of Maya Lin’s life.
2. Students will complete a graphic organizer on art in public spaces.
3. Students will read content material on the life of Maya Lin.
4. Students will draw a picture of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
5. Students will analyze the controversy that Maya Lin encountered when she
was chosen as the architect for the memorial.
6. Students will define the words sexism and racism, and how they are connected
with the life of Maya Lin.
7. Students will study the concept of environmental art.
8. Students will create their own environmental sculptures, for display.
9. Students will examine the role of sexism and racism in their own lives.
ESOL Strategies:
•
Cooperative Learning
Assessments:
1. Students will construct a graphic organizer on the life of Maya Lin.
2. Students will complete a multiple - choice test.
3. Students will draw a picture of the Vietnam Memorial. (Cooperative Groups)
4. Students will orally define the word sexism and racism. (Cooperative Groups)
5. Students will display their completed artwork. (Cooperative Groups)
6. Students will write about the composition of the Vietnam Memorial,
(Cooperative Groups).
7. Students will complete a pictorial dictionary for following words:
architecture, controversy, ethnic heritage, gender, racism, tactile, and Vietnam
References:
Palm Beach Post Tab
http://www.nwhp.org/tlp/biographies/lin_bio.html
http://myhero.com/hero.asp?hero=m_lin
Maya Lin – Artist, Architect, Environmentalist
Vocabulary
Architecture
The science or art of building
Burial Architecture
The science or art of building buildings to honor those who
have died
Controversy
Discussion marked by opposing viewpoints
Ethnic
A member of a group of people who retains similar customs
and behaviors
Gender
Human category that indicates sexual preference
Heritage
Something acquired or transmitted from an ancestor
Racism
The belief that race is the determining characteristic for all
behaviors
Tactile
Relating to the sense of touch
Vietnam
A country in Southeast Asia
Multicultural Information:
Maya Lin, the creator of the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial, was born on October 5,
1959. Her mother is a poet and a professor
of literature at Ohio University.
Ms. Lin’s
father was in charge of the art department at
Ohio University.
Both of Maya Lin’s
parents were born in China, but moved to
Athens, Ohio in 1949. Maya was a child of immigrants and has often wondered about
where is home? where are you? Ms Lin, a Chinese-American, earned a Bachelor of Arts
degree in architecture in 1981, and a Master of Architecture from Yale University in
1986. She is an artist, sculptor, and designer. Maya Lin is a tactile architect using sand,
water and rock as some of the design elements in her work.
She believes in an
architectural philosophy that draws its inspiration from nature and the natural
environment.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is located in Washington D.C. The memorial
was built as a way for America to honor the men and women who died fighting in a place
called North Vietnam. North Vietnam is on a peninsula that is next to the mainland of
Asia.
Americans fought in Vietnam from 1963 to 1973. The war was costly to both
sides. Fifty eight thousand one hundred and seventy five Americans gave their lives for
the war.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is made of black granite walls (2) that come
together at a 125-degree angle. Each one of the walls is 246.75 feet long and 10.1 feet
tall. Written on the walls are the names of the 58,175 names of Americans who died in
the Vietnam incursion, or were listed as “missing in action”(MIA’s). Maya viewed the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial as one of “tearing at the earth”, when she was creating her
vision of the memorial. The memorial is viewed as a part of the “burial architecture”
style.
There was a lot of controversy when Maya Lin was chosen as the architect for the
memorial. Some people questioned her Asian ancestry and questioned whether or not she
was a loyal American. Others questioned her ability as an architect, due to her gender.
Still others wanted a person with more experience in burial architecture. Maya Lin was
still a student at Yale architectural school when she was chosen to design the memorial.
Finally, in summation, Maya Lin’s credentials for building the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial were questioned due to her ethnic heritage, her gender, and her age. Ms. Lin’s
supporter’s, including many of those who were on the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial
Committee, did not give in to those people who exhibited bigoted, and racists attitudes,
and who objected to her ethnic heritage, gender, or age. Her design was chosen as the
best.
Maya Lin has won numerous awards for her sculptures and designs. Some of her
awards include: The Henry Bacon Award, the Presidential Design Award, and the
American Institute of Honors Award. Maya Lin has also earned honorary doctorates in
Fine Arts from, Brown University, Harvard University, and Yale University.
Maya Lin – Artist, Architect, Environmentalist
Name______________________________________________________Date______
Directions: Choose the best answer to the following questions:
1. Indicate a conclusion that can be drawn from the controversy that surrounded
Maya Lin as the architect chosen for the Vietnam Memorial project?
a. People enthusiastically supported Maya Lin as the architect for the
memorial.
b. People overwhelmingly rejected her as the choice architect for the
memorial.
c. Some people rejected Maya Lin as the chief architect because of sexism
and racism.
d. There was no controversy surrounding her appointment as chief architect
for the memorial.
2. Where is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial located?
a. Washington D.C., U.S.A.
b. Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam
c. Nairobi, Kenya
d. London, England
3. What is meant when one states that Maya Lin is a tactile architect?
a. Maya Lin uses objects such as water, sand, and stone in order for the
viewer to connect with her work.
b. Maya Lin relies on the observer’s mental picture to connect herself with
her work.
c. Maya Lin does not care about people’s views or visions of her work.
d. Maya Lin uses color to describe her view of connection with her work.
4. Rephrase the statement “ I work with the landscape, and I hope that the object and
the land are equal partners.”
a. Maya Lin is not concerned about the natural environment.
b. Maya Lin separates art, and sculpture from architecture.
c. Maya Lin is a working Asian American woman and mother.
d. Maya Lin strongly likes working with different parts of nature.
5. Speculate as to the meaning of “burial architecture”.
a. Burial architecture refers to people who are buried in graveyards.
b. Burial architecture always refers to land that is used for burial sites
c. Burial architecture is an indicator of a type of architectural style that
describes funeral sites.
d. Burial architecture refers to the different burial rites that people practice.