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Lesson 2

We will complete a quick-write on our first response to the painting Henrietta Lacks (HeLa): The Mother of Modern Medicine by Kadir Nelson. We will then analyze the work using the OPTIC strategy and discuss how the artwork relates to the central issues in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. We will finish the lesson by synthesizing our notes in our Author Craft Note-Taking Tool.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I express an accurate understanding of the central issues of a piece of art compared to the anchor text?

  • Can I recognize points of connection between a piece of art and the anchor text to make logical, objective comparisons?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot, Crown Publishing Group, 2010
  • Digital Access
    • Henrietta Lacks (HeLa): The Mother of Modern Medicine, Kadir Nelson, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and National Museum of African American History and Culture, 2018

Materials

Tools

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: View – Write – Discuss

We will complete a quick-write on our first impressions of a piece of art depicting Henrietta Lacks.

Examine the painting Henrietta Lacks (HeLa): The Mother of Modern Medicine. For the purpose of this activity, do not read the accompanying caption.

Then, in your Learning Log, write down what you see and what you think in a quick-write. Some questions you can consider are below:

  1. What are your first impressions of the painting?

  2. What is interesting?

  3. What stands out?

  4. What is happening in the painting?

  5. What is unusual?

  6. What do you like?

  7. What do you not like?

  8. What questions do you have?

Discuss your quick-write with your group and pick one idea to discuss with the class. During the discussion, add to or modify your notes as you deepen your understanding.

Activity 2: View – Read – Write – Discuss

We will use the optic strategy to analyze the artwork.

Artwork can be analyzed by using the OPTIC strategy, which stands for Overview, Parts, Title, Interrelationships, Conclusion. In your groups, examine the artwork, discuss, and complete the following steps in your Learning Log:

  • Overview: Describe the image. Use enough details so someone who was not looking at the artwork would have a good idea of the overall presentation.

  • Parts: Use the terms you learned in the previous lesson to describe the art and design elements.

  • Title and Text: Read the title and the text in the Caption and Description section in your group. How does the text help you understand the style, clarity, or meaning of the artwork? Make sure you discuss the symbolism the artist uses in the text.

  • Interrelationships: Examine the relationships among the parts of the artwork. The relationships help create the overall mood or express an idea. Describe the relationships and summarize the overall mood of the artwork.

  • Conclusion: Read through your notes and come up with a conclusion statement that provides an overall analysis of the artwork.

Share your conclusion with the class and use textual evidence for support. Add to or modify your notes as students ask about or challenge your ideas.

Activity 3: Discuss

We will discuss how the central issues from The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks relates to the artwork, then synthesize our learning in our Author Craft Note-Taking Tool.

In your groups, discuss how the text’s four central issues—race, class, ethics, and science—relate to the painting. Respond to the following questions:

  1. How does the artist address one or more of the central issues from the text?

  2. What aspects of Henrietta Lacks’s story are emphasized in the painting?

  3. What aspects of her story are left out?

  4. What impact do the artist’s choices have on the reader’s understanding of the story?

Take notes in your Learning Log after your discussion. Pick one idea to discuss with the class. During the discussion, add to or modify your notes as you deepen your understanding.

Review your notes from the free-write and the OPTIC strategy. Transfer important details to your Author CraftNote-Taking Tool and use the guiding questions to deepen your understanding. Answer the central issues questions in the last cell based on your discussion with your group and the class.