OBJECTIVES

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Describe what a monument is and its social and political functions
• Define “historical memory” and explain how it is influenced by familial, cultural/religious and national/state memories
• Examine how historical memory influences the ongoing controversy over Stone Mountain and the power dynamics that shape our public space
• Apply their understanding of historical memory to a monument in their own community to analyze and contextualize its significance

GRADE LEVELS: 8-12+

SUBJECT AREAS

• Social Studies
• American History
• Civil Rights
• English Language Arts

MATERIALS

• The short film,Graven Image and equipment on which to show it
  • Available streaming or through POV's free DVD Lending Library
• Teacher Resources:
  • “A Condensed History of the Stone Mountain Carving,” Atlanta Historical Society, Atlanta History Center, 2017. (PDF)
• Student Handouts:
  • Student Handout A: Film Notes
  • Student Handout B: Group Discussion
  • Student Handout C: Historical Memory
  • Student Handout D: Historical Memory & Stone Mountain
  • Student Handout E: Our Monumental History
  • Boissoneault, Lorraine. “What Will Happen to Stone Mountain, America’s Largest Confederate Memorial?” Smithsonian Magazine, August 22, 2017.
• Chart paper and markers (optional)

ESTIMATED TIME NEEDED

One-two 50-minute class periods, with take-home assignment

PREPARATION

Viewing and discussing sensitive material:

This lesson and the accompanying film address sensitive social issues and teachers should

screen the film and review all of the related materials prior to implementing it. Some of your students may have been personally affected by these issues and their perspectives and sensitivities should inform how the lesson is presented. In advance of the lesson, it would be helpful to connect with a school social worker for resources specific to your school community’s needs and guidelines.

Remind the class that this is a supportive environment and review your classroom’s tools for creating a safe-space, including class agreements. These might include guidelines like “no name-calling,” “no interrupting,” “listen without judgment,” “use respectful language,” “share to your level of comfort,” “you have the right to pass,” etc. And remind students that when they talk about groups of people, they should be careful to use the word “some,” not “all.”

Here are Teaching Tolerance’s tips for teaching about controversial monuments:

• DO promote open discussion.
• DON’T ignore connections to hate and oppression.
• DO examine monuments in the context of today’s society.
• DON’T push students to make a final judgment.

Visit Teaching Tolerance for additional resources and strategies for tackling challenging topics in the classroom:

• Let's Talk! Discussing Race, Racism and Other Difficult Topics With Students
• Social Justice Standards | The Teaching Tolerance Anti-bias Framework
• Teaching at the Intersections: Honor and teach about your students’ multiple identities