Texas History: War

Grade level: 7th

Subject: Texas History

Topic: War

TEKS: 7.21(A)-Locate and use primary and secondary sources

   7.3(8) -Texas Revolution

   7.4(A)-Mexican American War

Objective: Discuss the relationship between primary sources, secondary sources, art, and history.

Materials:  Japanese wood block prints depicting battle scenes or other historical events with explanation.

Texas our Texas, image on page 116, Cortez at Tenochtitlan

Any other appropriate image of an historical event, i.e. Washington Crossing the Delaware or Raising of the Flag at Iwo Jima

I.  Introduction - Define and Discuss Primary and Secondary Sources.

II.  Questions to generate discussion - Select an image for students to view.  Then pose the following questions.  Adapt as neccessary.

When was the painting completed? When did the historical event occur?

Are paintings of a historical event or battle primary or secondary sources? Did the artist actually witness the event or did he just paint what he thought happened?

How can you tell?

As with any source, the researcher must carefully evaluate where the artist gets his/her information. How could someone tell if a painting is historically accurate? Look at the difference in landscapes between Guillaume's Battle of San Jacinto and McArdle's Battle of San Jacinto. Compare a photograph of San Jacinto today. Which is more accurate? Read about Dulie Rose Harris’ account of the Runaway scrape and the weather during this time period (very wet). Why would the Guillaume show prickly pears and cactus at San Jacinto?

How could an artist's bias reflect the way he/she depicts an historical scene?

How could an artist make a scene look more favorable to his country or the side he/ she supports?

Are photographs primary sources or secondary sources? (primary)

Do photographs always tell a true story? (Show students the picture of raising the flag at Iwo Jima. It was posed after the actual event.) Also show examples of trick photography or photos where the perspective is off. (A man seeming to hold in the Washington Monument in his hands, for example)       

Compare the Japanese battle scenes to paintings showing battle scenes of the Texas Revolution or Civil War.

How can you tell who the leaders are in each? How are the scenes alike? How are they different?

How can you tell which side each person in the scene is on?

Can you tell if the artist had a bias as they were painting? Explain.

IV.  Extension or Extra Credit - Have students create misleading photos.   Recreate a famous scene from history and photograph it or use perspective to make a trick photograph (i.e. holding the Washington monument, etc.).

V.  Culminating Project - Read an elaborate account or description of an historical battle to the class (for example, the account of J.C. Duval at Goliad or Pena's account of the Battle of the Alamo). Have students draw illustrations based on the reading. Then compare each of the illustrations and decide which is the most accurate based on the historical description.

Then ask the following questions:

Where else could you find information to make a more accurate picture?

Could you alter the picture to show the scene from the other point of view?

Are there times or reasons that one would want an illustration to depict an event rather than a photo? (for example to show one point of view or to show emotion)

Resource-Painting Texas History to 1900 by Sam DeShong Ratcliff , University of Texas Press, 1992.

Copyright © 1998, The Amarillo Museum of Art. All rights reserved.