Title – One Million Bones

By – Kimberly Bruna-Lewis

Primary Subject – Art

Secondary Subjects – Social Studies, Science, Other

Grade Level – 3-6

Introduction from LPP:

“

In Spring of 2013

, one million bones – made by artists, activists, and students – will flood our nation’s capital.

One Million Bones

is a collaborative art installation designed to recognize the millions of victims and survivors who have been killed or displaced by ongoing genocide and mass atrocities in Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burma. Their Mission is to create a visible movement that will increase global awareness of these atrocities while raising the critical funds needed to protect and aid displaced and vulnerable survivors. For One Million Bones to realize its vision, we need people to create and donate (art project) bones for this event.”

One Million Bones has also developed a

multidisciplinary curriculum for PK-12

students that allows teachers to address the uncomfortable, but urgent issue of genocide in age appropriate ways, addressing issues of civic engagement, conflict resolution, and values education through lessons in social studies, political science, world literature, art and design, science and math in just 40 minutes or over several days.


After 2013

, atrocities will still occur, be it genocide, war, epidemics or violence in cities. Maybe your students, with the permission of school administrators, would like to use this project in the future, maybe with a different symbol, to call attention to or raise funds locally to address those issues.

Procedure:

1. Assess students prior knowledge:
   • “What are bones? Do we have bones? When you
     see bones what do you think of?”
   • Students may say that they think of Halloween,
     Dia de los Muertos, scary things, death, etc.

2. Explore the word
   
   symbol
   
   :
   
   Something that stands for or represents something else.
   
   • This is an abstract concept – use this opportunity to think of and discuss
     different symbols.
   • “What do you think of when you see Santa Claus, a Menorah, a
     flag or a stop sign?”
   • Begin to identify symbols in our environment, and how they can
     be used in art too.
   • “What could a bone symbolize?”

3. Explore the word
   
   virtue
   
   :
   
   A
   behavior showing high moral standard.
   
   • Discuss – “We can’t see our bones, but they
     make up the structure of our body. Likewise, we can’t see our virtues, but they
     make up who we are.”

4. Discuss that the class will be making bones as SYMBOLS to represent and respect
   people in the past, present and future.
   • Talk to the students about charity and
     discuss that the bones they make will be part of a HUGE art project that
     symbolizes PEACE, RESPECT, and HOPE, and that they will be given to a charity
     that helps people who have been hurt.

5. Pass around pictures of human bones and supplies (clay, air dry clay, plaster tape, plaster, wood, fabric, etc.) for making the bones. Allow students
   to chose which bone they will make.
   • Ask them if they can imagine where that
     bone is in their OWN body, and to think how we are all made of the same things,
     and just as our own bodies should be respected, so should the bodies of others.
   • Encourage students to try to make the bones the same size that their own bones are.
   • Demonstrate how to make a 3-D bone; MAKE BONES AND HAVE FUN!

6. Reflect upon and assess work:
   1. Ask students why they have created the bones.
      
   2. How might you make an art project to symbolize RESPECT, PEACE and
      HOPE?
   3. Why do you think that One Million Bones chose BONES?
      
   4. How do you feel when you look at your bone? What do you think when you
      
      look at other bones?
   5. What are your virtues?

E-Mail

Kimberly Bruna-Lewis

!