2.1 Exposure of the abuse of human rights

Memorandum

Step 1

Remind learners of their previous module where stereotyping and prejudice as forms of discrimination were studied. Ask them which other forms of discrimination exist and how they know about them. How were people in the past and how are they in the present made aware of discrimination? Let learners take a look at the two interpretations of Anti-Semitism during the Second World War. They must enter into their journals which interpretation is the most effective and why.

INTERPRETATION 1

The mobile units acted quickly and surprised the Jewish communities.

Men, women and children were ordered to gather, marched to the outskirts of their town or city and then shot and left in unmarked mass graves.

INTERPRETATION 2

Other visual material which can be used is the famous photo of Hector Peterson, who was shot during the Soweto uprising in 1976. A song has been written about Hector and can be heard on the album of Amanda Strydom, called, "Vrou in die Spieel".

Ask learners whether they know of any other visual documentation depicting the abuse of human rights. Below follow a few examples:

Step 2

After a discussion of the various types of abuse of human rights, for example discrimination on the grounds of age, race, gender, faith, disability, etc. the learners must start collecting pictures and / or articles in old magazines and newspapers to make a poster as a petition against the abuse of human rights.

Step 3

Group the learners in groups of six at the most to make their poster. The collected pictures and / or articles must then be pasted on the A1 size paper as a photo montage , i.e. a type of montage where only photographs, and no materials like wool, string or other objects with structure, are pasted on paper. They may add to this collage with colour pastels or Koki pens to tie the photos and articles together in one big whole. This will then serve as background. Each group must then paste a slogan against the abuse of human rights over tis background, using any combination of letter types that they can find in magazines and newspapers. Remember that the letters must be obvious and strong to convey the message to the reader.

Step 4

After completion, the posters can be exhibited in the classroom or in the school building.

Activity 2

Requirements: Learner journal/pens/a series of slides or transparencies or photostats of works of art for analysis by the learners (educator's own choice).

Step 1

The terms composition, style and subject or theme must be explained to the learners.

Let them take a look at the illustrations in the Learner Modules and then answer the set questions.

For the educator

COMPOSITION is the way / manner in which all the formal elements like line, form, tone / nuance, colour, texture, and space are combined. Basically there are two types of composition, namely symmetrical and asymmetrical.

STYLE is that which distinguishes the artist's way in which he works from the next artist’s. It is the characteristic way in which a work of art is created and which makes it possible to identify a work of art according to a specific artist, period and culture. The two outstanding styles that will be focused on at this stage are figurative (recognisable and realistic) and abstract (simplified and not recognisable).

SUBJECT or THEME is the subject matter of the work of art that is being portrayed. Examples of subjects are landscape, portraits of a specific person's face, a still life of lifeless objects like a bowl of fruit or resistance art rebelling against a specific question or subject that bothers the artist.

STEP 2

Choose a wide variety of art works from art books available in libraries. If difficult to find, contact EDULIS at (021) 048-7504 for help. Their postal address is Private Bag X9099, Cape Town 8000. They have a very large variety of art books, videos and disco’s which are available on a loan system. Registration is free.

These works of art can be shown to the learners as slides or transparencies. An alternative option is to make photostat copies of the works of art and to give one to each learner to analyse. Learners must then classify these works of art according to composition, style, subject and period (answers to the choice of works of art used as examples, are printed in italics):

The above format can be used at a later stage, with other examples, as a test or exam.