Symbolism

I imagine that you are here because you work int he humanities or related arts. You know what symbolism is, I know what symbolism is, and (at least technically) most of your students probably know what it is. At this point it is not about teaching them what symbolism is, but having them begin to explore possible meanings of symbols based on.

This is a great opportunity to have students do research on symbols that occur frequently in what you do. Sure, they know that the American Flag is a symbol of America, they know that the shamrock is a symbol of Ireland or St. Patrick's Day, and they know that colored eggs are a symbol associated with Spring and possibly easter. Do they know, however, that green can represent greed, honesty, or nature depending on the context? Do they understand the symbols that are used by newspaper cartoonists? Or, going back to our eggs, do they know that the eggs, the bunny, and the whole lot are all symbols of fertility associated with the season of rebirth (Spring)?

I would suspect that more than a few students could use more experience with symbols. Whether it is looking at art or photography, reading literature or watching commercials, TV, or films, kids should have exposure and practice at seeing what is beyond the surface. We all get to experience a world that is layered and the experience provided by understanding symbols makes everything in that world richer and more meaningful.

Prepare students by pre-teaching common symbols that occur in a piece of literature or art that they will experience. Have them work individually or in pairs to attempt to better understand why the author used that symbol and how it impacts the broader intent of the piece.

If students are going to have the opportunity to create something in your class, have them research and use a symbol that relates to the intent of their own piece. This way they will experience the creation process in a new and sophisticated way. There are all sorts of activities that can stem from this, such as having peers attempt to identify and find meaning in the symbol used, having peers critique or discuss the use of that symbol and its effectiveness, or having students discuss different ways they might use the same symbol. Regardless, the point will be to have kids think about and learn about new symbols and new ways of finding meaning.

Here is a neat [|political cartoon] that is timely and impossible to understand without a grasp of symbolism