Warm-up:  

• Have students look at the Global Refugee Mural (https://www.flickr.com/photos/perspective/50014788643) and take some time to answer these questions. Teachers can assign select questions to students, or have them consider all questions below.
  • (You can replace this photo with a local mural in your community to better connect with your students if you have time. The Google Street Art Gallery has many images you could use https://artsandculture.google.com/project/street-art).
  • Who is in the mural?
  • What are the people doing?
  • What objects are in the mural?
  • What seems familiar to you?
  • What seems unusual?
  • What questions do you have about the mural?
  • What brings these three scenes together thematically?
  • How do you think the artist feels about the people he painted?
  • What words could you use to describe the tone of the art and the people pictured?
• Have a class discussion regarding the questions above and solicit student responses. 
• After hearing from multiple students, the teacher can share the story behind this mural with the class: The mural tells the story of three refugees who live in Maryland. The artist created the mural after interviewing the refugees. One section tells the story of a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and another section highlights a refugee who escaped religious persecution in Myanmar. The third section highlights a woman whose brother was murdered and she escaped to the U.S.
  • Optional: Students can learn more about the refugees here: https://silverspringdowntown.com/go/gobal-refugee-mural
  • Optional: Students can also analyze this mural https://ucdavis.box.com/s/2baf46ml1jwvcgu6kc8etkwp6yvcxmgs

Teacher modeling with the first source

• Teachers will show the following video interview of mural artist Sayon Syprosoeuth and watch it as a class https://vimeo.com/936431116
• The teacher will lead a class discussion to answer the following guided notes questions: 
  • What is the background of artist Sayon Syprasoeuth?
  • Why is art important to this artist?
  • What is Cambodia Town?
  • What is the Cambodia Town Mural Project?
  • What steps did Sayon Sypraseuth take to design the mural?  List at least three things he did.
  • What is the message behind the mural?
  • How does the mural not only represent the community, but also require the cooperation and collaboration of a community and its members?
  • How was the mural created?

Shared Learning 

• Have students pair up with one other student to analyze the next two sources: 
  • Partner 1: Storymaps Cambodia Town Mural Projects https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/6711489f34234bbf90f561a14f661eb9
  • Partner 2: Cambodia Town Mural Project Website https://artslb.org/programs/public-art/ctmp/
• Advise students that they will be responsible for their assigned source. As they read, they should continue to add to the guided notes questions. 
• Once students are done reviewing their source and answering questions, they will share with their partner their learnings. 
• Have a class discussion about the two resources and general findings.

Cultural Production

• Group classroom art creation: When the students have all finished the guided notes questions, give them each a few blank pieces of paper and explain the assessment for this lesson. Alternatively, students can describe an art piece that they would like to create.
• Task: Assign students into groups of four. Each student will create a colored drawing or painting that is 8.5’x11’ in size. Their artwork must highlight one aspect of Cambodian American culture. Their artwork must also connect with the artwork of other members of their group so when they put their four pieces together it works as one larger piece of art. To accomplish this, have students:
  • Brainstorm and list some aspects of Cambodian American culture on one of the sheets of paper. Students can use these resources if they need some help getting started.
    • 'It's up to my generation' | Preserving Stockton's Cambodian American culture and traditions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro1q4yyi4rU
    • Cambodian American Heritage https://cambodianheritage.org/
    • Khmer Spirit: Arts & Culture of Cambodia  https://www.cambodianmuseum.org/new-blog/2016/12/8/khmer-spirit-arts-culture-of-cambodia 
  • Have each student in the group select at least one aspect of Cambodian American culture they will represent in their artwork. This could include traditions, beliefs, art, architecture, food, clothing, religion, and language.
  • The group should discuss how their individual art pieces could connect to each other's artwork to create a unified piece.
  • Each group member will draw a rough sketch and ask for feedback from their group.
    • Students can use these three prompts to offer each other feedback
      • “I liked…”
      • “I didn’t understand…”
      • “New ideas to consider…”
  • Students should complete their individual artwork by adding color and details. 
    • Optionally, this can be done digitally. 
  • Combine the group artwork and display it in the room for a class gallery walk. To complete the gallery walk, groups will rotate looking at other group’s artwork and leaving a comment on a post-it note about something they liked in the artwork.

Reflection and Closing 

• Groups will construct a paragraph explaining the connections to Cambodian American culture in their collaborative art piece. This will work best if the students create this on a google document so that they can link it to a QR code. They will generate a QR code that links to their document and place the QR code next to their artwork so other viewers can learn from their artwork.