ABSTRACT
Chapter 6 delves into the numerous ways that social studies and the arts already intersect, along with how to teach social study concepts with and through the arts. A key feature in this chapter is examining whose stories are told in history, and how the arts serve as primary sources and are historical documents. Furthermore, the chapter highlights how empathy can be forefront in understanding history when the arts are present. Examples from art exhibits and performances are highlighted including visual artist Sonya Clark’s Monumental Cloth, The Flag We Should Know about the truce flag that ended the Civil War, and the performance by Voices of Our City Choir, a choir comprised of homeless and unsheltered individuals singing the song they composed, “Sounds of the Sidewalk.” Art forms addressed in this chapter include visual arts, music, drama, poetry, photography, murals, puppetry, and quilt making.
