Persuasive Posters

5th grade students learned about how artists can act as activists in their communities. They looked at a variety of influential artists who used their work to promote awareness on various social injustices. One such artist is the German printmaker, Käthe Kollwitz. Early on Käthe Kollwitz worked on a series of etchings that dealt with the harsh conditions being endured by the working-class in Berlin. Completed in 1900, The Downtrodden, examines the lives of three victims of poverty. Later on Kollwitz’s prints attempted to show the misery that both World War I and World War II brought.

With this background, 5th grade students were asked to think as activists and bring awareness to a social injustice that they saw in their community. By carving large linoleum blocks, students were able to create multiple posters. Students can now display these posters in their community and bring awareness and a voice to those who may go unheard.