Learn Together: National Identity Ruth Asawa internment camp ID, by Unidentified Artist,

1943. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

In association with ePublishingPartners, Inc.

Using the lesson plan and Google Arts & Culture resources
This lesson plan is designed to support you as you explore Google Arts & Culture Stories and exhibitions related to the lesson topic. The
images you will see here are just a sample of the media—texts, images, audio, and video—available to you on the Google Arts & Culture
website and app. As the lesson uses only resources found on GA&C, it cannot present every aspect of a given topic. A parent or teacher
might be guiding you through the lesson, or you might choose to complete it on your own.

All you need to access the lesson is an internet connection and a web browser or the Google Arts & Culture app. You may want to take
notes, either digitally or with paper and pen.

The lesson plan has an introduction, which will describe the topic and provide some background information that will help you
understand what you are seeing, hearing, and reading. Then, the lesson will take you on a journey from one Story to another, fill in some
details along the way, and pose questions that will help you focus on important ideas. A quiz and a link for exploring the topic further
are followed by ideas for projects related to the lesson topic that you can do at home or in the classroom.

As noted, the lesson plan includes questions about the main Stories, and there is also a quiz. You will want to write answers to the
questions in a notebook or on a piece of paper. Then, you can check all your answers when you’ve finished the lesson.

Resources on the Google Arts & Culture website include Themes, Stories, Museum Views, items, and images.
❖ Themes bring together Stories, exhibitions, collections, images, audio, and video files that relate to a topic.
❖ In a Story, clicking on the arrows on the right and left sides of a slide will move you forward and backward. Just keep clicking to keep
moving forward. (Note that in some Stories, you scroll up and down.) Audio and videos on slides will play automatically. Clicking on
an image title will take you to a page with more information about it.
❖ In Museum Views, you move through a 3D space. Click to move forward. Click, hold, and move the cursor left or right to turn.
❖ An item will take you to an individual image, where you can zoom in and sometimes read more about the image.
2
 In this lesson, you will learn:
❖ How a person’s nationality affects
their identity.
❖ How a portrait can reflect an
individual’s national identity.
❖ How individual identities and
portraiture shape national identity.

You will:
❖ Explore Stories and exhibitions about
national identity.
❖ Answer questions about what you
have seen and read.

This lesson will take 30–45 minutes to

complete.

Jackie Robinson, by William Klein, Frank Livia, Harry Warnecke, Robert Frank, 1949.
3
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
 Learn Together: National Identity
We often give whole countries a personality, summing up a nation’s culture—or its
stereotypes—as common traits. Sweden is quiet and reserved, while Brazil is
outgoing and friendly.

The people of a nation share a government, a history, and often, a landscape. But
within that landscape, smaller groups have different surroundings, different climates,
different ancestry, and different cultures. Even within those smaller groups, individuals
have different personalities and family histories. In this way, individual threads weave
together to form regional and cultural patterns, and these patterns combine to form a
national fabric. Each portrait of an individual is an example of that individual’s national
identity. Each portrait of an individual also in turn shapes that nation’s identity and the
identity of the other people within that nation. In this way, portraits both reflect and
affect national identity.

American identity is complex because its people bring with them many other national
and cultural identities. Each individual, culture, and community contributes to and
affects American identity. The exact definition of “American” identity is fiercely
debated.

As you view the exhibits and Stories in this lesson, think about these
questions:
❖ What choices did the artists make to show their subjects’ national identities?
❖ What elements in a portrait reflect national identity, and what traits reflect other
types of identity?
❖ How might a subject’s individual identity influence their national identity?
Dorie Miller, by David Stone Martin, 1943. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution 4
 First Ladies
From the earliest U.S. presidencies, the first ladies have shaped the
country’s identity. Free from official government duties, the first lady’s role
is symbolic, often reflecting how the nation feels about women and families.

Defying expectations of submissive domesticity, many first ladies have

been powerful political and social activists who helped redefine American
womanhood. Yet all first ladies have also faced pressure to conform to
ideals of femininity.

Click here to learn about first ladies and their portraits.

Then come back to answer these questions:

1. What are some examples of social causes taken up by first ladies?

2. How did artists attempt to capture the individual identities of first ladies
such as Rosalynn Carter, Hillary Rodham Clinton, or Jackie Kennedy?
3. How have first ladies of the United States both embodied and
challenged traditional ideas of femininity?

To learn about First Lady Michelle Obama’s famous portrait, click here.

Eleanor Roosevelt, by Clara Sipprell, 1949. National Portrait Gallery,

5
Smithsonian Institution
 Introducing . . . Shirley Chisholm
In 1968, Shirley Chisholm became the first African American
woman to be elected as a member of congress. Four years later,
she launched a bold campaign for President of the United
States. A lively, charismatic, and unapologetic New Yorker,
Chisholm used a sharply humorous speaking style and a
dedication to children and low-income families to demonstrate
that she was not running only as a symbolic candidate for
African American people or women: she was a unique individual
fighting for concrete, effective policies. Because she defied the
expectations of who a U.S. president should be, she faced
threats, resistance, and most damagingly, disregard from the
political establishment.

Click here to learn about Chisholm’s life and

career.
Then come back to answer these questions:

1. How does this portrait of Chisholm help reveal her identity?

2. Which aspects of Chisholm’s identity impeded her national
political career, and which aspects helped her succeed?
3. How did Chisholm’s political career change the image of
national politicians in the United States?

Bring U.S. Together. Vote Chisholm 1972, Unbought and Unbossed, by an

6
unidentified artist, 1972. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
 One Life: Dolores Huerta
Politicians often praise ordinary working people as “real Americans.” At the
same time, society often resists workers’ demands to be treated and paid
as worthy individuals. There is also a contrast in the treatment of migrants
from Europe and those from Latin America, Asia, or Africa. People from
these locations must assert both their American and individual identities to
be seen as equals.

Dolores Huerta grew up in a community of Latin American migrant laborers

who helped harvest produce in California. She and fellow activist César
Chávez formed the United Farm Workers and organized strikes to fight for
migrant workers’ rights. Along the way, Huerta became a role model for
Latin Americans and women.

Click here to learn about Dolores Huerta.

Then come back to answer these questions:

1. According to the text, why did Huerta believe it was important to involve
women in the fight for labor rights?
2. What elements did artists include in portraits of Huerta to portray
different aspects of her individual and national identity?
3. Why do you think Huerta adopted the Spanish slogans Huelga and Sí
se puede for the labor movement, and how does this reflect her identity?

To watch a video discussing the exhibition, click here.

Dolores Huerta, Huelga, Delano CA Grape Strikes, September 24, 1965, by

7
Harvey Wilson Richards, 1965. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
 Note that some images in this exhibit contain partial nudity.

The Outwin 2019: American Portraiture Today

During the last years of the 2010s, ideas about American identity
changed dramatically. When the National Portrait Gallery asked
artists to submit work to its triennial Outwin Boochever Portrait
Competition, it asked that the portraits reflect the current political
and social climate. The competition finalists, whose work was
featured in the 2019 Outwin exhibition, offered a profound
reflection on how individuals shape the national identity of the
United States.

Click here to learn about the portraits recognized

by the 2019 competition.
Then come back to answer these questions:

1. How did first-prize winner Hugo Crosthwaite portray the

identity of an individual changing over time?
2. Some of the portraits are in the medium of video. How does
video change how identity can be shown?
3. Choose a portrait from the exhibition and describe how it uses
pose, setting, and medium to convey the subject’s national
identity.

To see interviews with the artists from the exhibition, click here.

Legacy, by Wayde McIntosh, 2017. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution 8

Quiz
Read the questions and write your answer in your notebook or on a piece of paper.
1. What details do first ladies and portrait artists choose to help define their individual identities? Provide
examples from the exhibition.
2. How do the details of many portraits of first ladies challenge traditional ideas of femininity?
3. How did Shirley Chisholm assert her individual identity?
4. How did Shirley Chisholm’s candidacy for president and the images of her shape U.S. national identity?
5. How do the photographs of Dolores Huerta express her identity?
6. How did Dolores Huerta seek to expand the traditional idea of “American” identity?
7. How do the portraits in the Outwin 2019 exhibition answer the competition’s call to respond to “the current
political and social context”?
8. How do the portraits in the Outwin 2019 exhibition use different media to express identity?

Explore Further
You have learned some of the vocabulary of portraiture and the factors that make up national and
American identity. To learn more about portraits in the National Portrait Gallery, click here.

9
 It’s Your Turn!
In this lesson, you learned about
national identity and its
relationship with individual identity.
Here are some ideas for projects
that you can do at home or in the
classroom.

❖ Create a portrait of someone

in your life who you think
reflects a certain national
identity. Select details to
include in your portrait to show
this identity.
❖ Think about an identity that
you connect with that shapes
your national identity. Create a
collage, mood board, or a
short essay describing that
identity and how it interacts
with your national identity.
❖ Draw or create an artwork that
shows the United States as a
person with an identity. What
details will you include to
show the nation’s
“personality”?
Dad on the Towmotor, by Daniel Centofanti, 2018. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

10
Sample Answers
Student answers will vary. The responses below are sample answers and are not
meant to be the one conclusive answer. Use the rubric on page 13 for a guide on
evaluating student interpretations of portraits. One Life: Dolores Huerta

First Ladies 1. Huerta understood that women, and sometimes children, also acted
as laborers alongside men.
1. First ladies have taken up causes such as supporting labor programs 2. Huerta is shown speaking to workers and negotiating contracts,
(Eleanor Roosevelt), reducing illegal drug use (Nancy Reagan), and reflecting her identity as a labor activist. She is also shown with the
literacy (Laura Bush). families of workers, which may reflect her identity as someone who
2. Artists used color, setting, and pose to show individual identities, such cares for others.
as showing Lou Henry Hoover in the garden with her dogs, or Hillary 3. Huerta adopted Spanish slogans to help unite the mostly Spanish-
Rodham Clinton wearing warm yellow. speaking migrant laborers of the U.S. Southwest, and also to assert
3. U.S. first ladies often take up causes related to women and children, that Hispanic people and their culture deserved respect and were
reinforcing ideas of women as wives and mothers. They also often part of American identity.
get involved in political and social causes and argue for the inclusion
of women in government, defying restrictions. The Outwin 2019: American Portraiture Today

Introducing . . . Shirley Chisholm 1. Hugo Crosthwaite used video containing stop-motion animation to
create a portrait that shows a person over time.
1. Chisholm’s photograph shows her actively speaking, giving her the 2. Answers will vary. Sample answer: The portrait Legacy shows a
identity of a spokesperson and active politician. young woman sitting with books and magazines that have images of
2. Chisholm’s identity as a woman and person of African descent led the civil rights and Black Lives Matter movements, suggesting that
some to resist or disregard as a political candidate. Her identity as a she is an activist. Her pose, with her hand on her face, is relaxed and
proud and talented speaker and advocate led to her success. thoughtful, but her facial expression is watchful.
3. Chisholm was one of the first women and one of the first African 3. Video can show a person’s gestures and movements, as well as add
Americans to run for national office, and though she was not music and change the person’s surroundings. One video shows a
successful, she acted as a role model for women and people of color person breaking apart the floor on which they stand, adding a
who came after her. symbolic element and tension that would not be present in a still
image.

11
Sample Answers
Student answers will vary. The responses below are sample answers and are not
meant to be the one conclusive answer. Use the rubric on page 13 for a guide on
evaluating student interpretations of portraits.
Quiz

1. Many portraits of first ladies show objects or surroundings that reflect the
causes they fought for, such as Laura Bush reading (literacy) or Lady
Bird Johnson in a natural setting (environmental conservation).
2. Many first ladies are shown working to further their causes, or have
poses or facial expressions that express their powerful personalities.
3. Shirley Chisholm used her engaging personality and dedication to the
issues she cared about to assert her individual identity.
4. Shirley Chisholm’s candidacy challenged the previous idea that only
men or white people could be serious presidential candidates.
5. Photographs show Huerta speaking, negotiating in meetings, and
wearing symbols of the organizations she worked with.
6. Huerta asserted that Latin American migrant workers and farm laborers
deserved to be treated fairly by employers and the United States legal
system.
7. The portraits in the 2019 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition reflect
the challenges faced by marginalized groups as they attempt to claim
American identity. Several of the portraits address the ways Black Lives
Matter and immigrant groups seek to expand American identity.
8. Answers will vary. Sample answer: Videos and animation show people in
motion, adding gesture or changes over time to help show their
identities. Photographs show people in settings that are symbolic of
cultures or groups within the United States.

12
Zitkala-Ša, by Joseph Keiley, 1898. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Rubric for evaluating student interpretations of portraits

Strong Interpretation Fair Interpretation Needs Improvement

Answer includes: • A clearly stated inference, • A stated interpretation or • A simple opinion or statement
conclusion, interpretation, or opinion. of fact about the image or text.
supported opinion. • Some evidence, or evidence • No evidence of inference,
• Accurate evidence using that relies on less significant or interpretation, or drawing
significant details from the more ambiguous details from conclusions.
image or text. the image or text. • No relationship between the
• A logical relationship between • Interpretations that rely on opinion or statement and the
the evidence and the ideas or opinions not found in text or image.
conclusion. the image or text. • No specific evidence from the
text or image.

Sample answer: I think the portrait of Henrietta The portrait of Henrietta Lacks is I like the picture of Henrietta Lacks.
Lacks is trying to communicate very hopeful. The bright colors and I think she looks pretty.
hope. The artist uses light, bright flowers are happy symbols.
colors, which feel like a sunny day,
and Henrietta is smiling, which
makes her seem content.

13