- Is HIV a terminal illness? How has our understanding of HIV/AIDS changed since the early 1980s?
- What increases HIV risk?
- What are our contemporary myths about HIV/AIDS?
- How do metaphors influence our responses to people living with HIV and AIDS?
- In what ways—directly and implicitly—are people judged for being HIV+?
- How have writers, artists, and activists responded to HIV/AIDS?
- How can students help destigmatize HIV and AIDS in their own communities?
- Understand Sontag’s key arguments in AIDS and Its Metaphors
- Reflect on historical myths and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS
- Assess the impact of metaphors on our treatment of people with HIV and AIDS
- Relate students’ own responses to HIV/AIDS to Sontag’s key ideas
- Consider the contemporary experience of living with HIV
- Explore civic and political actions that challenge stigmas or fears about HIV/AIDS
- Use art, writing, and visual displays creatively to express complex issues
1-4 Class Periods
VIDEOS:
AIDS and Its Metaphors Video and Transcript
HANDOUTS:
Unit Background
Unit Research
Handout 1
Handout 2
WORKSHEETS:
Panel Discussion Worksheet
Exhibit/Presentation Worksheet
Fine Arts/Creative Writing Worksheet
TEACHING PLANS:
Teach Handout 1
Teach Handout 2
Panel Discussion Activity
Exhibit/Presentation Activity
Fine Arts/Creative Writing Activity
- Art and Culture
Medium > Visual Arts
Subject Matter > Art History
Subject Matter > Philosophy
- History and Social Studies
People > LGBT
Themes > Civil Rights
Themes > Culture
Themes > History of Science and Technology
Themes > Modern World
Themes > Politics and Citizenship
Themes > War and Foreign Policy
- Literature and Language Arts
Genre > Biography
Genre > Drama
Genre > Essay
Genre > Fables, Fairytales and Folklore
Genre > Novels
Genre > Poetry
Genre > Short Stories
Place > American
Place > Modern World
- Analysis
- Compare and contrast
- Creative writing
- Critical thinking
- Cultural analysis
- Debate skills
- Discussion
- Evaluating arguments
- Gathering, classifying and interpreting written and visual information
- Historical analysis
- Internet skills
- Interpretation
- Journal writing
- Letter writing
- Literary analysis
- Logical reasoning
- Making inferences and drawing conclusions
- Media analysis
- Online research
- Oral communication
- Oral presentation skills
- Persuasive writing and speaking
- Painting
- Photography
- Poetry writing
- Representing ideas and information orally, graphically and in writing
- Research
- Role-playing/Performance
- Summarizing
- Synthesis
- Technology
- Textual analysis
- Using archival documents
- Using primary sources
- Using secondary sources
- Visual art analysis
- Visual art skills
- Visual presentation skills
- Writing skills
- ELA Reading: 1, 3-4, 7, 10
- ELA Writing: 2-7, 9-10
- ELA Speaking & Listening: 1-2, 4-6
- ELA Language: 4-6
- HSS Reading: 1-4, 6-10
- HSS Writing: 2, 4-7, 9-10
Written at the height of the epidemic in 1988, Susan Sontag’s AIDS and Its Metaphors sought to destigmatize an illness that was still highly controversial, and remains a canonical text in the literature of the disease. This lesson helps students think about the early days of HIV/AIDS, when it was almost always fatal (before the “cocktail” of HIV drugs), and what has changed in the ensuing decades. Initially a disease that devastated urban gay male communities, today AIDS is a worldwide challenge, one that disproportionately affects poor people and people of color. The lesson asks what has changed since Sontag wrote her book, in terms of judgments about the disease, including its treatment, prevention, culture, and perception. Students will investigate the history of the epidemic and AIDS activism, as well as art and writing made in response to it, in panel discussions, presentations, and exhibits, and have opportunities for personal expression in writing and art projects.
LESSON 2 HANDOUTS
LESSON 2 STUDENT ACTIVITY OPTIONS
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY OPTION
- Watch Regarding Susan Sontag and reflect on its relevance to your students and subject area. For extracurricular organizations, community groups, and book clubs, consult our guide on adapting the curriculum.
- Review our curriculum units and lessons below, then choose the individual lesson(s) most aligned to your needs. See our interdisciplinary diagram for more help choosing an appropriate lesson and unit.
- Select the handout(s) and student activity you will use with each lesson.
- Begin the lesson by watching and discussing the lesson video module with Handout 1
- Continue the lesson with Handouts 2-4 to deepen learning (optional)
- Complete the lesson with a student activity: options include writing, presentation, and creative assignments as well as class projects or debates
- Download or print all related resources for your lesson at our resource center (video module, handouts, worksheets, teaching plans), and prepare for classroom use. Preview the lesson video module, familiarizing yourself with the content and any potential areas of sensitivity for your students (see Information for Teachers).
- Watch Regarding Susan Sontag and reflect on its relevance to your students and subject area. For extracurricular organizations, community groups, and book clubs, consult our guide on adapting the curriculum.
- Review our curriculum units and lessons below, then choose the individual lesson(s) most aligned to your needs. See our interdisciplinary diagram for more help choosing an appropriate lesson and unit.
- Select the handout(s) and student activity you will use with each lesson.
- Begin the lesson by watching and discussing the lesson video module with Handout 1
- Continue the lesson with Handouts 2-4 to deepen learning (optional)
- Complete the lesson with a student activity: options include writing, presentation, and creative assignments as well as class projects or debates
- Download or print all related resources for your lesson at our resource center (video module, handouts, worksheets, teaching plans), and prepare for classroom use. Preview the lesson video module, familiarizing yourself with the content and any potential areas of sensitivity for your students (see Information for Teachers).