Lesson 2: A Culture of War

Guiding Questions

What does it mean to “bear witness” to war?
When is military action justified?
How are communities and cultures changed by war?
What can citizens do to oppose wars or prevent future conflicts?
How have writers and artists responded to war?
How have students and their communities been personally affected by war?
How can students use writing and art to raise awareness of current conflicts?

Learning Objectives

Reflect on Sontag’s role as a witness to war
Consider the impact of modern war on communities and cultures
Analyze the use of military force in modern wars
Explore the work of historical writers and artists affected by war, political violence, and exile
Deepen understanding of current conflict zones through contemporary art
Reflect on the impact and risks of political art and activism
Use writing, art, and activism to respond to current conflicts

Subject Areas

Art and Culture

Medium > Visual Arts
Subject Matter > Art History
Subject Matter > Music
Subject Matter> Philosophy

History and Social Studies

Place > Africa
Place > The Americas
Place > Asia
Place > Europe
Place > The Middle East
Themes > Civil Rights
Themes > Culture
Themes > Immigration/Migration
Themes > Politics and Citizenship
Themes > Religion
Themes > War and Foreign Policy
U.S. History
U.S. > World War II
World > The Modern World

Literature and Language Arts

Genre > Biography
Genre > Drama
Genre > Essay
Genre > Fables, Fairy tales and Folklore
Genre > Novels
Genre > Poetry
Genre > Short Stories
Place > American
Place > British
Place > Europe
Place > Modern World

Student Skills

Analysis
Compare and contrast
Creative writing
Critical analysis
Critical thinking
Cultural analysis
Data analysis
Debate skills
Discussion
Evaluating arguments
Expository writing
Gathering, classifying and interpreting written, oral and visual information
Historical analysis
Internet skills
Interpretation
Investigating/journalistic writing
Journal writing
Letter writing
Literary analysis
Logical reasoning
Making inferences and drawing conclusions
Map skills
Media analysis
Musical analysis
Musical skills
Online research
Oral communication
Oral presentation skills
Painting
Persuasive writing and speaking
Photography
Poetry analysis
Poetry writing
Report writing
Representing ideas and information orally, graphically and in writing
Research
Role-playing/Performance
Summarizing
Synthesis
Technology
Textual analysis
Using primary sources
Using secondary sources
Visual art analysis
Visual art skills
Visual presentation skills
Writing skills

Common Core Standards

ELA Reading: 1-3, 5-7, 10
ELA Writing: 1-10
ELA Speaking & Listening: 1-6
HSS Reading: 1-3, 5-10
HSS Writing: 1-2, 4-10

About This Lesson

Susan Sontag believed in bearing moral witness to war and standing up to torture and other forms of human rights abuse. She visited a number of war zones during her lifetime, going to Hanoi, the capital of North Vietnam, at the height of the Vietnam War (which was illegal for a U.S. citizen); making a film in Israel and Palestine in the immediate aftermath of the 1974 “Yom Kippur” War; and making numerous trips to the besieged city of Sarajevo during the Balkan wars of the early 1990s. She wrote about Vietnam in her long essay “Trip to Hanoi,” and addressed war and violence in a number of important works, starting with essays written for her high school newspaper immediately after World War II. Her final book, Regarding the Pain of Others, examines photographs of war and torture (see Photography Unit: Lesson 5). This lesson investigates Sontag’s writings on 20th-century conflicts and introduces work by the many writers and artists of war and exile that she featured. It asks students to deepen their understanding of contemporary wars through art, encouraging them to reflect on the ways war affects cultures and communities and raises awareness of current conflicts through writing, art, and activism.

LESSON 2 HANDOUTS

LESSON 2 STUDENT ACTIVITY OPTIONS

How to Teach This Lesson

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 viewing and discussing sensitive materials).

Extending The Lesson

Screen Regarding Susan Sontag and discuss with our Educational Screening Guide before beginning this lesson.
Assign full texts or articles in place of handout excerpts.
Assign supplementary texts or facilitate independent research with our War & Activism Unit Research handout, which includes:
- Online resources related to war and activism
- Reference texts on war and activism (unit citations and recommendations)
- Works of art included in the unit
Allow additional time for discussion, group work, peer-review, editing, revision, or student evaluations and critiques of finished work.
Coordinate presentations of student activities outside the classroom, such as a class blog, podcast or online gallery posts, school newspaper or literary/art journal publications, student radio or video broadcasts, or all-school exhibits, panel discussions, and screenings.

Teach this lesson with additional content from the curriculum guide. See our Interdisciplinary Diagram for help choosing related units and lessons.