Art Project for Parable, ch. 17–18

In groups of two, three, or four, you're going to find details in these chapters of Parable of the Sower to help you bring some aspects of the book to life visually. So, first, get into groups. 

In these chapters, Lauren, Harry, and Zahra meet and eventually join up with the Douglas family––Travis, Natividad, and their baby Dominick/Domingo. Having recently revealed some basic aspects of Earthseed to Harry, Lauren has the chance to share some of its ideas with the rest of her newly expanded crew. Today, you're going to look for details of the six characters who are now traveling together that may help you represent them visually. You're also going to look for elements of Earthseed that Lauren shares in these chapters and come up with a way to visually represent this newly-forming religion. 

Work as a group to comb through chapter 17 & 18 for any visual depictions you can find of the six characters that now make up this traveling group. Keep a list of these depictions as you pore over the chapters. At the same time, take notes on ways that Lauren describes Earthseed. Try to encapsulate the most important aspects and elements of her philosophy and ideas. Feel free to page back through earlier chapters (especially the Earthseed: Books of the Living "scripture" bits) in order to find more ideas, but focus especially on chapters 17 & 18.

Next, come up with a plan for representing Earthseed visually. Imagine that Lauren is designing a banner or a set of hangings to share her religious ideas with others, or to decorate a space where her followers might some day gather. What symbols and images might she want to incorporate? What words and phrases might be the most important to include? Is there an icon (or set of icons) you can imagine becoming associated with Earthseed? When you've come up with some ideas, work together to create a banner or hanging. Different members of your group can work on separate pieces and you can staple or tape them in an artful arrangement to the larger sheet of paper. Or you can all work together on one large piece of paper. 

If you want, you can incorporate simple visual representations of the six characters that currently make up Lauren's traveling group, but this is optional. Whatever you choose to do, your final product should be visually arresting, bold, and evocative of the Earthseed ideas that come through in the book. You can use markers to make it brightly colorful, colored pencils for more subtle color, or you can stick with black and white or a single color. Be sure all of your group members' names are on the finished product. 

Once your group is done with its banner/hanging, pass it on to Mr. Mitchell or Mr. Beesley. If there's time left in the period, you can get started on Thursday's reading assignment.