In an age where artistic expression is ever more accessible through the internet and social media, this series of six lessons examine the role art has played in conveying messages both from and to the Chinese government during the Song dynasty and in recent decades. Students will begin by examining the role of government-commissioned works under the Song Dynasty and try recreating their own version of this order. In later lessons, students will examine the Chinese government’s use of artistic expression to control their citizens through censorship and rule enforcement. The unit plan culminates in an extended essay analyzing the role art has played in Chinese government policy in the two periods examined in these lessons.
