Ode to Mexican Artists

This Instructional Resource uses thematic inquiry to facilitate transfer of knowledge. A theme is a general topic that can help students see relationships and make connections—and transfer information to new situations. Students may be more willing and able to learn when they can relate new ideas and skills to larger issues they already know and care about (Erickson, 2001, 2002). Using two versions of one theme can help build connections across cultures, generate ideas for students' art production, and build connections to other subject areas. This IR presents a broad, cross-cultural theme that is articulated in two ways: 1) as a general theme in life, and 2) as a theme in art. Asking questions is the foundation of inquiry, and art presents many questions to explore. Whether teachers use the key questions provided here, generate others, or encourage students to articulate their own, questions—and the search for answers—can beget further questioning. When students participate in the inquiry process, they make discoveries about themselves and their world and begin to take charge of their own understanding.