American Art Visionary, Edward Hopper: Using His Paintings to Teach Social Studies
David Campos
I saw the movie Psycho when I was in high school. I knew that both the film and Alfred Hitchcock, the director, had caused a sensation when it was originally released in 1960 and that it had terrified movie-goers. I couldn’t wait to see it and figure out what the fuss was about. I was immediately spellbound by Hitchcock’s skill for creating suspense, each actor’s indelible performance, and the mise-en-scene which contributed greatly to viewers’ fear and anxiety. As I watched Norman Bates (the protagonist) dodge a private detective and unexpected sleuths, his house—an eerie grand Victorian perched above the family’s secluded motel—stood out most of all. The image of that house haunted me for years.
Decades later, I was exploring the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York when I caught a glimpse of a familiar-looking house in a painting. I took a closer look and found a striking resemblance to the Bates home, although the house in the painting was not as foreboding. In fact, it seemed far more enchanting with its delicate balance of alluring hues and effectual shadows that suggested the approach of dusk. I felt sorry for the house, actually, because it radiated emptiness. But for Alfred Hitchcock, the house in the painting must have emanated mystery and isolation, because he used it as a model for the house in Psycho 1 The artwork, House by the Railroad (1925), was painted by Edward Hopper.
Until that moment at MOMA, I knew little about Edward Hopper, his artwork, or how his work contributed to our national heritage. Since then, I have come to recognize that Hopper’s paintings can be powerful social studies tools to help students develop a sense of American history at the time that he painted, to give students an idea for how the technology of the time affected people’s
lives, and to teach about Hopper’s overall contributions to American art. More importantly, Hopper’s paintings can show middle school students that their own art can capture their perspectives on modern life as well as how technology has affected their lives. This article discusses the life and artwork of Edward Hopper, the possibilities of using Edward Hopper in the classroom to explore modernization in the United States during the period of the 1920s to 1940s, and includes a lesson plan and pullouts for students to explore the impact of scientific discoveries and technological innovations on daily life in the United States.
Art Visionary
Artist Edward Hopper (1882–1967) is considered one of the most prominent American painters of the
House by the Railroad (1925)
(Wikimedia Commons)
twentieth century. His artwork, which spanned over 50 years, is showcased in many renowned museums, including the Whitney Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, and the National Gallery of Art. Many of his paintings capture urban spaces (primarily in New York City) and landscapes (the New England coast and rural scenery) and reflect his observations of modern American life. An art historian at the time observed, “It is hard to think of another painter who is getting more of a quality of America in his canvases than Edward Hopper.” 2 Once asked why he painted, Hopper replied, “I’m after me,” inferring that he wanted to show what he saw, what he felt, and who he was. 3 His paintings present moments in American history.4 Art historian and critic Weiland Schmied said,
There is a timeless quality in the America Hopper depicts. Yet it is actually a quite definite aspect of America, which can be precisely dated in historical time. Hopper records the country as it was in the 1920s and 1930s and his rural motifs especially give a sense of what its atmosphere must have been like around the turn of the century. 5
Painted in a realistic style, his art often portrays drama about lone characters at a time and place, such as a sole usher at a movie theatre, a solitary attendant at a gas station, or a woman alone at an Automat (i.e., self-serve diner). The scenes usually lack groups of people, cars, children, or animals. His characters, who are often in contemplative moods, are depicted in sparse rooms and public spaces. Not to mention that his paintings typically involve quiet moments in common places (storefronts, hotels, restaurants), ordinary interiors (bedrooms, offices, hotel lobbies), and regular city and country streets. Hopper, who was an introvert and enjoyed quiet routines and solitude, used his seclusive tendencies and self-discipline to create his art, 6 which got widespread attention after a one-person exhibition in which all his artwork was sold. At age 42, shortly after
marrying painter Josephine “Jo” Nivison, Hopper’s fame catapulted in the art world, particularly after the newly established MoMA acquired its first painting in 1930, Hopper’s House by the Railroad . From 1940 onwards, he created most of his oil paintings in his Greenwich Village studio, producing two to four pieces a year. In all, he created over 800 paintings, largely of nondescript places. Through his distinct style and perspective, he chronicled the modern urban experience, giving a glimpse as to how some people lived during his time.7 Significantly, Hopper’s paintings also reflect his internal conflict with America’s progress. 8
For additional background on Edward Hopper, see Handout A, a biography that can be read with the students (see page 9).
Possibilities in the Social Studies Classroom
Edward Hopper’s life and artwork can be a valuable tool for social studies teachers. The included lesson plan focuses largely on Hopper's artwork and how students can similarly paint their own representations of modern America. However, there are many social studies topics that can be addressed with Handout A. Students might explore the following:
• How Edward Hopper’s artwork contributed to our national heritage.
• The ways that Edward Hopper’s artwork reflected the times in which he lived.
• Individualism and inventiveness in Edward Hopper’s art.
• Edward Hopper’s artwork in comparison to other notable American painters.
• Edward Hopper’s influence on the American artworld and pop culture.
• Scientific discoveries and technological innovation that influenced U.S. daily life in different historical periods.9
Students apply social studies skills to the content by:
• Synthesizing evidence from a variety of materials on Edward Hopper (e.g., biographies, artwork, and resources from
museums and preservation societies);
• Applying geographic skills to orient where Edward Hopper grew up, lived, and painted;
• Developing questions about Edward Hopper;
• Engaging in critical thinking about Edward Hopper;
• Integrating evidence to construct and analyze timelines of Edward Hopper’s life and artwork;
• Comparing and contrasting the subjects in Edward Hopper’s paintings with their own lives;
• Determining and explaining cause and effect relationships.10
This lesson plan is based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) social studies standards. Prior to teaching the lesson, teachers should adapt the plan to fulfill respective state standards and grade level. The lesson plan and Pullout A can be supplemented with information from Figure 1 (Resources), which includes books and documentaries about Edward Hopper and his artwork. Some additional instructional considerations include:
• Collect and show many samples of Hopper’s artwork that students can examine and contrast, such as his rural landscapes, seascapes, urban scenes, houses, lighthouses, etc. Preview the artwork before showing them as some include nudes, which some adults may find inappropriate for students.
• Ask students to contemplate how Hopper’s paintings convey a sense of what the United States was like at the time. Encourage a discussion about ways the artwork communicates notions about America.
• Ask students to think about the buildings,
houses, and public spaces in their own community, so that they can make comparisons between Hopper’s artwork and their own lives. Prompt a discussion with questions, such as: What would you paint about your community to show the United States to others? How would your paintings show the influence of scientific growth and technologies on human behavior and interactions? Before students start their drawings for the Gallery Walk (Handout C), ask them to wander their community (with supervision) and take pictures of “their” America. Encourage them to focus on the light and shadows, which they might later use to convey feelings in their drawings.
• Encourage students to share their wonderings about issues of race, culture, and privilege. Wieland Schmied wrote, “The people Hopper depicted all belong to the white middle class. We search his pictures in vain for other ethnic groups, not to mention signs of racial or social tension, or of the differences between rich and poor.”11 Students can contemplate how being white during this time in American history might have affected Hopper’s opportunities, his work, and his relationships with others.
Conclusion
Edward Hopper is an American master artist of the 20th century whose work is found in many reputable museums. His unique style and perspective captured moments in American history experiencing significant growth and change. Teaching the following lesson plan and using the Handouts with students can help them understand how Hopper and his artwork contributed to our national heritage. Participating in the lesson’s culminating activity (i.e., the Gallery Walk) allows
continued on page 14
Lesson Plan: American Visionary Artist, Edward Hopper
Grade Level: 8th Grade
Standards Addressed*
• The student understands the impact of scientific discoveries and technological innovations on daily life in the United States. The student is expected to: (A) compare the effects of scientific discoveries and technological innovations that have influenced daily life in different periods in U.S. history
Materials
• Photocopies of Handouts A, B, and C for each student
• Photocopies or images (for projection) of Edward Hopper’s artwork (See Figure 1, on p. 13, for where to access images)
Lesson Objective
After reading about Edward Hopper and exploring examples of his artwork, students will convey their perception of modern-day America in a drawing that depicts at least one impact technology has on their lives today.
Introduction
Post a picture of Edward Hopper’s painting, Nighthawks (1940), in the center of a whiteboard.
As students enter the classroom, have them write comments about the painting. Allow them time to read and think about each other’s comments. Read some of the comments out loud, expanding on the students’ ideas and eliciting feedback. To encourage a class discussion, ask questions like, “What comment surprised you the most? Why? What comment did you find most intriguing? Why? How did a comment change your thinking on the painting?”
Show the following images of Hopper’s artwork to demonstrate the range of subjects: Manhattan Bridge Loop (1928), Early Sunday Morning (1930), New York Movie (1939), Gas (1940), Office at Night (1940), and Hotel Lobby (1943). See Figure 1 for a list of resources that include pictures of Hopper’s paintings.
To encourage the students to think critically about the artwork, ask them:
• What do you notice about the artwork?
• How would you describe the artwork?
• What feelings do you have about the artwork?
• What is the artist communicating in his artwork?
Explain that the students will be learning about American visionary artist Edward Hopper and drawing pictures that show their own modern America. To kickstart students contemplating modernization in the United States during the 1920s–1940s period, ask them:
• What technology is depicted in the artwork?
• How does the technology in the Hopper artwork compare to today?
• How does the technology depicted in the artwork impact personal relationships?
• What do you notice about nature and the machine/man-made structures?
• How did electricity change work schedules, gender roles, leisure activities, and social spaces?
* “Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills,” www.sos.state.tx.us/tac/ index.shtml.
Methods/Procedures
To make the reading of Handout A more meaningful, show students what Edward Hopper looked like using his self-portraits (see the Whitney Museum of American Art website) and real photos (see the Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center website).
Pass out copies of Handout A, reviewing vocabulary that might be unfamiliar to students, which includes: solitary, apprenticeship, luminosity, Mansard roof, meticulous, ledger, frugal, walk-up, motif, alienation, isolation, and elation.
Read Handout A with the students. Ask critical thinking questions as they read, such as:
• How does where you live influence what you like to draw?
• Why would you want to paint everyday objects and common people?
• How do you think the society and culture of Hopper’s time influenced his work?
• What are the social/cultural changes that were happening when he painted the subjects?
• What are social/cultural changes happening
Nighthawks (1942)
(Wikimedia Commons)
(Wikimedia Commons)
New York Movie (1939)
(Wikimedia Commons)
Gas (1940)
(Wikimedia Commons)
Office at Night 1940
in our lives now? How do you feel about the changes?
These questions, and those listed previously, can also be used with a Think-Pair-Share. Supplement Handout A with additional information from the article, as well as from the websites and books found in Figure 1.
Activity
So that students synthesize what they see into an understanding of American life during the period depicted in Hopper’s artwork, divide them into four groups and provide copies of Handout B and copies of pictures of his paintings. The table below describes what each group will be analyzing as they explore specific artwork.
After the students complete Handout B, have them present their analysis of how their assigned innovation impacted daily life in the United States. Challenge students to explore the interconnections between these innovations and how they collectively transformed American society (e.g., transportation, labor, and leisure activities).
Group Innovation
Hopper’s Artwork
A Trains Railroad Train (1908)*
House by the Railroad (1925) Compartment C (1932)
B Cars Gas (1940)
Hotel Lobby (1943) Western Motel (1957)*
C Electricity Office at Night (1940) Nighthawks (1942) Conference at Night (1949)
D Theatre and Cinema Two on the Aisle (1927) The Sheridan Theatre (1937)
New York Movie (1939)
While these technological advances brought clear benefits, they also had complex consequences: railroad tracks and highway systems altered natural landscapes, rapid urbanization created new social challenges, and traditional patterns of human interaction shifted. These themes of modernization and its repercussions are reflected in Hopper's artwork.
Assignment
Prior to providing students with Handout C, brainstorm key twenty-first-century technological and scientific advances and follow with a discussion on how they have transformed daily life. Guide students to contemplate how they feel about the effects of those advances on their lives. Then, ask the students to select one picture from the previous activity to complete Handout C, which culminates by inviting students to draw a picture of everyday American life that depicts at least one impact of technology. Students who are reluctant to draw can express their everyday life through selected images, symbols, words, expressive colors, or mixed media collages.
Some Ideas to Reinforce Group Analysis
• Trains allowed for fast transportation of goods and people
• Passenger trains connected rural and urban areas, promoting migration and cultural exchange
• Cars transformed personal transportation and urban development
• Their increasing use expanded highway systems and caused a need for gas stations
• Electricity revolutionized manufacturing, homes, and nearly every aspect of modern life
• Theatres/movies emerged as new sources of entertainment providing films that shared cultural experiences
* Hopper painted these two artworks outside the historical period being studied, but they can serve as valuable discussion prompts to deepen each group’s analysis.
Closure
Post students’ drawings around the room for a Gallery Walk. Give each student two sticky notes. On one note, ask them to write “I like…” on the other “I wonder…” As students walk around looking at drawings, instruct them to post either the “I like…” or the “I wonder…” sticky note with a comment to a drawing. Finish with a discussion using these prompts:
• What did you learn about Edward Hopper?
• What did you learn from his artwork in terms of modernization in American society (during the 1920s–1940s)?
• How are modern technology and scientific discoveries changing your everyday life?
• How does your artwork compare to Hopper’s?
Ideas to Differentiate the Lesson
Students can:
• Write blurbs, dialogues/monologues, or diary entries from the perspective of the people in Hopper’s artwork
• Recreate the scenes in the artwork using their own cultural context
• Compare the architecture in Hopper’s artwork with local buildings and houses
• Compose music to reflect the mood of specific artwork
• Explore Hopper’s themes in social media
• Take photos that capture Hopper’s themes in their community
Biography Edward Hopper: An American Master Artist
Edward Hopper was born in Nyack, 40 miles north of New York City, on July 22, 1882. His father was a local dry goods storeowner. His mother exposed him to the arts and encouraged him to draw, which he enjoyed very much. On what appears to be his schoolboy pencil box, he scribbled the words “Edward Hopper, Would Be Artist.”1 As a youth, Hopper was teased at school for being unusually tall and subsequently often pursued solitary interests. 2 His drawings included birds, storefronts, and cartoons, but sketching boats was his favorite. 3 At first, Hopper, who lived a block away from the Hudson River and regularly saw watercraft, dreamed about becoming a naval architect, but eventually decided on the fine arts instead.
and on the streets, where he was captivated by the outdoor Parisian light. “The light was different from anything I had known,” he said, adding, “The shadows were luminous, more reflected light. Even under the bridges there was a certain luminosity.”6
After his last trip to Paris, Hopper never returned to Europe but settled into a modest studio in Greenwich Village, where he lived and worked for over 50 years. As a young adult artist, he had very little fame, even after a solo exhibition in 1920.7
Hopper’s parents prodded him to become an illustrator, so he enrolled in New York’s Correspondence School of Illustrating. For a time, he worked as an illustrator for popular magazines, however, the practical side of drawing didn’t appeal to him.4 He wanted to paint and, once he was able to live off earnings from his artwork, abandoned illustrating. He attended the New York School of Art from 1900 to 1906 and studied under Robert Henri, who influenced him to paint what he saw on the streets using bold styles. 5 At the time, artists would regularly study painting in Paris. So, with his savings from illustrating jobs, Hopper took three extended trips to Paris. He chose not to enroll in any school. Instead, he painted in museums
He sold his first oil painting, Sailing, in 1913 for $250, but did not sell another for 10 years, when the Brooklyn Museum bought his watercolor, Mansard Roof, for $100. During a Massachusetts visit the same year, Hopper met Josephine “Jo” Nivison, a fellow painter and student of Robert Henri at the New York School of Art. The two married in 1924 and lived in the previously mentioned Greenwich Village building, where they each had separate studios. 8 At 42 years old, shortly after marrying Jo, Hopper’s fame increased. The newly established Museum of Modern Art (in New York) acquired its first painting in 1930, House by the Railroad (1925). From 1940 onwards, Hopper created most of his oil paintings in his Greenwich Village studio, producing two to four pieces a year.9
Edward Hopper had a distinct style and perspective when he painted. A close inspection of his collective artwork reveals many important
Edward Hopper, Paris, 1907 (Wikimedia
features, but keep these four in mind as you examine his paintings:
1. He painted his view of everyday life. Edward Hopper’s teacher, Robert Henri, encouraged him to walk the city in search of subjects to paint.10 Hopper wandered neighborhoods by foot and rode the elevated New York City subway, observing people and noting how they lived and worked.11 He was also inspired by the French artist Edgard Degas, who painted ordinary people in ordinary places.12 Following his quest, Hopper captured snapshots of American life—common people in hotel lobbies, cafes and restaurants, gas stations, and offices. He also painted houses, bridges, trains and railroads, sailboats, and lighthouses. His painting Office at Night (1940) gives the viewer a sense of what an office looked like in New York City, and in Nighthawks (1942), he provides a peek into an urban diner in the 1940s.
2. He conveyed the changing face of modern life. As Hopper painted what he saw, he was documenting change in the twentieth century. There was significant growth and expansion during his lifetime. He seemed intrigued by how national prosperity was affecting everyday people.13 “Even during an era of national prosperity and cultural optimism, moreover, his art continued to suggest that the individual could still suffer a powerful sense of isolation in postwar America,” wrote one art historian.14 Some art critics believe that Hopper’s artwork depicted the impact of technology on people (many of his paintings show people isolated and alienated) and the national landscape (trains in rural areas; bridges over rivers; gas stations in the woods etc…).15 His work explored the tension between tradition and progress.16
3. He depicted loneliness and alienation. Loneliness and alienation pervade Hopper’s
artwork. Many of the subjects in his work are of one or two people in ordinary settings or are of isolated buildings, empty roads, and deserted gas stations.17 Take for example, Early Sunday Morning (1930), which lacks people outside the storefronts and on the street. Gas (1940) also seems to suggest loneliness with its one attendant and no cars approaching. And New York Movie (1939) shows a lone usher leaning against a wall lost in thought. Hopper himself talked about painting loneliness. When he was asked about Nighthawks (1940) he said, “Unconsciously, probably, I was painting the loneliness of a large city ... the couple at the counter have little to say to each other.”18 For his painting, Office at Night (1940), he elaborated, “My aim was to try to give the sense of an isolated and lonely office interior….”19
4. He used light and shadow to convey meaning. Hopper placed great importance on light and its effects, using them to evoke particular moods and indicate the time of day. 20 His signature style of light and shadow are revealed as morning sunlight, noontime glare, late afternoon shadows, approaching dusk, or night with “a tiny corner of a night in the big city, illuminated by electric lamps, spotlights, neon signs. In every picture we know precisely what time of day or night it is.”21 Hopper was passionate about artificial light (e.g., electrically powered light), too. His painting Office at Night (1940) has various sources of electric light: the ceiling light, the desk lamp, and the outside light. 22 Moreover, in Nighthawks (1942), Hopper captures the light streaming from the window onto the street outside.
Edward and Jo eventually built a house and studio in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where they spent their summers. Hopper painted over 100 oils and watercolors of the Cape and surrounding areas. 23 Jo was often his model. She posed as the
usher, train passenger, receptionist, among others in his famed artwork. She was also his critic, record keeper, and promoter, keeping meticulous notes of his artwork in ledger books. 24 Jo exhibited her own art, but evidently subordinated her career to his.25 Even after his success (his oil paintings sold for $6,000 in the 1950s),26 the couple remained frugal. Their modest studios were on the top floor of a walk-up apartment with 74 stairs.27 In their home, they used a hot plate and did not have a stove or oven.28
Edward Hopper died in 1967 at the age of 84; Jo died the following year, after leaving over 3,000 pieces of the couple’s artwork to the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Notes
1. Peter Schjeldahl, “Hopper’s House,” e New Yorker 87, no. 20 (July 2011): 34.
2. Gail Levin, Edward Hopper: An Intimate Biography (Oakland, CA: University of California Press, 1995). 13
3. Susan Goldman Rubin, Edward Hopper: Painter of Light and Shadow (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2007).
4. Ita G. Berkow, Edward Hopper: A Modern Master (New York: Smithmark, 1996). 19.
5. Time, “Art: e Silent Witness,” Dec. 24, 1956, https://time.com/ archive/6611159/art-the-silent-witness
6. James Polchin, “American or Artist? In De ning Edward Hopper as the Quintessential American Artist, We’ve Lost the Artist Himself,” (Nov. 27, 2012), www.thesmartset.com/article11271201
7. Walker Art Center, “Edward Hopper, 1882–1967.”
8. omas Koster, 50 Artists You Should Know (Munich, DE: Prestel, 2016).
9. Ruthie V, “Edward Hopper’s Process,” 2018. www.seattleartistleague. com/2018/11/25/edward-hoppers-process.
10. Charles McQuillen, “Cross-Curricular Connect: Nighthawks,” May 7, 2017, https://charlesmcquillen.com/edward-hopper-nighthawksenglish-language-arts-lesson-plan
11. Koster, 50 Artists You Should Know; Schmied, Edward Hopper.
12. Rubin, Edward Hopper.
13. Time, “Edward Hopper: Man of Mysteries,” (May 10, 2007), https:// time.com/archive/6681003/edward-hopper-man-of-mysteries
14. Jessica Murphy, “Edward Hopper (1882–1967),” in Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: e Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/hopp/hd_hopp.htm (June 2007)
15. Rolf C. Renner, Edward Hopper, 1882–1967: Transformation of the Real (New York: Tashen, 2002).
16. Murphy, “Edward Hopper (1882–1967).
17. Jeanne Co ey-Chun, “Text to Text: Edward Hopper and Roald Dahl.”
18. Wieland Schmied, Edward Hopper: Portraits of America (Munich, DE: Prestel, 2022), 56.
19. Dorothy Koppelman, “Separate & Together: Opposites in the Art and Life of Edward Hopper,” 2024, https://terraingallery.org/ aesthetic-realism-art-criticism/separate-together-opposites-in-theart-and-life-of-edward-hopper.
20. Renner, Edward Hopper, 1882–1967; Rubin, Edward Hopper; Schmied, Edward Hopper, 45.
21. Schmied, Edward Hopper. 58.
22. Koster, 50 Artists You Should Know
23. Walker Art Center, “Edward Hopper, 1882–1967.”
24. Berkow, Edward Hopper; Renner, Edward Hopper, 1882–1967
25. Rubin, Edward Hopper.
26. Time, “Art: e Silent Witness.”
27. Annie Proulx, “Only the Lonely,” e Guardian (May 7, 2004).
28. PBS, “Edward Hopper’s Simply Lifestyle with Wife Jo,” (July 22, 1967), www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/edward-hoppers-simplelifestyle-with-wife-jo-sad1ed/30634.
Group Activity
Edward Hopper: Artwork that Depicts Modernizing Environments
Names of Students in the Group:
Circle the Innovation:
Trains Cars Electricity Movies/Movie Theatres
As a group, look at your Edward Hopper artwork closely and answer the questions below.
1. What innovations do you see in the artwork?
3. How did the innovations pose dilemmas?
4. What perspectives about modernization is Edward Hopper trying to convey?
2. How did the innovations enhance life?
Name:
5. How does Edward Hopper show that modernization was having both positive and negative effects on American society?
Student Assignment Edward Hopper: American Visonary Artist
Date:
Look at your Edward Hopper artwork closely, think about what you see, and answer the questions below using complete sentences.
1. What is the title of the artwork you were provided?
2. What do you see in the picture?
3. How did Edward Hopper capture everyday life in the picture?
4. What similarities and differences do you notice in the photo from modern-day America?
5. What is Edward Hopper communicating in the artwork?
6. On a separate sheet of paper, draw a picture of your everyday American life that depicts at least one impact of technology. HANDOUT (C)
Figure 1. Resources
Museum Websites
Each museum's website offers images and curatorial insights into their Hopper collections:
• Whitney Museum of American Art, https://whitney. org
• The Art Institute of Chicago www.artic.edu
• The Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org
• The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, www. metmuseum.org
• Edward Hopper House Museum and Study Center, www.edwardhopperhouse.org
• San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, www.sfmoma. org
Children’s Books
• Robert Burleigh, Edward Hopper Paints His World (New York: Christy Ottoviano Books, 2006).
• Susan Goldman Rubin, Edward Hopper: Painter of Light and Shadow (New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2007).
• Mike Venezia, Edward Hopper (Danbury, CT: Children’s Press, 2001).
Adult Books
• Ita G. Berkow, Edward Hopper: A Modern Master (New York: Smithmark, 1996).
• Wieland Schmied, Edward Hopper: Portraits of America (Munich: Prestel, 2022).
• Gail Levin, Edward Hopper: An Intimate Biography (University of California Press, 2023).
• Thomas Koster, 50 Artists You Should Know (Munich: Prestel, 2016).
• Rolf C. Renner, Edward Hopper, 1882-1967: Transformation of the Real (New York: Tashen, 2002).
• Kim Conaty, Edward Hopper’s New York (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2022).
• Elliot Bostwick Davis, Edward Hopper & Cape Ann: Illuminating an American Landscape (New York: Rizzoli Electa, 2023).
• Carolyn Troyen, Edward Hopper (Boston: Museum of Fine Arts, 2007).
• Gail Levin, Edward Hopper: The Complete Prints (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1979).
Documentaries and Video Clips
• PBS, HOPPER: An American Love Story
• PBS, Rare Interview Footage of Edward Hopper on His Process
• CBS, A Window into Edward Hopper’s World
• Carroll Moore, Edward Hopper: A National Gallery of Art Presentation
AMERICAN VISIONARY ARTIST, EDWARD HOPPER from page 4
them to showcase their own modern America, which contributes to the comparisons they make between their own lives and the society of Hopper’s time.
Notes
1. Margaret Iversen, “In the Blind: Hopper and the Uncanny,” Art History 21, no. 3 (1998): 409-429.
2. Lloyd Goodrich, “ e Paintings of Edward Hopper,” e Arts 2 (March 1927): 136
3. Margaret Iversen, “ e World without a Self: Edward Hopper and Chantal Akerman,” Art History 41, no. 4 (2018): 596–791.
4. Time, “Art: e Silent Witness,” (Dec. 24, 1956), https://time.com/ archive/6611159/art-the-silent-witness.
5. Wieland Schmied, Edward Hopper: Portraits of America (Munich: Prestel, 2022). 11
6. Charles McQuillen, “Cross-Curricular Connect: Nighthawks,” May 7, 2017, https://charlesmcquillen.com/edward-hopper-nighthawksenglish-language-arts-lesson-plan.
7. Walker Art Center, “Edward Hopper, 1882–1967,” 2024, https://walkerart. org/collections.
8. Ita G. Berkow, Edward Hopper: A Modern Master (New York: Smithmark, 1996), 54.
9. Texas Administrative Code, Part 2 (Texas Education Agency), Chapter 113 (“Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills), Subchapter B (Social Studies, Middle School),” www.sos.state.tx.us/tac/index.shtml.
10. Virginia Department of Education, “Standards of Learning for History and Social Science,” April 20, 2023, www.doe.virginia.gov/teachinglearning-assessment/k-12-standards-instruction/history-and-socialscience/standards-of-learning
11. Schmied, Edward Hopper. 54.
Note: For additional ideas on incorporating art into social studies classrooms, see David Campos, “Using Art in Social Studies: e Extraordinary Keith Haring,” Middle Level Learning 77 (May/June 2023): 2–10.
David Campos is Professor of Education at UIW (San Antonio, TX), where he teaches courses in special education, culturally responsive teaching, and instructional design and delivery. His scholarship focuses on childhood health and wellness, LGBTQ youth, and the schooling of Latinos. He has written books on childhood loneliness, childhood obesity, and inspiring creativity in students, among others.
Teaching Writing in the Social Studies
Joan Brodsky Schur
NCSS Bulletin 118, 143 pages, 2020
Good writing skills are a pathway to academic success and a lifelong asset for students. The social studies disciplines offer excellent opportunities for the development of these skills because social studies subjects require students to present information clearly and accurately, to summarize different perspectives, and to construct persuasive arguments.
In this book, Joan Brodsky Schur draws on her extensive experience as a teacher of both social studies and English to show how social studies teachers can integrate excellent writing instruction into their courses. In every chapter, she recommends several writing strategies, each of which is embedded in social studies content, to show how thinking skills, mastery of information, and writing reinforce one another. The chapters of the book present a structured progression in which students become proficient at writing on a small scale—for example, through short writes, or paragraphs about clearly defined topics—as the foundation for more ambitious projects such as essays and research papers.
This book offers invaluable suggestions that will help social studies teachers in grades 7 through 12 to teach the skills of communication and selfexpression that will enable students to achieve their college and career goals and become effective citizens with a voice in American society.
Joan Brodsky Schur is a social studies consultant, author, and teacher who taught both social studies and English to students in New York City for three decades. She is the author or co-author of six books for teachers on topics related to United States and world history, including Eyewitness to the Past: Strategies for Teaching American History in Grades 5–10.
NCSS Item number 205000 Price: $42.95 (list price)
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Inquiry as a Ground-Up Shift Rather Than TopDown Mandate: Tennessee’s Bruce Stubblefield Talks about the Rollout in his District
Edited by MaryBeth Yerdon, Kathy Swan, John Lee, and S.G. Grant
After nine years in the classroom, Bruce Stubblefield took a position as the Social Studies Content Lead for Hamilton County Public School District in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Bruce has a wide range of experiences including teaching at an urban middle school, then at a diverse large suburban high school, and more recently overseeing 50 middle and high schools. In his current role, Bruce supports all things social studies, including curriculum development, professional learning, instructional coaching, and advising senior leadership.
Hamilton County Public School District encompasses many different types of schools, including charter schools, magnet schools, and traditional public schools in urban, rural, and suburban settings. Bruce oversees social studies curriculum for large, diverse suburban schools like Ooltewah High School, about 30 minutes outside of Chattanooga, to all- girls schools like Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, located in Chattanooga, and smaller, more rural specialized charter schools like the Ivey Academy, an environmental school that partners with Tennessee State Parks in Soddy-Daisy. Despite this diversity in schools and students, Bruce says he doesn’t approach teaching social studies any differently.
Bruce’s approach: To make sure that all students have access to the same high-quality instructional materials and tailor support to meet teachers where they are, be it new teachers in schools with higher teacher turnover or veteran teachers in schools with high teacher retention. Bruce’s approach focuses on two principles—inquiry is central and relationships are paramount.
C3 Teachers: In your current role, how many teachers do you support, and how do you support such a wide range of teachers, students, and schools?
Bruce: I work with about 150 teachers give or take, depending on a multitude of factors. Hamilton County District is large. At the district level, I work with a Social Studies Leadership Council, which I served on before moving into my current role. One thing that has really helped with our district-wide rollout and implementation of inquiry is that a lot of the teachers on the Leadership Council know me as a teacher. I came right out of the classroom, which adds an element of trust. Additionally, I am intentional about building relationships with our teacher-leaders, and that is why we have had success getting buy-in for implementing
inquiry and the Inquiry Design Model [IDM] as a district-wide instructional practice.
C3 Teachers: How did you plan and implement the rollout of inquiry and IDM as district practice?
Bruce: We started small and we are slowly rolling out inquiry to the whole district. We aren’t fully districtwide yet and that is okay. First, we collaborated with Dr. [Kathy] Swan to conduct a series of workshops for our Leadership Council on the principles of inquirybased learning and the practical steps of the IDM. In this smaller subset of teacher-leaders, we developed and curated resources, including inquiry-based units and lessons to get teachers started. Then, I set up an asynchronous course to introduce inquiry to any social
studies teacher in our district looking for a starting point for implementing inquiry in the classroom. Throughout this process, I work diligently to build positive relationships with teachers, I think that is incredibly important. Since I’m not that far removed from the classroom and since my role is strictly to support, I’m not evaluative, I am able to gain teachers' trust. I want teachers to know that we are on this journey toward inquiry together and I want to always be as authentic and genuine as possible. I believe in inquiry and the IDM; it’s not just the next shift in a never-ending cycle of instructional shifts, it’s the direction that social studies needs to go.
C3 Teachers: Where did you first encounter inquiry, and what got you so hooked that you see district-wide implementation as a priority?
Bruce: It all came together for me when I started my most recent role, that’s when I got a chance to attend the annual National Council for the Social Studies conference . At the conference, I heard story after
story about how districts turned their social studies departments around, and it became clear that inquiry was the common denominator for positive change. I didn’t realize it at the time, but as a teacher I was already doing inquiry, I just didn’t have the language of inquiry or the framework. When I reflected on what had been the most successful lessons and projects, the ones that got the most buy-in from students, they all involved elements of inquiry. I didn’t have the words for it, but when I asked my economics class “How do we check the economy’s temperature?”–that's a compelling question. I was doing inquiry, and at NCSS it all came together for me. Then, I immediately wanted to capture lightning in a bottle. I wanted to give teachers the framework and language I didn’t have a name for but was so natural to the practice of social studies, and I found the answer in the IDM.
C3 Teachers: How long do you think it will take to roll out inquiry across your large district?
Bruce: I think of our rollout as a three-year plan. Year
Bruce (at left) leading an inquiry professional learning meeting in Tennessee.
(Photo by Kathy Swan)
One was for me to investigate and learn more about inquiry and the IDM. To do that, I attended NCSS, then I went to the IDM Institute in Washington, D.C. , and then partnered with Dr. Swan. Year Two focused on bringing in teacher-leaders, getting buy-in on inquiry and the IDM is the future of social studies. During this year, Dr. Swan provided training on building inquiries, and I set up the asynchronous course that allowed larger groups of teachers to participate. This year, we are working on building the capacity of our teacher-leaders to take the message forward and coach others towards inquiry. We are doing more training and synchronous learning to help teachers build confidence in their inquiry practice. Also, it is important that our teacher-leaders are the ones bringing inquiry to their schools, they are the face of this shift, not me, since we want inquiry to be seen as more of a ground-up shift than a top-down mandate.
“[W]hen I see inquiry working well in the classroom, the first thing I notice is student engagement.”
C3 Teachers: How do you go about building teacher confidence in implementing inquiry?
Bruce: I would say the key is building relationships and building trust. We start out with environments that are low stakes, conversations, and training with our Leadership Council and those are small groups of 20-30 people. In those small groups, teachers can build trust and take risks, they can ask questions and build their capacity to spread inquiry to their schools. In those lowstakes, small-group settings we can support each other, ask questions, and get expert advice. Then when our leaders have the confidence and the capacity, they work on leading professional development within their schools. So now, in stage three, that is our focus, building the same kind of capacity and confidence in our classroom teachers that we have in our teacher-leaders.
C3 Teachers: How have teachers responded?
Bruce: Overall, the response from teachers has been positive—many teachers see the results in their classrooms
with increased student engagement. Teachers see students gaining a deeper understanding of content and increased performance of skills. But particularly with engagement, which has been a challenge since COVID, when I see inquiry working well in the classroom, the first thing I notice is student engagement. Of course, increased engagement, deeper understanding of knowledge, and increased performance of skills are all outcomes that inquiry-based learning fosters. I think for teachers inquiry seems like more of an authentic approach to teaching social studies. Honestly, I think that inquiry is just taking what good social studies teachers are already doing and just making it better. These outcomes are both positive and natural to teaching social studies, and as a result, the response from teachers has been good. In a lot of ways inquiry is a lot like Inception, once you get inquiry in your head, it just doesn’t go away, inquiry becomes a pedagogy and the language of social studies.
Bruce worked with Kathy Swan to lead professional learning on using Harkness discussion to build deliberation skills—the question, “Did the return of Bruce’s Beach bring justice?” (No relation).
(Photo by Kathy Swan)
C3 Teachers: What kind of professional learning has been most helpful for your teachers building an inquiry practice?
Bruce: The most helpful professional learning has been hands-on, collaborative workshops with experts. I think the best way to learn inquiry is to experience it and learn it firsthand. For example, in our workshops with Dr. Swan, we worked through an inquiry cycle from start to finish. This allowed teachers to see the inquiry process in action and understand the components of the IDM.
C3 Teachers: What is one piece of advice you might offer another district trying to build inquiry-based social studies classrooms?
Bruce: My advice would be to start small and build gradually and work with those who have experience building inquiry into the culture of a school or district. Begin with a pilot school or course, even a few enthusiastic teachers who can serve as models and mentors for others. Provide professional development and ongoing support to help teachers build their confidence and competence in using inquiry-based methods. Celebrate successes to build momentum and buy-in and then, most importantly, be patient and persistent, as meaningful change takes time.
C3 Teachers: What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered in your inquiry rollout?
Bruce: One of the primary challenges is the initial adjustment period for both teachers and students. Shifting to a student-centered approach, especially if you have not been teaching that way, can feel overwhelming. It can feel like a loss of control. That feeling is normal. Another challenge is that teachers are always worried about an increased demand in terms of planning and pacing. There’s no doubt, inquiry takes time and careful planning, which is why our content builds capacity with increased professional learning and supports teachers with instructional materials. Genuinely, teachers want to provide the best instruction to their students, and in our district, they see the value of inquiry. However,
they also are worried about pacing and benchmark exams. The pressure of this kind of accountability is significant. To mitigate this pressure, we talk about how to “make inquiry fit.”
C3 Teachers: There has been a lot of focus on controversial curriculum and an increased desire for accountability. Based on these curricular and assessment shifts, particularly in states like Tennessee, what advice do you have for teachers and leaders who want to bring the kind of authentic instruction that inquiry offers to their schools?
Bruce: The idea of bringing relevant topics with tension scared some teachers a little bit at first. Honestly, they don’t want to get in trouble, and these recent laws have caused a bit of a chilling effect. Overall, I have not experienced any of these negative effects because we support our teachers who want to provide relevant and authentic inquiry-based assessment. I have had multiple mentors tell me that we cannot lead from a place of fear, and I wholly embrace that, particularly when it comes to inquiry.
e C3 Teachers initiative is guided by MaryBeth Yerdo. (SUNY Cortland), Kathy Swa. (University of Kentucky), Joh. L ee (North Carolina State University), and S.G. Gra.t (Binghamton University). Kathy, John, and S.G. have worked as leaders and writers in the C3 Framework project and know rst-hand the critical role teachers play in the implementation and realization of the C3 goals. eir work extends beyond the C3 into teacher education and preparing new teachers to tackle the challenges of teaching social studies in the 21st century.
Teachers from around the world are using inquiry and the IDM in the classroom. Creating community through connecting teachers is one of C3 Teachers’ primary goals. Through inquiry development, blogging, and the C3 Teachers Institute, C3 Teachers strive to support teachers as they implement inquiry in the classroom. Join us! We want to hear from you.
MaryBeth Yerdo.
Kathy Swa. Joh. L ee S. G. Gra.t
Joan Brodsky Schur is a teacher, author and curriculum developer in New York City. Her areas of expertise are American History and World History with a speciality in the Islamic World as well as writing in the social studies and using primary-source documents in the curriculum. She taught humanities (literature and history) to seventh and eighth graders for over 30 years.
Q. Why did you become a teacher?
A. I was fortunate to have had creative and intellectually stimulating teachers. Above all, they wanted us to think for ourselves. Thus, my own excitement about learning propelled me into teaching.
Q. What teaching success or career achievement are you most proud of?
A. Classroom teaching remains the highlight of my career. The added joy was in finding ways to share the curricula I developed in my classroom with other teachers. I found many ways to do this—by writing articles for Social Education , publishing lesson plans for the National Archives, PBS online, and a wide variety of websites, speaking at conferences and at universityled workshops for teachers. Among my book-length contributions, I am especially proud of Eyewitness to the Past: Strategies for Teaching American History in Grades 5–12 (Stenhouse, 2007) and Teaching Writing in the Social Studies (NCSS Bulletin 118, 2020).
Q. When and why did you join NCSS?
A. In 1981, I was looking for a journal that might accept a manuscript of mine. That’s when I discovered Social Education. Then as now, NCSS journals welcome submissions by classroom teachers.
Q. How has being a part of a professional association enriched your career?
A. NCSS has been the anchor of my career. At conferences, the organization keeps me abreast of new trends and provides a space to network with educators across the nation. Through listings in The Social Studies Professional , I found workshops to join every summer. When difficult news breaks, Social Education never fails to publish timely information and guidance from experts. Middle Level Learning provides teaching strategies to reach learners on the cusp of becoming sophisticated thinkers. Would I have had such a long and fulfilling career without NCSS? I was a teacher before joining NCSS. NCSS gave me a new identity: social studies professional.
Middle School Teachers, We Want to Hear from You! Write about the social studies lesson you are most proud of—the one your students are sure to remember. Was it a U.S. or world history lesson? Geography? Economics? Civics? Submit an article to Middle Level Learning and share your work: www.editorialmanager. com/ncssjournalscom/ncssjournals
Jennifer Bauduy, MLL Editor • Nancy Driver, Director of Publications
Rich Palmer, Art Manager