Year 6 consider images of strength depicted in 'Men of the Docks'

What a stimulating argument we have had in the Year 6 classrooms this week!

The children looked at our Take One Picture, Men of the Docks by George Bellows; a depiction of  immigrant men working on the waterfront.

We also looked at paintings of boxers, by the same artist and tried to make connections between the works. The children noticed that in all the paintings the men were using considerable strength and some remarked that the pictures were depicting masculinity!

We did some research about the work of the men who unloaded the cargo from ships and the work of the boxers and the argument began!  Which work, that of the longshoremen or that of the boxers, was more of a demonstration of strength and manliness?

These arguments will be written up, as part of our display and we hope very much that you will come and read them. In the meantime, perhaps you could engage with the discussion at home? The children would be glad of some other points of view for their arguments.