Patriot Plaza at the Sarasota National Cemetery/Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County

Patriot Plaza is an amphitheater and plaza located at the Sarasota National Cemetery featuring large outdoor artworks about the military, family, American history, and one’s own place in the world.  Its themes are:  HONOR SERVICE, INSPIRE PATRIOTISM, and EMBRACE FREEDOM.  Trained Guides will provide a 90-minute tour and learning activity to groups that visit the plaza.  All of the Guides at Patriot Plaza are veterans or are the family members of veterans. They will share their own stories, as well as describe and discuss the stories that are in each artwork. The artworks are as diverse as our heroes and include bronze sculptures, large mosaics, marble tablets, a global map etched in granite and documentary photographs in this open air museum.

High School students will engage in the analysis of documentary photography in the large scale artwork, “Witness to Mission.”    This artwork features photos that span the Civil War to Afghanistan.   The art tells stories that reflect the historical themes of the changing roles of the U.S. in global conflicts, social institutions and movements, and cultural values.  This Exploration covers tested standards for Social Studies across multiple  high school U.S. History units.  ELA and Visual Art standards are also included.  A Teacher’s Guide provides information and activities for teachers to implement before and after the visit.  A pre-visit  PowerPoint presentation introduces Patriot Plaza to students and provides basic information. A post-visit PowerPoint provides many photos and questions for follow-up discussions and/or writing activities.

There are funds available for buses for students in Grades 4-12.  The tour reservation form will be provided by Ria Cooper, Director of Education. Call or email to book your tour today!

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