The word popular is derived from the Latin word 'popularis' which means 'belonging to the people'. During the 20th century ‘popular’ music and art were shortened to ‘pop’ music and ‘pop’ art.

Popular culture is that which surrounds us every day - clothes, films, music or cars - all form part of popular culture. It does not matter where you go or what you do, you are surrounded by that which is popular: brand names of clothes, titles of films, and advertisements showing your favourite TV programme or food. Popular culture also represents the latest styles and trends which teenagers like. As popular culture and mass production go hand in hand, the mass media and the general buying public determine what is popular. This is why popular culture changes with the times.

The media, like television, radio and magazines, swamp the public with advertisements for new products and make us think that a certain product should be bought . Teenagers are usually the first to buy the latest CD releases, while influential and famous people create the fashion trends and enslave us with their television programmes or films of popular songs. In this way most of us have a favourite music or sports star, model or actor. Big companies place certain people in the public eye with money that has been provided by the public themselves! All the above-mentioned together create popular culture.

STEP 1

EXAMPLES OF MY POPULAR CULTURE

STEP 2

Artefacts are objects made by humans, like weapons, jewellery, tools, clothing, masks, holders for food and water, etc. In archaeology, artefacts provide important leads or clues to the unravelling of human evolution, ecological conditions, and pre-historic civilizations. Some of the oldest artefacts are rough stone implements which date back three million years.

Artefacts are thus man-made objects which were made in the past, but which have been preserved to the present and can be seen as representative of certain cultures. Up to 50 000 years ago, this form of art was used during rituals and ceremonies where, e.g. the spirits were asked for a successful hunting trip. What we regard as antique artefacts today, were actually articles used every day for survival in those cultures, and were definitely not seen as antique or as a form of art.

Today new artefacts are created every day. Think of plates with the images of Charles and Diana, photographs and record covers of the Beatles, clothes worn on stage by Madonna, imitations and new creations of African art, etc.

Figure 1

Antique artefacts

Modern artefacts

Add your own examples of the 20th or 21st century to each column of the Modern Artefacts. Think of examples from the popular culture or the mass media: famous pop stars, soapie stars, film idols, etc.

STEP 1

Draw ONE of the items from each of the seven columns you entered as examples of MY POPULAR CULTURE in Activity 3.1. Fill as much of the page as possible with your seven illustrations. These images/illustrations (e.g. baseball bat, car, cell-phone, etc.) must represent you.

STEP 2

Use your rulers to draw three vertical columns of 7 cm each and 6 horizontal lines of 5 cm across your illustrations - like a chessboard.

STEP 3

Use pastels or paint to fill each space in the first block with a warm colour and the background with a cold colour. In the next block change the warm and cold colours around - fill the form of the block with a cold colour and the background with a warm colour. Proceed like this, changing the colours for each block. (See example below.)

Figure 2

STEP 1

Bring your own cardboard holder to class. The sizes may differ, as long as the holder has a lid.

STEP 2

Tear pieces of paper from magazines to paste onto the holder. Choose two complementary colours, e.g. RED and GREEN / YELLOW and PURPLE / BLUE and ORANGE. The lid can be covered with the one colour and the holder with the other, or the holder and the lid can be covered by both colours, forming patterns and /or forms.

STEP 3

Now paste the video cover that you made in the previous activity onto the lid.

STEP 4

Place five personal artefacts inside the holder. These artefacts can be made or can be finished articles. Then exhibit your holder, together with those of the other learners, in a suitable place in the school building.

EXAMPLES

Positive - role models like Oprah Winfrey and Joanne Woodward who have strict principles.

Negative - celebrities without principles like Marilyn Manson and Eminem, advertising drugs and singing unsuitable lyrics about violence, thus setting a bad example.

Activity 2

Requirements: Pencils or pens

‘Artefacts’ are objects made by humans, like weapons, jewelry, tools, clothing, masks, holders for food and water, etc. In Archaeology artefacts provide important leads/clues to the unravelling of human evolution, ecological conditions, as well as pre-historic civilisations. Some of the oldest artefacts are rough stone implements that date back to three million years.

Artefacts are thus man made objects that were made in the past, but have been preserved to the present and can be seen as representative of certain cultures. Up to 50 000 years ago, this form of art was used during rituals and ceremonies where e.g. the spirits were asked for a successful hunting trip. What we regard as antique artefacts today, were articles used every day for survival for those cultures and were definitely not seen as antique or as a form of art.

Today new artefacts are created every day. Think of plates with the images of Charles and Diana, photographs and record covers of the Beatles, clothes worn on stage by Madonna, imitations and new creations of African art, etc.

The learners must now identify the illustrations in their modules. State which objects can be considered artefacts. Then they can classify the artefacts according to their uses using the provided table. They can repeat this procedure for the modern artefacts.

ANSWERS

ANTIQUE ARTEFACTS

MODERN ARTEFACTS

Ask the learners to add more examples of the 20th or 21st century to each column of the Modern Artefacts. They can think of examples from the popular culture or the mass media: famous pop stars, soapie stars, film idols, etc.

Activity 3

Requirments: White A4-paper/pencils/colour pastels or paint/rulers.

Figure 3

Activity 4

Requirements: Carton holder, e.g shoe box/ old magazines/glue/ video cover of the previous activity/five personal artefacts.

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3