Art & Social Studies Literacy

George Cooke (American 1793-1849) 

Tallulah Falls, 1841

Tallulah Falls, by George Cooke, caught my attention at the Georgia Museum of Art. My parents live about 14 miles away from Tallulah Falls in northeast Georgia. I grew up around The Tallulah Falls area. I Everyday, I remember passing Tallulah Falls on the way to middle and high school. So, I was immediately amused to see the Tallulah Falls painting from 1841. This piece of art is great illustration of one of the geographical key features of Georgia. Since the Social Studies Curriculum for 8th grade is about Georgia’s geography I relate Tallulah Falls to one of the five geographical regions of Georgia. The waterfalls are obviously a good source of water and valued by the wildlife and people who reside in the area. In Cooke’s, Tallulah Falls, people gazing at waterfalls and are wearing clothes from the 1800’s One of Georgia Standards and Elements for Georgia is also about the importance of water in Georgia’s historical development and economic growth. Also, the Tallulah Falls are one, major, physical feature located in the Appalachian Mountains. One of the Social Studies 8th grade Standards for Georgia is that students know key physical features in the Appalachian Mountains, and to know their importance.   

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