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Mexico: One Land, Many Cultures
Students, through a variety of activities, discover the geography and culture of Mexico. They make maps, read folktales, write a journal, create pinatas and other artistic pieces, and review the history of Mexico.
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Doll Making
Students discuss folktales and read Tiger and The Big Wind, listening for animal characters for later discussion. In this language arts lesson, students complete a T chart on characters and make a doll for one either chosen or assigned....
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Thanksgiving Holiday
First graders explore American culture by participating in arts and crafts activities. In this Thanksgiving lesson, 1st graders listen to music based upon the Thanksgiving tradition and examine images of the first Thanksgiving. Students...
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Sensory Elements in the Environment
Students verbally and visually identify visual elements found around them everyday.
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Everybody Is Unique: A Lesson in Respect for Others' Differences
Learners of all ages talk about the meaning of the word "unique," and draw a truly unique person, one part at a time. They create a totally unique person, with a head drawn by one student, a torso drawn by another student, and lower body...
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Molded Clay Faces
Artists create clay masks using pre-formed molds, clay, glitter, feathers, gems, and paint. The expressive qualities of clay are perfect for creating many different types of face masks, from Mardi Gras glitter to Japanese Kabuki to...
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Creative Voices of Harlem
Young scholars explore the Harlem Renaissance. In this American history lesson, students examine a poem by Langston Hughes and identify the characteristics of the Harlem Renaissance. Young scholars research and report on a famous Harlem...
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A Nation of Many Cultures
Students create a presentation about themselves to share with the class. They include information from their family and their heritage. They compare and contrast their culture to their classmates.
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Featured Artist
Students investigate the art exhibit known as a biennial. This is an exhibit that occurs every two years. They observe works of the artist before visiting the exhibit in order to create a context for new knowledge that will be covered on...
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Chinese New Year: Paper Lanterns
First graders study the celebrations of Chinese New Year. They practice measuring and cutting to make paper lanterns.
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The Voice of the Individual
Students examine the role of the individual in society as a whole. Individually, they design and create their own calling card as used in the past. They put together an art kit in which they are able to use outdoors. To end the...
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Personal Homage
Students research an African American person of interest to them. Once the research is complete, they share the information with the class. They also create a visual or written portrait of the person to show their character and...
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Baga Drum
Students examine a Baga Drum in order to explore the history of the Baga people of West Africa. In this art history lesson plan, students recognize figures used in Baga Drum design that represent aspects of Baga culture. They also design...
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An Introduction to Jan Brett
Students explore the concept of Jan Brett. In this author study lesson, students are introduced to several Jan Brett books with visuals, listening centers, and video. Students browse the internet in search of information...
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Dealing With Tragedy in the Classroom
Students compose a letter, organize a group effort, discuss the idea of patriotic symbols and explain their importance, use visual representations to express feelings and explain the importance of sustained volunteerism.
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Digital Photography and Mythology
Students use digital photography to create an exhibition based on a myth that is presented in a piece of classical art. They interpret a print of the myth motif artwork, read a text-selection of the myth then design and photograph a...
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The Beet Goes On
Root vegetables inspire the series of activities included here. Class members participate in activities related to language arts, social studies, science, visual art, and math. At first, the long list might feel overwhelming; however,...
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Potrait Detectives
Students examine a variety of portraits and distinguish them from other art forms such as landscapes and still lifes. They investigate why artists make portraits and why patrons wish to have portraits made.
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Romare Bearden
Students examine and discuss a collage by the artist Romare Bearden. They analyze the impact of jazz on art, listen to jazz, and create an original collage.
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Create a Fan Design
Students design fans with organic shapes and contrasting colors. They recognize t'aeguk design as a visual element of Korean culture.
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The "Be Kind Kids" Project
Students create a visual display that highlights friendship and kindness. They read and discuss a poem, and design and create a large poster or banner that emphasizes kindness, anti-bullying, and friendship.
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Six Dynamic Designs for Arts Integrated Curriculum
Students create a recipe for a certain aspect of a culture. They create a culture that has never existed before. They analyze either dance, history, geography, history or the future of space exploration. They compare and contrast...
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Flora, Fauna, and the Passing Seasons
Students discover representations in art, religion and cultural practices of the flora and fauna of specific geographical regions in this early elementary lesson plan. The lesson ends with a mural project by the entire class.
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Stewart's Boxes
Learners collect memorabilia and create shadow boxes in the style of David Stewart. They also compose a poem and explain their identity in an oral presentation. This is a rare lesson that works quite well for a variety of age levels.