Smithsonian Institution
American Sabor Crossword
How much do you know about Latin American music? A crossword puzzle challenges learners to answer 24 questions about the history, genres, performers, and instruments of Latin American music.
Curated OER
Paintings on the Ceiling
Students explore the graffiti paintings of Paco Rosic and recognize that his artworks were designed to please himself. Your class are led to identify the techniques in Paco Rosic's paintings and create graffiti art. There...
National Museum of the American Indian
To Honor & Comfort Native Quilting Traditions
"Native American history leaps boldly off the colorful quilts and patchwork designs." Learners discuss Native American identity and symbolism by reading about a variety of Native quilters and their unique art process, and participate in...
Orlando Shakes
Merry Wives of Windsor: Study Guide
What does the character Falstaff mean when he says "I was beaten myself into all the colors of the rainbow"? Using the Merry Wives of Windsor curriculum guide, scholars unlock meaning by paraphrasing lines from the play. Pupils also...
Curated OER
Chinese Dragon Drum Lesson Plan
Students research the significance of drums and the color red in Chinese culture. They make a replica of a Chinese drum using construction paper and art materials. They examine pictures of Chinese drums before decorating the ones which...
Curated OER
Chinese Lanterns
Students research Chinese culture, the lunar calendar, and how the new year is celebrated in China. They research several different meaningful Chinese characters. Students paint animal figures and Chinese characters then cut and fold...
Curated OER
Patchwork Quilt
Students compare and constrast fiber arts from a variety of cultures and time periods. They draw a patchwork quilt using irregular geometric shapes and bright colors. Students display their quilts as part of an exhibit. They are told...
Curated OER
Dia de los Muertos Sugar Skulls
Students research information about the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos), a major celebration in Mexican culture, and compare it to similar holidays in other cultures. They discover various folk arts and festive traditions associated...
Curated OER
Examining What Sharing Really Means
After reading "The Senegalese Miracle" about the degree of sharing the author encounters upon arrival in Africa, class members read Mike Tidwell’s “Sharing in Africa” and compare the two stories. This cultural diversity instructional...
Curated OER
Erase the Quiet
Students recognize how music, theater, dance, and the visual arts can be combined to contribute to their own active learning. They work in small groups to research and use critical thinking skills to identify ways in which the arts could...
Curated OER
Chinese Floating Fabric
Students explore the multifaceted Chinese culture and how its traditions and holidays have spread around the world. They discover that the Chinese word for carp has almost the same meaning as the Chinese word for profit. Therefore, a...
Curated OER
Stone & Bone Inuit Carvings
Pupils research information about Canadian Inuit history, geography, and culture. They study many forms of art created by the Inuit, including sculpture with stone, animal bones or teeth, and other items found in their northern Canada...
Curated OER
50 Cent- "Get Rich or Die Tryin"
In this popular culture reading comprehension worksheet, students read a detailed biography of rapper 50 Cent. Students answer 5 comprehension questions. Note: This is a high interest article with photographs, but contains details of his...
Curated OER
Cats and Superstition: Fun Trivia Quiz
Answers to this quiz are very well cited, so if your class is studying Halloween, symbols, superstition, world cultures, or cats, it could spark spirited discussion about comparative traditions.
Curated OER
Good Book, Bad Book: Lesson 2
An interesting way to incorporate pop culture and the elements that make a book good. Kids watch a clip from MTV Cribs, they discuss how good or bad books are similar to good or bad homes. They are all different and not everybody will...
Curated OER
Kirigami: The Ancient Art of Paper Cutting
Young scholars perform inquiry into the ancient art of Kirigami. The research provides a context for the lesson and how it is related to History. Students also appreciate the art for the sake of its contribution to culture.
Curated OER
What the Romans Did for Us.
What things can we attribute to the ancient Romans? Check out each of these images to find out. There are 26 slides, each containing a single image of Roman legacy that can still be seen today. Architecture, art, libraries, cats, and...
Teachers & Writers Magazine
Persona Poetry and Mask-Making
Looking to engage scholars in poetry with hands-on activities? What better way than making masks? Readers analyze literary devices in poetry, examine Native American masks, create their own masks, and then write poems to tell its story!
EngageNY
Inferring Laurence Yep’s Perspective of Being Chinese, from the “Being Chinese” Excerpt of The Lost Garden
It's all about perspective! Using the resource, scholars read a third excerpt from Laurence Yep's autobiography, The Lost Garden. As they read, individuals complete graphic organizers using clues from the text to infer the author's...
Curated OER
The Importance of Initiation
The four-faced Hamat'sa mask is the inspiration for a lesson on ceremonial art and the process of initiation. The class examines images of the piece, then discusses how the mask represents ceremonial initiation. They get imaginative...
Curated OER
Lesson: More Than Meets the Eye
Older learners analyze a controversial painting entitled The Cutting Scene, Mandan O-kee-pa Ceremony 1832. They use the issues raised in the image to construct debate arguments questioning if the artist's painting exploits Native...
Curated OER
Medical Explorer: The Big Idea
Read informational text which relays how medical care differs around the globe and throughout history. There are three separate lessons, each focused on a particular case study, regional medical availability, and cultural norms. Learners...
Curated OER
Aztec Culture
Students research the Aztec culture in Mexico. They focus on their religious practices. They write a goal to personally sacrifice something. They also write about the costs and benefits of a sacrifice.
Curated OER
Art and Artists
Students effectively gather and use information for research purposes. They comprehend the visual arts in relation to history and culture. Students practice note taking skills, and summarizing skills. They know and compare the...