Japan Society
Japanese Architecture for High School Students
Japanese architecture is rich in symbolism and culture. Critical thinkers engage in three activities intended to expose them to the beauty of Japan. They read through the book, Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki and watch the film...
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The Age of Confusion
According to the presentation, the age of confusion was marked by a very specific set of art and philosophical movements. Take a visual trip, and explore expressionism, cubism, Dada, Bauhaus, existentialism, and the new modes of...
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Aegean Art Cycladic Art 3200-1050 BC, Minoan Art 3000-1100 BC, and Mycenaean Art 1600-1100 BC
So exciting, art from the ancient mediterranean! Get ready to divulge interesting facts about the art and culture of the Minoans, Mycenaeans, Aegeans, and Cycladians. Each slide provides a map, images of art, and the cultural...
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Roman Art, Architecture, and Engineering
There is no better tool to help you explain art or architecture than an image-filled slide show. Classic Greek art, architecture, and engineering are all described with excellent visual examples and text which defines each form by its...
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Byzantine Art: 5th century to 1453 AD
Art and architecture are great ways to help define historical periods and cultural norms. Take a critical look at the art of the Byzantine period as seen under Justinian rule. Iconography, vocabulary, religious, and political concepts...
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Lesson: A Collage of Cultures
The blanket being analyzed here seems simple and plain, but it reflects the culture and geography of the people who made it. Learners critically examine the influence geography and culture had on the creation of the blanket and on...
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Lesson: The Gift of Giving
Giving gifts has been a part of the human experience since modern man walked the earth. Upper graders explore the culture of gift giving in Mayan times through an artistic analysis. They analyze gift giving and palace life as seen on an...
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Lesson: Resolving Conflict Creatively
The wood sculpture Nkisi Nkondi is said to have been used to aid in conflict resolution. Learners pretend they are journalists reporting on a conflict in which the figure was used to resolve an issue. A creative and interesting use of...
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Lesson: Straight from the Horse's Mouth
Imagine life from a horse's perspective. That's what the class will be doing after they analyze images of the Crow installation piece, Horse Outfit. They analyze the cultural significance of the work, the tribe who created it, and then...
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Lesson: Cultural Comparisons
A game, research, and cross-cultural comparisons are in the works as you open an artistic activity. Upper graders get analytical as they make observations that will help them create a link between abstract and creative thinking. They...
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Lesson New Museum: Exploring the Building
Explore the possibilities of buildings, public spaces, and architectural design. Learners examine the work of SANAA architects Sejima & Nishizawa through background information, images, and guided class discussion. This lesson...
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Creating Cast Paper Sculptures
Cast paper sculptures have been around since the time of Ancient China. Young artists learn about history through this art form and how it has evolved throughout the years, and then make a mold and cast paper sculpture of their own. This...
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Gargoyles: Ceramics
Study the symbolism and significance of Gargoyles throughout the Gothic era, and then make one. Kids visit three different websites to learn about these goolish protectors, then hone their sculpting skills while making one. They make...
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Alternative Animal Agriculture
Presenting an unusual topic, this collection of slides examines alternative animals that can be grown for profit or human use. It details the raising of rabbits as food, llamas for textiles, earthworms as fish bait, and a variety of...
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Dream Building: Frank Lloyd Wright 1867 – 1959
As a part of an architecture unit, 10th graders research and draw a building's exterior. They view images of buildings Frank Lloyd Wright has designed, attend lecture, conduct research on architectural design, and then draw an exterior...
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Exponential Growth and Decay
Quiz your middle and high schoolers on solving exponential growth and decay. First, they evaluate for a variable given the second variables value. Then, they graph an equation that illustrates the exponential growth or exponential decay...
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Building Big and Strong
Middle and high schoolers explore the concepts of architectural rigidity. They analyze a variety of polygons, and explain why some shapes add more strength to structures than others. The PBS video, "Building Big," is utilized in this plan.
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The Engineering Design Process
Design your own video game, engineer accident-proof highways, or even develop a new phone app! The Engineering Design Model can be used with all ages and in all subject areas to create a product, system or service. The resource explains...
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Distortion Unleashed
Here is a series of four lessons which examine the relationship between 3-D structures and the places in which they exist. The images of Robert Harris are used, and learners engage in a research project to look deeper into a structure of...
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The Foundation of Math and Science
Students uncover the mathematical proportions as well as the history of the Parthenon. In this math and science lesson, students use research to find the contributions of ancient Greeks made to our current society. They explore the...
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Writing About Art: Subjective vs. Objective
Explore objective and subjective writing in this interdisciplinary lesson, which brings language arts and visual art together. Middle and high school young scholars examine the sculpture Head with Horns by Paul Gauguin. They then analyze...
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Mannerism (1520-1600)
Young artists are immersed into the tranformative world of Manneristic Art and Architecture during the Renaissance in this vivid presentation. Providing not only clear and concise charactertistics of Mannerism but examples of many...
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From My Past
Explore the art of Vincent Van Gogh. This presentation shows a large selection of Van Gogh's paintings and gives titles and dates along with some facts about the stages in his life. The slides are attractively designed with clear images...
Yale University
The Harlem Renaissance: Black American Traditions
Aaron Douglas, Meta Warrick Fuller, Palmer Hayden, William Johnson, and James Lesesne Wells, the painters and sculptors of the Harlem Renaissance, are featured in a unit study of artists of the Harlem Renaissance.