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Degenerate Art
A successful unit on art includes the subjects, goals, and messages of the works that are studied.
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Falling into Shapes
Children with special needs participate in several activities to reinforce shape and color recognition. They sign the word leaf, sing a song about leaves, and bounce leaves around on a parachute. They then help the instructor name...
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The Life and Work of Vincent Van Gogh
Vincent Van Gogh is a fascinating subject for students of art history.
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Hypothetical Heights
Young scholars participate in an interdisciplinary lesson to discuss improvements that would make them want to return to a previously poor neighborhood. In this civics lesson, students work in a budget to make a plan to better their...
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Patterns and Pentominoes
Students solve pentomino puzzles. In this problem solving instructional activity, students discuss how pentomino puzzles play into the plot of Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett and practice solving a pentomino puzzle on their own....
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Antonym Snowmen
Pupils demonstrate their understanding of antonyms. They create snowmen and write antonyms on them. Then present their snowmen and antonyms to the class. This is a seasonal theme lesson.
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The Economics of National Craft Month
Combine National Craft Month and economic math while producing some imaginative, innovative crafts.
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Lesson: Allison Smith: What Are You Fighting For?
Trench art is a nontraditional art form created by soldiers in trenches during wartime. Artist Allison Smith connects her art to the American Revolution and the question: "What are you fighting for?" Kids examine her art, how it connects...
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Building A Solar Still
Students investigate the water cycle by viewing an online video. In this drinking water instructional activity, students create solar stills at their campus in order to purify water that is tainted. Students view a video on their...
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Making Service Count
Young scholars investigate the importance of community service by creating their own project ideas. In this volunteering instructional activity, students research stories of Peace Corps Volunteers and how they were able to have a...
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Color Scheme Acrylic Painting Self-Assessment
Being a good artist means being able to critique your own work. Here young painters will take a short quiz on color schemes in acrylic painting and then reflect on their use of color in a recently completed piece. A great activity for...
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Lesson: Urs Fischer: Your Choice: Reality or Illusion?
Young analysts write a comparative essay, but about what? They compose a paper based on several critical discussion about reality and illusion, and how both are blurred in art. They analyze several theatre pieces that exemplify Brechtian...
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A Critical Look at Aboriginal Art
Students observe art from different Aboriginal cultures. In this art evaluation instructional activity, students discover the different traditions of cultures from the Pacific North West. Students judge the art from these cultures with...
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Lesson: Elizabeth Peyton: Artist's Community: The Real
What is real or imagined? The lines of beauty reality, and imagination are blurred in Elizabeth Peyton's portraits of her community. Learners analyze her use of artistic technique in conveying real and imagined communities. They then use...
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Storytelling and Culture
Students examine the cultural tradition of storytelling. In this storytelling activity, students explore stories from 3 different cultures and evaluate the roles that storytelling plays in each of the cultures to pass on values and beliefs.
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Clothe Batik and Color Blending
Fabric dyeing and textile art has been around for hundreds of years. Budding fabric artists explore the Batik dyeing technique and color blending as they create unique and personal designs. The full step-by-step procedure and materials...
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Lesson: Emory Douglas: Art and Activism
Visual literacy can be experienced in many different ways. Learners discuss the times, graphic art, and cultural significance of activism in art as they explore artist and Black Panther, Emory Douglas. This is a discussion-based lesson...
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Lesson: Double Album: Sentence as Thought
The cut-up technique invented by surrealist artist Tristan Tzara is the focus for today. Young artists examine the technique and analyze its use in relation to expressing and viewing the world. They then use a newspaper to create a...
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Lesson: After Nature: Visions and Visionaries
Build visual literacy, discussion, and critical thinking skills with an innovative art lesson. Young analysts discuss the use of decalcomania, surrealism, and automatism in various contemporary pieces, discuss constructed truth, and...
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Nellie Bly's Newspaper Club: Introducing the Science of Writing
Students evaluate a video about Nellie Bly, a famous reporter from the 19th century. They consider what makes a high-interest news article, write an essay in pairs and present it a literary tea.
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Articulated/Moveable Paper Dolls
Young scholars create articulated/moveable dolls, that fit a specific theme, using various forms of media, including recycled paper, jewelry, foil, and other items. They may choose to display their dolls on a background.
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The Progressive Era
Eighth graders utilize the SOAP method to analyze a work of art and relate it to what they know about the Progressive Era and the reasons why cities changed and the ways in which cities changed during the end of the 19th century. They...
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Signs and Symbols
Sixth graders carefully analyze a triptych of the nativity, paying close attention to the lines, shapes and symbols included in the artwork. They explore the role of the Catholic church in society at the time the piece was created and...
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Journey to America
Fifth graders carefully analyze the artwork, Les Emigrants, and explore the reasons that people emigrated to the United States, and what life was like for new arrivals. They discuss what things immigrants were able to bring with them and...