Curated OER
Tree Diversity Activity
Class members become tree huggers with this terrific study of biodiversity among trees! They do so by examining different characteristics of trees: shape, leaves, bark, fruit or seeds, etc. After examining five concepts, they use their...
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Lights, Sounds, Fabrics and Designs: Careers in the World of Design
Students investigate the broad range of jobs that can be found in the world of design. Students explore sound design, language architecture, etc. Students design a resource book and post it on a website for others to share.
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Pop Into My Community
First graders distinguish cityscapes from seascapes and landscapes and explore the features of a community. Then, they create a pop-up paper city showing foreground, middle ground, and background.
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My, How the World Has Changed!--Architecture from the past to the future
Students explore how structural forms adapt to evolving world cultures. In groups, students examine posters from the past and write about the picture. Students make predictions about what the picture will look like in the future....
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Medieval Art
Sixth graders study Gothic architecture on the Internet and create a mug with a gargoyle figure on it.
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Designing My Dream House
Seventh graders design possible dream house layouts. For this architecture lesson, 7th graders use sketch paper and a ruler to develop several rough sketches of a dream house. Students discuss how to use a scale for the floor plan.
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Places and Spaces in Art
Students examine and describe the houses of Baie Saint-Paul. They name the colors used and the shapes in the roof. Using a gable roof design, they draw their own house. They discover the architectrual elements in their own community...
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Deerfield Visit: Reading a House/Place (Ebenezer Hinsdale Williams House)
Eleventh graders study the relationship between economic level and material culture: markers of gentility (architecture, material goods) as demonstrated by a single structure.
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I'll Take Mannahatta
Students explore the history of Manhattan. In this Manhattan history lesson, students view a video about Manhattan in the 1600s, pausing to discuss specific features such as architecture, people, landscape, businesses, and housing....
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Lesson: Jan Rothuizen: Topophilia
The avant-garde movement is explored through a sociopolitical lens. Learners analyze the work of Jan Rothuizen by considering several critical-thinking questions and the cultural context of each piece. They then create a drawing based on...
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Lesson: Lisa Signal: Altering Perspectives
Kids make big artistic gestures, just like the abstract artist, Lisa Signal. They use her work as inspiration for making simplistic, abstract, statements in an artistic way. They analyze her work, then walk through an unfamiliar...
Library of Congress
Investigating the Building Blocks of Our Community’s Past, Present, and Future
As Ken Jennings said, "There's just something hypnotic about maps." Certainly, the longer you look at them the more you can learn. In this project-based learning lesson, individuals study both historic and present-day maps of their area...
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Soil, Designer Soil: From Rainforests to the Prairie
Students explore the role and importance of soil in the ecosystem. In this Science and Social Studies instructional activity, students complete an experiment using various kinds of soil and clay and then examine how soil has a direct...
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Houses, Beach Shacks and Cultural Habitats
Students create a unique habitat by applying the methods of hand building. They draw their idea in their sketchbook. They create the form with expressive variations. They create the decorations using glazes, underglass, stamps and...
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America's Castles: The Age of Invention
Students tour the estates built by America's wealthiest visionaries during the years 1911-1929. They discuss the Age of Invention and the people associated with that age in US history.
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NGA Kids Inside Scoop Summer 2006
Young scholars read passages and study paintings to learn about the artist Giovanni Antonio Canal and his subject of Venice. In this art history lesson, students read about Canaletto and explore Venice through his paintings. Young...
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East Meets West: The Art of Simplicity
Fifth graders examine the influences of Japan on American life through this three lesson unit. Feudal Japan with its traditional arts and culture is contrasted with current developments of the country.
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Tell Me About It: What is Design?
High schoolers create and present an original design. In this visual arts lesson plan, students watch a video about design and learn the elements of design. Then high schoolers work in groups to construct and present an original design.
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Design a Theme Park
Young scholars examine pieces of art by Alice Adams. They discuss what they see in the paintings. In groups, they design their own piece of playground equipment.
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Creating a Job Community
Students design their own job communities. In this art and career exploration lesson, students are placed into groups to create models of business areas based on job types.