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The New York School: Action and Abstraction
High schoolers examine the influences and similarities between the New York School poets and Abstract Expressionist artists. They analyze paintings and poems, and write original poetry.
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Abstract painting - Inspired by Textiles
Middle schoolers compare and contrast various forms of artistic expression associated with specific groups of people, geographic regions, or time periods, specifically art of Andean cultures, and create art works using procedures...
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Lesson: Cultural Comparisons
A game, research, and cross-cultural comparisons are in the works as you open an artistic instructional activity. Upper graders get analytical as they make observations that will help them create a link between abstract and creative...
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Going West: The Artist Who Painted the Way
Fifth graders study the artists and artwork of the Westward movement. In this Westward Movement instructional activity set, 5th graders examine the characteristics of the art of this era. They look at the lives of the artists and think...
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Comparing and Contrasting Images of Child Labor
Students study child labor in the 19th century through one painting and multiple photographs. In discussion and writing, they consider the differences between photography and painting as mediums for expressing these attitudes.
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Dreaming with Marc Chagall
Students scrutinize the early twentieth-century artists who dealt with expressionism and abstraction, especially Marc Chagall. This four lesson unit examines the life and work of Chagall and supports the student creation of works similar...
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Revolutions in Painting
Students analyze Abstract Expressionist artists and their art. In this art analysis lesson, students view the works by Jackson Pollock and Helen Frankenthaler and analyze the pieces. Students complete image based discussion and four...
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Lesson: Urs Fischer: Reviving the Past Art Movements
Seven major abstract art movements are analyzed by learners in groups. Each group analyzes various works by determining which work belongs to which movement. They then read Flatland, engage in an art and literary analysis discussion,...
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Introduction to Modern Art: Practice and Principals
Students discover the concepts of Abstract Expressionism. They identify Abstract Expressionist paintings and creat an Abstract expressionist work of art.
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Ancient Abstraction
High schoolers compare and debate how an ancient Greek sculpture is similar to modern art. Then they orally describe the cultural contributions of early Greek civilization and their relationship to the modern world.
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Color and Environment
Learners compare two abstract paintings of Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman and examine their artistic process. In this abstract art lesson, students consider the choices artists make using color, shape, composition, proportion, style, and...
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Land Ho! Cole Vs. Van Gogh
Students compare and contrast the landscape works of Thomas Cole and Vincent Van Gogh. In this landscapes lesson, students understand vocabulary related to artworks. Students compare and contrast the artists work through a Venn diagram....
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I Dream in Pictures and Words (Day 1)
High schoolers are introduced to the art of Rene Magrritte and Marc Chagall. Using the internet, they discover the characteristics of Surrealist artists and write a paper. They share their findings with the class and answer discussion...
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Calder's Balancing Acts
Students learn the vocabulary of contemporary sculpture and distinguish between abstract and realistic sculpture, mobile and stabile, biomorphic and geometric. They write equations using Calder's mobiles
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Animal skeletal design-reduction relief prints
Sixth graders compare and contrast various forms of artistic expression associated with specific groups of people, geographic regions, or time periods, specifically, art of Australia, and create art works using procedures borrowed from...
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Time Travel, Black Holes, and Relativity
Learners read the novel, The Time Machine, and compare H.G. Well's perceptions of the future with those presented in The Third Wave, by Alvin Toffler. They research current scientific and mathematical theories that relate to space and time.
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American Revolutionary War: Two Sides...Two Perspectives
Students investigate the American Revolutionary War era from the perspective of Britain and the American colonists by researching causes, effects, events and people. They compare the views of the Colonists, and the British and recognize...
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Partnership in Science Education
Students compare two regions of the world, their own and one many miles away. They explore and compare these two places and prepare a report that gives a complete comparison and description of the two regions. They collaborate in...
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You Be the Critic!
Students review several pieces of art and choose one that inspires them. They research the artist and his or her contributions to art and then recreate the artwork and compare their copy to the original.
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The Medium And The Message
High schoolers compare and contrast Buddhist sculpture in varying materials through in-class discussions and small cooperative learning groups. This instructional activity includes possible instructional activity extensions.
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Determining Importance
Students hone their skills at identifying the principle story in a work of art and text. Through discussion, students assess the central and supporting stories of a work of art that is characterized by multiple layers of action and meaning.
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Painting versus Photography
Students consider the nature of objectivity and subjectivity in photography as an art form by taking a class poll, discussing the results and writing a one-page paper.
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Wire And Nylon Stocking Sculpture
Eighth graders examine a free-form sculpture technique and produce a sculpture of wire, pantyhose and plaster.
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Chance Art: Pollock, Cage and Cunningham
Students clearly identify commonalities and differences between dance and other disciplines with regard to fundamental concepts such as materials, elements, and ways of communicating meaning.