Lesson Plan
J. Paul Getty Trust

Looking and Learning in the Art Museum — Lesson 2

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Is there a difference between examining an original work of art and viewing a reproduction? Class members are asked to reflect on this question after researching a piece, study a reproduction of it, and the examining the original in an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Younger Than Jesus: Understanding, Looking at, Making Abstract Art

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Before the class makes abstract art, they see contemporary examples and analyze them. They look at art made by abstract artists under the age of 33 then use similar techniques to create an interesting collection of their own. The lesson...
Lesson Plan
J. Paul Getty Trust

Looking and Learning in the Art Museum — Lesson 1

For Teachers 6th - 12th
To prepare for a field trip to a local art museum, art class members journal their initial reactions to a reproduction of the work they will focus on during their visit. The whole class then considers the artistic elements in the piece...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Family History Through Art

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students discuss various ways families and communities pass down oral and visual art forms to younger generations. This multi-subject introductory lesson prepares students to create a project about their own families.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stained Glass Art - Activity 1

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners examine stained glass art techniques in this introductory lesson provided by Oregon Public Broadcasting. The unit emphasizes student created representations of stained glass art.
Lesson Plan
Museum of Modern Art

Modern Art and Ideas

For Teachers 7th - 12th
The Museum of Modern Art provides this educators' guide to Dada and Surrealism. Featuring the works of such artists as Jean Arp, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, and Meret Oppenheim among others, the guide is ideal for art history and...
Lesson Plan
1
1
J. Paul Getty Trust

Expressing Emotions through Art Lesson 1—Everyone Shows They Care

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
In a instructional activity that explores art and emotions, scholars analyze a piece of art and discuss which emotions it portrays. They go on to reflect on their own emotions and how they are similar to the feelings expressed...
Lesson Plan4:38
TED-Ed

A Brief History of Religion in Art

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed
Did you know that some languages have no word for art? The English language does and the narrator of this short video discusses the aesthetic dimension of religious art as it "visually communicates meaning beyond language." 
Lesson Plan
Concordia University Chicago

The Pietá by Michelangelo Buonarroti

For Teachers 7th
Why is arts education so important? It builds critical thinking, analysis and creative problem-solving skills. Learners review the life of Michelangelo Buonarroti, and then analyze his piece, The Pieta. After that, they'll sculpt a human...
Organizer
Memorial Art Gallery

Learning to Look, Looking to Learn - Peeling Onions

For Students 9th - 12th
Lilly Martin Spencer's "Peeling Onions" is the subject of a series of exercises that model for learners how to use the elements of art to read a painting. A series of worksheets focus viewers' attention on how Spencer uses...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Telling Stories in Art: Symbols of a Life

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Through a series of activities, learners are exposed to how artists use symbolic imagery to create the narrative of a subject’s life. They study The Birth of Alexander and some manuscripts kept at J. Paul Getty Museum. They then draft...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Visual Vocabulary

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students interpret and name the vocabulary termed acted out by the mime. In this science/language arts/physical education instructional activity, students are given a set of vocabulary terms to discuss within their group. Next, students...
Lesson Plan
J. Paul Getty Trust

Narrating a Family Tradition

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
After examining a piece of art, scholars discuss what they see, paying close attention to details and space. A read-aloud introduces the topic of family traditions. Pupils interview their family members about a tradition in preparation...
Lesson Plan
J. Paul Getty Trust

Looking and Learning in the Art Museum — Lesson 3

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Curator, artist, art handler, archivist, conservator-restorer, guide. Who would have thought there were so many different kinds of museum professionals? After a visit to an art museum, class members reflect on the role of the museum in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

When Art Conveys Political and Social Conflict

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders consider art as a medium to convey information and opinions on social conflict and issues. They analyze images from the Crocker Art Museum, discuss their effectiveness in raising awareness of an issue, and create a...
Handout
National Museum of the American Indian

Fritz Scholder: A Study Guide

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
In this engaging activity involving close analysis of abstract expressionist art, your class members will not only discover more about artist Friz Scholder's Native American art, but they will also have the opportunity to consider...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Medieval and Renaissance Art at the Art Institute

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine several Medieval and Renaissance works of art, including painting and sculpture, at the Art Institute of Chicago. They use worksheets and discussion questions to enhance their interpretation of the pieces.
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Launching the Text: Building Background Knowledge of the Jim Crow South

For Teachers 8th Standards
Pictures and photographs help build background knowledge about a topic. Scholars participate in a gallery walk to learn more about the Jim Crow era of US history and the desegregation of schools following Brown v. Board of Education....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Imagining China through Words

For Teachers 6th - 8th
When Europeans first came back with tales of China, they provided vivid written accounts and minimal visual imput. This resulted in art rendered mostly from descriptive language. Learners explore this phenomena by listening to...
Lesson Plan
UTSA Institute of Texas Cultures

Teaching Through Kamishibai and The Art of Chinese Calligraphy

For Teachers 2nd - 8th Standards
Young learners discover kamishibai, a popular Japanese storytelling art, and explore how these Japanese folktales illustrate the country's cultural themes and values through discussion and storyboarding. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Up From the Streets: Hip Hop as a Recognized Art

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Students discuss the historical roots of Hip-Hop to the present as an example of an art form that arose from the street into popular culture. Emphasis is placed on in-class discussion and written reflections in this introductory lesson.
Lesson Plan
J. Paul Getty Trust

Shaping Ideas: Symbolism in Sculpture—Lesson 3

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The final session in a sequential, three-lesson sculpture study designed by the education staff of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles has class members using the criterial they developed to critique each others' symbolic sculptures.
Lesson Plan
J. Paul Getty Trust

Shaping Ideas: Symbolism in Sculpture—Lesson 2

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Young artists create a series of sketches of ideas for a sculpture, and using the criteria develop in the previous class, critique their sketches. They then choose one of their ideas and create their work of art.
Activity6:12
TED-Ed

Bringing a Pop-up Book to Life

For Students 3rd - 9th Standards
Breath life into the pages of a text with this instructional video on creating pop-up books. From choosing a topic, through the planning and creation phases, this video examines how to develop engaging visual...