Curated OER
Backward Lesson
Students view a copy of the painting "Last Moment of John Brown (1884). They discuss the content and composition of the painting. Important questions to be answered during the discussion are included with the lesson. They write an...
Curated OER
The Family Quilt
Third graders examine the artwork of Faith Ringgold. They create their own quilt pattern on fabric and piece them together to create a class quilt. They compare their similarities with one another.
Curated OER
Natural Beauty: Looking Sharp
Students create covers for their "nature journals" using watercolor techniques and the artistic ideas of color, depth, and focal point. This activity can be used in the Science or Art classroom and meets national standards for both.
Curated OER
Utah: State History
In this Utah state history worksheet, students read two and a half pages of information about Utah and complete 10 true and false questions.
Curated OER
Geo-Wrap Vests
First graders use geometric shapes to create and extend patterns. Students read a book and view African garments. They identify patterns in the garments. Students create and decorate a paper vest with geometric patterns.
Curated OER
The Uluburun Shipwreck Project: Interconnections through Trade in the Late Bronze Age Mediterranean World
Ninth graders examine causes and effects of the Uluburun shipwreck. In groups, they develop their own ways to categorize the artifacts found on the ship and decide on the research questions they are going to focus on. They use the...
Curated OER
Mechanism of Vision
Students explore the eye and its vision. In this science lesson plan, students learn the way light reflected from objects enters the eye, the basic anatomy and physiology of the eye, and the basic mechanism of perception.
Curated OER
Martin Puryear's Ladder for Booker T. Washington
Students examine the art of Martin Puryear. In this visual arts activity, students analyze the sculpture "Ladder for Booker T. Washington". Students consider how the sculpture reflects the life and contributions of Booker T. Washington....
Curated OER
Co-evolution of Plants and Pollinators
Pupils, while studying the rolls of pollinators and plants, explore co-evolution of mutualistic relationships.
Curated OER
Visual Arts
Third graders participate in three visual arts lessons in this unit. They analyze the patterns of quilts, study the life and work of Rosa Bonheur and Edward Hicks.
Curated OER
Art Reflects Life
Fifth graders use the Internet to view collections of famous artists throughout the eighteenth century America. Using the artwork, they identify the themes that portrayed America as the land of opportunity. They record their findings...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian American Art Museum: Lure of the West
Beautiful artwork from the more famous artists who depicted the people, places and things of the American West.
Curated OER
National Park Service: American Visionaries: Thomas Moran
This online exhibit features the works of landscape artist Thomas Moran, whose paintings inspired the creation of Yellowstone Park in 1916. A gallery of images of his paintings is included.
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian American Art Museum: Lure of the West
An exhibit from the Smithsonian includes 70 paintings and sculptures by famous American Western artists such as Catlin, Baker, Bierstadt, and Remington.
Other
Early American Paintings in the Worcester Art Museum
A site with examples and information about early American paintings from 1671-1829. Use the timeline to click on a time period, or click and select by artist, genre, or place of origin. Also includes an extensive bibliography.
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian American Art Museum: George Catlin's Indian Gallery
The Smithsonian offers 32 of Catlin's Indian Gallery paintings online. Catlin visited 50 tribes living west of the Mississippi from 1830 to 1836.
ibiblio
Ibiblio: Web Museum: Paris: West, Benjamin
This Webmuseum site provides biographical information on American artist, Benjamin West (1738-1820 CE). Includes images of "The Death of General Wolfe," and "A Domestic Affliction."
National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art: George Catlin
Gives background on the life and works of George Catlin. Links to several examples of his paintings.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Things to Do at Home
Families can come together through games designed to make history something fun and integral to family life. Build a sod house like prairie settlers did in the 1800s. Go back in time to visit five families that lived in the same house...
Art Cyclopedia
Artcyclopedia: John James Audubon: American Illustrator, 1785 1851
Collection of several links related to John James and his famous bird paintings.
Art Cyclopedia
Artcyclopedia: Artists by Movement: Hudson River School
Survey the career and paintings of the Hudson River School in American painting (1835-1870).
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Catlin, the White Cloud, Head Chief of the Iowas
George Catlin's paintings and illustrations show Native-Americans as real people as opposed to noble savages as Europeans often viewed them. View examples of his paintings and read their backstory in this essay.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Scientific American: The Wild West: Nasty Critters
Research the taxonomy, physiology and relatives of scorpions and create a mobile. Explore the stereoscopic senses of pit vipers, and experience how perception can be augmented by causing fluorescent paint to glow with UV light.
National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art: "Watson and the Shark"
This is a comprehensive site that tells the story behind one of John Singleton Copley's most famous paintings, "Watson and the Shark." The site discusses the artist's life and provides compositional information about the painting....