Denver Art Museum
Communicating with Symbols
Before kids analyze a Chinese dish filled with amazing images, they research the meanings of various plant and animal symbols. They use their research to decode the meaning of the expressive artwork on the dish and then use symbolism to...
EngageNY
World Café to Analyze the Characters in Lyddie
Order up! Welcome to the World Café, where scholars engage in small-group discussions based on Katherine Paterson's novel Lyddie. As pupils circulate around the room, they talk with classmates about the novel's characters, setting, and...
Eastconn
Learning to Analyze Political Cartoons with Lincoln as a Case Study
Discover the five main elements political cartoonists use—symbolism, captioning and labels, analogy, irony, and exaggeration—to convey their point of view.
Curated OER
Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence
Students examine readings and symbols to learn about the War of Independence and Thomas Jefferson. In this War of Independence instructional activity, students explore the role of Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration for Independence....
Curated OER
The Great Gatsby: Symbolic Story Representation
The themes of The Great Gatsby are embodied in the images F. Scott Fitzgerald creates. To encourage reader interaction with the text, individuals create a symbolic representation of themselves, place themselves in the story, and consider...
Curated OER
Lesson: Weaving Words
A woven rug depicting birds and cornstalks becomes the inspiration for a lesson on critical thinking and creative writing. Learners analyze the symbolism found in the rug and then compose a descriptive paragraph or poem that embodies the...
Curated OER
How Do You Analyze a Corporation?
Students analyze corporation whose stock they may consider buying for the Global Stock Game (GSG).
Curated OER
Lesson: Communication Through Clothing
As we all know, some clothing has a way of letting us know a little something about the person wearing it. Kids explore the idea that clothing can be a form of communication and artistic expression. They analyze a Native American textile...
Curated OER
Symbolism Lesson Plan
Pupils define the terms symbolism and mood. In groups, they read a poem by Robert Frost and identify the concepts in the poem. As a class, they discuss how the two elements give a meaning to the writing. They also give their own...
Curated OER
Looking at French Decorative Arts: Symbols in Marquetry
Students study symbols on a French cabinet. In this architectural design lesson, students examine the symbolism of the door panel on the "Cabinet on Stand." Students create their own unique design based on a symbol from another country.
Curated OER
Greek and Roman Symbolism
Students explore Greek and Roman symbolism in art. In this visual art lesson, students draw portraits of ancient leaders based on the written descriptions they read about them. Students also design campaign posters using Greek or Roman...
Curated OER
...But What Does It Mean? Symbolism in Artwork
Students analyze the symbolism in the portrait The Artist in His Museum. In this symbolism lesson plan, students analyze the portrait and then create their own portrait containing symbolism.
Curated OER
Artists Teach Us to See the World through Visual Symbols
Tenth graders analyze a biographical piece of art by Raymond Saunders. They identify shapes, symbols, and lines that are used, and how the piece relates to the artist's life and modern society. They design and create an original piece of...
Curated OER
How Do You Find Stock Symbols?
Students practice finding stock symbols by company, industry, and country. Stock symbols are necessary to find company information such as stock charts, news, and financial data on the Internet.
Curated OER
Analyzing Political Cartoons
Seventh graders identify a political cartoon and analyze a pre-Revolutionary War political cartoon. In this political cartoon lesson, 7th graders discuss cartoons and the historical beginnings of American politics using a PowerPoint...
Curated OER
Looking At French Decorative Arts: Symbols in Marquetry
Students create a design based on an animal symbol from another country. In this design lesson plan, students study a French cabinet and research and discuss its symbols. Students will then create their own marquetry design based on an...
Curated OER
Shaping Ideas: Symbolism in Sculpture
Young scholars critique the symbolic structures created by other students. In this visual arts lesson, young scholars display completed sculptures and drawings. Students analyze the symbolic elements in each others work, relate their art...
Curated OER
Symbol Beneath the Surface in "The Life You Save May Be Your Own"
Young scholars identify the value of symbols in shorts stories and analyze Flannery O'Connor's use of symbolism. In this symbolism lesson, students complete a worksheet about symbols for cars. Young scholars answer questions about...
Curated OER
Water: A Source of Life and Culture
Students explore water as a feature of culture. For this visual arts lesson, students consider the necessity of water in every culture. Students select water symbols and use their artistic skills to create water symbol silhouettes.
Curated OER
Political Cartoons
Students examine a variety of historical cartoons. They recognize a political cartoon and identify the main idea, symbolism, exaggeration and caricature in political cartoons. Students analyze a political cartoon by Benjamin Franklin.
Curated OER
Communicating Feelings through
Sixth graders use subjects, themes, and symbols to communicate meaning in their own works of art. They describe the origins of specific images and ideas and explain why they are of value in their artwork and in the work of others.
Curated OER
Energy Crisis: Then and Now
Using political cartoons, scholars analyze the energy crisis of the 1970s and '80s, comparing and contrasting it to current tensions with oil. Display the 6 cartoons (linked) to the class, and demonstrate analysis using the worksheet...
Walters Art Museum
The Symbolism of Allegorical Art
Introduce learners to allegorical art with four bronze sculptures by Francesco Bertos. After modeling how to recognize bias and allegory in Bertos' Africa, class groups examine the other three sculptures in the series before creating...
Nancy Fetzer's Literacy Connections
Expository Paragraph
Upper elementary and middle school writers learn how to craft an expository paragraph by following the six steps detailed in a 48-page instructional guide. Learners learn how to write six different types of informational paragraphs: to...