Denver Art Museum
My Animal Symbol
Here is an art lesson that combines visual arts and language arts into one very nice package. In it, youngsters study a fascinating painting called Painting of Bear and Sun Dances. They begin to understand the importance of traditional...
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Symbols of Our State: Arkansas
Here are a series of lessons designed to assist early elementary learners to discover the symbols of Arkansas. They learn about the state flag, insect, state seal, state bird, flower, tree, and gem. A booklet (emedded in the plan), is...
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Making a Basic Clay Animal Sculpture In-The-Round
Students create a three dimensional animal sculpture. In this sculpting lesson, students use white art clay, gloss glaze, brushes, and wooden tools to create an animal sculpture.
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Common Good in Aztec Culture
Middle schoolers investigate the Aztec religion and its symbols. In this Aztec religion lesson, students develop understanding of why the Aztecs gave sacrifices. Middle schoolers write an essay looking at the Aztec religion and can...
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Spiritual Power of Symbols
Students examine how symbols are used in some societies to influence spirits and to protect rooms. They discuss and view examples of doors decorated with symbols, and create a door mural using African and American symbols.
Facing History and Ourselves
Citizen Power Makes Democracy Work
Eric Liu's formula "power plus character equals citizenship" and his three strategies to making change happen model for high schoolers how to develop citizen power, how to get involved and participate to make democracy work. Class...
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"Shooting An Elephant": George Orwell's Essay on His Life in Burma
High school readers examine George Orwell's essay "Shooting an Elephant" for examples of symbolism, metaphor, connotation, and irony. They analyze how these literary tools convey the writer's main point and contribute to the persuasive...
Montana State University
One Mountain, Many Cultures
Americans may think of Mount Everest as a region dedicated to adventurous hikers, but many cultures have flourished there! Learners read informative books, watch videos, participate in classroom discussion, analyze folk tales, and...
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Exploring Cultural Symbols And National Identity In Japan
Students study Japanese cultural symbols and how they provide clues to national identity. They utilize the Internet to find information relating to their topics. They create Power Point presentations to share with the class.
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New Wave Aztec
Students create animation symbols on the computer based on The Aztec Empire work of Keith Haring. In this animation lesson plan, students use drawings and put them into the computer over a series of 8 weeks.
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Cats and Superstition: Fun Trivia Quiz
Answers to this quiz are very well cited, so if your class is studying Halloween, symbols, superstition, world cultures, or cats, it could spark spirited discussion about comparative traditions.
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Power Totem
Students investigate the important symbols to Native cultures by writing a poem. For this animal totem lesson, students discuss animal spirits and their relation to the Native American lifestyle. Students write a cinquain poem about a...
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Chinese Kites
Students identify Chinese culture and find that New Year is the most important of many Chinese holidays. Then they research many facets of the Chinese New Year celebration, and identify the symbols of the animal zodiac. Students also...
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Understanding Chinese Culture Through Reading
Students examine the Chinese culture. They discuss the Chinese zodiac, identify their animal on the zodiac, listen to a Chinese folktale, and write an essay reflection on the Chinese zodiac or Chinese culture.
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Understanding Cultural Diversity
First graders examine different types of art to help them explain the idea of cultural diversity. This is a unit focusing on works of art.
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Learning to Resist: Watercolor
Consider wax resist drawings as a way to bridge art and science. Learners view, discuss, and practice drawing insects or animals using waxy crayons. They pay attention to the creature's features as they create images with watercolor and...
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It's a Wrap!
Students investigate symbols and colors on the Osage blanket. In this visual arts lesson, students examine a blanket from the Osage culture and identify symbols on the blanket. Students create a class blanket, including symbols which are...
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Plains Indians
Learners design a realistic replica of a Crow or Kiowa circular shield. They examine the material culture of the Plains Indians and the role of shields for the Crow and Kiowa. They study animal symbolism as used by North America's...
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The Huichol Community of Mexico: Communicating with Symbols
Students study the Huichol Indians. For this Huichol lesson, students red The Journey of Tunuri and the Blue Deer, design a visual story using symbols, and make a painting using large paper shapes. A class mural project is also included.
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Paper Masks/Heads
Middle schoolers examine the processes and beliefs used by different cultures to create works of art. Using the internet, they research the types of arts used by cultures that have been transmitted to future generations. They use...
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Totem Mask
Sixth graders study totems of the Northwest Native Americans and design their own.
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Universal Myths and Symbols: Animal Creatures and Creation
Students examine the role of mythology in their own lives. After reading stories, they discover the various theories on the origins of the universe and compare the symbols used by different cultures. To end the lesson, they research a...
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Textural Animal Sculptures - Model Magic
Students create textural animal sculptures. They explore how to accent their pices to make it look metallic.
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Paper Sculpture Headdress
Students examine African masks and headdresses, and create their own.