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Culture in Art
Students explore how cultural aspects of their lives are depicted in society. They view a video on Frida Kahlo and identify the cultural elements that she referenced in her work.
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Abraham Lincoln and the Arts
High schoolers engage in a study of history and how the figure of Abraham Lincoln has evolved into a national cultural icon. They discuss the importance of his life and how he influenced the political landscape of America in the past and...
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Thiebaud Cake Math: Intermediate
Students explore the life and art of American artist Wayne Thiebaud. They learn and practice math concepts by carefully examining the painting Cakes. They create a bold cake painting, either online or with classroom art materials.
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Letters from the Japanese American Internment
Students make deductions about life in an internment camp by reading and comparing letters written to Clara Breed. Along the way, they consider the advantages of looking at a historical event from the multiple points of view of...
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Spontaneous Britishstrokes
Students are introduced to Chinese painting and they examine how Daoist phiolosophy influenced artistic style. They discuss how art and artistic technique as a reflection of Daoist culture. Students discuss how art is a reflection of...
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Natural Wonders of China And Japan
Students identify some of the attributes of China and Japan and compare and contrast the way Chinese, Japanese, and American artists represent nature in art. The instructional activity is for upper-elementary classrooms.
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Parallel Studies in American/Afro-American Literature, Part II -- Black and White Images in Alienation
Students begin the lesson with a review of the elements of poetry. Individually, they read a variety of poems and literature one white and one black author focusing on decay, sterility and alienation. They identify these images within...
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Discovering Fall
Young scholars explore the American landscape during fall. After viewing paintings of fall, learners imagine themselves there and what it would be like. They then build an understanding of the painter's use of detail and color...
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Reporting A Story: A School Newspaper Activity
Young scholars collaborate to document cultural groups within the school or community. They create a newspaper chronicling different groups within the school.
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Rockin' Chalk
Fourth graders access prior knowledge of rocks and minerals. For this petroglyphs lesson, 4th graders become familiar with artwork on rocks. Students create original artworks using rock art.
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Celebration!
Use a five-lesson unit to investigate how different cultures use art for common purposes, such as the marking of special events, celebrations, and the validation of human experience.
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To Tell the Truth
Learners explore art history. They play a game inspired by the old game show "To Tell The Truth".
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Thiebaud Cake Math: Elementary
Young scholars explore the American artist Wayne Thiebaud. They practice addition, subtraction, fractions, money problems, and classification problems by carefully examining his painting entitled Cakes. They create a bold cake painting.
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Alexander Calder Cookies
Students create an original piece of edible art. For this edible art lesson, students decorate a sugar cookie in the style of Alexander Calder. Students view Calder's paintings and then create an original piece of art.
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Metal Tooling with Colored Pencils
Take your art class back centuries to the art of metal tooling. This is an art technique also referred to as embossing, or repajado in Mexico and South America. This is a fun project to introduce a new technique and new materials. This...
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Treaty Trail: Historical Perspectives Point of View
Learners research the point of view of key figures present at the Walla Walla Treaty council. Students analyze primary and secondary sources to determine how various groups of people involved in the treaty council viewed the events as...
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Against the Odds: The Trials and Tribulations of the Harlem Renaissance
Students become familiar with the Harlem Renaissance movement. They present information gathered and discuss issues pertaining to African American art through a power point presentation as well as an oral presentation.
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Alternate Histories
Students create a mixed media collage. In this visual arts lesson, students look at the work of Jane Ash Poitras. They create their own collage that shows their personal and collective history and experiences.
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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....
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NGA Kids Inside Scoop Summer 2007
Students examine the art of Roy Lichtenstein. In this art lesson students study reworked images and adapted scenes from books made into movies.
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Gilbert Stuart and Presdidential Portraits
Students read passages about the context of paintings for artist Gilbert Stuart. In this art history lesson, students study paintings by artist Gilbert Stuart and learn about the context of his art. Students then complete a presidential...
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Paul Robeson: 20th-Century Renaissance Man, Hero In Any Century
Young scholars explore several themes relevant to the life of Paul Robeson and the social, artistic, & political realities of the first half of the 20th century, identify and interview heroes in their communities, and publish...
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Hard Edge Painting
Students study the history of hard edge painting and discover demonstration techniques using a variety of fonts and discuss lettering. They present a number of abstract works of art with hard edge technique and works of art with text.
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Word Play
Young scholars explore the work of Xu Bing. In this visual arts lesson, students examine the art piece "Monkeys Grasp for the Moon" and compare it to the Buddhist folktale on which it is based. Young scholars create animated flip books...