San Francisco Symphony
Ballads for Americans
"Ballad for Americans" was a song written for performers participating in the Federal Arts Project, during The Depression. Learners will analyze the lyrics of the song and then create informational posters about other Federal Works...
Curated OER
Inuit Sculpture
Kids in grade four through eight research Inuit artists and art styles. After a critical look at Inuit sculpture, they use those forms for inspiration as they create one of their own. They practice using the subtractive method of...
Curated OER
Overcoming Censorship Through Art
Students create an art piece that expresses their opinions while circumventing hypothetical government restrictions in this lesson on art and government censorship. Emphasis is placed upon historical instances of censorship around the...
Curated OER
Racism, Gender, Ethnicity, and Aesthetics in the Art of Graffiti
Students describe how graffiti is a part of everyday culture. They develop basic vocabulary terms for thinking and writing about graffiti and make and justify judgments about aesthetics qualities in graffiti art. They compare and...
Curated OER
Trey and Dave go to Africa: Music
Trey from Phish and Dave from the Dave Mathews Band took a trip to Africa to explore music, culture, and history. Your class watches this episode from VH1's Music Studio to understand how African culture and music have influenced modern...
Curated OER
Early American Portraits: a Strategy for Learning About Artists and Their Works
Students study artworks from several different artists. They compare and contrast these works and examine the historical background of the artist and his or her times.
They develop the capacity to think critically and communicate their...
Curated OER
Deep like Rivers: Four African American Poets of the 1920s and 1930s
Students examine work by outstanding African American poets from the time period of the 1920s and 1930s. They study aspects of American and African American social, cultural and artistic history that influenced the content of some of the...
Curated OER
Numbers in Art
Young scholars choose a number from one to twelve and tell a number story about it. They listen to the teacher read "Numbers in Art" by Lucy Micklethwait. Students choose three numbers from one to twelve and view works of art while...
Curated OER
The Invisible People: American Art and Literature Represents the Marginalized and Disenfranchised
Students view various pieces of art and sculptures which demonstrates people who are marginalized and invisible. While viewing the art, they are read excerpts of different pieces of literature in which they determine why the author or...
Curated OER
American Civil Rights Movement, Photo Essay
Students view photographs from the Civil Rights Movement and write an essay from the point of view of someone in the photograph. They artistically represent various aspects of the Movement.
Curated OER
Literature: Satire in the American Dream
Eleventh graders examine cartoons for examples of satire, irony, and sarcasm. They write essays about cartoons, art work, or literature analyzing it for satirical elements. Finally, they create their own piece in one of the three areas...
Curated OER
Hispanic Arts: Visual Arts, Dance and Music
Students observe global cultures by listening to music and watching videos. In this Latin American dance lesson, students define merengue, salsa and other dances from the Hispanic culture while listening to Latin rhythm music. Students...
Curated OER
Vessel Based On Art History Research
High schoolers create a functional ceramic vessel inspired by the work of another artist from art history. A number of art history resources be provided as well as the Internet. They research outside of class for the written report.
Curated OER
Going West: The Artist Who Painted the Way
Fifth graders study the artists and artwork of the Westward movement. For this Westward Movement lesson set, 5th graders examine the characteristics of the art of this era. They look at the lives of the artists and think about how the...
Curated OER
Creating An Understanding of the Past/Through The Art of George Catlin and Native American Artifacts
Students explore Native American culture. They observe and discuss the paintings of George Catlin. Students examine the lives of the Pawnee Native American Indians during the time period of 1830-1840. Numerous cross curriculum activities...
Curated OER
American Revolutionary War: Two Sides...Two Perspectives
Students investigate the American Revolutionary War era from the perspective of Britain and the American colonists by researching causes, effects, events and people. They compare the views of the Colonists, and the British and recognize...
Curated OER
Studio Art Lessons Based on Latin American Arts
Study three of the basic principles of design: l) designs should create a rhythmic pattern made up of related shapes, 2) colors should be repeated so as to not force the eye to remain with a single part of the composition, and 3) a...
Our White House
The Our White House Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids!
Get the youngest American citizens involved in the presidential election and inauguration with a set of social studies activities. Focusing on the history of presidential inauguration ceremonies, learners draft their own poems, design...
Curated OER
Designing Clay
Maria and Juliana are two of the most famous Pueblo pottery makers of the modern era. The class will learn about pueblo pottery design and the ways that Maria and Julian use traditional designs in a new and innovative way. They will...
National Constitution Center
Art of the American Soldier: Stories from the Soldiers
The impact of war is deep and profound. Moving paintings, along with brief narrations from veteran artists and other former soldiers, show scholars how the cost of war is paid for years to come. Individuals dive deeper into the artwork...
Curated OER
Art & Life During the American Revolution
Fifth graders examine and critique the art, artists, and artisans of late 18th century America.
Curated OER
Modern Art Lesson Plans
Pupils explore the history and examples of Modern Art. In this Modern Art instructional activity, students read background information about Modern Art and a biography of Andy Warhol. Pupils complete a criticism and aesthetics, art...
Curated OER
Conceptual Art
Young scholars explore the different ways language is used in conceptual art. In this conceptual art lesson, students analyze artworks that emphasize ideas over form and the methods used in conceptual art. Young scholars work in pairs to...
Curated OER
Art, Inc.
Students are connecting the year that their piece of art was created with the historical events happening in America at that time. They also conduct research to prepare for looking into Art History.