Travel back in American history to the era of slavery and abolition. After reading about the Underground Railroad, young historians examine a painting depicting the event, and write a narrative from the point of view of a person in the...

An art showcase encourages class members to explore the themes of social justice and tolerance. They create an original artwork, engage in group discussions, and journal writing. The art gallery also provides a chance for families and...

The works of Juane Quick-to-see Smith are featured in a lesson that asks pupils to consider the role artists play in bringing about social and political change. Scholars examine protest art by Smith and several street artists and...

David Binnington's mural commemorating the 1936 Battle of Cable Street is the focus of a activity that looks at public art as a form of civic participation. After reading background material about the mural, individuals analyze a segment...

There is a lot to learn from art. This teacher's guide provides you with extensive background information, activities, and a scripted commentary to accompany a slide show on French artists in California during the Gold Rush Period. The...

The intent of this unit is to demonstrate some of the traditional arts of the Middle East. Extensive background information on the religion, culture, and nature of Islamic art found throughout the Middle East is provided. Each of the...

With some plaster casting materials and a quick lesson on the ancient burial traditions of Egypt, your class can create amazing mummy masks. Listed here are all the tools, precautions, and steps needed for each child to make an Egyptian...

Students observe art from different Aboriginal cultures.  In this art evaluation lesson, students discover the different traditions of cultures from the Pacific North West.  Students judge the art from these cultures with a...

Students explore 19th century American artwork.  In this cross curriculum New York history and art appreciation lesson, students view a reproduction of the painting "Situation of America, 1848," and identify visual symbols and...

Everything old is new again. The Los Angeles J. Paul Getty Museum presents a instructional activity on how Greek black-figure painting influenced eighteenth century Neoclassical artists. After looking at a series of examples, class...

Two lessons focus on making a beat. Using popular African American music of its time, scholars listen and analyze the rhythm then recreate it with hands drums, and cups. 

The advent of paper has made a huge impact on society and we wouldn't be the same without it. This project allows learners to explore and create paper of their own using recycled materials. The how-to is all laid out, just follow the...

Much of Latin American music owes its origins to the slave trade. Peoples from the Yoruban and Dahomean cultures brought with them the distinctive rhythms, time signatures, and eighth note patterns that now characterize Caribbean music....

Africans transported to the Caribbean as part of the transatlantic slave trade brought with them a rich tradition of music and dance. Four lessons teach young musicians the rumba clave rhythm, cascara rhythm, and the 6/8 bell patterns...

Study the beauty of the landscape around you with an innovative art lesson. After discussing the foreground, background, and middle ground of landscape art, kids work on making their own piece of landscape art. The lesson provides...

Fifth graders determine how freedom comes with rights and responsibilities through literature and poetry about World War II. In this World War II lesson, 5th graders use the letters in the word "infamy" to write an acrostic poem. They...

Students explore artistic design by viewing video clips on the Internet. In this blanket making lesson, students view tutorial videos in which they discover the creative process in button blanket designing. Students create their designs...

Build an interest and appreciation for architecture in your young learners with this fun 10-lesson art unit. Engaging children in using their five senses, the class first observes the environment around them, paying...

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...

Showing appreciation for those who help them is an important skill for youngsters to acquire. This lesson helps them do just that by having them make appreciation cards for people. The card reads...."2, 4, 6, 8....Who Do I Appreciate?"...

Pack your bags and set off to the wonderful country of India in a multi-day cultural unit. The lesson is a 17-day series focusing on literature, music, art, geography, and the culture of India. Scholars complete several activities,...

Students differentiate between fact and legend. In this Barbara Freitchie lesson, students read poetry and non-fiction accounts regarding the story of Freitchie. Students analyze the story of the American patriot to determine how much of...

Fourth graders investigate the three regions of North Carolina using works of art.

Bring jazz music and the Harlem Renaissance to light with a lesson that challenges scholars to research and create. Pupils delve deep into information materials to identify jazz terminology, compare types of jazz and jazz musicians,...