Curated OER
Decorating Objects... and Re-decorating
Students create decorative objects and discuss their importance in form and function. For this art history lesson, students discuss Chinese porcelain objects with mounts later added by the Chinese. Students recreate an example of this...
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Natural Wonders of China And Japan
Learners 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 lesson plan is for upper-elementary classrooms.
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The Lunar Calendar
Students examine the Chinese calendar and Zodiac signs in this early elementary lesson on calendars and culture. Discussions on cultural beliefs and values are emphasized and could be controversial.
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The Solar System
Looking for a cross-curricular project for language arts and science? Use this lesson to reinforce knowledge of the Solar System, as well as expository writing skills. Elementary and middle schoolers choose one aspect of the Solar System...
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Holi-Days
Students research an event, celebration, or observance from a culture with which they are not familiar and present their information to the class in this cross-curricular look at festivals and celebrations. The lesson includes an option...
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THE TRAVELS OF BABAR: An Adventure in Scale : Integrating Visual Art and Social Studies
Students comprehend how the use of color impacts a work of art. They research how a theme can be rendered in a variety of ways (words, music, visuals). Students analyze how an artist's choices affect the aesthetic quality of artwork.
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The Segregated Pencil Sharpeners
Students explore racism through pencil sharpeners. In this civil rights lesson, students utilize a pencil sharpener with one of two colored pencils and explain how some people were not allowed to use certain items because of the...
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Read All About It! California History of the 30s and 40s
Explore the Great Depression! Discover the challenges people experienced during the time period. Learners investigate photographs from the Dust Bowl and WWII era and create a story line about the photographs, writing a newspaper article...
PBS
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
What rights are guaranteed to students? Do they align with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was approved by the United Nations in 1948? Middle and high schoolers present persuasive arguments about the rights they believe...
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Designing a Playground!
Students design their own playground equipment. In this design lesson, students take pictures of equipment they like and make a class pictograph of their favorite ones. They investigate the design, research equipment around the world,...
Monterey Bay Aquarium
What's in a Name?
Combine art and word analysis in a lesson about genus and species. Elementary children sleuth out the meaning of scientific names for a number of shark species using a prefix and suffix definition chart. They then draw an image of the...
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On The Go! Forces and Motion
Students create a car using physics. In this forces and motion lesson, students create a car and test which changes in design change the performance of the car. Students complete a graphic organizer with the different changes...
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In Case of Emergency
A natural disaster could strike at any time: do your learners know the school and community emergency plans? Start the school year by honing research and speaking skills in a practical way with this preparedness lesson. Youngsters...
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J. Paul Getty Museum Education Staff
Students will examine a manuscript page from a Flemish bestiary and discuss how it was used to teach ideas about Christianity. In this Christianity lesson plan students study the given manuscript and then compare the stories from the...
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Colossal Structures and Sculptures
Fifth graders explore the historical, procedural, and comparative studies of colossal sculptures and structures in this six lessons unit. The cooperative efforts of many people to complete the works is emphasized.
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Enjoying Puerto Rican Artistts
Students examine artwork done by artists from Puerto Rico. As a class, they discuss each piece of work based on the elements used. They use the internet to research the lives of the artists and develop their own opinions on the art...
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Post-Secondary Checklist
Twelfth graders answer the question what is next for them and identify how life is going to be different after high school. As a class, they share their life experiences in elementary and middle school and then predict how it might be...
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Shadow Pictures
Learners discover the power of lights, shades, and shadows in this Art lesson intended for upper-elementary/middle-level Art classrooms. Older students may want to experiment by adding more than one silhouette to the Bristol board used...
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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...
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Making Connections, Linking Population and the Environment
Students find out that all habitats have a carrying capacity. They explore how the world's human population has grown markedly in the 20th century, and that humans impact environmental health. Students investigate that people can and...
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Musical Instruments - Percussion
Students research and analyze various percussion instruments from different countries and cultures in this Music lesson for the upper-elementary classroom. Emphasis is placed on internet research and hands-on drumming techniques from...
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Musical Instruments - Strings
Students explore various string instruments in this multi-week music lesson for the upper-elementary grades. Emphasis is placed on group violin lessons, listening to and identifying string instruments, and researching non-European...
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Exploring the Properties of Matter in the Preschool
Students study the properties of the physical and natural world. In this properties of the physical and natural world lesson, preschool students work at discovery tables to see how simple machines work, what happens when items are put...
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Winter Quilt
Second graders create a class winter quilt. In this visual arts lesson plan, 2nd graders use construction paper, glitter, markers, and ribbon to create a patchwork quilt of winter scenes or memories.