Curated OER
A Bug's Journey
Students examine the artwork of John Baldessari that was inspired by a 16th century drawing of a beetle. They analyze a drawing of a beetle, discuss the insect's characteristics, and write a story from the perspective of a bug. Also,...
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Photojournalism
Learners choose a historical or present-day event to portray through photographs. They narrate this event with photographs and text to communicate its significance in history or our current daily lives.
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Pen and Ink Drawing
Learners hone their drawing techniques to create a nature-inspired piece of art. They practice hatching, cross hatching, stippling, and shading. They discuss how each method is better suited for creating specific elements in nature such...
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Creating Scrolls Based on the Illustrated Tale of Genji
Now these are learning activities full of fun, art, and cultural exploration. Kids consider the art of storytelling through comic book images. They then look at the Tale of Genji as it was written in the 11th century. They discuss...
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Haring Inspired CD Covers
Students create CD covers from their music-inspired drawing sessions. They compare what they drew while listening to classical, punk and rap music. They scan their drawings into Adobe Photoshop and design their cover.
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Historical Witness - social Messaging
High schoolers examine and develop artwork that shows women's roles during different eras. In this women's role instructional activity, students look at artwork that shows women at work during the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth...
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Symmetrical Mummy Drawings/Mixed Media
Second graders explore Egyptian culture, including mummification, and hieroglyphic writings. They create their own mummy case using paper and a variety of materials. Students use symmetry to create their mummy.
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Technology as a Design Tool for Abstract Artwork
Students manipulate pictures using Adobe Photoshop and digital cameras to produce unique abstract works. This lesson can be modified to include a painting/mixed media element. State standards are addressed in this lesson.
Endangered Species Coalition
Endangered Species Day Art
Albrecht Durer created a highly textured stamp or print of a rhinoceros. To better understand which animals are near extinction, upper graders create similar prints of endangered animals they've researched. The six-day instructional...
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Character Nichos
This art lesson also incorporates a study Mexican and South American cultures and art. Students then create Nichos, which are small, decorated boxes commonly found in homes and public places, or displayed on walls or pedestals.
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Impressionism - Printmaking
Students examine the history of printmaking and the artists who developed these processes. They combine the monotype printmaking process with other media to create mixed-media works, and write a story about their pictures.
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Monoprint -Printmaking Challenge
Students produce a self-portrait series using a mono printing method.
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Pinwheel Modern Art Styles
Students explore artistic design by creating pin wheel models in class. In this modern art lesson, students examine historic art work of Van Gogh, O'Keeffe and Mondrian before emulating their work on construction paper. Students utilize...
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Choice of Media
Young scholars view artwork that address issues of representational politics and political campaigns. They journal to describe political and social issues that are important to them. They create art work that represents an important...
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Easy and Artistic Printmaking Using Mixed Media Materials
Students explore printmaking which began with the ancient Chinese who carved seals from stone, inked them and used the seals as identification symbols. They produce a print in this lesson.
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Soft Sculpture Birds
Art can mimic life, and animals are always interesting subjects. Learners create large soft sculptures (stuffed) birds using paper, paint, and other basic collage materials. They view images of birds, and discuss bird traits and shapes....
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Texture: Wild Things
Students experiment with different kinds of marking techniques. They read "Where the Wild Things Are" and observe animals for pattern and line. They compare illustrations with Haring's images. They create a symbolic drawing of animal.
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Hats Off to Color
Students investigate primary and secondary colors. In this art lesson, students mix primary paint colors to develop secondary colors. Students identify each color they created.
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Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun"
Students translate the print based content of the play by utilizing mixed media skills to communicate an argument. In this play translation lesson plan, students analyze and translate the play A Raisin in the Sun and explore themes from...
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Roberto Clemente
Have your class explore the life of Roberto Clemente using this lesson. After reading the story Roberto Clemente by Jonah Winter, learners answer cause and effect questions, classify ideas, make comparisons, and write a news article.
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Self-Promotion
Students create "assemblage boxes" displaying representations of themselves and the importance they see in their own lives. This middle school level lesson emphasizes the art of American artist Sarah Goodridge who has success in the...
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Cubism a Fractured Reality - Still Life With Collage Elements
Students gain an understanding and awareness for the cubist style of artists. They create a multi-media composition showing multiple views of various objects and a variety of textures.
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In King's Words
Students analyze writings of Mr. Martin Luther King Jr. They read and discuss an article, and in pairs, research and analyze a written work or speech by Dr. King, create a mixed media collage to represent the text, and write an artist...