Art Institute of Chicago
Urban Space
The use of perspective is clear in Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte. Pupils study and discuss this example, marking the vanishing points and horizon line of a photocopy of the piece. They then create their own urban scene...
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A Passage Through Time
Young learners research and present information about a chosen subject to their peers, parents, instructors, and community. This lesson has a strong research and public speaking component, and would be ideal for your higher level students.
National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
Sun Printing
Ozalid acid paper is sensitive to the light. It reacts by getting darker, and it's the same paper photographers use when they print their pictures. Here, kids get to use photo-sensitive paper to create sun prints to find out...
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Jazz in America Lesson Plan 7
The student will explore free jazz, fusion, and contemporary jazz. They will listen to avant garde, fusion, and pop recordings. In addition, they participate in a class discussion regarding jazz's contribution to and reflection of...
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Lights, Sounds, Fabrics and Designs: Careers in the World of Design
Students investigate the broad range of jobs that can be found in the world of design. Students explore sound design, language architecture, etc. Students design a resource book and post it on a website for others to share.
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Inventions in Everyday Life
Students identify and solve problems as they modify the design of an everyday household item. They gather and analyze information and work in collaborative teams to create a design plan for a new product.
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Iran Hostage Crisis: Reading Primary Documents
Following brief instruction about the Iran Hostage Crisis during Jimmy Carter's presidency, small groups read three-page sections from the diary of hostage Robert C. Ode. They write editorials from the perspective of either U.S. citizens...
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Lesson: Urban China: Contemporary China
The urbanization and consumerism of modern China is the hot topic up for critical analysis. Kids view a series of photographs that specifically describe Chinese modernization, urbanization, consumerism, and waste. They discuss each...
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A Closer Look
High schoolers observe an ordinary scene and look for elements of design, dynamics, spatial elements, and music. they then create their own everyday dance.
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Firefighting and Community in Colonial America
Students view two unknown historical objects and try to identify their function by looking at and asking questions of their appearance and function. They use critical thinking skills to view a number of images and objects. They make...
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Discover the History of Melody
Students connect to music resources. In this music lesson, students visit the websites of the Handel House Museum, the Horniman Museum, Reid Concert Hall, and the National Center for Early Music. Students...
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Timely Tolerance
Eighth graders work together to focus on an oppressed group of society. Using the information they gather, they create a museum exhibit to educate their community on the group. They present their PowerPoint presentation to the class to...
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Postcards From The Wilderness
Students examine and discuss various landscapes from the Getty Museum. They create postcards featuring landscapes that incorporate rubbings to create texture. They write letters on the backs of their postcards describing their landscapes.
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Meet the Children of the Getty: A Set of 8 Activities
Students participate in eight activities designed to examine the many students represented in artworks at the J. Paul Getty Museum. They draw, identify shapes and patterns, analyze paintings and make personal connections with their own...
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Giants of the Past
Learners listen to the book, The Mysterious Giant of Barletta, and create paper sculptures based on ancient Greek and Roman statues in the Getty Museum. They write narrative stories told from the viewpoints of their sculptures.
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Flora and Fauna as Figures of Speech
Students view artwork in manuscript pages depicting insects, animals, plants, flowers, and ornate writing, such as those found in the Mira calligraphiae monumenta in the Getty Museum.
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Exploring Restoration Techniques
Learners, after taking a field trip to a museum, use paint to try to restore old objects.
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Explaining How Things Work
Students will focus upon learning how to write an essay based upon observations that are made at a museum. After watching a demonstration or learning how to do something, students write an essay explaining the process to someone who has...
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Dominic's egg
Students visit the Art Discovery museum for four consecutive weeks. Each session includes a tour of the galleries and a hands-on studio component. During the four sessions students work on both individual and collaborative projects. ...
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Statement of Principles
Students examine how Neoclassical art conveyed moral and ethical ideas. They create their own works of art that serve as social commentaries.
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A Picture's Worth 500-700 Words
Students write a narrative or short story of 500-700 words based on an assigned work of art.
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Creating Your Own Story
Students think about a dramatic moment in their lives and imagine how to translate it into a work of art. They write their own personal experience as a story. They describe a visual image of their personal experience and/or story.
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Look Again
Students interpret and discuss what they see in a work of art over a period of time.
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Chicago On Stage
Students view a film about the genres and disciplines of performing arts. They examine the theatre community in Chicago and the origins of theatre companies. They answer questions and discuss them to end the lesson.