Upper graders use the potter's wheel to make Japanese style tea cups, which they will use in a Japanese style tea ceremony. They hone their sculpting techniques while exploring Japanese cultural and the history of tea. There are two...

An excellent series of five lessons on China awaits you and your young geographers. In these lessons, learners engage in hands-on activities, watch streamed video, access websites, and complete activities in cooperative groups in order...

Music can help us to access memories and events in a meaningful way, and Francis Scott Key used specific words to convey what he had seen and felt when writing what would become America's national anthem. Help your class connect to...

Film analysis takes critical thinking, connections, and context. Upper graders look at the film installation, Crystal Palace in terms of the film makers choices, presentation, and perspective of truth. After an analytical discussion...

How can something be true even if it didn't happen? Invite your classes to investigate the truths found in the world of magical realism as they analyze short stories, poems, informational texts, video, and art from this genre.

Here is a wonderful idea, intended for learners in a collaborative multi-grade setting. While learners of different grades focus on different aspects of the same project, all their efforts culminate in a time tunnel, where they turn...

What could be so interesting about archaic Greece? What isn't! Kids will get a chance to see some of the amazing artifacts unearthed by explorers of old. As the slides progress, so does the ancient timeline. From the Early Bronze Age and...

Peek into the art and history of ancient Mexico by analyzing the artifact Stone Serpent Heads. Learners examine images of the piece, discuss its origin, history, and significance. They experience the carving process by creating similar...

The four-faced Hamat'sa mask is the inspiration for a lesson on ceremonial art and the process of initiation. The class examines images of the piece, then discusses how the mask represents ceremonial initiation. They get imaginative...

If you happen to live in Indiana, or a neighboring state, and are planning a field trip to the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site, then this lesson plan will suit your needs quite well. In it, suggestions for activities before, during,...

A series of maps depicts pre-WWI to post-WWII Europe for your geographers. They use reference materials to help them correctly fill in the countries and the borders as they changed through time. A great resource for a history lesson, or...

Rhyme, rhythm, free verse, imagery: Do these words describe poetry, or jazz music? The answer is both! A resource explores these similarities as scholars watch a video, engage in discussion, read author biographies, write poetry and...

Brainstorming—the art of coming up with endless ideas. Pupils brainstorm how to solve local problems in their counties and eventually narrow their ideas down to one solution as a team.

Students are shown examples of mosaics found on mosques. We discuss background information on Islam and relate it to social studies units. This is also a great unit to integrate math skills.

In this social studies activity, students find the words that are related to the concept of African art and the answers are found at the bottom of the page.

Students watch videos, listen to speeches and analyze the information that is presented about the civil rights movement. They examine visual art of the period.

Students investigate some the ways art has responded to conflict throughout history. Through teacher lecture and demonstration, students witness the historical background of a piece of artwork and how it reflects the conflict it...

Fifth graders develop cultural awareness of their heritage, therefore building their self-esteem. They discover the link between learning and social skills and recognize that learning is an integral part of their lives. The recognize...

Students study folktales and other stories from West Africa. By hearing and reading these stories they explore many new cultural and religious beliefs, such as spirits inhabiting nature and possessing special powers. Once the students...

Young scholars contribute to a classroom art show. For this art appreciation lesson, students research the lives and works of artists from different ages. Young scholars write reports, recreate artwork of their researched artists, and...

Students study the art forms of the Gilded Age. In this integrated arts lesson, students research the art, music, dance, and drama of the historical era and then create their own personal projects that exemplify the time period.

Students create a monogram, based of the idea of a Turkish Tughra. They examine the connection between writing for communication and writing as an art form. They explore the vocabulary related to the use of art media in the classroom.

Students analyze selected pieces of art and infer how they reflect a sense of disillusionment, and/or cynicism in American society in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal. Then they identify and place cultural attitudes...

Young scholars consider works of art in their historical context. In this art in historical context lesson, students are encouraged to think about and record their prior knowledge of the historical period and to make inferences about the...