Facing History and Ourselves
A Scene from a Middle School Classroom
Citizens in the modern world can't imagine making the same social choices made by many Germans in the 1920s and 1930s, but they don't realize that they actually do it every day by ostracizing others. A case study of middle schoolers...
National Gallery of Canada
My Upside-Down World!
M.C. Escher is famous for creating optical illusions. Examine this effect in several of his works and discuss the techniques involved. Inspired by the discussion, learners create an imaginary 3-D world inside of a box using various...
Curated OER
Concepts of Beauty Put Into Words
Studying haiku poetry with your English class? Delving into Japanese history with your world history class? Here is an authentic and creative way to explore Japanese culture more deeply. Pupils will compare and contrast two tea caddies...
Curated OER
ELA Lesson Plan Focusing on Artists and Composers
Learners research a selected composer and artist. They write a biography about each one and include information about at least two works created by the chosen artist or composer. Students note similar characteristics of their compared...
Curated OER
Realistic Impressions: Investigating Movements in the Visual Arts
You and your high school class can examine the idea of artistic movements with this lesson. Explore various websites, compare/contrast paintings, after which the assignments are to complete a chart, and write an essay.
Curated OER
A Sign of Their Times
Students identify the social climate that created the terms Degenerative Art and Fascist Aesthetic. They also identify how and why certain artists' artwork fell into these categories. Students recognize and discuss the Expressionist...
Curated OER
Going West: The Artist Who Painted the Way
Fifth graders study the artists and artwork of the Westward movement. In this Westward Movement activity 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...
Curated OER
Line Up! Shape Up! Color the World!
Students explore the Elements of Art. In this art lesson, students read the book Katie Meets the Impressionists and brainstorm the different things that artists create. Students observe various elements of art such as line and color and...
Music Publishers Association of the United States
I Made It. I Own It. Please Don't Steal It.
Explore the world of copyright law with a variety of activities to instill the importance of respecting creative property. Scholars watch an animated tale then take part in a grand conversation detailing the video's main idea, details,...
Curated OER
Build Your Dream Science Lab
Would your ideal science lab be filled with bubbling beakers and zapping Tesla coils? Or would it contain state-of-the-art computer technology and data analysis? Dream big with an innovative lesson that connects math and language...
Curated OER
Christmas Around the World
Students demonstrate an understanding of how different cultures celebrate Christmas by participating in artistic, musical, culinary and role play activities.
Curated OER
Israel
The class creates and performs a movement performance of the creation story found in the Jewish tradition. This lesson begins with the research of Israeli culture and culminates in a performance of the narrated creation story....
Poetry Class
Tackling Climate Change
Get your kids thinking about climate change with a series of activities that include creating a ditty box poem for the planet, a poem that identifies concepts or objects they would want to preserve.
Curated OER
The Artist as Entrepreneur
Students compare the entrepreneurial process in business and in the art world. They create a scenario of a business opportunity and solution based on a product from a catalog then they research how several successful artists have found...
Curated OER
Using Art to Draw Us Together
Young scholars build their own bridges or make connections to other peers, teens, adults/parents, senior citizens and people from around the world through various art mediums. Through this type of lesson students attempt to communicate...
Curated OER
The Life and Times of....
High schoolers assume the role of an investigative reporter and research an artist and the world in which they worked. They create a 2-page newspaper using MS Publisher about the artist and the time period he/she lived in.
Curated OER
Geometric Art In Our World
Students explore ways art and math can be blended together in world around them. They recognizes geometric shapes and designs in artwork, and create their own artwork blending the two concepts.
Curated OER
Finding Math In The World Of Art
Students explore the use of Math in the world of Art. In this mathematics and visual art lesson, they design a picture using math digits that are camouflaged into a pictures. Additional cross curriculum activities are embedded in the plan.
PBS
Around the Block
Arthur and his friends help children explore the concepts of family, community, and diversity in a fun series of activities. From performing peer interviews to mapping out the different places students have lived or visited, this...
Curated OER
What is Drawing?
Students explore visual arts by participating in a drawing activity. In this artistic expression lesson, students discuss how our thoughts and emotions are conceptualized by illustrating or painting. Students utilize charcoal, pastels,...
Curated OER
Landscape Confection: Pre-visit Activity
Upper graders explore the concepts of landscape art, man, nature and their inter-relationship. This is a critical thinking and analysis activity intended to prepare the class for an up coming trip to a local art museum. They analyze,...
University of Southern California
Coming to America After the War
As part of their exploration of the American dream, class members examine primary source materials to compare immigrant experiences of those arriving early in our country's history to those arriving in the US after World War...
Curated OER
Coming Full Circle
Students develop and design their own clothing line in this Visual Arts lesson about the intricacies of the fashion world. Emphasis is placed upon current and vintage designs, famous designers, and the development of individual design...
Curated OER
The Finer Things in Life
Momoyama and Edo are periods in Japanese history that can be defined culturally and artistically. Learners explore and discuss how the samurai used sword guards and grip enhancers. Pupils read the story "The Inch-High Samurai," examine...