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Ambassadors of Art
Have your class create their own art exhibit. Learners study the exchange of artwork between the Louvre in Paris and two American art museums, and create an introductory exhibit featuring European and American art from the Renaissance...
Saint Paul Public Schools
Using Adjectives to Describe a Busy Street Scene
What just happened in the street? After several introductory activities about adjectives and description, pupils use all that they have learned to compose a paragraph about a hectic intersection.
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Art Reflecting Life
Have your young television viewers discuss popular shows among their peers. After choosing one show to analyze, middle and high schoolers read about the 2007-2008 network television lineup with the New York Times article "Gauging Viewer...
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The Art of Violence
Violence and human suffering, as represented in art and film, are the focus of an investigation of the power of visual images and the moral implications of such representations. Class members examine “Guernica,” Pablo Picasso’s massive...
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Art, Naturally
Students read an online article which examine different works of art. They study how patterns and shapes found in nature influence art. Finally, they create original works of art and write artist's statements.
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Autobiographical Art
Students explore how one artist portrays her own experiences and interests through her art. Students then choose themes in their own lives and create works of art inspired by those themes.
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Artfully Searching for Treasure
Search for artwork using online museum databases. Young artists will create their own online art treasure hunts based on a specific theme and set of criteria.
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Pay to Play?
Lead your class in a discussion about how they believe money influences politics. After reading "Go Ahead, Try to Stop K Street" from the New York Times, they evaluate the claims in the article about the current lobbyist scandal in...
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Covering the Issue
Examine how art and music can be powerful tools for conveying a political or social message. After considering the issues surrounding rapper Paris, students design their own album covers that reflect their political and/or social...
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Cultural "Art"-ifacts
Seventh graders explore how culture is reflected through art. After researching the art of a specific culture, 7th graders create replicas of art objects that reflect the ideals, values, and history of the culture.
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Pop Turned Art
Students study the art of Andy Warhol and consider the line between art and life. They create their own artistic renditions of popular culture themes and images in order to explore their influence on our lives.
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Arts Directors
Learners reflect on a personally meaningful live performance and the circumstances necessary to create art. They study about the current leadership crisis facing the Met, Carnegie Hall, and the Public theater. In groups, students...
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Local Motives
Investigate current local elections across the United States with this New York Times reading activity. Using informational text, middle and high schoolers research local elections and create their own news reports about what they...
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Asking the Questions and Questioning the Answers
What would you ask a presidential candidate if you had the chance? Bring politics to your language arts classroom with this lesson, in which young readers brainstorm questions they would have liked the presidential candidates to answer....
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Art as Therapy
Students explore how they connect with artwork on an emotional level through writing and the creation of an original piece of art.
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Artscapes
Students consider "The Gates" and other environmental art projects, and create an original public art project for their local community. They draw sketches and write proposals outlining their ideas.
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It's in the Cards
Students discover how art auctions have become competitive after reading an article from The New York Times. Students voice their opinions about specific examples of modern art and create trading cards based on their research of...
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High Anxiety
The Learning Network section of the New York Times produces high-quality teaching materials. This issue gets middle or high schoolers reading an article about how people use art to express their response to high-stress events. They work...
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The Art of Speech
Students discuss President Bush's goals for his second term in office. After reading an article, they identify the major themes of his second inaugural address. In groups, they brainstorm ideas and create murals to illustrate them...
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Through Our Eyes
After reading Sandra Cisneros’ novel The House on Mango Street, class members design a canned food drive, create advertisements for the drive, and use digital cameras to document the entire process. In addition, pupils journal their...
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Art Smart
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the expression of art that is popular in modern times. They read articles from the New York Times and write reflectively about the featured art exhibits. Students use the newspaper to...
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Community Arts Projects
Youngsters learn about community through exploration of their own neighborhood.In this lesson about community, students create a community in their classroom. Students think about what their community looks like by making a map. Students...
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Art Smart
Learners consider the importance of arts programs in public schools, explore the disparities in arts programs in the New York City school system.
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Modern Messages
Students explore the aims of artists working in various contemporary art movements, then create works in a similar art style to convey