No one is too young to create a masterpiece. Elementary artists delve into the topic of social justice with original artwork. Scholars keep journals to reflect on their experiences before putting paintbrush to paper. Final artwork is...

After setting the ground rules, test the class on what they recall about using acrylic paint in class. This quiz is intended to ensure that every young artist is willing to use the class art supplies in a careful and conscientious way....

Imagine being a war photographer embedded in World War I. How do you see your role? How might your photos influence that study of the war? Of history? Class members select a photograph, adopt the perspective of the photographer, and...

Relive the back-to-school jitters with this fun cootie catcher activity. Including uplifting wishes and predictions for the coming school year, this resource is a great way to start the year off on a positive note.

How can we create a more fair world? Chances are, class members have some ideas! After reading a text about fairness, individuals create skits around the ideas of fairness. Extend the learning and make their presentations a...

Who are you? It's a simple question, but younger learners have the opportunity to express their complex identities by making artifacts that represent parts of their identities. After engaging in the activity, they share who they are with...

By engaging in an arts-based activity, 2nd graders explore peace in the classroom. They listen to the story The Rainbow Fish, then create their own fish to hang in the classroom. They write three things that make them happy on...

What symbols represent you best? Individuals consider how they would draw peers using symbols about their identities with an interview and art activity. After conducting interviews and portraits, the art makes a great centerpiece for...

When you look at me, what do you see? Young learners answer this question by creating a portrait that reflects the identity of one of their peers. First, class members create interview questions. Then, they interview classmates to...

Students explore organization by participating in an object sorting activity. In this indexing lesson, students examine their classroom and identify materials that should be organized in order to make the room more efficient. Students...

Every piece of the puzzle is important. A lesson gives individuals the opportunity to create artwork that spreads a message of inclusion and tolerance. Class members work in teams to create pieces of the mural that form a larger picture....

What does it take to develop and publish a newsletter? Young academics create a newsletter with original artwork for their school or community. They explore social justice themes and spread messages of tolerance and inclusion. Scholars...

Readers practice character analysis by reviewing Gary Soto's short story "La Bamba" with the whole class (anything you've read together will work). They design t-shirts that feature traits and story elements to reveal the nature of a...

High schoolers discuss a dramatic situation involving realistic characters and create response "letters" to the situation in this Drama lesson for the high school classroom. The lesson emphasizes the study of empathy and sympathy as it...

Learners read a tragic true story about personal safety and devise ways to reach a public audience with the message of personal safety in this Drama lesson for the high school classroom. Emphasis is placed on cooperative learning and...

Students research information about whales. In this early childhood lesson plan, students create an illustration of a whale to display in a sea scene in the classroom. Students then use the library and internet to research a whale of...

Fifth graders complete a project for a Newberry Award winning book. This ambitious lesson outlines the expectations for students regarding their project. Included is a list of possible books and a variety of writing, art, music and...

Learners collect artifacts which are part of their family/community history. They gather at home and share in the classroom at a specified time when extra care and supervision might be provided.

Colors and crayons are the inspiration for this collection of activities! Kids illustrate the real world, come up with their own names for colors, make their own crayons (with teacher assistance), create artwork they can eat, and more.

Did you know that some languages have no word for art? The English language does and the narrator of this short video discusses the aesthetic dimension of religious art as it "visually communicates meaning beyond language."