Curated OER
Mapping the Mediasphere
Students compare/contrast the media messages they see in two different communities in their city. They list the elements of art and the principles of design in the photographs they have taken in those two different communities. They...
National Endowment for the Humanities
“House by the Railroad”: A Painting and a Poem for the Common Core
Introduce your class to ekphrastic poetry with an exercise that asks them to examine Edward Hooper's painting House by the Railroad and Edward Hirsch's poem "Edward Hopper and the House By the Railroad." After a close reading...
Curated OER
Look in the Mythic Mirror: I've Got Rhythm!
Learners explore the relationships between music, poetry, and visual art. Using the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, pupils develop an awareness of the compositional elements of the Classical style, and the aesthetic effects of those...
Curated OER
Creating a Story Quilt
Young scholars create a quilt to represent an important event in their life. In this visual arts activity, students research Faith Finggold and her quilts. Young scholars use art supplies to create their own quilt and share the symbolic...
Curated OER
Looking At French Decorative Arts: A Tapestry Fit For A King
Young scholars create a tapestry based on the Chariot of Triumph tapestry. In this visual arts lesson, students examine images of the original tapestry, determine the meaning of symmetry, and discuss symbolism in this art form. They draw...
Curated OER
Hawaii: Art and Its People
Young scholars explore the cultural history of Hawaii and experience the visual art of printmaking, papermaking and sculpture as incorporated into the ancient Hawaiian art of Petroglyphs, Kapa, and Woodcarving.
Curated OER
Activity Plan 5-6: Art History 101
Learners learn to appreciate art. In this early childhood lesson plan, students read about different artists and imitate their style to develop creative thinking, and language and literacy skills.
Curated OER
I SPY Art from A to Z
Students explore the Alphabet and acquire basic English vocabulary through the exploration of art. They find the alphabet in a variety of visual art images the teacher provides for them. Students count, sort and categorize Alphabet...
Curated OER
Op Art Circles
Students create Optical Art, art that seems to move when you look at it, in this Art instructional activity for the High School classroom. Included with the instructional activity is a list of recommended materials and suggested resource...
Curated OER
Teens Teaching Tots Art
Students plan and teach art activities to Head Start preschool students in the community. Students research the WWW while planning art activities for the preschool kids and while researching what preschool kids are like.Students...
Curated OER
Lesson: Beyond First Impressions
Just like the colors and techniques used to create a vivid image, learners will use exceptional language to create vivid stories. They examine the techniques used to tell a visual story in the painting, Road to Santa Fe. They then use...
National Gallery of Canada
Contemporary Reflections
Combine art and writing in a lesson about legends. After viewing Inuit art, class members examine their own cultural surroundings in order to write and visually represent a legend. Individuals are invited to take the creative reins when...
National Gallery of Canada
Urban Desire
Urban spaces are often overlooked and broken down. Offer your pupils the opportunity to reimagine an urban space. Learners examine and discuss works of art related to this theme and consider their own communities. Small groups then...
NTTI
Transform Your Geometry into a Work of Art
Mathematicians utilize artwork to help illustrate the major ideas of transformations and tessellations. They visually identify transformations including reflections, rotations, and translations. They discuss how artists have used...
National Gallery of Canada
Self-Portrait, Mirrors and Metamorphosis!
Using M.C. Escher's Hand with Reflecting Sphere as inspiration, learners create their own set of self-portraits using various reflective surfaces. The activity begins with a discussion about portraiture and ends with a presentation of...
National Gallery of Canada
A Cultural Portrait
Explore heritage and identity through an examination of art and a related project. The featured art, related to the African diaspora, includes several types of art created by different artists. Pupils consider their own backgrounds and...
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...
Smart Museum of Art
The Making of a Superhero
Thor, Loki, Iron Man, and Captain America. As part of their study of Greek and Roman gods and heroes, middle schoolers compare the characters in The Avengers to Greek counterparts. Individuals then create their own superhero,...
Curated OER
Photo Quilt Square
Build creative thinking and organization skills with a beautiful quilting project. Young photographers use a digital camera and computer to create photo transfers, which they will use to create a photo quilt square. They sew or embroider...
Curated OER
Persuasive Practice: A Mt. Rushmore Addition
Budding authors research a US President and persuade the National Park Service to add him to Mt. Rushmore. In addition to the persuasive essay, individuals are required to develop a visual presentation using a web-based software that...
National Gallery of Canada
My Treehouse
If you could build your own treehouse, what would it look like? Using a piece of contemporary art as inspiration, learners draw their own treehouses and add geometric and organic shapes. The activity touches on Visual Thinking Strategies...
National Gallery of Canada
Emphasizing Prints
Focus on how an artist creates emphasis on certain areas of a work with an examination of several works of art and a printmaking project. Follow the discussion suggestions and step-by-step printmaking instructions to successfully...
University of Minnesota
Beautiful Brain: Step Inside the Brain
Before digital microscopes, scientists hired artists to draw the things visible in the microscope. Through training in neuroscience and art, Cajal revolutionized the way we view the beautiful brain. The third instructional activity in a...
Curated OER
The Art and Science of Impressionist Color
Discover Impressionist painting as students investigate the 19th century combinations of colors characteristically used. Students experiment with their own paintings, utilizing primary and secondary colors.