American Institute of Architects
Architecture: It's Elementary!—First Grade
Build an interest and appreciation for architecture in your young learners with this fun 10-lesson art unit. Engaging children in using their five senses, the class first observes the environment around them, paying special attention to...
Project Articulate
Textured Landscapes with Grant Wood
Explore the world of textured landscapes through the eyes of the famous artist, Grant Wood. Here is an elementary art lesson in which scholars learn about Grant Wood's life, view his work, draw their own textured landscape, and then...
St. Joseph Community Consolidated School District #169
Nutcracker
'Tis the holiday season and the Clara, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and the Nutcracker Prince come alive with a teaching and study guide for Tchaikovsky's famous ballet. Background information, activities, games and puzzles are all included in...
Curated OER
N is for Natural State
For any pupils who live in the state of Arkansas, this would be a fabulous educational experience to help them get to know their state better. Through the use of activities in literature, art, mathematics, science, social studies, and...
Curated OER
Northwest Coast Indians: Spring and Summer Salmon
Here is a fabulous lesson about the cultures of the Northwest Indians. Through an exploration of a story about the Salmon People, learners study the practice of harvesting salmon and the cultural importance of salmon to the Northwest...
Curated OER
Chinese Folktales: An Illustrating Activity
In need of a really good lesson that incorporates literature, art, and cultural themes? After hearing a traditional Chinese folktale and discussing cultural themes and symbolism, learners create original illustrations for the story. This...
Curated OER
Descriptive Writing: Using Art to Inspire description
Write with the senses! Try using art to inspire writers to consider all of the senses. Here, the class is divided in half. Each group looks at one of two images, imagines the senses that would be engaged, and records answers to five...
Curated OER
Set a Poem to Music
Students consider the role of rhythm and meter in poetry. In this integrated arts lesson, students discuss the attributes of poetry and use their music skills to set picture book poetry to music by creating "singable" poems.
National First Ladies' Library
Who Invented Crayons?
Pupils use a specified website to study the history of Crayola crayons. In groups, they discover who invented the colors, their cost, and who thought of the name. Young scholars create a timeline of Crayola colors and choose one project...
Curated OER
On Market Street
Second graders study basic facts about consumers and consumer goods. The book "On Market Street" is used in this instructional activity.
Curated OER
Dinosaur Designs
Students study dinosaurs in science and conduct online research to gather written information about his or her dinosaur. Then, in art class, they sketch their dinosaur and create an accurate three-dimensional dinosaur model out of paper...
Curated OER
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words - The Caldecott Award
Students engage in a variety of activities as they study illustrators, how illustrations enhance a studenT book, and the Caldecott Award. They write a report about their favorite illustrator.
Curated OER
"The Block": Romare Bearden's and Mine
Students study Bearden's style of collage and create their own collage that reflects their neighborhood. They are read "The Block" and poems about neighborhoods and write one about theirs.
Curated OER
Bunny Hats
Students create "Bunny Hats" using construction paper, paper plates, glue, googly eyes, and pencils in this fun Art lesson for the early-elementary classroom. The lesson emphasizes building cutting skills and encouraging creative...
Curated OER
Who Ever Heard Of Red Shamrocks?
Students discover optical illusions in this instructional activity that uses a red shamrock and white construction paper. Emphasis is placed upon inquiry, experiment, and then a short discussion on optical illusions and complimentary...
Curated OER
Celebrations of the Pacific Rim
Students research a celebration belonging to a Pacific Rim culture. They prepare a written and oral report with their findings and present such information as how the celebration has changed over time, its origins and the significance of...
Curated OER
Immigration to the United States
Third graders search TDC database for images of immigration from other countries, maps, and diaries. They identify why immigrants came to the United States and engage in a role-play simulating an experience the immigrants might have had.
Curated OER
Native Americans in Arkansas: The Quapaw
The Quapaw Indians of Arkansas are the focus of this American history lesson. Learners discover many aspects of the Quapaw culture, such as their dwellings, social organization, food, and how the tribe was eventually driven out of...
Curated OER
Masks
Learners examine traditional masks from Southwest Indian groups and create their own mask based on Internet research. They share their mask with the members of their class.
Curated OER
Writing Novelettes
Students practice their writing techniques by creating a novelette. In this creating writing lesson, students brainstorm and decide on a topic they would like to expand upon in order to create their own novelette. Students work in...
Curated OER
Self-Portrait Unit - Lesson #1
Fourth graders create self-portraits using artistic elements found in Hispanic culture and, specifically, the art of Frida Kahlo. The lesson can be adapted for any culture/country and requires an outside person with cultural knowledge.
Curated OER
The Amazing Maud Lewis
Students investigate cultural art from Canada by reading about Maud Lewis. In this Canadian history lesson, students identify the work of Lewis by visiting her magazine website. Students identify other heroes in Nova Scotia before...
Curated OER
Nursery Rhyme Mania
Students become familiar with many different nursery rhymes. They use nursery rhymes for a variety of creative activities including writing, singing, poetry and acting.
Curated OER
Picture This
Fourth graders use two-dimensional and three-dimensional media, techniques, tools, and processes to communicate an idea or concept based on research, environment, personal experience, observation, or imagination.