Curated OER
Everyday Objects
Students reflect in their journals about an everyday object they take for granted. After reading an article, they examine what a cook's tools can reveal about their life. In groups, they research everyday objects and write a museum...
Curated OER
The Photographs of Dorothea Lange
Students examine theme in the photography of Dorothea Lange. For this photography lesson, students analyze photography taken by Dorothea Lange and identify themes that run through each. They design an exhibition that shows how the theme...
Curated OER
Somewhere Under the Rainbow--The Romantic Period in British Literature
Students create 2-3 poems, a children's story, or a two or three dimensional piece of art. In this Romantic Period lesson plan, students discuss the historical background of the Romantic Period and relevant literary...
Curated OER
A Work Of Faith
Young scholars study about different types of religious art; they then select representative works from different faiths to create their own exhibit. They research a specific religious art tradition and create an exhibit of works of art...
Curated OER
Taking a Voyage away from Home
Learners experience and participate in a journey through a "Voyage" exhibition of the Solar System and the frontier it covers. They build a dynamic model of the Earth and Sun. Descriptions are given on the relative sizes of the Sun and...
Curated OER
After Impressionism from Van Gogh to Matisse (1886 - 1906)
Students plan a museum visit to study Impressionist paintings and its artists. In this Impressionism lesson, students examine the colors and perception of space in Impressionist artwork. Students recognize the characteristic...
Curated OER
Artful Installations: 3D Constructions
Students create a larger than life recreation of a famous painting after becoming familiar with a famous artist's work through reading and exploration. They view and discuss slides from a variety of major art museums. They analyze and...
Curated OER
Art of Mask Making
Students make an African mask. In this culture and heritage activity, students view samples of African masks and learn about the importance of these masks. Students visit the African Art Museum website to view the styles of...
Curated OER
Frogs Losing Ground
Students explore an exhibit through an interactive program on frogs. They can listen to the different sounds frogs make and the different types of frogs. They search for the types of frogs they find in their local area.
Curated OER
Nature in a Flick of the Eye
Students explore the visual information a diorama artist provides by thinking of all the details for the background of a location described by their teacher. They investigate diorama artists and their importance in creating the illusion...
Curated OER
Bowls of Reconciliation
Students decorate bowls designed around a chosen theme. The project is based around Bellvue Museum's Israeli/Palestinian relations exhibit. While the theme may be too sophisticated for younger grades, the theme can be modified as needed.
Curated OER
Women In Aviation
In this aviation lesson, students take an electronic field trip to the Aviation Museum of Kentucjy. In the process the lesson looks at women in aviation history. The focus is upon how they could be considered heroes or role models. The...
Curated OER
Illnois River and Lake Mussel Habitat Diorama Activity
Students identify the environmental elements of river and lake mussels. They compare the elements to the time before settlement and during industrialization. They also participate in a field trip to a mussel exhibit.
Curated OER
Exploring the Planets
Sixth graders explore the planets through an interactive web site. For this astronomy based lesson, 6th graders compare planets, explore comets, and discover planet facts through a variety of activities provided by the Smithsonian Museum.
Curated OER
Elements of Culture
Sixth graders work in small groups to research an ancient culture using guide questions. They use note-taking and research skills, and organize their research information using a software graphic organizer program. They create a museum...
Curated OER
Exhibit Scavenger Hunt
Students fill in a worksheet from a scavenger hunt about submarines. A tour guide has to stamp it to make it validated. They have various questions to answer ranging from when the first underwater vessel was created, who created it,...
Curated OER
A House Divided: Reliving the Civil War
Students create an exhibit for the American Studies Living History Museum base on their research of issues relating to the causes and consequences of the Civil War.
NPR
Progressive Era Lesson Plan
The women working for equal rights in the early 20th century weren't a part of one large group; rather, they were members of dozens of small groups focused on social reform. Explore the ways groups in the Progressive Era like National...
San Diego Museum of Art
Tapa-Inspired Pattern Painting
Middle schoolers are encourage to try their hand at traditional Oceania tapa art by crafting their own cloth using brown paper bags. Included in the resource is background information about the cultures of Oceania and their art.
Smithsonian Institution
Vietnam
What do Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, and communism have in common? They all have something to do with the Vietnam War. Scholars engage in readings, view related images, and read about important artifacts on the website.
Polar Trec
Drawing Diatoms like Ernst Haeckel
Why do scientists rely on drawings rather than just photographs of their research studies? The lesson introduces drawings of microscopic organisms and the importance of accuracy. Young artists draw organisms and learn why focus and...
US House of Representatives
Objects in Time
What is the role artifacts play in the study of past events and people? As part of an examination of the careers and contributions of women in Congress from 1917 to 2006, groups examine artifacts that symbolize each woman.
US House of Representatives
A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words
As part of a study of women in Congress, groups analyze historical photographs associated with women's history and with women senators and representatives.
Alabama Wildlife Federation
Wildlife Habitat Checklist
Take a walk on the wild side with a project about animal habitats. After kids observe a chosen animal in its home, they describe the animal's food and water sources, shelter, and how it raises its young. They then write a short fictional...