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Composition and Line
Learners examine the use of composition and line as they create original drawings. In this composition and line lesson, students recognize the art vocabulary associated with line and composition. Learners illustrate the shape...
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Giants of the Past
Students create a paper sculpture based on ancient Greek statues. In this visual arts lesson, students read the book, The Mysterious Giant of Barletta and use cardstock to create their own statue. Students write a narrative story told...
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Looking At Illuminated Manuscripts: Exploring an Illuminated Manuscript Page
Learners investigate illuminated manuscript pages from the Medieval period. In this illuminated manuscript lesson plan, students examine 13th century pages and compare them to modern printed works. They describe the details of an...
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Analyzing Photographs: From Theory to Practice
Students analyze photographic images and use cameras to document their own life. In this analyzing photography lesson, students apply formal analysis techniques to images, then create a documentary of photographic images with...
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The Photographs of Dorothea Lange
Students examine theme in the photography of Dorothea Lange. In 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...
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Friendship Portraits
Students explore sculpture. In this lesson about sculpting, students create a portrait bust. Students choose a classmate to make a bust of and apply all of the necessary elements to their bust. Students will have a better understanding...
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Identity Boxes
Students create a "portrait" box that contains symbolic representations of their own identity. In this Lucas Samaras and Joseph Cornell art lesson, students discover ways that these two artists used symbols and objects to represent...
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Fiddling Around
High schoolers look at a piece of art to make connections between early Baroque art and Baroque music. In this art and music lesson, students focus on the painting The Boy Violinist, by Hendrick Terbrugghen. They listen to the music to...
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An American Scene Painter
Learners study the work of American scene painter Charles Burchfield. For this visual arts lesson, students research the nature paintings of Burchfield and then paint their own watercolor scenes in his style.
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The Great Migration
Students explore how migration to Harlem created a new life for African Americans. In this cross curricular lesson, students illustrate maps showing the migration, paint murals representing African American life in the South and...
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Act 3: New York Introduction 1924-1925, Louis Armstrong
Students listen to and examine jazz recordings and listen for features (breaks and obbligato) that are typical of jazz music. In groups, they make up a short blues song of their own.
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Food and Languages of the World
Third graders become familiar with the German pickle, part of the Christmas celebration in Germany. In this German pickle lesson, 3rd graders listen to the story of the German pickle and its significance to the German Christmas...
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Angling Your Way Through a Picture
Students look at the geometry in an artwork. In this art history/geometry lesson, students research the artist Charles Sheeler and look at his painting Stacks in Celebration. They find the different types of lines, angles, and...
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Percussion Instruments and Pitch
Students play string instruments to discover how the pitch changes on various string instruments. In this pitch lesson, students listen to video clips and play an online music game. Students become familiar with music...
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Que Llueva! It's Raining, It's Pouring!
Students learn to sing a song in another language. In this music lesson, students learn a song about rain in English and Spanish. Students listen to the song Que Llueva in Spanish and It's Raining, It's Pouring in English,...
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Haunting Music
Students discover music that was inspired by the spooky and bizarre. In this music of Hector Berlioz and Camille Saint-Saens lesson, students identify elements of music and listen to the Symphonie Fantastique and Danse Macabre....
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Exploring Force: The Nutcracker
Students explore basic dance element of force, compare and contrast the use of force as it distinguishes the expressive qualities of a given dance, and explore the use of force in several of its many expressions.
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Everyone Has Feelings
These activities promise to provide a day full of fun for young learners as they explore feelings and emotions. Learners participate in two sing-alongs with the songs "Smile" and "If You're Happy", they color emotion masks, and finally...
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Writing Drama-Trying Your Hand at being a Playwright
Fifth graders chart the elements of drama. In this performing arts lesson, 5th graders discuss the role of a playwrite, practice doing some Reader's Theatre scripts, write a paragraph about a problem between two people, and perform...
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Arts Directors
Students 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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Singin' Around the Year
Students explore performing arts by singing with their class. In this music appreciation lesson, students collaborate in groups to read and sing songs based on specific holidays such as the Fourth of July or Christmas. Students define...
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Exploring Photographs: Methods of Visual Analysis
Young scholars use the methods of description, reflection, and formal analysis for a study of images. In this image analysis lesson, students work in teams to interpret and analyze an assigned work of art. Young scholars write responses...
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Portraits That Capture Character
Learners analyze two of Dorothea Lange's portraits and create their own portraits of classmates. In this portrait analysis lesson, students define portrait and discuss two images of Lange's. Learners interview a classmate and use Lange's...
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Still Life Painting: Arranging Nature
Students display the two still-life paintings they created along with their artist’s statement, write a review of a peer’s work, and discuss all of the paintings in a group critique. In this still life art lesson, students view the...