Readers decode and deconstruct political cartoons to heighten critical thinking, extra-textual literacy, and making meaning from symbolism and metaphor. A compatible activity to use in English class when your 8th or 11th graders are...

Young scholars explore political cartoons.  In this government current events activity, students analyze the visual language and symbolism present in five different political cartoons.  Young scholars discuss the event or issue...

Learners analyze how interest groups present their viewpoint to the public. They assess how media can influence public opinion by closely examining a political ad from the 1964 presidential election.

Students make connections between two design objects intended for different purposes and analyze the social and political meaning in the designs. For this design analysis lesson, students complete image based discuss activities. Students...

Students examine various examples of artwork and identify icons. In groups, they discuss the role of special interest groups and media in promoting icons in society. They create a bust of an icon in the Victorian style and share them...

Students explore global geography by participating in an atlas activity. In this countries of the world lesson, students collaborate in small groups and analyze an atlas while researching continents, countries and demographics. Students...

Students design an environmentally friendly home.  In this middle school math/science lesson plan, students watch videos on creating green design.  Students work in collaborative groups to determine what makes a house green and...

Students view a variety of artwork to determine the history and lifestyle of people from New Haven, Connecticut. In groups, they develop their individual hypothesis about why the paintings were created and share them with their group...

Students develop an appreciation for the musical theater form, the operetta. In addition, they present parodies of songs from The Mikado. Working in small groups and accessing provided Websites, they compose their parodies. Once...

Students work together to research one area of history that is of an interest to them. Using primary sources, they examine photographs and disuss what they already know about the topic. They present their images and information to the...

Students explore the influence of the landscape of Ireland on shaping the poetry of William Butler Yeats. They work in groups researching the growth of the Irish Nationalist Movement, Celtic origins, invasions, and the impact on the...

Pupils explore the concept of design, and identify items in their lives that have been designed. They explore the concept of book design and create and arrange their own page layout.

Students explore the contributions of African Americans of the 20th century. For this African American history lesson, students examine portraits of Muhammad Ali, Romare Bearden, Lorraine Hansberry, Judith Jamison, and Leontyne Price in...

Students analyze a 20th century photograph of a Los Angeles landscape and examine the population expansion of L.A. They discuss the principles of design, complete a worksheet, and write a research paper on overpopulation in Los Angeles.

Fifth graders explore the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In this human rights instructional activity, 5th graders create their own country, country flag, and charter of rights and freedoms after they have studied the Canadian...

Students use photography to help them become more knowledgeable about their communities, and to make a "community survival" book in which problems are solved by going to the right community agency.

Students create their own ratings systems with which to classify current pop cultural fare as suitable or unsuitable for Students.