Curated OER
Westward Expansion
Students locate California and New York on a map and explore available means of travel in the 19th century. Students explore the role of trade in pioneer America and simulate various barter transactions.
Curated OER
Medieval and Renaissance Art at the Art Institute
Students examine several Medieval and Renaissance works of art, including painting and sculpture, at the Art Institute of Chicago. They use worksheets and discussion questions to enhance their interpretation of the pieces.
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Little Oyster: Ceramic Lesson
Children will love researching and then creating a bottom dwelling mollusk of their own. They watch clips describing the ocean ecosystem and how oysters fit into their environment. Next, they research what oysters eat and how they look....
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Learning Landscapes
Fifth graders analyze a landscape depicting Yosemite during the time of the Wild West. They compare their perceptions of the West from film and television to this representation. They observe the use of scale and color to depict size and...
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Fantasy / Art Maps
Ninth graders analyze a fantasy art map by Jeremy Anderson, paying careful attention to the way the topographic features of the land are represented. They create a similar map of Sacramento that includes topographical features as well as...
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British Imperialism in India
Tenth graders learn how the differences between Indian and British cultural perspectives, as seen in works of art. Students participate in discussion of the differences in how individuals are viewes by others.
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Artists Teach Us to See the World through Visual Symbols
Tenth graders analyze a biographical piece of art by Raymond Saunders. They identify shapes, symbols, and lines that are used, and how the piece relates to the artist's life and modern society. They design and create an original piece of...
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Politics and Religion in 17th Century Dutch Art
Seventh graders examine different pieces of Dutch Art. They identify its social and political meanings by using cultural and historical information. They examine maps of the time period as well.
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Women
A close study of two works of art provides the introduction to this cross-curricular writing assignment. After comparing the clothing, facial expressions, body language, setting, and color in the two 19th century paintings Tissout’s...
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Early American Woodworking
Students compare and contrast tools used in colonial America to modern ones. They create a bootjack, coat rack, or candleholder based on actually using the tools. The students also compose a description of a colonial woodworker based...
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Teaching with Collections
Students examine collections. In these real-world collections lessons, students examine and describe buttons and shells. Students will then sort, classify, and graph items according to various indicated descriptors.
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Who Works for Nonprofits?
Learners identify jobs in the nonprofit sector. In this career education lesson, students use the Internet to research nonprofit jobs in their community. Learners complete a resume for employment at a nonprofit organization.
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Pharaoh Phonetics
Students explain the purpose of hieroglyphics and identify their role in communicating ideas. They research the history of writing and it's significance in ancient Egyptian life and identify the components of hieroglyphics.
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Introduction to the Nature Journal
Students create nature journals. In this introduction to the nature journal lesson, students discover the uses of nature journals and begin their own. Students are challenged to use vivid, concise terms in their descriptive language....
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If These Walls Could Talk
Students compare Neoclassical objects from the Getty collection to American civic architecture of the time. They discuss the moral and political ideas of the Enlightenment and articulate how these art forms influenced democratic thought...
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When Clay speaks
Learners listen as the teacher reads "When Clay Sings," by Byrd Taylor. They discuss clay, and view a variety of clay items. Students watch a video clip "Interests in One of a Kind Pots." They watch a demonstration on working with clay....
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Objects of Adornment
Students identify adornments as a form of art. In this art and jewelry lesson, students view portraits of two historical princess noticing their adornments, then draw a person in their life focusing on the adornments they wear.
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Animals in Motion
Students draw and sculpt animals in motion. In this artistic drawing lesson, students are introduced to art depicting arrested motion, then observe and sketch animals in motion and use the drawing as they create a balanced sculpture.
J. Paul Getty Trust
Writing the Artist's Statement
Learners read and write an artist's statement. In this artist's statement lesson, learners read Dorothea Lange's artist statement before writing one of their own about their photography. They examine their own photography and use...
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Breaking the Chains, Rising Out of Circumstances
Students develop an understanding of art and history. In this instructional activity about sculpture and creating a mood, students will gain an understanding of a moment in history by observing art. Students observe busts, and paintings...
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Breaking the Chains: Rising Out of Circumstances
Study history through photographs. In this visual arts and history lesson, students learn to analyze photographs to discover details about life during the Civil War era. Students write journal entries as if they are the African-American...
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Breaking the Chains, Rising Out of Circumstances
Students research slavery in ancient Rome and compare and contrast it to slavery in the United States. In this slavery lesson, students investigate the differences of slavery in different parts of the country, write a paper to...
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Referencing the Classical Past
Students explore the concept of myths conveyed through art. In this art history lesson, students examine "Three Goddesses" and discuss the state of the world at the time that Nollekens created the sculptures as they analyze the pieces.
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Medieval Natural Resources
Students identify and research natural resources used in art. In this Renaissance art materials instructional activity, students look at examples of illuminated manuscripts and learn what materials were used to create the books. Then,...