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Tree House Escape!
Students participate in a role play in which they use simple machines to do the work of retrieving their sibling from a tree which lost its ladder. They investigate how work is accomplished when an object moves in the direction of the...
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Fire Brigade
Students examine how a community works together to protect them from fire. They work together to design a functional tool that could be helpful in fighting fires. They share their tool with the class.
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California Native American Basket Weaving
Fourth graders consider the role that baskets play in the traditional lives of Native Americans in California. Students investigate types of baskets and their various uses and then weave their own baskets.
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Native Americans - Searching for Knowledge and Understanding
What do you know about American Indians? Upper graders compose an informational essay based on the research they conduct. They choose a Native American group to study and, using the provided list of web links, gather information and...
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Customized Topographic Maps and Models
Students explore the information depicted on topographic maps. They construct a 3-D topographic map of a local area. They go on a field trip to the depicted area and compare the 'real world' with their models.
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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.
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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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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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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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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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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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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?
Students identify jobs in the nonprofit sector. In this career education lesson, students use the Internet to research nonprofit jobs in their community. Students complete a resume for employment at a nonprofit organization.
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Pharaoh Phonetics
Learners 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
Young scholars 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, students read Dorothea Lange's artist statement before writing one of their own about their photography. They examine their own photography and use...