Curated OER
Lesson: Contemporary Tribal Designs
There is a lot to be learned from a horse. Kids analyze a contemporary tribal design found on a large installation piece. Then they create tribal designs of their own that show similarities and difference between cultures and time...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan: My Space
Everyone has a special, personal space; here kids will create a collage that reflects that space. They analyze the painting Soup Tureen and Apple, review two poems, and then conceptualize a personal space through art.
Curated OER
Lesson: Transformational Tapestries
Art can be found anywhere, even in the class recycle bin. El Anatsui is an artist that uses found materials to create two and three-dimensional art. Kids examine his techniques, discuss the differences between found art forms, and then...
Curated OER
Lesson: Functional Fashion
Upper graders scrutinize the clothing worn by the vaqueros in James Walker's painting, Cowboys Roping a Bear. They pay close attention to the period style as well as the clothing functionality in the given context. Kids then design their...
Curated OER
Lesson: Scaled Up
Do you ever think about what it takes for an artist to create a larger-than-life sculpture? Kids examine the piece, Scottish Angus Cow and Calf as it relates to scale, scale conversion, and artistic craft. They then use scale conversions...
National Gallery of Canada
Tantalizing Tessellations!
Examine repeating and intricate patterns with a study of M.C. Escher and a related art activity. Pupils view and discuss the artwork before creating their own tessellating patterns. Step-by-step instructions for creating a template are...
Curated OER
Creating Cast Paper Sculptures
Cast paper sculptures have been around since the time of Ancient China. Young artists learn about history through this art form and how it has evolved throughout the years, and then make a mold and cast paper sculpture of their own. This...
Digital Wish
Illustration: Self Portrait in a Masterpiece
Technology and art combine in a creative activity. Kids discuss portrait art and they search online and save a portrait created by one of their favorite artists. They have their picture taken exactly like their chosen portrait, then...
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Elements of Music—How do Composers Plan?
The introduction to Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and the finale of his Symphony No. 4 provide young musicians with an opportunity to investigate the music elements composers employ to develop the themes they want to create. They compare the...
National Gallery of Art
Van Gogh’s Self-Portraits
Scholars get to know famous Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh, as an artist as well as a person. After reading personal letters and analyzing paintings, participants paint two self-portraits that represent their personality. Then, write a...
Curated OER
Lesson: A Garden for Monet
To better understand artistic style and expression, your class compares two different paintings. They analyze each painting for style, technique, similarities, and differences. They then experiment with a variety of art materials and...
Debra J. Herman
The Blue Room by Susanne Valadon
Nearly anything can inspire art. Analyze The Blue Room by Susanne Valadon to help your learners understand that art is everywhere. They'll discuss the line, shape, color, and mood of the piece while attempting to better grasp its...
National Gallery of Canada
Designing Balance
Teach your artists how to incorporate balance into their work through discussion and action. After viewing and discussing several works of art, learners design a balanced image for a T-shirt and follow the step-by-step instructions to...
National Gallery of Canada
Taken Out of Perspective
Art does not always have to look perfectly realistic. Play with proportion and shape by stretching images. Pupils study works of art by Picasso, Cézanne, and Monet before selecting a photograph to adapt. They use a distorted grid to...
National Gallery of Canada
A Unity Wall Drawing
Build class community with an art project. Learners first examine and discuss works of art. They then contribute to a class mural by tracing their hands and decorating them in relation to their own cultures. The final mural...
National Gallery of Canada
Transformation
Create colorful cool or warm butterflies with simple materials. Class members draw their designs, spray the marker to diffuse the colors, and attach pipe cleaners to form the shape of a butterfly with antennae. Individuals must be able...
National Gallery of Canada
Surprising Sun Prints
Here comes the sun! Composition, shapes, and the properties of light are the focus of this bright lesson. Class members examine art and then create sun prints using photosensitive paper and various objects of different shapes and sizes....
National Gallery of Canada
Reading Sculptures
Consider the elements and principles of design closely while examining works of art. Learners select an image from the provided pieces to write about in relation to the elements and principles of design. They then sketch and sculpt their...
National Gallery of Canada
Build a City of the Future!
Tap into your pupils' imagination by asking them to design futuristic, ideal cities. They must discuss and take scale and size into account, looking at some model pieces of art for inspiration and analysis. The final product for each...
National Gallery of Canada
Me or You in the 30's?
Take on portrait painting and tertiary colors with a plan focused on recreating a photograph. After viewing several pieces of artwork, class members follow the instructions included here to create portraits or self-portraits in a...
National Gallery of Canada
My Mask, My Voice
Recognize Black History Month with an examination of the African diaspora and a hands-on mask-making project. Learners first view and discuss images of artwork before creating their own plaster masks.
National Gallery of Canada
The Ideal Trophy
Invite your pupils to represent a club, team or other group with a trophy of their own creation. Learners examine the Taylor Cup by Laurent Amiot and then prepare trophy designs. When the sketches are complete, pupils sculpt...
National Gallery of Canada
From Africa to Canada
Represent the African diaspora with figurines. Using a discussion on the contributions of people of African descent as inspiration, class members prepare sketches of a figure and put together a small sculpture from those sketches.
Curated OER
Pointillism Technique Using Ink Dabbers
A gumball machine art project is a great way to learn about optical mixing in a study of pointillism and Georges Seurat. Kids create their own masterpieces and learn about primary and secondary colors in the process.