Students examine silver pieces from colonial Boston in order to determine the social context of these objects. They compare signs of social status in colonial Boston with those of today by looking at the associated visuals.

Students study the Huichol Indians. In this Huichol lesson, students red The Journey of Tunuri and the Blue Deer, design a visual story using symbols, and make a painting using large paper shapes. A class mural project is also included.

Young scholars reflect on characteristics of good citizens, examine democratic symbolism, create an award and choose an individual to receive the award as part of this lesson on citizenship. Lesson ties together social studies, language...

Learners investigate the artwork of Catherine Opie. They participate in a lesson that exposes them to her art before visiting an art exhibit at The Orange County Museum of Art in California. They create their own works of art that are...

Students create a Tree of Life. In this visual art lesson, students explore mandalas. Students investigate the concepts of balance and symmetry while designing their own unique Tree of Life.

Students choose meaningful objects for a still-life arrangement and paint it using watercolors and write an artist’s statement. In this still life art lesson, students identify and analyze the characteristics of a still-life...

Students create power figures. In this visual arts lesson plan, students design and build their own sculptures that replicate those made by the Songye in Zaire, Africa.

Students create a "portrait" box that contains symbolic representations of their own identity.  In this Lucas Samaras and Joseph Cornell art instructional activity, students discover ways that these two artists used symbols and...

Fifth graders create clay artwork that resembles African and Egyptian monolithic sculptures.  In this visual arts lesson, 5th graders are shown examples of monolithic and figural sculpture from Egyptian and African cultures, then...

Learners examine photographs that make social statements. They examine content, symbolism, and their personal reactions to works of art that make expressive statements about social issues.

Students craft their own Egyptian art. In this ancient Egyptian art lesson plan, students explore Egyptian art and create their own work following the 4 guidelines presented in the lesson plan.

Students study the historical figures depicted on the quarter and explore how symbols of U.S. patriotism were used in its various designs. They research symbols of Texas and choose one to draw in a design for a Texas quarter. in...

Students study the historical figures depicted on the penny, nickel, dime, and quarter and explore how symbols of U.S. patriotism were used in their design. They research symbols of Texas and choose one to draw in a design for a Texas...

Students create their own lucky charms. In this St. Patrick's Day lesson, students discuss symbols of luck. Students make their own lucky charms out of clay.

Students create Sumi-e paintings and explore the various materials, techniques, and processes associated with those paintings in an effort to better understand Japanese art and culture.

Students practice artistic weaving. For this Colonial arts lesson, students weave pieces using lint from their home dryers. Students replicate the weaving process early Americans used. Students are also challenged to weave using the...

Learners attempt to research the history of using the kente cloth for its cultural purposes. They comment in discussion about the highly visual appeal of the cloths while going through the process of creating their own. The importance of...

High schoolers create individual examples of Japanese fans in this arts-based lesson on the history of Japanese fan making. Resource links and ideas for the creative portion of the lesson are provided.

Students use subjects, themes, and symbols that demonstrate knowledge of contexts, values, and aesthetics that communicate intended meaning in artworks.

Students look at portraits to learn history. Making connections is done with the identification of details found in the portraits. The gallery depicts the historical times of the Revolutionary War in Colonial America.

Students create a multimedia collage. They identify strong personal emotions related to an event in their lives and describe them with several words. They choose symbols that are related to their emotions and arrange these symbols in an...

Learners discuss the saying "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem". They brainstorm and create a list universal symbols for peace. They create a paper mache Bird of Peace using recycled paper, balloons and glue.

Students research the historical background of Valentine's Day. They identify symbols and examine how this occasion is celebrated today. They create imaginative creatures made out of chenille sticks and paper hearts or other geometric...

In this making a peace wind stock worksheet, young scholars explore and experiment on how to design and create a peace wind stock to symbolize their feelings about peace.