Smithsonian Institution
Dia de los Muertos: Honoring our Ancestors Through Community Celebration
Oral storytelling has been an important part of every culture. The time-honored practice uses stories as a conduit for a culture's values and customs from one generation to the next. Keep the tradition going with a family interview...
Curated OER
1,000 Cranes
Students improve motor skills through careful folding, a discipline necessary in the practice of origami. They develop multicultural awareness by exploring Japanese history.
Orange Public Schools
Stagecraft
The house lights dim, the curtain parts, lights slowly come up, revealing the stage. Before the actors appear, before a word is spoken, the audience is drawn in by the lighting, by the colors, by lines of the set, by the props, and...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
An Introduction to Inuit Art
Explore Inuit artwork and research Inuit sculpture and printmaking. Present information about the artwork, artists, and art forms researched. Discuss the attributes of Inuit artwork in a group discussion.
Curated OER
Multi-cultural and Multiple Perspectives Literacy Lesson
Third graders compare their thoughts about Africa before and after reading an associated book. In this cultural understanding lesson plan, 3rd graders write down their thoughts about Africa. They receive information from the book,...
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India: Where Remarkable Differences Are Ordinary
Students research India and Indian culture. In this Indian research lesson plan, students research and report on the lives of Indian children. The report will be in the form of a mock interview between a journalist and an Indian child....
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3D Insight and Influences - Lucas Samras
Ninth graders discuss life of Lucas Samaras, identify familial, cultural, and personal characteristics, and create 3-dimensional containers exploring external and internal characteristics
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Playing the Cardboard Dulcimer
Second graders create cardboard dulcimers. They discover that sound is produced by vibrating strings and analyze the pitch produced by changing the sizes and length of the strings of the instrument. They also discuss the history of the...
Curated OER
JAPAN, IMAGES A PEOPLE
Students interpret Japanese and American paintings; evaluate paintings as sources of cultural and historical information
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When A Line Meets Itself
Students investigate the linear characteristics of cultural art. In this art analysis lesson, students discover the Pre-Columbian Chimu culture and the many masks they created. Students identify the different shapes and lines in their...
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Imagining China through Words
When Europeans first came back with tales of China, they provided vivid written accounts and minimal visual imput. This resulted in art rendered mostly from descriptive language. Learners explore this phenomena by listening to...
Curated OER
Jewelry: Then and Now
Fifth graders identify specific works of art as belonging to particular cultures, times, & places, recognize & apply elements of art, learn techniques for working with each material, critique artwork, & discuss how artwork...
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How was Your Day? Creating Mixed Media Designs
Students explore how art reflects culture and history. They examine everyday life experiences in various countries. Students design a mixed media composition. They create a class presentation.
Curated OER
From Corn To Tortillas
Students investigate the food known as the tortilla. They research the growth cycle of the corn plant and how tortillas are made from it. The importance of the tortilla according to the Hispanic culture is explained to the students. The...
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Ancient Cultures - Roman
Young scholars examine the Ancient Roman culture focusing on how they decorated their homes. As a class, they watch a PowerPoint presentation and complete an outline. Individually, they draw their own sketch of a Roman chair using...
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The World Through Art
Students create a multimedia report comparing a favorite form or work of art with those from other cultures around the world. In small groups they research the cultural influences on art in different regions of the world using an Encarta...
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When Art Conveys a Political Message
Twelfth graders learn art is an effective way to convey a political message. They learn how political messages are created to convey a message. They analyze a piece of artwork and then write a short paragraph from the point of view of...
Curated OER
Understanding and Fighting Stereotypes through Words and Images
Use some provocative modern art to get your class considering stereotypes and the impact they have on us all. Your class will discuss the print art Indian Look-Alike by Melanie Yazzie and stereotypes in general before conducting research...
Curated OER
Expressions of Culture, History and Politics Through Art and Music
Students analyze a piece of music to identify its political, cultural, and historical messages. They discuss relationships between art, history, culture and aesthetics and examine how Hawaiian artists transmit cultural traditions,...
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We the People (Cultural Research)
Fourth graders conduct cultural research, collect oral histories using tape recorders and cameras, and share their ancestral heritage with classmates through family heirlooms and ethnic foods.
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Arts of Asia in Reach
Young scholars explore the traditions and celebrations of another culture and research a city or community in Japan. They then examine traditional Japanese music as well as practice several dance steps and discover their significance in...
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Clay Wipe Away: Ceramics
Discuss Pre-Colombian South American art with your class, then get out the clay and create some. Pupils practice using the wipe-away technique to create a ceramic tile similar to those made by the Maya. Great web links and a...
Curated OER
Origami Ducks: Geometry, Listening, and Following Directions
Make origami ducks with your class to reinforce geometry concepts and vocabulary; develop fine motor and visual translation skills; and enrich study of Japanese culture, the pond habitat, or migration. Create a whole group "worksheet"...