Picturing History: John Singleton Copley and British Portraiture

Students examine portraits by John Singleton Copley and discuss how the subject's appearance communicates important information about his or her life. They write a diary entry from the point of view of a portrait subject.

The first president of the United States was ... John Hanson? Scholars investigate the notion that the initial leader of the nation was not George Washington. Using research, articles, and open discussion, individuals create a quest for...

Detailed biographical profile of the poet John Donne. Includes related resources and a portrait.

Using portraits of Elizabeth I found in British museums as source material, learners investigate the art of portraiture by creating a new portrait of Queen Elizabeth that demonstrates knowledge of Tudor times and her reign.

Learners research and study the career and work of famous American portraitist John Singer Sargent. They collect images of people wearing clothing suitable for their career or hobby and identify postures and gestures connected to them....

Learners visit the Memorial Art Gallery's exhibit, "About Face: Copley's Portrait of a Colonial Silversmith." They complete a worksheet based on the career of John SIngleton Copley as a colonial American artist. They experience the role...

This site, from the Academy of American Poets, features a detailed profile of John Donne as the founder of the Metaphysical Poets. Includes selected bibliography, related links, full text examples, and a portrait.

View the broadside publicizing a $100,000 reward for the capture of John Wilkes Booth and his two accomplices. The text explains the use of broadsides in publicizing announcements.

Read about the early attempts to find a way through the Northwest Passage. Included are portraits and early maps of the explorers.

Young scholars view portraits of Nathanial Hurd. They complete a worksheet and identify differences between the portraits. This lesson finishes with a visit to the "About Face" exhibit in the Memorial Art Gallery.