Expression through Art Teacher Resources

Tenth graders are introduced to concepts of war through musical lyrics. They demonstrate and understanding of the role of segregation in US military policy and practice.

Twelfth graders analyze "Dedication" and "Child of the Americas" using a double-journal format. They compare responses and infer meaning from the connotations of select images in the poems write a paragraph describing the importance of...

Learners explore the cultural heritage of Eastern Europe. In this folk dance instructional activity, students take note of the provided dance steps for the Gypsy dance. Learners practice performing the dance.

Eighth graders explore the entertainment options in colonial America. In this colonial life lesson, 8th graders watch a movie about colonial music and arts. Students then respond to questions regarding the movie and also respond to 1...

Pupils reinforce their knowledge of the Great Migration by reading a narrative to investigate reasons why African-Americans chose to migrate from the South. Students then write editorials for a local newspaper that outlines the reasons...

Fourth graders examine and interpret rock art to illustrate its importance in the cultural heritage of a people and as a tool for learning about the past. They create their own rock art that is a symbol of their culture.

Learners examine importance of buffalo in culture of Blackfeet Indians, and explore types of technology used by Indians to kill large numbers of buffalo. Students research transition of Blackfeet from subsistence economy to capitalist...

Middle schoolers study rock art they use art materials, colored photographs and rock art examples to: differentiate between symbol, petroglyph, pictograph, and rock art. They interpret rock art to illustrate its importance in the...

Students infer America's attitude towards aviation in the early 1900s. In this The Aerial Age lesson, students analyze early 1900s literature, music, advertisements, and popular culture in reference to aviation. Students represent their...

Students create and present a theme-based exhibition. In this design lesson, students categorize objects to reflect a specific design theme and create their own theme-based collections. Students research a museum collection to discover...

Students research and study the country of Mexico and complete a project about it. In this Mexico lesson plan, students research Mexico's geography, traditions, art, songs, stories, and legends that are native to Mexico.

Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this 1973 oil crisis lesson, students research details regarding President Carter's policies regarding the oil crisis that produced a scarcity...

Students explore language arts by viewing movie clips in class. In this poetry analysis lesson, students view scenes from the movie "In Her Shoes" and define what poetry is. Students read the poem "One Art" and identify its rhymes and...

Seventh graders consider the diversity of the First Nations cultures in Canada. In this cultural diversity activity, 7th graders research the cultural groups of the First Nations as well as their contributions to Canadian society....

Ninth graders investigate aspects of Metis life. In this Canadian history lesson, 9th graders research Metis life and use their findings to create time line quilts.

Twelfth graders research the history of the jitterbug dance through an interactive group project. The goal of the lesson is to get them to execute the dance steps independently with little outside help from the teacher. The steps are...

Students explore economic rights of people. After listening to statements and songs by people such as John Lennon and Mahatma Ghandi, students examine the truths and values depicted by each person. Students participate in a simulation to...

Eighth graders look at early art. In this visual arts lesson, 8th graders investigate the attributes of rock art, examine rock art, and create their own examples of rock art. Analysis and instructional worksheets are included.

Pupils examine the many ways quilts were used to chronicle the history and experiences of African slaves and African-Americans in America. They analyze a story quilt using the elements of storytelling, then create a class quilt.

Students investigate the many forms of Haitian art. They compare the art of some different cultures, religions, countries, and philosophies. Students also read the biography of an artist to build context for a particular piece of...

Pupils examine the concept of censorship in authoritarian government and how Japanese and Chinese artists used their work as political commentary. This lesson includes possible lesson enrichments.

Learners examine art that shows some type of weather event. After watching two filmstrips on weather, they create a fog picture of themselves and read about lighting and thunder. They paint pictures in the style of five artists they have...

Students discover the various styles, form, beauty, and grace of Chinese calligraphy by examining works of art from different eras in China's history. This lesson includes two possible enrichment activities.

Students examine how freedoms of expression and religion are shaped within democracies. They consider reactions to controversial art exhibit in Moscow. They compose reaction papers supporting or refuting a quotation from the article read...