Imagine seventh graders developing a school wide plan to promote respect in their school. That's the vision behind the second instructional activity in the R-E-S-P-E-C-T series. In preparation for designing a school-wide media campaign,...

This PBS site contains two lesson plans. In grades K-2, read books written/illustrated by Maurice Sendak, find out what elementary school was like for Mr. Sendak, and write a class book based on one of his stories. In grades 6-8, learn...

This gallery of 22 excerpts from Leonardo's notebooks is accompanied by historical information and links to additional explorations of his interests in the forces of nature, light and vision, and imagination and invention. The drawings...

Fifth graders learn that even in the most fantastical settings, literature can teach us real lessons about life. Students explore the opposition of good and evil; the value in courage, adventure, forgiveness, and honesty; and the...

All course materials, readings, etc. for an undergraduate MIT course taught in 2004.

View highlights from an exhibition of medieval French manuscripts, whose subjects range from the religious, to the courtly, to the historical. See a slideshow (with narration) of featured works from the exhibition and sample three...

This site is a great way to wrap up a unit on dinosaurs. Children create their own "Window clings," then use them in sorting activities. Also provides resources and adaptations. (To access this lesson plan, you must register with...

Scratch is a programming language developed for students ages 8 and up. Students can use this free download to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art -- and share your creations on the web. This...

With this art activity, individuals or groups can use a wide variety of objects to create a collage of America. The example collage is made of garbage, and is intended to be a commentary on our problems with trash.

Discover Contemporary Abstract Expressionism, Abstract Illusionism, and Lyrical Abstraction through artists that paint in these styles. Biographical information and visuals of artists work.

A collaboration on the topic of "rendering space" between an art theorist and an atronomer yield very interesting visual results that are presented in an exhibit at the Block Museum of Northwestern University.

In this lesson, students participate in interpersonal warm-up exercises to awaken their bodies and prepare them for collaboration. Next, they go through brainstorming exercises to stimulate their imaginations, and this leads into...

Charles Simonds imagines a race of people he calls the Little People, who have their own history, beliefs, and ways of life. His sculptures, such as Number II (Ritual Furnace), represent their environment and the architecture they...

Learning modules with primary resources explores how the West has been imagined as both America's manifest destiny and a wild frontier and examines the ways American Indian art and literature challenge these popular narratives.

In this video, Janet Echelman discusses how her experience of building soft sculptures of fishnet and lace led to the creation of a new type of art material. [9:27] Followed by a brief quiz and a list of additional materials to explore.

Alma contributes to her neighborhood in big ways! In creating a unique community mural, she reflects on her interests and her neighborhood. In this activity, students add to their school community by creating murals with bulletin board...

Creative play with a purpose! Information, from the National Endowment for the Arts, to encourage and guide your children in understanding and appreciating the arts. Learn how to engage them in arts of all sorts: writing, dance, music,...

Ideas to jump-start imaginations and inspire creative work related to personal understanding and discovery. Ideas include instructions for creating family portraits, community maps, storm scenes, and similar multidisciplinary artworks.

"Wet-into-wet" painting is an interesting painting technique described in this website. Included are example images and "Tips and Tricks" for creating your masterpiece.

Let the power of imagination and inference serve as a "time machine" to bring Benjamin Franklin into the classroom! History and science come to life in a dialogue with Franklin the inventor, developed through lesson activities that...

Find a collection of 25 paintings by Renaissance-era master painters, including more than a dozen of Leonardo's most famous works. Paintings are accompanied by links to explanations of the artistic problems and puzzles that fascinated...

Age-appropriate art activities designed to foster the imaginative powers and arts awareness of your children, ages 3 to 8.

Visit a gallery of ten different kinds of inventions, machines, and fortresses imagined by Leonardo, such as a giant crossbow, an armored car, and a self-propelled cart. Each rendering includes a description and contextual information...

This site is on an unusual exhibit at the Library of Congress that focuses on the American imagination in the realm of the arts. Here you can find original documents and drawings in architecture, music, literature and more.