Curated OER
"Tape Murals"
This is a really neat idea! To practice line variation and hatching, young artists create masking tape murals. They brainstorm a list of hot high school topics, then they get into small groups and begin sketching. Once they have their...
Curated OER
"Art History Kites"
Here is a great art activity that can be connected to several different subjects. Kids get creative as they create kites that are inspired by a famous artist or period in art history. They begin the process by choosing their inspiration,...
Curated OER
"Light Graffiti"
The results of this project are sure to brighten any school hallway or dreary set of walls. It begins as learners choose or take photographs and convert them into negative/positive space images. They print, then stencil the image onto...
Curated OER
"Newimals"
It's fun to dream up crazy or new types of animals. Let your high schoolers' dream animals become a reality by engaging them in a fun photo manipulation activity that requires them to synthesize two images, match colors, textures, and...
Curated OER
"Self-Portrait with a Cartoon"
Here is a really fun way to integrate self-portraits, cartooning, and basic computer skills. The class learns to use Photoshop to manipulate a hand-drawn, cartoon, or photographic image of themselves onto a separate background. They...
Curated OER
"Found Objects Sculptures"
Drawing and sculpting have two things in common, observation and skill. Build skills in creating artistic representations of found objects. Children can bring in any found item as their inspiration. They will pencil sketch the object,...
Curated OER
"Fantasy Creature Prints"
Here is a really neat art activity that can be used for any grade and connected to literature, classics, or other writing activities. The class creates a fantasy creature, then they outline it by gluing yarn around the edges, they paint...
Curated OER
Musical Moods
To celebrate diversity and the purpose of Harmony Day, the class examines culturally diverse music and expression through line drawing. They discuss that all cultures produce music and that music can convey mood just like art can. As the...
Curated OER
Marvellous Mosaics
Introduce your class to the beauty found in Muslim mosques by engaging them in a culturally inspired mosaic art project. They view and discuss the nature of the mosaics found in mosques and then they use scraps of colored paper and black...
Curated OER
Day of the Dead Skulls
El Dia De La Muertos or Day of the Dead is a wonderful Mexican tradition that celebrates loved ones who have passed away. Children get a chance to create unique skulls out of clay, based on traditional designs. A wooden stylus is used to...
Curated OER
Negative Space People
Learning about negative space can help kids see things in a whole new way. They use negative space and bright, primary colors to create an image of people in action. Each of the four squares will contain a single negative-space person...
Curated OER
Russian Buildings
Russia has some of the world's most fantastic architecture. Let your class explore the spires, domes, arches and towers as they draw Russian buildings. First they design an original building, and then they add in additional buildings...
Curated OER
Clay Cartouche
A cartouche is an ancient Egyptian artifact containing the name of an important person or god. Included here are the instructions for creating cartouches out of clay. The class will use hieroglyphics and metallic paint to make these...
Curated OER
"Starry Night"
Give your artistic young scholars a chance to express movement in art found in the fabulous painting, Starry Night. They'll examine the piece and then make their own version using tempera paint, white pencil, crayons, and construction...
Curated OER
"Impressionism Painting"
Help your class build visual literacy and artistic ability by having them create a unique impressionistic painting. They'll review impressionistic techniques, and then they'll set to work with paints and collage as they express...
Curated OER
"Warm and Cool Picasso"
Here is a really neat looking project that explores warm, cool, and neutral colors. First the class talks about color families, then they check out Cubism, and finally they get busy making some chunky art. They trace a shape, draw lines...
Curated OER
"O'Keefe Flowers"
Even the smallest things in nature are big when you paint like Georgia O'Keefe. Master the art of color choice and larger-than-life drawing with a lesson that helps little ones draw a normal object in a larger scale. This is a good art...
Perkins School for the Blind
Handprint Art
Stimulate the senses with a handprint art project! Flake laundry detergent, water, and food coloring are mixed together to create a substance that has a pleasant smell and will dry hard and dimensional. Children with visual disabilities...
Perkins School for the Blind
Tactile Journals
I absolutely love this idea. Children with visual impairments create tactile journals which describe an event from the previous week in an artistic way. They verbally describe one event from the previous week and then use a wide array of...
Brooklyn Museum
Seductive Subversion: Women Pop Artists, 1958–1968
What role did women play in pop art during the 1950s and 1960s? The class researches the role of women in mid-century America and how those roles were portrayed through the pop art of the time. They use an excellent set of guiding...
Brooklyn Museum
HIDE/SEEK: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture
Visual arts lessons don't always mean the children need to make art. Here, they will practice using their visual literacy skills to analyze four images through the compare and contrast method. The first two images deal with gender...
Brooklyn Museum
Lorna Simpson: Gathered
Lorna Simpson is a photographer who has put together a collection of photos from the 1950s in order to challenge the idea that primary source documents are objective in their portrayal of history. Learners are introduced to Ms. Simpson's...
Brooklyn Museum
Fred Tomaselli
Kids will observe, write, and create as a way to better understand the work of artist Fred Tomaselli. Guided by great critical thinking questions, learners will first analyze the piece Field Guides. Then, they will write a creative...
Brooklyn Museum
Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera
Study the unique storytelling brought to life by Norman Rockwell. Learners will examine some of his pieces and then engage in several activities that will help them see how images can be just like narratives. They'll answer questions...