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Principle of Art Balance
Reinforce a strong art vocabulary which can also apply to aspects of math and science. Kids read about various types of balance or symmetry found in art. They analyze three paintings based on vocabulary and read a how-to for creating...
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What's on Your Playlist?
Upper graders respond to a series of opinions posted about the music played at last year's Fashion Week in New York City. They describe the music on their personal playlists, why they like it, and what moods they try to evoke through...
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Alicia Keys, Songs in A Minor
How do a person's musical preferences influence the way they compose music of their own? Learners analyze the sound and lyrics of Alicia Keys in relation to musicians that came before. Jazz, blues, and soul music from the past are shown...
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Medieval Castles: Ceramic Art Lesson
A lot went on in Medieval Castles, and they were an obvious symbol of feudal power. Have learners use clay to make a Medieval-style castle to show what they know about Europe during the Dark Ages. This resource provides basic background...
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The Sorcerer's Apprentice: 200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons
Upper graders view the animated short, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and analyze how the music score was chosen to express the scene. They create an animation as they listen to a classical recording to experience the connection between...
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Music and Animation: 200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons
Music has been used to convey thoughts, feelings, and the human condition for thousands of years. Your class will analyze several songs hear in the animated classic, "Charlie Brown." They will listen to several jazz pieces from the show,...
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Plaster and Vermiculite Carving
Provide your class with the opportunity to experience the design process and subtractive sculpture. You mix vermiculite and plaster to create a soft variable material. Learners use this material to carve any abstract art form they...
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Jackie Chan and James Bond Movies
Young scholars investigate similarities and differences between popular films made in Asia and those made in the West.
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Allons Au Cinema: French Movies
Students study reviews of French movies. They research French movies on the Internet, identify key vocabulary used in movie reviews and design a promotion for a movie based on its reviews.
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Artist Research
Students research an artist of their choice on the internet. They are provided with questions (worksheets included with the lesson) as a guide for their research. Students choose an artwork by their artist to critique.
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En Busqueda de un Artista
Students work in groups to research a Spanish-speaking artist. They access print and online resources and interact within their group in Spanish. Students prepare a slideshow for the class and present the show in the target language.
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Canvas Folding Screen
Elementary, middle, and high schoolers design canvas folding screens; much like the ones that are so prevalent in Asian homes. Be warned that this art activity requires a lot of materials, so it will be expensive to implement. However,...
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Pixel Drawings
Middle and high schoolers re-create a magazine photo or other picture and make it into a drawing using pixels. This fun art project should be a hit with your charges! The materials needed to implement the lesson should be easy to get,...
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Analyzing the Language of Presidential Debates
Scholars assess how word choice and linguistic patterns affect a presidential debate. They examine candidates' words for repetition and analyze what this repetition means. Then they locate countries that fit the expression free world. In...
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Lesson Plan 18: Art Project! Design Your Own Book Cover
Finished your novel? What’s next? Designing the book cover, of course. But how to begin? After examining the covers of published books and noting the common elements of these jackets, young novelists design a front and back cover for...
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Van Gough and Picasso
An interesting presentation that shows the work of four masters. Learners view paintings of Van Gough, Picasso, Matisse, and Renoir and then express their opinions about the pieces of art. The final slide asks learners to choose their...
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"World enough, and time"-Andrew Marvell's Coy Mistress
Discuss tone and imagery with Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress." In an attempt to get his fair lady to consummate their relationship, he write a poem urging her to seize the day! Introduce the author to your high school class,...
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Looking at Portraits: Literary Monuments
Examine artwork, research literature, and create art pieces for a monument to a literary figure. Young scholars analyze the sculpture Model for a Monument to Alexandre Dumas père and compare it to other well-known monuments. They...
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The Learning Network: Poetry Pairing July, 21, 2011
Although not a complete lesson plan, this set of emotionally powerful texts could be used in a variety of lessons. From The New York Times' Learning Network site, the resource includes a poem, an excerpt from a New York Times article and...
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Natural Twig Journals
Artists of all ages participate in a very basic bookbinding technique incorporating a dimensional object and simple fastening method. They create their own book to use as a sketchbook, writing surface or scrapbook. The results are...
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Inhale the Colour of Life
Here is a four-lesson series which elicits understanding of the power of color when viewing and creating pieces of visual art. Learners view the works of Robert Harris and engage in discussions which lead to an understanding of what...
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Building Big and Strong
Middle and high schoolers explore the concepts of architectural rigidity. They analyze a variety of polygons, and explain why some shapes add more strength to structures than others. The PBS video, "Building Big," is utilized in this plan.
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Chinese Takeout
Students use digital photography to illustrate a story. They research examples of narratives to determine how to choose photos that meet a specific purpose. Students research examples of narratives.
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How the Light Bulb Gets Switched On - The Evolution of Ideas
The creative process is the focus here. High schoolers make works of art that reflect elements of the creative process. They study the works of Robert Harris, and working as a class, they create a photo montage that includes images...