Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Interpreting Selected Works of Art from the 20th Century African-American Experience

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students examine pieces of art by African-American artists in the 20th Century. For each piece, they are shown slides of the artwork and others by the artist to identify the techniques used. In groups, they discuss and research the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African-American Art and the Political Dissent during the Harlem Renaissance

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are introduced to the culture of African American art. Using the internet, they research the events surrounding the Harlem Renaissance and discover how it produced a wide variety of art and literature. To end the lesson, by...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Utilizing Art, Literature and Film to Teach Black History

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders are introduced to different aspects of African-American history through literature, art, and films. As a class, they are read a story about the Underground Railroad, identify the main characters and put the events into...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Art Through the Eyes of Youth

For Teachers K - 8th
Students take a field trip to an art gallery reflecting on the paintings they like the most. Individually, they use magazines to find pictures related to their personality. In pairs, they make a mask to represent their ethnic group and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Power and the Communication of Values in West African Art of the Past and Present

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders examine art from West Africa from the past and present. In groups, they compare their community to the one depicted in the artwork and note the similiarities. To end the lesson, they discuss the concept of power and how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to African Folklore

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students are read "Anansi the Spider" to begin their discussion on continents. Using a map, they locate the continent of Africa and the country of Ghana. They discover who the Ashanti people are and view examples of their artwork. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Harlem Renaissance: Pivotal Period in the Development of Afro-American Culture

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students examine the time period of the Harlem Renaissance. In groups, they compare and contrast the type of art before and after the movement along with the state of society at the time. After reading a book on the topic of their...
Lesson Plan
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Medieval Ethiopia, Mali and Nigeria: The Influence of Culture in Africa

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students are introduced to the concept of cultural diffusion. In groups, they identify the culture of Mali, Nigeria and Ethiopia and work together to research how cultural diffusion has changed the country. To end the instructional...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing Cultures Through Symbols

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars examine symbols used by the Plains Indians. Using examples of African art, they discuss what symbols they use that relate to the Native American symbols. They compare and contrast the two cultures and discuss as a class to...
Lesson Plan
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A Bird's Eye View of the Caribbean: Art, Folklore, and Music

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students examine the Caribbean in terms of its music, art, and folklore. As a class, they listen to a folktale and discuss the difference between telling a story and reading a story. In groups, they write their own folktale and share...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Art of Romare Bearden

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students are introduced to the art of Romare Bearden. Using a packet, they discover Bearden's theme of family and African-American history in his art. After viewing specific examples of his artwork, they identify the ways in which he...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Impact on Your Essence

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students are introduced to the use of symbolism and how it can change one's view of a piece of art. Using a piece of art, they view it as if they were the artist and create a symbol that accompanies it. They discuss the impact of two-...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Akan Gold Weights and Understanding their Proverbial Meanings

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students examine a variety of gold weights used by the Asante in West Africa. In groups, they discuss the purpose of the gold weights and practice saying proverbs associated with different pieces of art. To end the lesson, they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Old South In Children's Books

For Teachers K - 5th
Learners discuss what is meant by the "Old South". In groups, they read stories about the Old South and discover this was not how the area actually was in that time period. They use a database to examine the covers of books and...