National Museum of the American Indian
Fritz Scholder: A Study Guide
In this engaging activity involving close analysis of abstract expressionist art, your class members will not only discover more about artist Friz Scholder's Native American art, but they will also have the opportunity to consider...
Curated OER
The Story of Red and Blue: Art
Middle schoolers identify art history by examining a list of images on-line. In this painting lesson, students identify the work of Keith Haring by researching the Internet and discuss his style of artwork. Middle schoolers utilize...
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A Sculptor's Model
Students investigate visual arts by researching art on the Internet. In this expressionism lesson, students identify several famous artworks on-line based on self expression and discuss the techniques. Students examine steel sculptures...
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Character Development Through Song
Learners use songs to analyze their sense of identity and self-worth. In groups, they discuss and explore their own character development and discover how far they have come in recent years. They also identify the positive and negative...
Speak Truth to Power
Dalai Lama: Free Expression and Religion
How is religious freedom connected to the conflict between China and Tibet? After reading an online passage of background information, your learners will divide into groups and both read and view an interview with the Dalai Lama. They...
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Poetry Alive! Interpreting Poetry Using Digital Images
Students investigate poetry by incorporating images into the words of a poem. In this language arts activity, students discuss poetry writing devices and self expression with their classmates. Students create a film about the...
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Teaching About Tolerance Through Music
Explore the importance of tolerance with a music-themed lesson plan. Learners listen to the music of Peter, Paul, and Mary, and discern the underlying messages before discussing the painful effects of ridicule, disrespect,...
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Meet Our Class
Students survey the exploration of oneself through self-assessment and interviews by others. They organize ways to present themselves to the world through writing and artwork. They also customize research from a computer as a tool for...
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Life Sized Self Portrait
Students create a self-portrait that is compiled by using individual student drawings. The drawings emphasize line, shape, color and possibly texture depending upon the student's selection of materials.
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Movement Adventure
Students discover movement and pantomime techniques in this adventurous story telling experience for kindergarten. Assessment is done through a short question and answer session and students drawing the "adventure".
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"Live Out Loud" Celebrates Pride Week
Students investigate human relationships by creating oil paintings in class. In this gay pride lesson, students discuss why the Pride parade is so important, who appears at the parade and how art is used to spread awareness of gay...
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How Do Artists Get Their Ideas? Culture and Environment as Sources of Ideas
Students share the difficulties they have in determining what to write or draw for a project. In groups, they view examples from three different artists and discuss how their personal experiences affected their art. They brainstorm a...
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Colorful Sentence Writing
Fifth graders practice expressing themselves through writing. In this language arts lesson, 5th graders study the parts of speech and apply to writing sentences.
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The Places We Love
Students examine how they and others express themselves. Using various writings and art, they discover the places they like to go in the world and share them with their classmates. They paint their favorite place and share their...
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Small Group Counseling
Students are introduced to the concept of self-esteem and discuss how it is important in friendships. In groups, they counsel one another to determine how one's personal behavior affects the others in their group. They discover the...
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The Boy of a Thousand Faces
Young scholars discuss what an illustrator is and illustrations help readers follow the story line. Using the illustrations, they identify the characteristics of facial proportions and draw their own face. They use glue to cover the...
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Get in Shape with Geometry
Using geoboards, computer programs, and hands-on manipulative materials, elementary schoolers engage in a study of two and three-dimensional geometric shapes. This instructional activity is chock full of good teaching ideas on the...
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Stressed Out!
Have your class engage in lessons on earthquakes. Learners explore the science behind earthquakes using interactive websites and video clips. Then, they review the layers and parts of the Earth before delving into the causes of...
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Insect Investigation
Investigation is a brilliant way to spark scientific inquiry. First graders will identify, research, and report what they have learned about a mysterious bug found on the playground. They will use multimedia resources for research and...
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Creepy Crawlies
Pupils participate in several insect-themed activities. They read stories on bugs, write stories about insects with student-made illustrations, sing bug-themed songs, design creepy crawlies with typical insect characteristics and make a...
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Getting to Know You
Students participate in tactile and visual exploration. In this tactile and visual exploration lesson, students listen to John Archambault's, Grandmother's Garden, and sing the song, "Friends Are Like Flowers." They participate in ice...
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Using Words to Work Things Out
Students listen as teacher reads Words Are Not For Hurting, and answer questions about the content. Students discuss how to prevent arguments and work disagreements out with words. Students watch a puppet show that promotes discussion as...
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Check Out Lights and Shields with Beads
Students explore Ultraviolet detecting beads and conduct several investigations with them. In this investigative instructional activity students participate in an experiment to see the harmful effects of UV light and discuss their...