High schoolers create maquettes of abstract sculptures utilizing the elements of art; line, shape, value, color, space and texture and the principles of design; balance, emphasis, contrast, rhythm and movement, pattern and unity. These...

Upper graders use the potter's wheel to make Japanese style tea cups, which they will use in a Japanese style tea ceremony. They hone their sculpting techniques while exploring Japanese cultural and the history of tea. There are two...

High schoolers examine the elements of composition in various artworks. They analyze and discuss paintings, explore "The National Gallery of Art" website, identify the shape of compositions in paintings, and draw a diagram.

Students define basic design vocabulary. They examine fabrics and sort into similar piles, design a picture of a beautiful room and label each art element in the design. They read an article from an interior design magazine and summarize...

Take young geologists on an exploration of the rock cycle with this six-lesson earth science unit on rocks and minerals. Through a series of discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on investigations your class will learn...

Students explore the architecture of New England by identifying geometric shapes.  In this architectural lesson, students examine photographs of classic building architecture and use a transparency to trace geometric shapes they...

Create a graphic autobiography integrating images and text. Working within the structure of the programs Comic Life and Photoshop, pupils integrate the Principles of Design. They focus on balance, rhythm, proportion, and text structure....

Students experience and enjoy the sounds of poetry. They erform sound experiments with sonnets and closely read and analyze a sonnet by Shakespeare. Students write an analysis of how sound affects meaning in a sonnet chosen from the...

Here is a geology instructional activity which invites learners to explore a variety of rocks. They find rocks in the schoolyard and classify them according to size, color, and weight, then read the book Everybody Needs a Rock. Good...

Students explore the traditions related to the creation of national currencies. The role currency plays in shaping a national or regional identity and the influences that the designers of world currency exert are examined in this lesson...

High schoolers analyze political cartoons. In this colonial America lesson, students examine the provided political cartoons and respond to analytical questions about each of them.

Included in this resource are a variety of activities to do while reading Willa Cather's My Antonia. The activities, which range from mapping out Nebraska to writing activities about pioneer living, are all designed with one...

Young scholars use old magazines to create a collage. They may focus on elements of design. They discuss their collage or they may write a brief essay.

Here is a thoughtful group assignment for researching mental health disorders. Team members focus on a different aspect of a chosen disorder: symptoms, treatments, and community resources.

Students investigate the dramatic elements of a Streetcar Named Desire. In this drama lesson, students explore the theme of the Tennessee Williams play as they read the play and watch performances of some of the acts. Students then write...

Students examine how to read maps for historical information. They listen to a lecture on the history of D-Day, analyze a historical map of the invasion of Normandy, and answer discussion questions.

Students perform research into the designs of Japanese kites in order to appreciate them for their aerodynamic designs. The appreciation builds student interest in order to produce their own similar designs.

Students study the art of architecture in four well-known structures around the world. In this world architecture lesson, students read books about architects and study architectural structures in the world. Students draw a dream city on...

Students design objects in the Museum of Modern Art's collection of simple machines. In this simple machines lesson, students explore the machine age in the MoMA's design collection. Students identify simple machines and the elements in...

Have your class analyze the narrative art in quilts. They identify elements in this domestic art and the stories they tell. They define a story quilt, view an example, and analyze the work of Harriet Power. This is a great lesson to...

Students read the Who We Are Section on Calfee Designs Webpage and discuss carbon usage. They work in pairs to look up the minerals diamond and graphite then create a chart on the properties of each mineral then compare how they differ...

Sixth graders study totems of the Northwest Native Americans and design their own.

Tenth graders analyze a biographical piece of art by Raymond Saunders. They identify shapes, symbols, and lines that are used, and how the piece relates to the artist's life and modern society. They design and create an original piece of...

Young scholars observe samples of artwork which use line, shape, and form to show movement and depict natural forces of nature. They create their own piece of artwork that shows a natural force and movement and then write a descriptive...