Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Urs Fischer: Reviving the Past Art Movements

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Seven major abstract art movements are analyzed by learners in groups. Each group analyzes various works by determining which work belongs to which movement. They then read Flatland, engage in an art and literary analysis discussion,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mind Your Mannerists-Understanding the Art of El Greco

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Kids become mini-experts on the Mannerist movement and the art of El Greco. They identify common elements of El Greco paintings and compare them to a work by Thomas Hart Benton. They use  four ways to examine art taken from the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Japanese Tea and Teacups

For Teachers 10th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Arts of the Gilded Age

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers study the art forms of the Gilded Age. In this integrated arts lesson, students research the art, music, dance, and drama of the historical era and then create their own personal projects that exemplify the time period.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing about Art:Comparing Portraits

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students compare and contrast an academic and Impressionist portrait. In this art history lesson, students look at two different styles of painting and write a paragraph as if they are the subject in the painting. They compare and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World War I Art and Artists

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine the art of World War I. In this World War I art instructional activity, students research paintings and artists of the era. Learners role play the artists they research and explain their lives and paintings to their...
Unit Plan
Washington University in St. Louis

Teaching Jazz as American Culture

For Students 6th - 12th
Jazz and the City, Jazz and the Civil Rights Movement, Jazz and Gender, Jazz and Literature, Jazz and the Arts, Jazz and Film. Here's a packet of unit plans organized around themes that reflect American culture. Each unit examines how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Emory Douglas: Here and Now: Looking at Contemporary Struggle

For Teachers 9th - 12th
After looking into the life, art, and social contributions of artist Emory Douglas, learners analyze several social art pieces. They use Emory Douglas as an example of social art, then consider 10 other pieces. They write a paper...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dali & Desnos

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore surreal art and poetry. In this visual arts lesson, students examine works by André Breton, Robert Desnos, Salvador Dalí, and Joan Miro. High schoolers then apply the techniques in the works they analyze to their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Pottery Techniques

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine Native American pottery. In this visual arts instructional activity, students analyze burnished and glazed clay pots. Students study how to create pots from online sources and respond to questions about the process....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Connected by Art

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students inspect visual arts by exploring images on-line. In this art analysis lesson, students discuss the history of art and the its ability to communicate with people through images. Students utilize pencils and charcoal to create...
Lesson Plan
J. Paul Getty Trust

Historical Context: Discovering a Painting

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Class members are presented with the image of a painting and asked to record their first impressions and analysis. They then research the time period in which it was painted and discuss how their research impacted their first impression...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Elizabeth Peyton: Pictures of Royalty: The Imagined

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Elizabeth Peyton is an artist who creates images of people (often famous) that she doesn't personally know. These images become part of her imagined community. Learners analyze her work, her community of imagined friends, and then create...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Art: Faith Ringgold Story Quilts

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders examine the impact of African American culture on the United States by inspecting Faith Ringgold's story quilts. Working in groups, they create a collective story quilt about current cultural issues. They research their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Monsters

For Teachers 12th
Do monsters really exist? Find out what your class thinks with these discussion questions prior to reading Beowulf. Incorporate music and a video clip into the anticipatory set to engage your learners. Take a day to search online...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Putting a Spin on Current Events

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the artistic value of propaganda. In this visual arts instructional activity, students analyze antique artistic pieces for their political agenda perpetuation. Students discuss propaganda techniques of the past to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Graphs of the Heart

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study Greek literature. In this Greek tragedies lesson plan, students explore the dance-dramas of Martha Graham. Students study the choreography that brings ancient Greek literature to life.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Popular Music and Music Videos

For Teachers 9th - 12th
This resource is part of a three-activity unit that introduces your class to the concept of popular culture and the role that it plays in their lives. Here, learners examine the importance of the music industry and music videos in pop...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Historical Context: Discovering a Painting

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers analyze a work of art.  For this historical context lesson, students research the time period in which the art they observed was created.  High schoolers consider differing opinions about a work of art. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Art History and Technique

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students conduct research, using a variety of resources, about their favorite painter and painting. They critique the famous painters work and write a multimedia presentation that showcases his/her work. They paint an original work of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Is Conceptual Art?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research recent movements within modern art and discover how they have influenced one another. Using an artist, they examine the life and works of him or her. They define conceptual art and work together in groups to create...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Power of Symbols in West African Art

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine and analyze symbols used in the Asante community of Ghana and look at the history of power struggles in West Africa. They discover how to express meaning and power as they create their own symbols and short...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"And That's The Way It Is..." Today in History

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Learners research an event in history from different perspectives. They discuss the characteristics of a nightly news broadcast and create their own based on the history event they researched. They work together to produce this...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History Close to Home: Creating Your Own Special Museum

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students create their own museum exhibit. In this museum creation lesson plan, students research their local history so they can decide on a theme for their exhibit and what objects they will use in order to design a museum exhibit. A...