Curated OER
Looking at Photographs
Students evaluate photographs as historical documents and photographs as propaganda.
Curated OER
Cultural Awareness
Eighth graders define the term "culture" and all aspects of culture. They spend one week photographing culture in their own lives. They create a poster of the photos and explain why each photo is included.
Curated OER
Looking at Ritual and Ceremony
Students explore Edward Curtis' photos of a Native American ritual and practice documenting their own religious rituals. In this photography analysis lesson, students analyze an Native American ritual in Curtis' photo. Students discuss...
Curated OER
Land Use and Lawmaking in California
Students read writings by Ralph Waldo Emerson to analyze transcendentalism and analyze photographic essays depicting environmental issues. For this art and history lesson, students read excerpts of Nature by Emerson to identify...
Curated OER
Thanksgiving Feast
Use the Tool Factory Workshop to have your class create a list of people to invite to their Thanksgiving Feast.They will take pictures related to the fall season and create invitations using Tool Factory Database. Students make a grocery...
Curated OER
Picturing a Story: Photo Essay About a Community, Event, or Issue
Students research Dorothea Lange's documentary projects and create their own photo essay about a subject. In this photo essay lesson, students analyze examples of social-documentary photographs of Lange. Students define a social...
Curated OER
Extra, Extra Write All About It!
Students examine photographs from newspapers and write a headline and story for one of the examples. In this news writing lesson, students analyze a photograph as a class and discuss it. Students analyze photographs and example headlines...
Curated OER
Newsworthy Images
Students examine images from newspapers and create their own photos to tell a story. In this photojournalism lesson, students analyze a photograph using the elements and principles of art then create a photographic image that tells a...
Curated OER
Making Photo Essays Easy
Young scholars generate ideas about what makes a good story and a good photograph then place them together to create a photo essay. In this photo essay activity, students assemble random photos into a story, select the best photos, and...
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Henry David Thoreau
Students explore the life and philosophy of Henry David Thoreau. Students watch a slide show on Henry David Thoreau. They visit a quiet, tranquil location and observe nature. After reading and discussing Thoreau's works, students create...
J. Paul Getty Trust
Picturing a Story: Photo Essay about a Community, Event or Issue
Picture this. Class members follow in the footsteps of W. Eugene Smith, Dorothea Lange, James Nachtwey, and Lewis Hine by creating their own photo essay about a local event or issue.
Museum of the Moving Image
Developing Critical Analysis
To gain an understanding of how images and sounds are used to influence viewers, class members analyze these features in Presidential campaign commercials from 1952-2012.
Curated OER
Digital Video Lesson Plan: Brine Shrimp
Students participate in classroom experiment to gain better understanding of type of environment brine shrimp can best survive. Students then explore effects of common saltwater pollutants on survival of animals in sea.
Curated OER
A Soldier's View of the American Civil War
Study and research the American Civil War in this explanatory writing activity. Middle schoolers complete six activities to learn about the American Civil War and soldiers' views of the war. The activity includes several options to...
Curated OER
Compare Present Day Photographs to Historical Photographs from the Museum's Collection
Eighth graders discuss photojournalism and then compare present day to historical photographs. They discuss how photos capture daily life and historical events, compare historic photos to those seen today, then take and make a photo book...
Curated OER
Lesson 4 Activity 1: Mapping the Third Dimension
Students work in pairs to construct a simple stereoscope.
Curated OER
Clean, Green Power
Students explore and discuss alternative energy sources, and identify disadvantages of current fossil fuels.
Curated OER
Communicating through Engineering Information Technology
Young scholars analyze prior labs by keeping a lab notebook. They share their lab notebook by electronically sending it to their classmates. Students demonstrate evaluation of other lab notebooks within the same classroom and those from...
Curated OER
Portraits That Capture Character
Students analyze two of Dorothea Lange's portraits and create their own portraits of classmates. In this portrait analysis lesson, students define portrait and discuss two images of Lange's. Students interview a classmate and use Lange's...
Curated OER
The Weekly News, Part 2
Sixth graders use articles they've previously written to produce a school news broadcast. In this journalism lesson, 6th graders discuss the goals of a news broadcast and use previously written articles to plan a news broadcast. Students...
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Seeking Shakespeare in Local Communities
Students explore where Shakespeare exists in local community plays. In this Shakespeare lesson, students create a documentary to define the existence of Shakespeare in their community drama activities. Students participate in community...
Curated OER
Schoolyard Jungle: What's Out There?
Eighth graders create a plant study guide using their outdoor classroom environment. For this ecology lesson, 8th graders take photographs of plants they collect from the outdoor classroom and create plant field guides. Students design...
Curated OER
Writing From the Heart
Students improve their writing skills by identifying people, places, ideas, and things that are important to them. In this writing skills lesson, students discuss things that are important to them. Students use the heart map template to...
Curated OER
Chucky Chickadee's Bird and Breakfast: Sing in Please
Students observe bird feeding and complete a tally and graphing activity for their observations. In this bird graphing activity, students work in teams to observe bird feedings. Students complete a bird reporting sheet and collect data...