Curated OER
Modern African Art and Artisans
Students are explained the difference between artists and artisans. They discuss some of the common themes among artisans, such as traditions, materials, process, and inspiration. Students descsribe other modern-day African artisans and...
Curated OER
A Sign of Their Times
Students identify the social climate that created the terms Degenerative Art and Fascist Aesthetic. They also identify how and why certain artists' artwork fell into these categories. Students recognize and discuss the Expressionist...
Curated OER
Lesson: Ayman Ramadan: Koshary min Zamman
Examine the avant-garde movement and artists who explore the ideas of the Situationist. The class view imaged of Ayman Ramadan's installation pieces, learn about modern-day Egypt, and research other artist who use art to express social...
Indiana University
World Literature: "One Evening in the Rainy Season" Shi Zhecun
Did you know that modern Chinese literature “grew from the psychoanalytical theory of Sigmund Freud”? Designed for a world literature class, seniors are introduced to “One Evening in the Rainy Season,” Shi Zhecun’s stream of...
The New York Times
Perspective and Leonardo’s “Perspectograph”
Filippo Brunelleschi's invention of linear perspective during the Renaissance was further developed by his apprentice, a young artist named Leonardo da Vinci. Now modern artists can give da Vinci's famous perspectograph a try with a...
Curated OER
Landscape Confection: Pre-visit Activity
Upper graders explore the concepts of landscape art, man, nature and their inter-relationship. This is a critical thinking and analysis activity intended to prepare the class for an up coming trip to a local art museum. They analyze,...
Curated OER
Rise of the Modern World
Students analyze art and examples of Cubism art. In this art analysis lesson, students analyze how artists use symbols and complete image based discussion. Students make a list of technological innovations and design a symbol for each...
Curated OER
Modern Landscapes
Students analyze the artistic responses to the changing landscape during the interwar period. For this art analysis lesson, students analyze landscape images and consider the ways artists depicted the changing landscape. Students...
Curated OER
Painting Modern Life
Students compare and contrast modern life art in the works of Hilaire-Germain Edgar Degas and Paul Cezanne. In this art analysis lesson, students compare and contrast the two paintings. Students complete image based discussion. Students...
Curated OER
Modern Day Mona Lisa
Students create a portrait of a woman from our current era. They discuss what they would include in a portrait for our era in the U.S., list current trends and styles, and create a modern-day "Mona Lisa" portrait.
Curated OER
Tell About the South : The Story of Modern Southern Literature
Young scholars, after viewing the video "Tell About the South," discuss and analyze Jean Toomer's mixed heritage and how it affected his artistic voice. They evaluate how the character Toomer was an excellent example of America's melting...
Curated OER
Modern Figure Sculpture
Alberto Giacometti is a renowned sculpture, made popular by his "tall, gaunt" figures. His sculptures have been interpreted in many ways: representing isolation, Holocaust victims, or of one standing against adversity. Giacometti says...
Curated OER
Modern Mona
Students use contour drawings of the Mona Lisa. Students turn the drawings upside down and cover 3/4 of the drawing with a sheet of construction paper. They "erase from their minds" what the drawing is, and complete the quarter section...
Curated OER
Studying An Artist
Students examine the artwork of a specific artist and attempt to create a painting in the style of the studied artist in this middle and high school level Art lesson. Rubric is included for self- and teacher assessment after the project...
Curated OER
Early American Portraits: a Strategy for Learning About Artists and Their Works
Students study artworks from several different artists. They compare and contrast these works and examine the historical background of the artist and his or her times.
They develop the capacity to think critically and communicate their...
Curated OER
Modern Mosaics
Young scholars create individual mosaics to decorate the classroom. They explore the elements of shape, texture, color, and pattern by identifying how the artist manipulated tesserae to create the mosaic.
Curated OER
Modern Mosaics (Grades 6-8)
Students explore the elements of contrast, emphasis, pattern, and color schemes by identifying how the artist manipulated tesserae in the mosaic. They create original mosaics by manipulating torn paper to depict different textures and...
Curated OER
Social Studies: The Unconventional Artist and Leader
Students will discuss Frank Lloyd Wright's unconventional personality traits and will explore some common personality characteristics of creative artists and leaders. Students will write paragraphs describing typical personality traits...
Facing History and Ourselves
A Scene from a Middle School Classroom
Citizens in the modern world can't imagine making the same social choices made by many Germans in the 1920s and 1930s, but they don't realize that they actually do it every day by ostracizing others. A case study of middle schoolers...
Curated OER
Rise of the Modern City
Students investigate the industrial developments of the twentieth century and the development of urban environments. In this industrial art lesson, students compare and contrast graphics and analyze industrial developments on...
Curated OER
Modern and Contemporary Art at the Art Institute
Students view and discuss Modern and Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago. Students interpret works by Miro, Oldenberg, Cornell and de Vlaminck and discuss how they feel when viewing the pieces.
Curated OER
Lesson: Mary Heilmann: To Be Someone
Kids consider the pure abstraction and minimalism found in Mary Heilmann's work. They analyze several of her pieces through critical discussion and then think about her use of a song title as the title of her exhibit. Learners then use a...
Curated OER
Degenerate Art
A successful unit on art includes the subjects, goals, and messages of the works that are studied.
Curated OER
Modern Messages
Students explore the aims of artists working in various contemporary art movements, then create works in a similar art style to convey