National Center for Families Learning
The Summer Fun Summer Learning Dramatic and Story Reading Unit
What's the difference between story reading and story telling? Participants in a summer enrichment program learn all about the difference as they listen to famous speeches, engage in dramatic readings, and craft their own short stories...
Smithsonian Institution
Songs, Sounds and Stories from the Georgia Sea Islands
American music is the result of the influence of many cultures, including the traditions brought by the African slaves. Young scholars study the polyrhythms, the call-and-response format, and the vocal improvisations of the Gullah...
Curated OER
The Box
Learners of any age can participate in this imagination and improve development activity. With the use of a small box, they work through a series of questions or situations posed by the teacher. Each group uses the box to create short...
Curated OER
Hispanic Arts and Culture Unit: Visual Arts, Dance, and Music
Young scholars learn about Latin American dance and rhythm in different forms and participate in dancing. In this Latin American lesson plan, students also analyze Latin American paintings.
Curated OER
Body Language: How To Talk To Students About Nudity in Art
Students explore nudity in art in musweum and classroom settings. Student's age, culture, comfort level and parental reactions are considered in the presentation of these two lessons of this unit.
Curated OER
Visual Arts
Third graders participate in three visual arts lessons in this unit. They analyze the patterns of quilts, study the life and work of Rosa Bonheur and Edward Hicks.
Curated OER
Dali & Desnos
High schoolers explore surreal art and poetry. In this visual arts instructional activity, students examine works by André Breton, Robert Desnos, Salvador Dalí, and Joan Miro. High schoolers then apply the techniques in the works they...
Curated OER
Creating AB Patterns
Students work with patterns. In this pattern lesson, students find AB patterns in nature and the manmade world. They create their own AB pattern using math manipulatives and visual arts.
Curated OER
A Glimmer of Beauty: Lesson Plan
Fully analyze the elements of art and unexpected beauty in the William Merritt Chase's Still Life with a Fish. The class will examine the painting very closely, then use photography to express unexpected beauty in still life. This is a...
Curated OER
Watercolor Landscapes
Van Gogh's Starry Night and Thomas Cole's The Oxbow are featured in a watercolor lesson that encourages young artists to explore various techniques before creating their own landscape.
Curated OER
Lines of Symmetry
Students practice dance to divide the space or body shape into equal sections to create symmetry in dance. In this symmetry lesson, students practice symmetrical and asymmetrical movements in dance. Students participate in move and...
Curated OER
Art Is More Than Just a Pretty Picture
Learners create unique art piece from litter. In this visual art lesson, students learn the importance of recycling and create a unique art piece. Learners construct collages.
Curated OER
The Art of Improvisation
Students explore the work of 3 for All. In this performing arts lesson, students watch a video segment about the improvisation group 3 for All, study improvisation, and participate in their own improvisation routines.
Curated OER
Walking the Line
Students participate in activities that engage all learning styles (such as picture walks, tracing lines, movement/theatre technique) as an introduction to the art element of line and its importance to art.
Curated OER
The Díne (Navajo) Native American Tribe
Students participate in a variety of activities to become familiar with the Navajo Indians. In this Díne (Navajo) Native American tribe lesson, students understand where the Navajo tribe lived and find them on a map. Students discuss the...
Curated OER
Graffiti Project
Students inspect performing arts by participating in a class presentation. In this art collage lesson, students examine the graffiti art created on New York subways and discuss the life of Keith Haring. Students create their own images...
Quaver
World Percussion — Latin America Project Book
What's the most popular music style in Brazil? What about Cuba? Or the Dominican Republic? An immersive project teaches young learners about the salsa, the samba, and the merengue with research assignments and dance performances.
Smithsonian Institution
African American Music: Let’s Sing and Play Clapping Games
Two lessons focus on making a beat. Using popular African American music of its time, scholars listen and analyze the rhythm then recreate it with hands drums, and cups.
Curated OER
Kolam: A Living Art of South Asia
Students will read the short story "Meenakshi's Magic Hands" by Santhini Govindan and view a slide show of photo images interspersed with the text to learn of the art form of Kolam. Students read and reflect upon a nonfiction essay,...
Curated OER
Art Lesson Plans
Students participate in art projects based on their teacher's ideas. For this art lesson plan, students and teachers choose from a variety of art projects including collages, dioramas, masks, and more.
Curated OER
Lesson Plans for History: The Annunciation
Students analyze The Annunciation and complete related art activities. In this art analysis activity, students analyze the art piece The Annunciation and create an altar piece. Students discuss the importance of a label and write one for...
Curated OER
Art and Artists: Multicultural Awareness and Appreciation Adaptation
Each student receives a piece of artwork representing a unique culture and artist. They work in with two other students who have art representing a different culture and artist. They participate in a scavenger hunt to determine which...
Curated OER
Work Patterned on Mondrian
Students study and describe aesthetic properties in art. They use criteria to participate in critiques.
Curated OER
Politics and Religion in 17th Century Dutch Art
Seventh graders examine different pieces of Dutch Art. They identify its social and political meanings by using cultural and historical information. They examine maps of the time period as well.