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Science Meets Artistry: the Work of Cai Guo-Qiang
Students discuss and examine the work of artist Cai Guo-Qiang. In this art lesson, students analyze how cultural and historical factors impact the visual arts.
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A Dream of Class Perfection
Students discover the influence of Greek classical art and philosophy on the French Revolution. In this art lesson, students analyze a Neoclassical artist and write an essay in which they discuss how the style contributes to the...
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Goddesses Are Personifications Too!
Students discover the use of personification as a way of expressing ideals. In this Language Arts lesson, students create an allegorical depiction of a contemporary ideal. Students write labels that clearly support the...
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Story Books
Students discuss a narrative work of art, then write stories describing the action and publish their stories and illustrations in books.
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Telling Stories: Witness to a Brawl
Students examine Georges de la Tour's, The Musicians' Brawl and discuss the narrative elements of the painting. They write an newspaper article of what they believe they are witnessing in the painting.
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Celebration and Satire
Students analyze 19th-century paintings that depict celebrations in various ways. In this visual arts lesson, students view samples of paintings during the Industrial Revolution and discuss the effects of that time period on society....
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Celebration and Satire
Young scholars compare and contrast different perspectives of the French Revolution. In this visual arts lesson, students discuss the use of satire and caricature in history and create satirical cartoons based on contemporary issues.
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Symbols of a Life
Learners identify the narrative elements in a work of art and write their own narrative. For this narrative and symbolism lesson, students interpret narratives depicted in the given works of art and write a biographical narrative about a...
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If These Walls Could Talk
Students explore Enlightenment and Neoclassical art. In this visual arts lesson, students compare and contrast images of architecture from both styles. Students create visual art designs that feature the ideals of the Enlightenment.
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Fairness Metaphor
Middle schoolers write a metaphor. In this descriptive writing lesson, students define metaphor. Middle schoolers come up with a creative metaphor to describe their feelings about fair practices related to music downloads.
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Our Illuminated Alphabet TESTing
Learners practice writing letters of the alphabet and explore how decorated letters can be used to convey stories or symbolic ideas. They create an "illuminated" alphabet in which each letter conveys concepts of home and family.
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Musical Phrase Completion
Students get to encounter simple musical notations, basic keyboarding and improvisation. Students exercise on creative thinking skills. Students create their own musical notes.
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Theme Sculptures: Offering Reconciliation
Students create 3-dimensional works in clay. In this sculpture activity, students discuss a theme and create a sculpture based on that theme. Students express personal ideas and feelings through the arts.
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Rhetoric and War
Students examine the relationship between rhetoric and war. In this history of war instructional activity, students analyze paintings, photographs, movies, and articles that paint an opinionated picture of war....
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Putting a Spin on Current Events
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...
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A Design for a Fireplace
Students examine a relief sculpture. In this sculpting lesson, students analyze the sculpture "Sketch for a Fireplace Overmantel" by Francesco Franzoni. Students create a three-dimensional sketch for an overmantel using the styles of...
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Dream Bed
Students design and write descriptions of imaginary beds. In this interior design lesson, students use various art materials such as paint, fabric, boxes, and string to create a model of a bed. Students use descriptive words to write a...
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Literary Odyssey
Students read and compare excerpts from The Odyssey and The Adventures of Telemachus to create their own story based on a secondary character. In this literary analysis lesson, students read and compare the excerpts from the...
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Looking at Portraits: Looking at One's Self
Students observe the painting Self Portrait by Charles-Antoine and discuss what the artist is trying to say in his self portrait. In this self portrait lesson plan, students discuss the portrait, and create their own self portrait.
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New Forms from Old
Students look at historic porcelain objects. In this visual arts instructional activity, students examine how the use of historic objects has changed over time. Students design their own object from paper cups, bowls, plates, and...
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Twain: Icon and Iconoclast
Learners examine work by Mark Twain in the context of pre- and post-Civil War America. In this cross curricular lesson, students gather biographical information about Twain, use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast him with...
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Comparative Sculpture Lesson Plan
Fifth graders view original artwork, define the art form sculpture, discuss similarities and differences between the examples provided, discuss the three-dimensional quality of each example given, and create and critique their own artwork.
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Remembering Waiting
Students draw a pastel drawing and compose a narrative of when they had to wait for something. In this pastel drawing lesson plan, students study and discuss the pastel drawing Waiting by Edgar Degas, discuss the story it tells, and...
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And Then What Happened?
Students analyze paintings by using verbs, adjectives, and nouns. In this visual arts instructional activity, students view a painting of a storm and a calm sky. Students use various verbs and adjectives to discuss the characteristics of...