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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Political Cartoons: Literacy

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Readers decode and deconstruct political cartoons to heighten critical thinking, extra-textual literacy, and making meaning from symbolism and metaphor. A compatible activity to use in English class when your 8th or 11th graders are...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What We Eat, Where We Sleep: Documenting Daily Life to Tell Stories

For Teachers 6th - 12th
This is not just a New York Time article to read, this is a set of amazing activity ideas all related to the slide shows "Breaking Bread Everywhere" and "Where Children Sleep." Your class can view each show, read about what they mean...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Tell-Tale Hearts of Writers

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Knock, knock, knock...Creep out your class with a critical thinking lesson focused on word relationships in Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." They investigate  the relationship between word choice, mood, and interpretation of a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Mary Heilmann: To Be Someone

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Urs Fischer: Your Choice: Reality or Illusion?

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Young analysts write a comparative essay, but about what? They compose a paper based on several critical discussion about reality and illusion, and how both are blurred in art. They analyze several theatre pieces that exemplify Brechtian...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Communication, What's Valued, and the Written Word

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Upper graders compare their cell phones to a lacquer box from the Japanese Edo Period. They consider how each is a form of communication and how the very nature of each object communicates social norms, ideology, and beliefs. A really...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Mathias Poledna: Crystal Palace

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Film analysis takes critical thinking, connections, and context. Upper graders look at the film installation, Crystal Palace in terms of the film makers choices, presentation, and perspective of truth. After an analytical discussion of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Unmonumental: Yesterday's News

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Upper graders are tasked with developing a social consciousness as they analyze the impact of the news media. They view a presentation depicting various media events in order to understand threshold moments in history. There are three...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Younger Than Jesus: Is a Young Generation's Multimedia Work Art?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
How has art changed? Are young people artists? What is art? These questions are up for discussion as critical thinkers examine several works of art expressed through multimedia. There are five different sessions outlined, complete with...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Art Criticism: Understanding Wayne Thiebaud's Salads, Sandwiches, and Desserts

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Analysis consists of an understanding and interpretation of evidence and elements found in any number of expressive mediums. Upper graders critique the work of American Realist Wayne Thiebaud through a series of excellent guided...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Paul Chan: Alternumeric Fonts

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learning to analyze language, symbols, and codes is part of becoming a deep and critical thinker. Young analysts consider their ability to see hidden messages as they analyze the work of Paul Chan. There are two fully developed...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Tomma Abts: Abstract Painting

For Teachers 9th - 12th
One must first learn how to analyze art before they can properly respond to it. Here, young analysts examine six abstract pieces in a systematic and formal way. They then respond to one of the pieces in either a poem or an essay. An...
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Lesson Plan
Brookly Museum

Mickalene Thomas: Origin of the Universe

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Modern art is great to experience because it brings contemporary issues into everyday conversation. Upper graders consider the work of Mickalene Thomas, an artist that uses photo collage techniques to capture the beauty of African...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Paul Chan: "Score for the 7th Light"

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Music, art, and poetry coalesce in a single exhibition, and in a single lesson. Critical thinkers analyze the Fluxus art movement as it's seen in the work of Paul Chan's 7 Lights. They consider the use of poetry and music in his work,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Double Album: The Collection and the Archive

For Teachers 9th - 12th
An open discussion starts this lesson off. The class takes a critical look at five works of art that demonstrate the impact and purpose of identity through collections or archives. They then write a list or draw 10-15 items found in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Interpreting Photographs: Part One

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Photography is a wonderful artistic medium used to express feelings, historical events, and nature. This worksheet provides three critical-analysis questions that require learners to take an in-depth look a photograph both physically and...
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Lesson Plan
Concordia University Chicago

The Pietá by Michelangelo Buonarroti

For Teachers 7th
Why is arts education so important? It builds critical thinking, analysis and creative problem-solving skills. Learners review the life of Michelangelo Buonarroti, and then analyze his piece, The Pieta. After that, they'll sculpt a human...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson Plan: How Coyote Came to Shuffle Off to Buffalo

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Creative kids read, discuss, play-act, and sketch to examine the cultural significance of Old Man Coyote. They listen to several stories involving Coyote, analyze the Harry Fonseca painting Shuffle Off to Buffalo, and write Coyote...
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Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

Cinema Cops

For Teachers 7th - 12th
A study of how public perception is both reflected and influenced by film and television, this instructional activity helps students develop an awareness of audience as well as a critical view of media. Depictions of police in television...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: After Nature: Visions and Visionaries

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Build visual literacy, discussion, and critical thinking skills with an innovative art instructional activity. Young analysts discuss the use of decalcomania, surrealism, and automatism in various contemporary pieces, discuss constructed...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

CNN Interactive: Reading, Discussing and Writing

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students access the internet for current news articles; increase awareness of issues in world news; to read critically; and to write critical reactions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Media Awareness: Key Concepts in Advertising

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine the basic concepts of advertising.  In this media awareness instructional activity, students discuss target audience, art, and purpose in advertising to determine what makes an advertisement effective or ineffective. ...
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Lesson Plan
Concordia University Chicago

The Cradle by Berthe Morisot

For Teachers 8th
The art activities found here have learners take a critical look at the role of women in the domestic setting. They analyze Berthe Morisot's The Cradle through a guided discussion. Then they paint men and women in traditional domestic...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Taking a Closer Look (Critical Viewing)

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore persuasive writing in advertisements. For this advertisements lesson, students evaluate tobacco advertisements for persuasion techniques. Students then create a counter advertisement against smoking.

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