Curated OER
Line, Shape, and Texture
High schoolers are introduced to various types of artwork by various artists. In groups, they identify the lines and shapes used by the artist to create a specific texture. They write a paper of their observations and discuss them as a...
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Bright Star, would I were a as thou art Questions
In this reading comprehension learning exercise, students respond to 5 short answer and essay questions based on the poem "Bright Star, would I were steadfast as thou art."
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Lord of the Flies Survivor
Twelfth graders read and discuss the story elements and themes of the novel, Lord of the Flies. They simulate survivor groups through quizzes and voting off the group with the lowest scores, and group e-mail discussions.
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Back to the Past
What was the Untied States like in 1938? What were the concerns of Americans in the post World War I era? What were their fears? What were their sources of news and entertainment? To understand the reaction to Orson Welles' radio...
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Pick A Short Story
Students select a short story and apply various literary elements they have used throughout the year. They deconstruct a short story according to plot, setting, characterization, and theme. Students create a PowerPoint.
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Dancing through Poetry
Get your class up and moving as they explore how to express movement and dance through words. Designed around two poems by Lillian Morrison about break dancing, the activity truly captures the creative and multi-sensory aspects of...
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Digital Kids Club-Painted Faces
Students use technology to blend a photo of something they like with a picture of their face. Students work with layers, saturation, selecting tools, filters, and affects. Students use Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 in order to create...
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Writing Template
Give your writers the chance to organize their thoughts before writing a story with this graphic organizer. Simple and easy to understand, the lines provided prompt elementary learners to write the main characters, main events, and...
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Understanding Theme with Fables
What is the moral of the story? Ask your class to read a series of fables from which the last line has been removed. After supplying this concluding statement, they must justify their responses. This could be used as an individual or...
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Analyzing Poetry with TPCASTT
Middle schoolers read a poem and complete a TPCASTT chart. They make a prediction about the title (T) , paraphrase each line (P), identify poetic devices and nuances (C-connotation), explore mood and tone (A-attitude), point out shifts...
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Details, Details, Details
Writing can become one-dimensional if authors don't involve all their senses. First, scholars observe a strange object which, ideally, they can touch and even smell. Without using certain words (you can create a list or have the class...
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Geometric Abstraction
Students create an abstract work of art that is made by repeating geometric shapes and lines, write concise instructions to reproduce the work of art and reproduce someone else's artwork via written instructions.
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Space and Science Fiction
Use the Franklin Institute's exhibition "An Inquirer's Guide to the Universe" to have students research ideas for a science fiction story. After completing their research, writers will compose science fiction stories that incorporate...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Illustrating Text
Ideas like this are highly effective for helping build better reading comprehension. The class listens to an excerpt from a grade-appropriate text, and they discuss what clues or words helped them visualize the scene. They then read a...
Museum of Tolerance
Music Evokes Memories and Emotions
Dim the lights, take a deep breath, and press play to explore the emotions and memories that music elicits. Class members begin using relaxation techniques designed to create a positive listening experience. As music plays, learners...
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Soft Sculpture Birds
Art can mimic life, and animals are always interesting subjects. Learners create large soft sculptures (stuffed) birds using paper, paint, and other basic collage materials. They view images of birds, and discuss bird traits and shapes....
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Let's Talk About Painting
Second graders identify the elements of the arts. In this visual arts lesson, 2nd graders read the book Matthew's Dream and discuss the elements of the arts. Students create their own paintings according to the style of specific artists.
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Media Awareness: Helping a Product Cross the Finish Line
Students develop critical thinking skills to understand and create advertisements. In this journalism lesson, students analyze the elements necessary for effective advertisements and work in cooperative groups to create and present...
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Draw Me a Mammal!
Fifth graders illustrate at least three art elements in a drawing of a mammal they've read about with 100% accuracy. As a review, Bloom's Taxonomy questions are asked as they prepare to sketch something they pictured in the story they read.
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Fused Glass Landscape
Learners research and recognize work of several glass artists such as Chihuly, Tiffany, and Wright, define landscape and other relevant vocabulary terms, and create full fused glass plate/bowl using landscape and/or nature as subject...
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To Freeze or Not to Freeze
Students examine the non-verbal elements of a theatrical performance. They read an article, answer discussion questions, conduct Internet research, and stage frozen tableaux based on lines from Shakespeare's works.
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Shaping the View: Symmetry and Balance
Students view an image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art and identify the focal point of the painting. They discuss symmetry and balance as it pertains to the images. Students use the Student LaunchPad (linked to this lesson) to help...
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Look Before You Think: How To Appreciate a Painting
Young scholars develop an elementary understanding of the history of art. They study the basic elements of a painting including perspective, composition, color, light and symbolism. They look at each selected painting and analyze it,...
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Shaping the View: Composition Basics
Students view images from the Metropolitan Museum of Art web site, and list the objects and figures in the image. They discuss the way their eyes move around the canvas and take note of where their eyes fall, follow and finish. Students...