Students discover how moods and perceptions can be affected by colors. As a class, they create their own color wheel and identify primary and secondary colors. They draw their own cool and warm color mosaic and discuss how each one of...

Photographs can show a range of emotions. Discuss Dorothea Lange's photo Migrant Mother and a range of other images in relation to emotion. After the discussion, class members contribute to a set of photographs that express various...

Blue is sad, and red is angry, but why is that? Young artists explore the expression of emotions through art by observing and creating artwork. Starting with a questioning session about images of art, this plan moves into a sculpture...

High schoolers study child labor in the 19th century through one painting and multiple photographs. In discussion and writing, they consider the differences between photography and painting as mediums for expressing these attitudes.

Scholars get to know famous Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh, as an artist as well as a person. After reading personal letters and analyzing paintings, participants paint two self-portraits that represent their personality. Then, write a...

Budding artists explore the nature of emotion through artistic expression. They discuss feelings, colors, line, and design, mix colors and then create an emotive piece that expresses a singular emotion. There are three cross-curricular...

The second and third movements of the Eroica, Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, provides listeners with an opportunity to connect to French Revolution and to Napoleon Bonaparte. As they listen to the music, individuals draw what their ears...

Students create a celebratory hat after viewing images of artwork depicting people celebrating an event. In this artistic perception lesson plan, students discover why people celebrate their accomplishments and how to express feelings...

Facial expressions can communicate complex emotions. Examine expressions in several hyperrealistic works of art before beginning a project. Learners will create their own clay faces that show an emotion using either photos or their own...

Students create a photomontage. In this lesson plan on photography as a means of conveying emotion, students use images gathered from the Internet to create a photomontage comparing how water is used in Africa and the U.S.

Young scholars explore emotions represented in artwork.  In this cross curriculum social studies and art lesson plan, students explain examples of political and social issues expressed in artwork by Dorthea Lang, Diego Rivera, Dan...

This is a terrific art analysis worksheet that has kids thinking critically about art, symbolism, and history. They answer several questions regarding basic art elements and then delve into a thoughtful analysis.

Young scholars investigate drawings of couples. In this art history lesson plan, students examine the techniques artists use to convey emotions such as caring, love, and togetherness. Young scholars utilize these techniques to create...

Pupils dance to the song by Kids in Motion called "Show Me What You Feel" and create their own individual style of creative expression at the given cues for the specific emotions using a colored scarf and body movements.

Learners dance the image of falling snow. They move, swing, fall, and rise to music working to depict snow falling, the sun, and high/low movements. This is a well-thought out lesson that aids them in seeing movement as a form of...

Students create 8 inch, or bigger, clay sculptures of the human form in this Art lesson introducing clay sculpting techniques. The works of artists studied in preparation include Henry Moore, Michelangelo, Degas, Rodin and John Quincy...

Young drama pupils will perform a number of expressive speaking exercises as they consider the themes of responsibility, consequences, and justice in the very modern Australian play The Stones. With a lot of role playing and...

Third graders analyze the life and work of Keith Haring. In this art criticism lesson, 3rd graders view images of his artwork, produce an anthology of his life's work and discuss his achievements. Students will recreate some of his work...

Students create a pen and ink drawing using words to determine values choosing a work with high emotional content and incorporating words that describe the picture's content placing words together tighter, made bolder, etc. to achieve...

Fifth graders investigate human emotion by analyzing photographs they have taken.  In this human face lesson plan, 5th graders collaborate in pairs to take pictures of another student while they are expressing different emotions....

A neat art project is on the horizon. Your class can experience impasto, or textured painting with this expressive art instructional activity. They design and then paint using the impasto technique. This is done by mixing toilet paper...

Students examine the elements of composition in various artworks. They analyze and discuss paintings, explore "The National Gallery of Art" website, identify the shape of compositions in paintings, and draw a diagram.

A picture can speak louder than words. An interesting lesson introduces the themes of social justice and diversity to young learners by having them create artwork. Scholars create collages from a variety of sources to showcase what...

Young scholars explore colors through storytelling and dance. In this visual arts activity, students view the painting "Bird and Cornstalk Rug" and identify three colors. Young scholars express how the colors make them feel through the...