The final session in a sequential, three-lesson sculpture study designed by the education staff of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles has class members using the criterial they developed to critique each others' symbolic sculptures.

Middle schoolers will sing the praises of this music program. The resource, designed as an overview for music instructors, is loaded with ideas, activities, and links. Not a sour note in the packet. 

A carefully crafted three-day lesson integrates poetry and visual art. By analyzing and comparing Langston Hughes' poem "Mother and Son" and Romare Bearden's collage "The Dove," readers explore the theme of hope. The lesson activates...

Invite your youngsters to learn about a state or region through their choice of a creative project. The resource lists 15 project options that range from a 3-D map of the area, to a puppet show about the region. Pupils can also propose...

Students brainstorm a list of potential uses for micro-video technologies. After reading an article, they analyze the development of a new pill-sized camera. In groups, they create a children's book that shows them the various systems of...

I absolutely love this idea. Children with visual impairments create tactile journals which describe an event from the previous week in an artistic way. They verbally describe one event from the previous week and then use a wide array of...

High schoolers examine the New York Times review of the film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and explore the elements of scriptwriting. They read the article about the film adaptation screenplay and examine a...

Students are asked to write down their favorite artists pieces of work, or styles on this journal, perhaps to serve as a preassessment before starting to look at various styles.

Students consider the notion of beauty and what impact the media and popular culture have on it. In this cross curricular lesson, students examine print ads, write down and share their thoughts on them. Then students form literary groups...

Students realize that play is an important part of life and in the effort to staying healthy. They explore the role of play in society. In addition, they illustrate listening and speaking strategies for different purposes that pertain to...

Learners brainstorm ideas of thankfulness or being grateful for things and use these ideas to create a personal gratitude journal. They build a book using copy paper, twigs and rubber bands then explore different techniques to create a...

Readers reflect on enjoyable stories they know, brainstorm criteria that make a story "good," analyze a New York Times article about innovative children's performances, re-envision classics on their own, and peer edit drafts. Use this as...

Students critique the symbolic structures created by other students. In this visual arts lesson, students display completed sculptures and drawings. Students analyze the symbolic elements in each others work, relate their art to Getty's...

Examine the works of visual and performing artists with upper graders. Using the works, they identify the comparisons among the techniques used. They will also review the six traits of effective writing and keep a writing journal...

Students analyze and discuss various sculptures by the artist Andrea Arroyo. They discuss ways artists use symbols to express abstract ideas, design and create a plasticine plaque, and write a journal response.

Students observe the art of Henri Matisse and discuss the ideas and feelings his art brings about. In this Henri Matisse lesson plan, students look at many of his artistic paintings and discuss and write in a journal the point of view...

Learners explore the importance of the family holiday meal, read and discuss "Pass the Turkey, Tamales, Kugel and Criticism" and write their own renditions of a fictitious family's holiday evening.

Young scholars examine "serious" choral music written for student choirs and the composers who write it. They reflect upon the notion of "serious" music, and examine the trend of concert composers writing pieces for student chorus

Search for artwork using online museum databases. Young artists will create their own online art treasure hunts based on a specific theme and set of criteria.

As part of their exploration of the American dream, class members examine primary source materials to compare immigrant experiences of those arriving early in our country's history to those arriving in the US after World War...

There is no such thing as someone who is not artistic when using this app. In fact, this is the type of app that makes you want to go out and buy a tablet computer. Whether you have a creative lesson planned, or just need a place to take...

Learners create covers for their "nature journals" using watercolor techniques and the artistic ideas of color, depth, and focal point. This instructional activity can be used in the Science or Art classroom and meets national standards...

Students learn about and create a pet rock.  In this creative expression lesson, students pick a rock to make into their "pet".  Students use various art materials to create their pets and write a personal profile which...

Students consider the ways that sculptors have represented concepts and ideals as symbolic forms in three dimensions. They compare historical examples to those in contemporary culture, and begin sketching designs for their own symbolic...