Teaching Tolerance
Fairness Fair
How can we create a more fair world? Chances are, class members have some ideas! After reading a text about fairness, individuals create skits around the ideas of fairness. Extend the learning and make their presentations a...
New York City Department of Education
Theater Units for Lower and Upper Elementary Levels
Introduce middle schoolers to playwriting and the elements of drama with a six-session storytelling unit that encourages kids to expand their acting and writing skills. The 12-page packet includes overviews of the lessons,...
Curated OER
"Zebra" by Chaim Potok
Combine art and literature to teach greater themes and symbolic meaning. Using the plan outlined in this resource, expose your class to the story "Zebra" by Chaim Potok, conduct discussions about social issues and nicknames, and ask...
National Gallery of Canada
Class Commission
Simulate a real-life situation with a project proposal activity for an art installation. Learners look at work by Joe Fafard and examine his website for information about public art displays. They also search for other proposals for...
Curated OER
Color Your Destiny
Eighth graders read and discuss a variety of children's books that deal with feelings, self-concept and how they affect a person's perceptions of themselves as well as their world. They also tie in interrelationships of visual and...
Curated OER
Abstractions/Gestures
Students examine and display the differences between literal, and non-literal movement and abstraction using a creative project in movement. This project originates as an individual item, culminating in a small group performance.
Curated OER
Let Your Motto Be Resistance: African American Portraits: Grades 3-5
Students explore the contributions of African Americans of the 20th century. In this African American history lesson, students examine portraits of Muhammad Ali, Romare Bearden, Lorraine Hansberry, Judith Jamison, and Leontyne Price in...
Global Oneness Project
Exploring the Creative Process
Launch a discussion of the creative process with a short video that features the daily ritual of Slobodan Dan Paich, a San Francisco artist. Slobodan models his approach to tea painting and shares his reflections on the...
Curated OER
Bands Reunited: The English Beat and Berlin
Students listen to and discuss popular music that addresses political and social issues of oppression, but in a joyful way. They role play as artistic teams and plan a music video that may be used for a specific song.
Curated OER
Let the Good Times Roll! with Louisiana Music
Seventh graders examine the role of the different types of music originating in Louisiana. Using the information they gathered, they create a PowerPoint presentation about an artist who plays Louisiana music. They compare and contrast...
Curated OER
Sgraffito With Clay and Underglazes
Learners create a ceramicpiece by using the sgraffito technique. For this ceramics lesson, students use clay to create a shape of a mask. Learners add an underglaze to the mask and applies the sgraffito technique to create designs.
Curated OER
Animal Self-portrait Mosaics: A Visual Arts Elective
Out-lined here is a two-week procedure that has the class creating ceramic animal tiles that are metaphorical representations of their own personalities. They discuss animal images found throughout history, what they mean, metaphor, and...
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Introduction to Color: The Foundation of Art and Design
What is the most favorite color in the world? The series of lessons all about color and the color wheel, asks kids to research color, create an eye-spy activity, watch videos, and examine the color choices made by artists in their...
Curated OER
Looking at different cultures and how music from differing cultures changes movements, meaning and mood
Each of the three dance lessons included here will get your class moving. The first lesson allows learners to explore how music and movement differ in meaning depending on cultural context. Lesson two gives them an opportunity to create...
Curated OER
Lines of Symmetry
Pupils practice dance to divide the space or body shape into equal sections to create symmetry in dance. In this symmetry instructional activity, students practice symmetrical and asymmetrical movements in dance. Pupils participate in...
Curated OER
Self-Portrait Unit - Lesson #1
Fourth graders create self-portraits using artistic elements found in Hispanic culture and, specifically, the art of Frida Kahlo. The lesson can be adapted for any culture/country and requires an outside person with cultural knowledge.
Curated OER
Protest Songs
Students analyze and perform an American social protest song. They describe its historical setting, consider the effectiveness of the music and recognize that popular music is a reflection of American culture.
Curated OER
The Element of Color
Eighth graders study and analyze the elements of color by creating an personalized color wheel. Emphasis is placed on constructive criticism of student work by others for assessment. Students create short poems for their color wheel...
Curated OER
WebQuest 1: Design and Build a Music Technology Lab for Our School
Students complete a WebQuest related to music. They work together to develop a design for a music technology lab. They build the lab for all students to enjoy.
Curated OER
One Moment in Time
Students discuss the Mimetic theory and design a still life design in linoleum block. In this Mimetic theory instructional activity, students discuss the importance of realism in art and research Greek and Roman art forms from...
Curated OER
Melodia Sight-Singing
Students practice sight-singing skills in this Choral lesson for the High School mixed-choir. Emphasis is placed on State and National Standards in the Arts and the song "Dirait-on", a piece by Morten Lauridson, based on the French...
Curated OER
Cell Organelles
Students explore biology by researching living cells. In this living organism instructional activity, students participate in a role-playing activity in which all the students in class form one plant cell by portraying specific parts of...
Curated OER
Folk Rock Singers and Songwriters
Learners listen to and analyze songs of folk rock musicians of 1970 and then compose and perform a song in a popular or folk style for acoustic guitar and voice or for two acoustic guitars.
Curated OER
The English Beat and Berlin - Lesson 2
Students discuss how groups work together, specifically in relation to issues that bring a band together and/or push them apart. They work with peers to develop and exhibit a prospective band's concept.