See the changes, controversy, and innovations that define postwar American art. The onset of the modern art era in American history is well-defined in this slide-show. You'll see how Abstract Expressionism shifted into conceptual, pop,...

Upper graders explore the concepts of landscape art, man, nature and their inter-relationship. This is a critical thinking and analysis activity intended to prepare the class for an up coming trip to a local art museum. They analyze,...

Did you know that some languages have no word for art? The English language does and the narrator of this short video discusses the aesthetic dimension of religious art as it "visually communicates meaning beyond language." 

Young artists of many ages apply yarn painting techniques in combining their ideas and their art. After viewing actual examples of yarn paintings created by the Huichol people, learners choose an important scene from their own lives...

Are you teaching Modernism to your class? Connect different areas of artistic expression in the Modernist Era. Learners read T.S. Eliot, view art by Pablo Picasso, and listen to a Modernist musical composition. This final assignment is...

In 1538 a portrait and a praise poem were created in honor of Edward, Prince of Wales. Your class will analyze the poem and painting, research the life of young Edward, then use the information to create a Facebook page. They will...

Students study the life and art of George Rounalt as they examine his painting, "The Clown." They study the Nazi campaign against modern art such as the Degenerate Art exhibition of 1937. Finally, they create an original piece of art...

Students study the history of Matisse as an artist and focus upon his influences upon the style of art that he was famous for. The learners perform research about the life and works. Then they create a work of art that is similar to the...

Take a look at the French Revolution and neo-classic art, then compare it to current social issues and contemporary art. Kids analyze several pieces painted by Jacques-Louis David in regard to style and subject then compare them to...

West Side Story is widely known as a modern-day Romeo & Juliet. Learners read a list of characters from the play and list their counterparts from Romeo & Juliet before completing a vocabulary enrichment activity and word...

Students explore industrial design and photography with an emphasis on the history of Paris. In this modern art lesson, students analyze and discuss the images of modern city life in Paris and the Eiffel Tower. Students participate in a...

Students research Depression-era art and WPA arts programs. They discuss the purposes of representational art, list topics that would make good representational art today, and produce a work of art representing a current theme.

Students analyze the war art of Pablo Picasso. In this art analysis lesson, students define political art and explore Picasso's response to war in his art. Students complete image based discussion and two related activities.

Students identify the social climate that created the terms Degenerative Art and Fascist Aesthetic. They also identify how and why certain artists' artwork fell into these categories. Students recognize and discuss the Expressionist...

Did you know that modern Chinese literature “grew from the psychoanalytical theory of Sigmund Freud”? Designed for a world literature class, seniors are introduced to “One Evening in the Rainy Season,” Shi Zhecun’s stream of...

Describe, analyze, compare and contrast poets from the Harlem Renaissance. Critical thinkers analyze the imagery, characterization, tone, symbolism, and historical context of Jacob Lawrence, Helene Johnson, and Paul Laurence Dunbar. A...

Taking students from the origins of Neoclassical art, architecture, sculpture, painting, and decorative arts to the "sunset" of the artistic movement, this slideshow provides ample infomation and examples of the art form. The slides...

Eighth graders use modern materials and technology to create a modern portrait modeled after a Renaissance picture.

Middle schoolers study a commercial art form and explore its historic and social meaning. They apply linear color to a shape, bending and forming the lines in much the same way a sign artist would form glass tubing. They design their own...

Writing poetry in ancient China was the modern equivalent of sending a greeting card. Scholars learn about the ancient Chinese poetic form called the lu shih. They read about the context of poetry during the T'ang Dynasty and complete a...

Students analyze Edward Hopper's painting and Hirsch's poem to explore the types of emotion generated by each work. In this literary and art analysis lesson plan, students discuss how Hopper establishes tone and analyze Hirsch's use of...

Young scholars discover visual arts by creating sculptures in class. In this personal expression instructional activity, students research the Internet and examine different examples of modern sculptures and 3 dimensional art. Young...

Students analyze art that depicts the modern city and the effects the modern world had on artists. In this art analysis lesson, students view examples of modern city art and answer questions for each example. Students research Derain's...