Curated OER
The Renaissance: How did it change the world?
Eighth graders identify the conditions in Medieval Europe that contributed to the beginning of the Renaissance. They find characteristics of the Renaissance in its art, economy, discoveries, and ideas. They examine the ideas of Humanism...
Curated OER
The Renaissance Person: composing an Extended Definition Essay
Students recognize the characteristics of an extended definition. For this Renaissance person lesson, students read a collection of short stories. Students research the definitions of Renaissance and Renaissance person. Students write...
National Gallery of Canada
Mastering One-Point Perspective
Cover one-point perspective through observation and practice. Class members examine several works of art that use one-point perspective, look at magazine images to find the vanishing points and horizon lines, and draw their own city...
Curated OER
Poets Got Them Blues
Contemplate what music learners listen to and why they listen. Can they find poetry within music lyrics? Specifically hone in on blues lyrics and ruminate upon the social issues prevalent in the themes. Particular song lyrics coincide...
Curated OER
Rhythm and Improv, Jazz and Poetry
Connect the ideas of jazz improvisation and art to writing poetry. Learners collaborate and write different lines of poetry, imitating the jazz styles of improvisation and freewriting. Take a close look at the poems "Tenebrae" by Yusef...
Curated OER
Spiritual Space
Students explore Italian Renaissance artwork. In this visual arts instructional activity, students examine "Madonna, Saint Thomas Aquinas, and Saint Paul'" by Bernardo Daddi. Students investigate the use of space, scale, and proportion...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Jacob Lawrence's Migration Series: Removing the Mask
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...
Curated OER
Leonardo da Vinci: Artist, Scientist, Inventor
Students explore the connection of art, science, and history during the Renaissance Period. For this art lesson, students watch a PowerPoint presentation with examples of da Vinci's work. To finish this lesson, students write a report on...
Incredible Art
1, 2, and 3-Point Perspective
Introduce drawing learners to perspective with a series of lesson that detail how to draft images in one-, two-, and three-point perspective. Each exercise includes step-by-step, illustrated directions and examples.
Curated OER
Renaissance Man Comparison Poster
Students watch a PBS video entitled Suleiman to help them identify characteristics associated with Renaissance notables. After watching the video, individually or in small groups, the students will research a notable Renaissance figure...
Curated OER
The Harlem Renaissance: Black American Traditions
High schoolers examine the time period of the Harlem Renaissance. As a class, they are introduced to five artists and discuss their art and techniques. Using the internet, they also research the philosophers of the time period and how...
Curated OER
Harlem Renaissance and Toni Morrison's Jazz
Students study the historical time of the Harlem Renaissance, including key events and figures. They read literature that weaves fiction and history and survey some of the references to the Harlem Renaissance in the novel, Jazz, by Toni...
Curated OER
Visualizing Jazz Scenes From the Harlem Renaissance
Students identify themes of selected nonfiction, fiction, poetry and art to Harlem Renaissance jazz and describe the impact of jazz on African-American literature of the Harlem Renaissance
Curated OER
Renaissance 'Movers and Shakers.'
Sixth graders complete a research project. In this research and Renaissance lesson, 6th graders take a pre-test on important Renaissance figures and discuss their answers. Students research their Renaissance figure and present their...
Curated OER
Harlem Renaissance
Young scholars investigate the African American culture in the 1920's and the Harlem Renaissance. They read and analyze poems written by poets of the Harlem Renaissance, listen to jazz music and identify the characteristics of the...
Curated OER
Renaissance Realities
Students analyze passages by Niccolo Machiavelli and Francis Bacon as an analysis of Renaissance ideas in contemporary situations. For this Renaissance writings lesson, students read excerpts from Machiavelli's The Prince and multiple...
Curated OER
Harlem Renaissance
Students discover the Harlem Renaissance. In this early 20th century instructional activity, students use various primary sources including handouts, worksheets, maps, music, and poetry to examine aspects of African American culture....
Curated OER
Pop Culture Icons: Medieval Music
Kids compare and contrast music from the past to the present. They listen to and review the characteristics of Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and Pop music. Then, they discuss the differences in each and how musical icons from the past...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian In Your Classroom: The Music in Poetry
Take poetry off the page and put it into terms of movement, physical space and, finally, music with this series of three lessons from the Smithsonian Institution. This resource introduces students to two poetic forms that originated as...
Curated OER
Text as Object and Art: Aesthetic Impact on Audience Reception of Books in the Early Renaissance and Today
Tenth graders examine the role that aesthetics play in the publication of books. In groups, they apply the concept of physical affectation on each reader's experience to literature. They also compare and contrast the varied types of...
Curated OER
Give It All You’ve Got Heroes and Visual Art
Sure, your young artists probably know Van Gogh and Picasso, but are they equally as familiar with Frida Kahlo and Andy Warhol? Small groups examine the work of famous artists. Then, they create their own hero portraits in Cubist style...
Curated OER
The Harlem Renaissance Movement and its Music
Harlem Renaissance lesson plans can bring the music, poetry, and literature of this time period alive.
Curated OER
Medieval Natural Resources
Students identify and research natural resources used in art. In this Renaissance art materials lesson plan, students look at examples of illuminated manuscripts and learn what materials were used to create the books. Then, students are...
Curated OER
The South, the North and the Great Migration: Blues and Literature
Here is a complex lesson plan that interweaves the history of the Jim Crow South and the Great Migration with the study of poetry, art, and blues music from the Harlem Renaissance. The plan helps young historians develop a deep...