Handout
Art Cyclopedia

Artcyclopedia: Artists by Movement: Symbolism

For Students 9th - 10th
Artcyclopedia describes what symbolism is along with a list of symbolist artists. Click on an artist to find more information on them.
Website
Canadian Museum of History

Canadian Museum of History: Gallery

For Students 9th - 10th
This article is easy to navigate for students of all ages. Provides examples of Chinese artwork: plants and flowers, birds, mammals, landscapes, portraits, semi-realist landscapes, symbolic art, and abstract art.
Handout
University of Michigan

University of Michigan: Online Symbolism Dictionary

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Great website where you can look up literary symbols in a searchable index. For each symbol there is a brief explanation of its significance and links to other related symbols.
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Neh: Edsit Ement: Cave Art Discovering Prehistoric Humans

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
By studying cave paintings, students learn about prehistoric cultures and the stories and ideas they wished to communicate to others through art. The lesson plan presented on this website aims to show young students the significance of...
Handout
Boston College

Boston College: 19th and 20th Century Art Links

For Students 9th - 10th
This site contains many different art styles including symbolism. Found about 1/3 down the page, symbolist artists are listed. Click on each link for more information.
Website
Other

West African Wisdom: Adinkra Symbols & Meanings

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource is an "Adinkra symbol index." Use it to find descriptions and meanings behind the African symbols shown.
eBook
Cornell University

Cornell University: Art, Design, and Visual Thinking

For Students 9th - 10th
Use the left-hand toolbar of this site to investigate an online textbook for the language of design. It provides visual examples and explanations of line, form, color, color psychology, texture, balance, proportion and many more...
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of African Art: Artful Animals

For Students 9th - 10th
African artists commonly base their work on animals observed in their natural habitats. Artful Animals lets you view African art that takes animals as its subject and inspiration. Learn about animals as symbols in African art, the beauty...
eBook
National Gallery of Art

National Gallery of Art: The Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt

For Students 9th - 10th
An interesting site with examples of Egyptian art from the National Gallery of Art in Washington. This article discusses pharaohs, sphinxes, symbols, mummification, and much more. [PDF]
Lesson Plan
Yale University

Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: Popular Mexican Arts

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This site has a curriculum unit for high school students on popular Mexican art. Provides four lesson plans, links, a bibliography, and even video suggestions.
Website
Minneapolis Institute of Arts

Minneapolis Institute of Arts: World Myths and Legends in Art

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Fully comprehensive site that dives into world myths and world cultures. View art that expresses mythological themes from various cultures around the world and learn about cultural similarities and differences. Key words for learning,...
Website
Huntington Library

Huntington Library: Art Wonders

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Can portraits talk? What's in a landscape? How do artists make furniture? ArtWonders helps young learners ask and answer the kinds of questions that make observing art an interactive experience.
Handout
ArtLex

Art Lex: Surrealism

For Students 9th - 10th
This Artlex website gives a detailed definition of Surrealism including its founder, influences, examples of this type of art, and its relationship to dadaism.
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Forms of Art Symbolism

For Teachers 4th Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text on symbolism in art. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Website
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Arts and Humanities: Art of Asia

For Students 9th - 10th
A landing page for a course on the art history of Asia.
Website
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Arts and Humanities: Looking at Art

For Students 9th - 10th
Course covering why art matters, elements of art, and principles of composition.
Handout
ArtLex

Art Lex: Symbolism

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from ArtLex provides an examination of the symbolist art movement discusses its characteristics, lists some of the artists associated with the movement, and provides numerous examples of paintings to view.
Article
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Look for the Symbol in the Sculpture

For Students 3rd - 8th
This websites answers the question, "What is a Symbol?" Click on the sculptures for a description of the symbols in each work.
Article
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Symbolism

For Students 3rd - 8th
This websites provides a detailed article about symbolism in art.
Website
Other

West African Wisdom: Adinkra Symbols & Meanings

For Students 9th - 10th
Dozens of African adinkra symbols and their meanings.
Graphic
Metropolitan Museum of Art

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Byzantium

For Students 9th - 10th
From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, view an excellent online exhibit of artwork created during the Middle Byzantine period from 843 to 1261. Religious influences during this time were the inspiration for art, and this exhibit provides a...
Primary
National Library of France

National Library of France: The Art of the Arabic Book

For Students 9th - 10th
Explore the pages and elements of Arabic books throughout history by looking at examples and details of codices, illuminated texts, artistic scripts, calligraphy instruments, scientific illustrations, book bindings, and contemporary...
Lesson Plan
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Sf Mo Ma Art Think: A Personal Narrative

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Find a matched set of activities--each with a slightly different disciplinary emphasis--that takes participants through a close examination of the work of contemporary California artists Joan Brown and Jay DeFeo. Their work often...
Graphic
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian American Art Museum: The Land Through a Lens

For Students 9th - 10th
"The Land Through a Lens: Highlights from the Smithsonian American Art Museum," features 84 photographs from the early years of photography in the 1850s through the 20th century. Included in the collection are works by early, modern, and...

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