Curated OER
Symmetry with Shapes
Students analyze a symmetrical stamp design with an equal balance of light and dark to create a pattern in succession. In this shape design lesson, students review concepts of sign, symbol and language across cultures. Students analyze...
Curated OER
If These Walls Could Talk
Young scholars explore Enlightenment and Neoclassical art. In this visual arts instructional activity, students compare and contrast images of architecture from both styles. Young scholars create visual art designs that feature the...
Curated OER
Goli Mask Baule, Ivory Coast
Pupils create Goli masks. In this visual arts lesson, students design and create Goli and Kifwebe-style masks that feature symmetry in the style of those found on the Ivory Coast.
Curated OER
Origami Ducks: Geometry, Listening, and Following Directions
Make origami ducks with your class to reinforce geometry concepts and vocabulary; develop fine motor and visual translation skills; and enrich study of Japanese culture, the pond habitat, or migration. Create a whole group "worksheet"...
Asian Art Museum
Create Your Own Samurai (Breastplate) Armor
Your class is going to love this activity. They get out their rulers, cardboard, and paints as they make Samurai breastplates. The simple art lesson lends itself to many different subjects such as, math/measurement, world history, and...
National Gallery of Canada
A Unity Wall Drawing
Build class community with an art project. Learners first examine and discuss works of art. They then contribute to a class mural by tracing their hands and decorating them in relation to their own cultures. The final mural incorporates...
Curated OER
Ancient Aztecs
Is it a calendar? A religious symbol? A political statement? One thing for certain is that Aztec sun stone designs remain an important symbol in Mexican cultural art. Young artists craft their own Aztec Sun design incorporating ideas...
Curated OER
If These Walls Could Talk
Students compare Neoclassical objects from the Getty collection to American civic architecture of the time. They discuss the moral and political ideas of the Enlightenment and articulate how these art forms influenced democratic thought...
Curated OER
If These Walls Could Talk
Students investigate the influence of the Enlightenment on American society and government. For this Enlightenment lesson, students work cooperatively in groups to define the principles of the Enlightenment, American democracy, and...
Curated OER
Hachimaki/Shibori Lesson Plan
Sixth graders are introduced to the technique of Arashi Shibori and its history. In groups, they discover how to perform this process and examine how to do hachimaki. To end the lesson, they make their own hachimaki to wear and share it...
Curated OER
Inspirational Mapping for the Corps of Discovery
Third graders use a computer software entitled, Inspiration, in order to create a map or web of what Lewis and Clark should have packed for their journey west. They are given the expectations of the teacher and a scoring guide is...
Curated OER
Looking at French Decorative Arts: A Tapestry Fit For a King
Students discuss the use of tapestries, and examine the tapestry, Chariot of Triumph, and its symbols. They create their own designs for tapestries using symbols that represent their identities.
Curated OER
African Ceremonial Masks
Fourth graders examine and discuss the purposes and traditions of African ceremonial masks. They design and create African ceremonial masks using various materials.
Curated OER
Hachimaki/Shibori
Sixth graders investigate a Japanese dyeing method, Arashi shibori, its history and its process. They are introduced to hachimaki, a Japanese headband, and make their own to wear.
Curated OER
Celebrating Ancestors
Students participate in a "hands-on" activity, to explain that African masks were and are more than aesthetic artifacts, they are functional implements of the many cultures of the African continent.
Curated OER
Artists, Architects, and Architecture
Students are introduced to the concept of architecture and how it has changed over time. In groups, they discuss how the places people have built reflects their values and needs. They use the internet to research the history of...