University of Minnesota
Beautiful Brain: Strangest Dream
Do words change or add meaning or interest to a work of art? The final instructional activity in a four-part series on the beautiful brain as a work of art focuses on art analysis. Scholars write a story about exploring art from the...
Brooklyn Museum
HIDE/SEEK: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture
Visual arts lessons don't always mean the children need to make art. Here, they will practice using their visual literacy skills to analyze four images through the compare and contrast method. The first two images deal with gender...
Curated OER
Flora and Fauna as Figures of Speech
What a lovely way to incorporate artwork into your language arts lesson. View artwork in illustrated manuscript pages, depicting insects, animals, plants, flowers, and ornate writing in the Getty Museum. Practice using figurative...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan: Before and After a Moment in Time
Think about a moment, frozen in time. Now take a critical look at the painting, Better, Homes, Better Gardens. This painting works to provide learners the opportunity to analyze art, critique artist's choices, and write a story inspired...
KERA
Matisse and Picasso
Discover Modernism through the eyes of artists. Over the course of six well-thought-out lessons, learners examine works by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse while completing a range of collaborative and hands-on activities. A great resource!
Curated OER
Lesson Plan: A Miniature Game
Art inspires art, as children work to understand artistic forms that come from the imagination. They analyze the installation piece, Fox Games and then discuss the design process. They then use clay to create imaginative dioramas,...
Scholastic
What's Your Angle?
Identifying types of angles meets real-world application in an excellent, hands-on geometry activity. Learners use pipe cleaners and a visual model to independently discover the acute, right, or obtuse angles in their classroom,...
Curated OER
Art Attraction: Researching the Great Masters and their Works
Young scholars fill out worksheets where they analyze and provide information about different artists, visual art, art techniques, design, and more. For this art lesson plan, students complete 8 worksheets.
Curated OER
Creating AB Patterns
Students work with patterns. In this pattern activity, students find AB patterns in nature and the manmade world. They create their own AB pattern using math manipulatives and visual arts.
Curated OER
Depicting Women and Class in a Global Society
Young scholars explore visual arts that feature women. In this women in art lesson, students analyze "Marquise de Miramon, née Thérèse Feuillant" by Jacques Joseph Tissot and "The Milliners" by Edgar Germain Hilaire Degas. Young scholars...
Curated OER
Parts of Art
Young scholars define and use new vocabulary associated with the elements of art. As a class, they brainstorm different ways in which we communicate with one another. In groups, they view different pieces of art from the Native American...
Curated OER
Writing Through Art
Examine the works of visual and performing artists with upper graders. Using the works, they identify the comparisons among the techniques used. They will also review the six traits of effective writing and keep a writing journal...
Brooklyn Museum
Youth and Beauty: Art of the American Twenties
While the lesson is lacking in procedure, it does provide a wealth of information on artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi. Information on his life, art, and inspirations can provide you with insights into creating learning activities that convey...
National Gallery of Canada
Reinventing the World
After examining and discussing Guy Ben-Ner's Treehouse Kit, a contemporary art installation with a sculptural and video element, small groups work together to create short silent films. The films should be built around a particular topic...
Curated OER
James Wyeth: Capturing Dance
Students draw portraits of a dancer. In this visual-arts instructional activity, students study the work of James Wyeth online. They then watch a dance performance and sketch 10 - 15 pieces depicting dancers. Five of these sketches will...
Curated OER
A Fair Trade
Students examine a piece of art to find objects and symbols used by the artist. In this visual art lesson, students look at Jaun Quick-to-See Smith's, "Trade Canoe for Don Quixote." They look for symbols and items that show the artists...
Curated OER
When Art Conveys a Political Message
Twelfth graders learn art is an effective way to convey a political message. They learn how political messages are created to convey a message. They analyze a piece of artwork and then write a short paragraph from the point of view of...
EngageNY
End of Unit 2 Assessment, Parts 1A and 1B: Fishbowl on Screen Time and Adolescents
Here's a surefire way to ensure that class discussions go swimmingly! Using the resource, scholars participate in a Fishbowl activity, forming two concentric circles in the classroom. As the group on the inside of the fishbowl discusses...
Curated OER
An American Scene Painter
Students study the work of American scene painter Charles Burchfield. In this visual arts lesson, students research the nature paintings of Burchfield and then paint their own watercolor scenes in his style.
Curated OER
Plagiarism Workshop
What do George Harrison, Vanilla Ice, and Steven Ambrose all have in common? The Warner Brothers’ films Batman Forever and The Devil’s Advocate? All are guilty of plagiarism. And if you are considering a research project and want to...
Curated OER
Visual Arts Lesson: St. Michael, the Archangel
Sixth graders examine art of indigenous cultures of Mexico, and how sculpture represents European and indigenous traditions; students describe the process and materials used, and create their own sculptures in a lightweight material.
Curated OER
Some see art, some see vandalism
Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes. Students conduct research on issues and interests by...
Curated OER
Up From the Streets: Hip Hop as a Recognized Art
Students discuss the historical roots of Hip-Hop to the present as an example of an art form that arose from the street into popular culture. Emphasis is placed on in-class discussion and written reflections in this introductory lesson.
Curated OER
Dali & Desnos
Learners explore surreal art and poetry. In this visual arts lesson plan, students examine works by André Breton, Robert Desnos, Salvador Dalí, and Joan Miro. Learners then apply the techniques in the works they analyze to their own poetry.