Curated OER
References to Antiquity in Visual Arts (1848 - 1914)
Examine the Latin and Greek language and civilization during the 19th century by exploring the mediums available then. Students examine scenes related to Greek and Roman literature and compare and contrast them.
Curated OER
Art Critic for a Day!
Middle schoolers practice evaluating art by creating a research project and presentation. They use the Internet and library to discover a piece of art or artist whom they feel has an impact on the world of art. Next, they create a...
TED-Ed
A Brief History of Religion in Art
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."
Curated OER
Artists Teach Us to See the World through Visual Symbols
Tenth graders analyze a biographical piece of art by Raymond Saunders. They identify shapes, symbols, and lines that are used, and how the piece relates to the artist's life and modern society. They design and create an original piece of...
Curated OER
The Power of the Image: Understanding Symbols in Buddhist Art
Learners discuss symbolism in art, examine various images of compassion in Buddhist tradition, analyzing components of the concept, and then produce their own images of compassion through art.
Curated OER
Art in the Mail
The "mail art" phenomena was started back in the 20's with the Dada and Fluxus art movements and revitalized in the 60's. The principle of mail art, is free exchange and artistic expression. Learners study these facts and then create...
Curated OER
African Artist El Anatsui as a Reflection of African Culture: Human Rights Issues and Activism Through Art
Students explore global issues through visual art analysis. In this African art lesson, students examine works by El Anatsui and discussing their human rights themes. Students then design lesson plans based on their findings.
J. Paul Getty Trust
Narrating a Family Tradition
After examining a piece of art, scholars discuss what they see, paying close attention to details and space. A read-aloud introduces the topic of family traditions. Pupils interview their family members about a tradition in preparation...
Curated OER
When Art Conveys Political and Social Conflict
Twelfth graders consider art as a medium to convey information and opinions on social conflict and issues. They analyze images from the Crocker Art Museum, discuss their effectiveness in raising awareness of an issue, and create a...
Curated OER
World War I Art and Artists
Students examine the art of World War I. In this World War I art lesson, students research paintings and artists of the era. Students role play the artists they research and explain their lives and paintings to their classmates.
Curated OER
Water: A Source of Life and Culture
Young scholars explore water as a feature of culture. In this visual arts lesson, students consider the necessity of water in every culture. Young scholars select water symbols and use their artistic skills to create water symbol...
PBS
Women's History: Glass Windows; Glass Ceilings
Discover stories about women's history in beautiful stained glass windows. The second in a three-part series teaches scholars about a famous artistic style of stained glass windows and the influential women that used art to impact...
Curated OER
Imagining China through Words
When Europeans first came back with tales of China, they provided vivid written accounts and minimal visual imput. This resulted in art rendered mostly from descriptive language. Learners explore this phenomena by listening to...
UTSA Institute of Texas Cultures
Teaching Through Kamishibai and The Art of Chinese Calligraphy
Young learners discover kamishibai, a popular Japanese storytelling art, and explore how these Japanese folktales illustrate the country's cultural themes and values through discussion and storyboarding.
Curated OER
Seeing Art in Historical Context: An Activity to Promote Visual Literacy
Students consider works of art in their historical context. For this art in historical context lesson, students are encouraged to think about and record their prior knowledge of the historical period and to make inferences about the...
Curated OER
The Art of Violence
Violence and human suffering, as represented in art and film, are the focus of an investigation of the power of visual images and the moral implications of such representations. Class members examine “Guernica,” Pablo Picasso’s massive...
Curated OER
Pastel Scratch Portrait
A great cross-curricular project for any art classroom, this activity encourages young artists to consider color, pattern, texture, shape and line in their depiction of a historical figure. After researching a historical figure of their...
Curated OER
The Art of Nonviolence: Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, and Concepts of Nonviolence in Indian Art
Students make connections between nonviolent ideals and art. For this visual arts lesson, students discuss the successes of the American Civil Rights Movement and discuss Gandhi's influence on the movement. Students then examine images...
Curated OER
Looking at French Decorative Arts
Students research the history of trade in porcelain wares from Asia and the quest to re-create true hard-paste porcelain in Europe and art in French society. In this French art lesson, students research and discuss the possible effects...
Curated OER
Connected by Art
Students inspect visual arts by exploring images on-line. In this art analysis lesson plan, students discuss the history of art and the its ability to communicate with people through images. Students utilize pencils and charcoal to...
Curated OER
Depicting Women and Class in a Global Society
Students 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. Students compare how...
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...
Curated OER
Hispanic Arts: Visual Arts, Dance and Music
Students observe global cultures by listening to music and watching videos. In this Latin American dance lesson plan, students define merengue, salsa and other dances from the Hispanic culture while listening to Latin rhythm music....
Curated OER
Greek and Roman Symbolism
Learners explore Greek and Roman symbolism in art. In this visual art lesson, students draw portraits of ancient leaders based on the written descriptions they read about them. Learners also design campaign posters using Greek or Roman...