Curated OER
I Have a Border in my Mind: the Puerto Ricans' Arts and Culture as Factors for Self-Esteem
Eighth graders study in depth the history of Puerto Rico. They gather information to write a summary that will contain the following information: Population - In Puerto Rico there are several groups who have integrated. Location - In...
Art Institute of Chicago
Urban Space
The use of perspective is clear in Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte. Pupils study and discuss this example, marking the vanishing points and horizon line of a photocopy of the piece. They then create their own urban scene...
Curated OER
Determining Importance
Students hone their skills at identifying the principle story in a work of art and text. Through discussion, students assess the central and supporting stories of a work of art that is characterized by multiple layers of action and meaning.
Curated OER
What Should a House Do?
Students complete a unit of lessons on the similarities and differences between Native American homes and European settlement houses. They explore websites, read stories, design a dream house, and construct wigwam models.
Curated OER
Photo Tinting
Encourage your artists to go wild with their color choices in this fun art instructional activity. Similar to the pop art by Andy Warhol, your class will color ordinary black and white photos with vibrant colors to simulate photo...
Scholastic
Reading Poems From the Academy of American Poets Chancellors
Start a lesson on poetic voice with a peer to peer discussion on what characterizes the strength in the voice with which a writer chooses to express himself/herself. In pairs, readers are tasked with reading and creating T-charts for...
Curated OER
Celebrating Women: Toni Morrison
How authors address issues of their societies is addressed in this very detailed lesson plan. After researching Toni Morrison and her work, groups create a dramatization based on a scene from one of Morrison’s novels and act it out....
Clever Student Training Company
Eliminating Weak Essay Material
A strong essay eliminates weak or unnecessary material. Determining what information contributes to an essay and what information should be deleted is a skill readers and writers of informational text must develop. Class members practice...
Curated OER
William Apess and the Mashpee "Revolt" of 1833
Prompt your class with the following question: What was the status of American Indians in Massachusetts during Jackson's presidency? To answer this question, class members will read a series of primary source documents (attached),...
Curated OER
Henry VII - How Did Henry VII Get Up In the Morning?
Examine the daily life of Henry VII. In this Henry VII activity, learners answer questions about the life in Medieval times after looking at primary source documents which are translated into contemporary English.
ReadWriteThink
Defining Literacy in a Digital World
What skills are necessary to interact with different types of text? Twenty-first century learners live in a digital world and must develop a whole new set of skills to develop media literacy. Class members engage in a series of...
Curated OER
Self-Portrait With Literal Reference
Learners create self-portraits using ideas from a particular theme and piece of literature in this high school Art lesson. Emphasis is placed on combining visual and literal material in a cohesive manner.
Curated OER
What Makes the Writer Write?
Students study Charles Dickens's Great Expectations to gain insight into a classical piece of fiction and to explain how writers respond to social conditions. They also consider how that response is important today.
Curated OER
National Gallery of Art: Jackson Pollock
Students paint a picture in the style of Jackson Pollock. In this painting lesson, students learn about Jackson Pollock and the method that he used to create his famous pieces of art. Students use objects other than paintbrushes to...
Curated OER
The City in Black and White and Color: An interdisciplinary approach to teaching life in the city using literature, social studies, art, and photography.
Learners design an artistic and literary collage of contemporary urban life that seeks to interpret, analyze, and evaluate its mettle. They integrate their impressions of urban life with established views, thereby enriching their...
Curated OER
Why is Reading Important?
Ninth graders discuss why reading is an important skill for them to use in their lives. In groups, they examine the problems someone might have out in the world if they are illiterate. They practice reading in ways that it makes it fun...
El Museo del Barrio
Dia de los Muertos Educator Resource Guide
What are the origins of el Dia de los Muertos, and how is this tradition observed in contemporary celebrations? With a variety of lesson plans and suggested hands-on activities, here is an excellent resource to reference as you prepare...
Speak Truth to Power
Jamie Nabozny: Bullying: Language, Literature and Life
Class members identify bullying in contemporary texts and role play how they might change those scenes to examples of anti-bullying. They then re-define their initial definitions of bullying and discuss what they would like to see as...
Curated OER
Contemporary Chinese Ink Painting
Students explore China and analyze Chinese Ink Painting as well as incorporating poetry into artwork. With the theme of "Peace" as their foundation, in groups they practice painting bamboo with an original Quatrain poem.
Curated OER
Contemporary: An Alternative Magazine
Students create a magazine that is circulated in an alternative format. They design each issue in the form of a student-created box. They explore issues relating to experiences of young people in different times and places.
Curated OER
A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words
Seventh graders create a multimedia, image only ad campaign on a contemporary controversial issue. They base their public service announcement, Powerpoint presentation, Web page, or video on methods used by Martin Luther during the...
Curated OER
Wide Awake Dreaming
Students examine and discuss works of art by Juan Miro and other surrealist artists. They discuss paintings of Juan Miro, create a drawing of a dream-like creature, and write a description of their creature.
Curated OER
Shirin Neshat
Young scholars research the life of an artist to make a comprehensive analysis of works and how they were formed through personal beliefs of the artist. The influence upon culture is the focus of the investigation to be conducted.
Curated OER
Everyone Has Interesting Stuff: Talking Objects Teaching with Objects in the Classroom
What fun! Have your class compose a narrative piece from an object's point of view. They research the object, its origin, and its history, then write their story. Stories can be shared with the class or read to children in a younger grade.