Creative Visions Foundation
Creating Your Own Original Interpretation of the UDHR
How can visual aids enhance understanding of a complex topic? With the third of four lessons from the Introduction to the Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) set, scholars view illustrations online from the book We Are All Born Free and...
Common Sense Media
Fake News: Historical Timeline
In 1874, The New York Herald falsely claimed that several animals escaped from the Central Park Zoo, and panic ensued. Using the helpful infographic, pupils discover more instances of fake news throughout history, from as far back as 63...
Institute for Humane Education
In Your Face: Reclaiming Billboards
Ads here, ads there, ads everywhere—but what do they communicate? Pupils discuss this topic and develop a list of personal values. They then work as creative directors at an advertising firm to create billboards that reflect community...
Curated OER
Visual Literacy: Using Images to Increase Comprehension
A colorful PowerPoint is a great way to introduce the topic of visual literacy. The eye-catching presentation begins with an overview of visual literacy and then provides some specific strategies to help enhance reading comprehension. As...
University of Virginia
Illustrating Uncle Tom's Cabin
Historical illustrations reveal more than what they are meant to portray. After reading Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, high schoolers view a series of illustrations, movie posters, photographs, and book covers that exemplify...
Curriculum Corner
Book Study: The Polar Express
All aboard! Pair a reading of The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg with a set of literacy activities. The packet of worksheets includes task cards, sorting activities, a synonym match, comparing and contrasting activities, writing...
Perkins School for the Blind
I See Something Red
For learners with low vision, the ability to identify colors is an important skill that will help them identify people and places. Groups of brightly colored objects are placed around the room. The child is then given a colored paper and...
John Talavera
Autism iHelp – Language Concepts
A parent of a child with autism, and a speech-language pathologist together developed this language-intervention app to be used with students with severe to moderate autism.
Concordia University Chicago
A Bar at the Folies-Bergere by Édouard Manet
Observation is a key skill any scientist, artist, or writer needs to hone. Learners first discuss Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergere, then they set up a place to observe the people in their school. They closely observe and sketch what...
Concordia University Chicago
The Pietá by Michelangelo Buonarroti
Why is arts education so important? It builds critical thinking, analysis and creative problem-solving skills. Learners review the life of Michelangelo Buonarroti, and then analyze his piece, The Pieta. After that, they'll sculpt a human...
Concordia University Chicago
Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte
Discuss the balance, color, emotion, and context of the painting Paris Street; Rainy Day by Caillebotte. After a deep discussion, let creativity run free in your class as learners create a dimensional piece that reflects a life change...
Concordia University Chicago
Winter Landscape with Skaters by Hendrick Avercamp
In need of a quick set of ideas to use on a wintery day? Why not analyze Winter Landscape with Skaters with your class? After a thorough discussion, learners compare and contrast two paintings, research what curators do, draw landscapes,...
Concordia University Chicago
Tahitian Landscape by Paul Gauguin
Get ready to explore the piece Tahitian Landscape with your seventh graders. They discuss the primitive style, bright colors, and impressionism found in the work, as well as biographical information regarding Gauguin's life. There are...
Curated OER
Big and Small
Sorting big and small objects builds spacial reasoning classification, and visual discrimination skills. Your class will read a story about big and small bubbles, practice identifying big and small objects, then sort big and small balls...
Curated OER
Is it alive?
Kids in grades K-2 increase their logical reasoning and visual discrimination skills by determining which things shown are alive. They use the criteria that all living things move on their own to mark each image as alive or not.
Curated OER
Fly Detective
Learners use classification skills and clues to determine which flying insect is the one they need to circle. They read four clues and examine each of the five insects depicted. They then deduce which one is the mystery insect. Answers...
Curated OER
Drugs and Safety Precautions
Drugs can both help and harm depending on how they are used. Fifth graders complete a worksheet that provides background information on prescription drugs. They read the text and then describe why medication manufacturers label pill...
Curated OER
Which One's Different?
One of these things is not like the others! Preschoolers identify which sock and glove is different from the rest, and draw a ring around the outlier. Then, they draw a sock and glove that are different from given pictures. Color the...
Curated OER
Lesson: While on My Vacation
Drawing, writing, and analyzing, that is what's on the menu. Young artists draw a corner of the classroom, analyze the painting, Poppies by Andrew Dasburg, and then write a postcard describing their vacation to an imaginary hotel that...
Curated OER
Lesson: Ahoy! A Painting!
Kids listen to the story, How I Became a Pirate and analyze the painting, Our Lady of the Victory of Malaga. So, what do these to things have in common? The art depicts the time period and style. And, the story sets their imaginations...
Curated OER
Lesson: Mary Heilmann: To Be Someone
Kids consider the pure abstraction and minimalism found in Mary Heilmann's work. They analyze several of her pieces through critical discussion and then think about her use of a song title as the title of her exhibit. Learners then use a...
Curated OER
Same Shape and Size
Can your kindergartners recognize shapes? What about when they are in different orientations? Youngsters study groups of shapes to determine which have the same shape and size. Two of the groups have triangles and ovals, and the other...
Curated OER
Lesson: Urs Fischer: Your Choice: Reality or Illusion?
Young analysts write a comparative essay, but about what? They compose a paper based on several critical discussion about reality and illusion, and how both are blurred in art. They analyze several theatre pieces that exemplify Brechtian...
Curated OER
Lesson: Elizabeth Peyton: Artist's Community: The Real
What is real or imagined? The lines of beauty reality, and imagination are blurred in Elizabeth Peyton's portraits of her community. Learners analyze her use of artistic technique in conveying real and imagined communities. They then use...