Curated OER
Taming the Frontier
High schoolers examine paintings by Thomas Cole and Jasper Francis Cropsey as windows into American frontier life. They consider the pioneer's relationship with nature and the role of Native Americans in the pioneer's lives and settlements.
Curated OER
Asking Questions
Students examine a painting that depicts a scene from the Underground Railroad. They discuss the painting and write journal entries and poems in response to the painting's themes and their impressions.
Curated OER
Nataraj Shiva as Lord of the Dance
Students considers the piece of artwork entitled, The Nataraj, Lord Shiva and Lord of the Dance to visualize several of the most important ideas of Hinduism.
Curated OER
Defining the Images of African American Slavery
Students explore the institution of slavery through analyzing several artist's perceptions and representations. Students develop their own illustration of slavery.
Curated OER
In The Eye Of The Beholder
Learners, in groups, research Rembrandt's life and works. They find critiques of his work, as well. Each group reports their findings back to the rest of the class. Finally, they create abstract drawings and write interpretations about...
Curated OER
Visual Arts
Third graders participate in three visual arts lessons in this unit. They analyze the patterns of quilts, study the life and work of Rosa Bonheur and Edward Hicks.
Yale University
Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: How to Appreciate a Painting
Christine A. Elmore's curriculum unit designed "to facilitate her third-graders' enjoyment of and response to fine art." This unit can be applied to all age groups and provides an extensive background on art in general.
Huntington Library
Huntington Library: Art Wonders
Can portraits talk? What's in a landscape? How do artists make furniture? ArtWonders helps young learners ask and answer the kinds of questions that make observing art an interactive experience.
National Museums Liverpool
National Museums Liverpool: Portrait Detectives
In engaging mini-essays, art historians at the National Museums Liverpool dissect the art of the portrait. Through close examination of six paintings, students learn to interpret the sitter's mood and status and to read clues that convey...
Other
Art Teacher on the Net: Questions to Ask Yourself as You Look at Your Art Work
Dozens of questions that help art appreciators of all ages look at art effectively. Questions follow the basic art criticism outline to describe, analyze and interpret. Can be used for any art piece!
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: George Washington: Portrait for Kids
Many components of a portrait of George Washington have been removed. You need to uncover them with the red spyglass. As you find each piece you will learn how it plays an important roll in the value of the painting and why the artist...
New York Times
New York Times: Photographic Portraits of the Year's Best Actors (2004)
This portfolio of black-and-white portraits of Oscar-nominated film stars captures a range of faces, poses, moods, and points of view. Excellent site for comparing and criticizing artistic choices and approaches and for inspiring...
Other
Poway Unified School District: How to Analyze Art
This tutorial will lead you through the steps on how to view and understand art. Great for all ages.
Boston University
Boston University: Putting Value Into Art
Andrew Ward decides to get into the middle of an argument between David Hume and Hume's critic Malcolm Budd about the standard for assessing the value of works of art upon the feeling of pleasure or displeasure. This topic will be a...
Arizona State University
Asu: Jose Guadalupe Posada: Calavera Revolucionaria
This site focuses on a single Posada work, "Calavera Revolucionaria." This web page also includes a link to a Posada biography.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Why Is This Painting So Captivating?
On first glance, the painting "Las Meninas" ("The Maids of Honor") might not seem terribly special, but it's actually one of the most analyzed pieces in the history of art. Why is this painting by Diego Velazquez so captivating? James...
New York Times
New York Times: The One and Only Jackson Pollock
An informative slideshow about the life, work, and significance of Jackson Pollock narrated by art critic Michael Kimmelman of the "New York Times." Great insight coupled with great images.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
Guggenheim Museum: Looking at Art: Art Investigations: Community
Examine Faith Ringgold's "Tar Beach" with the help of discussion/writing prompts and a short essay that sheds light on this piece of artwork as well as quilting in African culture.
Goshen College
Goshen College: Art Aesthetics and Art Criticism Handouts
Marvin Bartel, Ed.D., provides useful handouts for critiquing artwork and for assessing students' abilities to write and discuss art intelligently.
Other
California State University: Judging Aesthetic Value
Julie Van Camp gets our aesthetic minds in action with this article from the California State University on the court ruling that 2 Live Crew did not infringe upon the copyright of Roy Orbison's song, "Oh, Pretty Woman." Van Camp cites...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian American Art Museum: Velino Shije Herrera: What's the Story?
Artwork often has hidden stories within them. This Native American painting has three hidden stories. Can you find them?
Other
National Portrait Gallery: Face It!
This UK site gives us insight into how symbols and colors are used in a portrait to represent certain ideas. You can even take each portrait and have it shown in line drawing - print it out and color it your own way.