Smithsonian Institution
Dia de los Muertos: Celebrating and Remembering
Help scholars understand the history, geography, traditions, and art of Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. Find background information for your reference as well as a detailed cross-curricular lesson plan. Learners compare...
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Lucha Music
Middle schoolers listen to four styles of Mexican music, and create percussion instruments which they use to play each style. Additionally, learners create Lucha Libre masks which are also a part of the colorful culture of Mexico. These...
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Latin American Film
Students identify characteristics in a Latin American film. In this filmography lesson, students describe their favorite movies and the reasons why they like them. Students are shown a short clip of a Latin American movie and discuss the...
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Bunny Rabbit
Students design their own bunny mask to follow-up reading the book, Runaway Bunny.
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Halloween
Discover the origins and traditions of Halloween with a crafty lesson plan! Second graders create bats, monsters, witches, and ghosts with masks and puppets. Next, they share their work with their classmates in a fun celebration.
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Drama with Children I
Students participate in activities to introduce them to drama. They mimic facial expressions, pretend objects are something else, and play "Chinese Whispers". They create puppets and theater boxes, masks and costumes, and write scripts...
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Comic Theater
Students explore stock characters and pantomime. In this comic theater lesson, students examine an ancient Greek statuette depicting a comic actor and an ancient Roman lamp decorated with a comic mask. Students pantomime short scenes and...
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Shamrock Man
Students create "Shamrock Men" using construction paper, pre-cut patterns, glue, and scissors in this lesson that celebrates St. Patrick's Day. The lesson was originally create for a Special Education class but could be adapted for...
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A Worthy Knight- A Code of Conduct Lesson
Young scholars analyze and define the qualities of chivalry by comparing and contrasting the character of knights presented in the selected resources. They define and defend their own personal code of conduct. Students also create a...
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African Mask Design
Fifth graders design and create an African mask using black paper and oil pastels.
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Using West African Gold Weights and African Masks as a Way of Communication
Eighth graders discuss how communication, or lack thereof, can have either a favorable or detrimental effect on a community. They study and interpret proverbs as a means of teaching a lesson. Finally they discuss symbolism and design a...
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Everyone Has Feelings
These activities promise to provide a day full of fun for young learners as they explore feelings and emotions. Learners participate in two sing-alongs with the songs "Smile" and "If You're Happy", they color emotion masks, and finally...
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Get to Know - Viewfinders
Students use viewfinders to focus on a specific visual image. In this visual image lesson, students use viewfinders as aids to selecting images and subjects for photography or art in nature.
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Sgraffito With Clay and Underglazes
Students create a ceramicpiece by using the sgraffito technique. In this ceramics lesson, students use clay to create a shape of a mask. Students add an underglaze to the mask and applies the sgraffito technique to create designs.
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Copper Tooling
Students examine different examples of Mycenaean masks. They discuss the history of the masks and why they might have been made. They give their opinions and their responses are recorded.
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Totem Pole and Native American Costume
Students create a totem pole, Native American costume, and Native American mask. They discuss design elements, view a slideshow, and using various craft materials construct a totem pole with various face designs, a Native American...
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Prototype Production
High schoolers create a product out of concrete. In this concrete lesson plan, students also demonstrate safety when using the tools provided.
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Checkerboard
Learners create checkerboards using paints, glue, rulers, and masking tape in this upper-elementary/middle level Art instructional activity. The instructional activity emphasizes the history of checkerboards, strategies and rules, and...
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Brushstrokes From West to East
Students meld their ideas about art with the philosophy of the Chinese. They discuss each art project, discover the history and culture of each project in China. They create a tea ceremony and various Chinese art projects.
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Who Do You See?
Students analyze portraits and decide on the most important aspects of their own personality. In this portraiture lesson, students identify feelings and emotions in the sitter and the creator of a portrait. After reading the poem "We...
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Greek Theatre Styles
Seventh graders are introduced to the different styles of Greek theatres. As a class they discuss the level of sophistication in different areas and the purpose of the theater. To end the instructional activity, they practice the...
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Shamrock Fun
Students create small shamrock replicas using green and white paints, paper, bubble wrap, and gold glitter. This lesson intended for the early-elementary classroom is ideal for celebrating St. Patrick's Day or spring-time in general.
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Who Ever Heard Of Red Shamrocks?
Learners discover optical illusions in this instructional activity that uses a red shamrock and white construction paper. Emphasis is placed upon inquiry, experiment, and then a short discussion on optical illusions and complimentary...