A critical discussion regarding the nature of Shinique Smith's second-hand clothing art is the foundation for the lesson. Critical thinkers fully analyze the meaning behind her work, taking close consideration of where the clothing came...

Middle schoolers compare and contrast various forms of artistic expression associated with specific groups of people, geographic regions, or time periods, specifically art of Andean cultures, and create art works using procedures...

Students visit the Allen Memorial Art Museum to view Asian works of art and read the story Kogi's Mysterious Journey by Elizabeth Partridge. They discover the history of Gyotaku and its transition into an art form. They then examine the...

Begin this activity by asking third graders to bring from home pieces of cloth that represent something important to them. (Have extras for students who need them.) They reflect on important events in their lives, compose narrative...

Students explore human senses by participating in an arts and crafts activity. For this fabric identification lesson, students discuss the uses for fabric and the history of cloth. Students identify the different materials in their...

Students analyze various mosaic murals by the artist Charles Alston. They view and discuss ways to show a family of people, how art expresses relationships between people, and create a painting that demonstrates how people get along with...

Students examine Judy Chicago's feminist art piece, The Dinner Party. Questions for viewing, activities, and student resources are provided.  Students examine the composition of the piece and can be asked to do further research...

Young scholars study the importance of the Storyteller in ancient times as well as in modern times. They realize that this is an art essential to the development and evolution of the mind and that today more than ever we need to rely on...

Students investigate the broad range of jobs that can be found in the world of design. Students explore sound design, language architecture, etc. Students design a resource book and post it on a website for others to share.

Students are introduced to the connection between women and the textile industry. Using primary source documents, they complete a handout on how gender roles have changed over the years. They examine a sampler which is connected to the...

Students investigate how to design a jacket that can be worn in extremely cold temperatures. They use the internet to research materials and different types of designs. As an extension to the lesson students go to a sporting goods store...

Learners examine the motif of spinning and weaving in myths and folktales. They read various myths, complete a WebQuest, develop a mind map of story elements, and write an original "spider" story.

Students read several articles about West African strip weaving of Kente cloth. They explore the cultural context in which strip weaving occurs. They answer four comprehension questions and compose a magazine article about strip weaving.

Students study the history and importance of clay and pottery. They observe a video dealing the kiln. Students explore ideas for improving construction of pottery. They demonstrate a variety of construction methods and identify the...

Students design objects in the Museum of Modern Art's collection of simple machines. In this simple machines instructional activity, students explore the machine age in the MoMA's design collection. Students identify simple machines and...

Students determine how to care for a quilt. They work in pairs to create a report and present it to the class. They identify bed covers and pillows and discover quilts are expensive and time consuming to make. They also take notes on...

Students write about how they preserve memories to share with others. After reading an article, they discuss the role of quilts in society today. They design their own section of quilt that shows an important part of their lives and...

Seventh graders gain insight into the daily lives of Muslims and to develop empathy for them by studying the Islamic world and creating presentations.