The Art of Forgery Cathy, Middle School Teacher: Pittsburgh, PA

"Tell students that they are going to become detectives for a day. They might be asked how they would feel if they went into an art museum and saw the best art work that they had ever made--with somebody else's name on it! Or an exact copy of it that they never made--with their name on it. That has happened to many famous artists, and sometimes they are no longer alive to be able to tell anybody about it. But Albrecht Dürer, the famous German artist who worked in the early 1500s, did know that people were copying his work and passing it off as original Dürers. He tried to stop the forgers, but couldn't manage it. Ask students what they might do in a similar situation. Would they get upset if someone tried to forge their art? Why or why not? Would it make anyone put his or her own name on it instead of theirs? What if the forger gave them all the money received for it? What if the forger's work were much worse or, on the other hand, actually better than theirs? If they did want to stop the forgeries, what would they do? Then show a range of slides or reproductions. Ask students to say which work a prospective forger would find hardest to fake. Easiest? Most worth the effort? Least worth it? Why? (Keep assuring students that there are no certain answers, but, rather, sound opinions that can be supported.) If reproductions are used and placed around the room, students could be given sets of cards with questions like those above on them (one to a card), and they could then get out of their seats, move around to see each reproduction, and place underneath the card they think most appropriate. A follow-up discussion would be aimed at eliciting their reasons for choosing certain works."

"The Super Duper Class Portrait" Lisa Kunrow: Queens Anne Liberty School

"As a class, I have students create a drawing. I usually have students take turns going up to the board and give them 30 seconds to draw something (once they get the chalk). Once the person is done, the next student picks up where they left off. You can ask students to create pictures of anything (appropriate, of course.) If you want to make it harder, add a theme. Tell students to draw an animal or place. It's really neat to see everyone's perspective."