Art History Lesson Plans

1. A Little Kandinsky For All- Expore the expressive qualities of line and color through the study of Wassily Kandinsky.
2. A Tribute to Miro- Students learn how to create a modern artist's painting in the style of the Spanish artist, Joan Miró (1893 - 1983).
3. Abstract Art: Line, Shape and Color- To introduce the artist Piet Mondrian. Review geometric shapes (rectangles & squares), straight , angular lines, color.
4. Abstract Flowers: O'Keeffe- Create a drawing of a flower using Georgia O'Keeffe as their inspiration.
5. Action Painting- Students will look at the work of Jackson Pollock as they learn about Abstract Expressionism and Action Painting.
6. American Gothic By Grant Wood and the First Grade- Identify the painting "American Gothic."
7. Artsedge: Social Studies Lessons- This lesson illustrates myths and archetypal characteristics through the art of storytelling. Students will compare and contrast their own original stories, with mythological stories.
8. Celebrating Ancestors- Challenges them to visualize one of their ancestors and create a mask that will emphasize, through applied features, that ancestor's major characteristics.
9. Chinese Calligraphy: Language as Art
10. Creole Dancer- Students will create a Creole Dancer similar to that of Matissee.

1. Egyptian Cartouche- Students create their own Egyptian Cartouche with clay using Hieroglyphics.
2. Emily Carr's Trees- To learn about Flowing Lines and Form.
3. Exploring the Bill of Rights- Students will work in small groups to create a cut paper demonstration of one of the amendments in the Bill of Rights.
4. From Bondage to Freedom: A Story Told in Art- How have artists depicted slavery in the African-American experience?
5. Great Migration- Based on the book Great Migration by Jacob Lawrence, students will create a wall hanging depicting the migration north by African Americans in the early part of this century.
6. Henri Rousseau Jungle- Students will discuss the life and artistic style of Henri Rousseau.
7. How to Recognize a Painting by Frida Kahlo- Recognizing the difference between artists' paintings in art history class can be difficult.
8. Impressionistic Landscape- Students will learn about Claude Monet, and make their own impressionistic landscape.
9. Inspired by the Aboriginal Art- For students to learn about Australian Aboriginal art and to be inspired to produce their own art work.
10. Integrated Thematic Unit on Ancient Egypt-Art- Students will demonstrate an understanding of the difference between traditional Egyptian style paintings and the Amarna style associated with the Pharaoh Akhenaton.
11. Introducting Marc Chagall- Students will be able to identify the paintings of Marc Chagall when presented with ten prints, three of which Chagall painted.
12. Japan: Images of a People- After learning how to look at paintings, your students can make paper screens that resemble Japanese screens.
13. Kukamunga Water Resist Painting Ocean Animal Adaptations- Students will write a short story about their Kukamunga, including an explanation of the usefulness of their body parts.
14. Live Paintings- Students will, learn about various art styles.
15. Meeting the Masters- To understand how the great master painters used the elements of design to create famous paintings.
16. Murals, Memories and Making Art- Students will study artworks by famous artists. They will use various tools to learn about the artist, and they will present their information by writing and speaking about the artist.
17. Norval Morrisseau- In this lesson, you will have an opportunity to look at some of the works created by Norval Morrisseau.
18. Painted Shoes- Canadian artist Theodore Dragonieri paints, collages and reconstructs old shoes to represent great artists of the 20th century. Its a great idea, one that is fun to try for both kids and adults.
19. Picasso's Guernica- Students will examine the painting, Guernica, by Picasso.
20. Portraiture and Technology- Students learn about portraiture in art history through the use of technology tools.
21. Protest and Persuasion: A Unit on Printmaking or Mural Making- This secondary level unit includes a sequence of five core lessons and several extension lessons.
22. Remembrance Through Public Art- Students will: understand that memorials of important events and people are often subjects for public art.
23. The American Flag- The students will learn about the American Flag and about the woman who made the first official American Flag.
24. They Put On Masks- Mask making is an activity which can be utilized in higher learning and disseminating knowledge of art history. Students learn the reverence of mask making from several cultures, besides their own.
25. Tibetan Monk Sand Paintings- In this activity, students learn about mandalas and create sand paintings.
26. Tissue-Strip Windows Design- Students will learn how primary colors mix to create secondary colors by making tissue-strip windows using only primary colored strips of tissue.
27. Van Gogh's Painting Style- The students will identify and apply painting skills used by Vincent Van Gogh.
28. Vincent Van Gogh Art History Lesson: Three Layered Landscape- Focuses on the elements of space and line in creating depth.
29. Vincent's Flowers- To become aquainted with Vincent Van Gogh. To learn that pastels can be used to create a variety of lines and textural effects.