Museum of Modern Art:
From the guide Modern Art and Ideas 7: 1950–1969 The years from the 1950s to the 1970s were turbulent times. Many artists at this time represented political events in their work. This lesson looks at the work of three artists whose work represents ideas and specific events important to the political and social atmosphere of this time.
Activity: Make a political commentary. Students select photograph from the newspaper that has to do with a social injustice to create their own political commentary.
History, Language Arts: 1. Injustice today/ Warhol called the Birmingham Race Riots episode a "blot on the American conscience." Students will write an essay about an instance of prejudice or injustice they have encountered or observed. 2. Civil Rights. Students research one or more of several figures, laws, or events during civil rights era.
Artists: Jasper Johns, Charles Moore, Andy Warhol
Grade: middle/high
Medium: collage
Theme: Social
Artists: Jasper Johns, Charles Moore, Andy Warhol
Grade: middle/high
Medium: collage
Theme: Social
From the guide Made for Living: Objects of Design in MoMA's Collection
Charles Eames, trained as an architect, and Ray Kaiser, trained as a painter, met in 1940 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, in Bloomfield, Michigan. They married, and over the course of their life together, these creative visionaries designed furniture, films, exhibitions, toys, graphics, and interiors. In addition to their design work, they served as ambassadors and consultants to businesses and governments (nationally and internationally) about the role and impact of design in modern life. This lesson explores the Eameses' design philosophy as it was applied to three types of objects.
Activities: 1. Students will create sketches of different forms they find interesting. They will pick one to render in 3-D using clay or other modeling material. Have them consider their final products in terms of the forms being functional objects, what materials would be best suited, etc. 2. Eameses’ House of Cards- Students will create images for a house of cards game
History/Social Studies: Students will research Eameses’ trip to India, which led to founding of National Institute of Design, which is still operating. Have students conduct similar research for USA, and suggest ways that USA could boost consumer production.
Artists: Charles and Ray Eames
Grade: middle/high
Medium: mixed media, clay, drawing
Theme: design, social
Artists: Charles and Ray Eames
Grade: middle/high
Medium: mixed media, clay, drawing
Theme: design, social
National Gallery of Art:
1. NGAkids: Faces and Places
1. NGAkids: Faces and Places
NGAkids: The Art Zone (requires shockwave player)
Faces & Places encourages students to create portraits and landscape paintings in the style of American naive artists. By combining visual elements borrowed from more than 100 works in the National Gallery's permanent collection, this two-part interactive activity offers an introduction to American folk art of the 18th and 19th centuries. Students can experiment with compositional arrangement, scale, and perspective, while creating animated portraits and lively landscapes. (Shockwave, 6 MB) Online Interactive Activity
Grade: elementary/middle Theme: Faces and Places
Online: Interactive and Games
2. Inside Scoop: Gilbert Stuart
Faces & Places encourages students to create portraits and landscape paintings in the style of American naive artists. By combining visual elements borrowed from more than 100 works in the National Gallery's permanent collection, this two-part interactive activity offers an introduction to American folk art of the 18th and 19th centuries. Students can experiment with compositional arrangement, scale, and perspective, while creating animated portraits and lively landscapes. (Shockwave, 6 MB) Online Interactive Activity
Grade: elementary/middle Theme: Faces and Places
Online: Interactive and Games
2. Inside Scoop: Gilbert Stuart
Printable Children’s Guide
A printable, kid-friendly introduction to the art of Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828) best known for his painting of George Washington.
Includes Short Activity: Matching presidential portraits to correct historical information
Grade: elementary/middle
Theme: American history Artist: Gilbert StuartPrintable Children’s Guide
A printable, kid-friendly look at the Memorial to the Massachusetts 54th Regiment (an African-American Civil War troop).
Includes 2 Activities: Exploring low relief with coin rubbings/ Writing a letter home based on Homer’s painting of Union soldiers
Grade: elementary/middle
Theme: American History, Social
Online Art Information
In-depth study of the Memorial to the Massachusetts 54th Regiment (an African-American Civil War troop).
In-depth study of the Memorial to the Massachusetts 54th Regiment (an African-American Civil War troop).
Activities include: 2 lesson plans for grades 3-8 (Personal Memories, Public Memories), 3 lesson plans for 9-12 (An Inspirational Monument, Saint Gaudens, the Shaw Memorial, Art Historians, and the Critics, and A Primary Source Document Activity.)
Includes Introduction/Artist/History/Memorial/ Exhibition/Resources
Grade: elementary/middle/high
Medium: Drawing
Theme: Social/History
Other subjects: Language Arts
NGAkids: Online Adventures with Art
An interactive, kid-friendly introduction to the art of George Catlin.
Includes information, images, and several activities based on Catlin’s work and Native American history
Grade: elementary
Activity: drawing, mixed media
Theme: American History - Native Americans
Artist: George Catlin
Online Interactive Unit
In the United States, the nineteenth century was a time of tremendous growth and change. In this lesson, works of art are paired with written documents, including literary selections, a letter, and a speech. As budding historians, students can use these primary sources to reconstruct the influence of technology, geography, economics, and politics on daily life. This program is also available as a printed booklet with color reproductions. It may be borrowed free-of-charge from NGA Loan Programs.
Activities include: Interactive art inquiry, map skills, vocabulary, creating a timeline, a century of advances
Includes Student Activities/ Discussion/ Printable worksheets/ Related resources/ Glossary
Grades: 5–6 (can be adapted for other levels)
Theme: Art and History
Online Interactive Unit
The visual narratives and abstractions of this preeminent African-American artist explore the places where he lived and worked: the rural South, Pittsburgh, New York's Harlem, and the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. Bearden's central themes–religion, jazz and blues, history, literature, and the authenticities of black life endured throughout his remarkable career. This program is also available as a printed booklet with 20 slides, 6 color study prints, 5 overhead transparencies, and a music CD. It may be borrowed free-of-charge from NGA Loan Programs.
Activities include: Write a poem inspired by collage, Make a collage, Organize an exhibition, “What’s your cause?”, Study art like Bearden, Compare poetry and music, Match Bearden’s work with artistic models
Includes printable (PDF) version and teaching activities, including online interactive activities.
Grade: middle/high
Medium: collage
Artist: Romare Bearden
Other subjects: Language Arts, Music
Online: Interactive
Online Art Information
The Gallery's collection of American art includes some 150 works by African-American artists. This online tour offers commentary on a selection of twenty-two paintings, works on paper, and sculpture ranging from a colonial portrait by Joshua Johnson of Baltimore to modern and contemporary pieces by Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, Alma Thomas, Sam Gilliam, Barkley Hendricks, Willie Cole, Kara Walker, and Lorna Simpson.
Includes Commentary on 22 paintings/Works on Paper/Sculpture ranging from colonial period to contemporary pieces
Grade: middle/high
Theme: African American Art
Online Art Information
Feature on the Index of American Design, which catalogues examples of American crafts made before the 1890s. Includes historical information and object tours. The Index is a compilation of nearly 18,000 watercolor renderings that depict traditional American arts and crafts made before about 1890. The renderings were created under the auspices of the Index of American Design project, one of several Fine Arts Divisions in the Federal Art Project (FAP) of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which operated from 1935 to 1942. They provide an unparalleled record of the material culture of the United States and the effort to document a unique national style
Includes History/Tour the Index/Research
Grade: middle/high
Theme: American Design, American History and Culture
Printable Art Information (PDF)
Exhibition brochure of the American furniture, textiles, and decorative arts frm Winterthur’s collection.
Grade: middle/high
Theme: American History and Culture
Online Art Information
Exhibition brochure on photographer and gallery owner Alfred Stieglitz; includes discussion on Georgia O’Keeffe. Celebrated for his photographs, Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946) was one of the most influential figures in early twentieth-century art.
Includes Introduction/291 Gallery/Andesron Galleries and Intimate Galley/An American Place
Grade: middle/high
Theme: Modern Art
Artist: Alfred Stieglitz
12. Edward Steichen
Online Art Information
In-depth study of early 20th-century photographs and paintings of American Edward Steichen
In-depth study of early 20th-century photographs and paintings of American Edward Steichen
Includes extensive information about the artist, his paintings and photography.
Grade: middle/high
Theme: Photography
Artist: Edward Steichen
Other Subjects: Science
Online Art Information
In-depth study of The Mountain Nymph, Sweet Liberty by 19th-century photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. Extensive details of photographic process used by the artist.
Includes Images/Cameron’s Techniques/Biography
Grade: middle/high
Theme: Photography
Artist: Julia Margaret Cameron
Other Subjects: Science
14. William Harnett
Online Art Information
In-depth study American trompe l’oeil artist William Harnett and The Old Violin. “A painting has been added to the Art Gallery, which has created a furor....”
“Visitors will need no guide post, they will find it by following the crowd.”
— Cincinnati newspapers, 1886
Includes The Old Violin/William Harnett, Trompe l’Oeil Master/Painting Money
Grade: middle/high
Theme: American Art/Culture
Artist: William Harnett
15. Jackson Pollock
Online Art Information
In-depth study of the American abstract-expressionist Jackson Pollock.
Includes Information about the artist and painting/In-depth look at his process
Grade: any
Theme: Abstract Expressionism
Artist: Jackson Pollock
Online Art Information
In-depth study of John Singleton Copley’s American painting Watson and the Shark, based on a true story of the rescue of a 14-year-old orphaned crew member who went on to become a prominent citizen/politician in London.
Grade: middle/high
Theme: American painters
Artist: John Singleton Copley
Online Art Information
The perspective of two collectors on their private collection of American impressionist paintings.
Includes Comments from the Collector/Illustrated Essays/ 8 Artist Biographies
Grade: middle/high
Theme: American Impressionism, Realism
18. Thomas Moran
Online Art Information
In-depth study of Thomas Moran’s 19th-century American landscape paintings. Long celebrated as the premier painter of Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, Moran produced a remarkably varied body of work during his 60-year career.
Grade: middle/high
Theme: American History, Environment
Artist: Thomas Moran
Other Subjects: Science
