Visual Arts

After looking at the Bird and Cornstalk Rug, students make a design for a class rug and write a letter to one of the bluebirds pictured in Yellowhair’s piece.

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Students will learn about the various artistic materials and techniques used in the Osage Ribbon Appliqué Wearing Blanket and discuss how art and people represent a blend cultures. Students will create a collage and develop a poem or other piece of creative writing that demonstrates geographical and cultural influence in their lives.

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Students will learn how the ancient Egyptians used symbols to express their beliefs, values, and culture on the Mummy Case. They will research information about the ancient Egyptians and explore how their findings are visually represented on the DAM’s case. Students will then design a mummy case that reflects their personal values and beliefs.

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Students will analyze Trade Canoe for Don Quixote and explore how Jaune Quick-to-See Smith used objects and symbols to express her views on the Iraq War. In contrast, students will create their own painting that reflects a positive cultural exchange.

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After analyzing Russell’s painting In the Enemy’s Country for its artistic elements and storytelling qualities, students will explore the ways in which people can change their appearance to fit into a situation. Students will then use elements of the discussion to write a descriptive piece explaining the scene depicted from the perspective of one of Russell’s figures.

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Mimicking Monet’s love of gardening, students will create paintings and transform their classroom into a garden gallery, using The Water Lily Pond for inspiration.

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Students will work in small groups to analyze different quadrants of the Garden Party screen. The groups will share what they discovered with the entire class, compare their observations to picnics they’ve been on, and draw sketches based on their own experiences in a format similar to the Garden Party screen.

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Lección Completa (en español)

William Merritt Chase’s painting Still Life with Fish provides students with the opportunity to discover beauty in unusual places and express their ideas through poetry and photography.

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Students will examine Bierstadt’s painting Wind River Country and talk about visual strategies used by Bierstadt to guide the viewer through this landscape. They will then think about where Bierstadt does not take them visually, assess why, and write a story to guide a reader through unseen terrain suggested by the painting.

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Students will examine Bierstadt’s painting Wind River Country and talk about how the painting makes them feel and why. They will also learn a little bit about the historical context of the painting,and use it as the setting for an adventure for which they will write a travel journal.

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This lesson exposes students to artistic forms of representation they might not regularly encounter. Students will inventory and analyze images of Skoglund’s installation Fox Games in order to gain an understanding of the complexity with which this artist works. They will then work in groups to construct miniature dioramas of their own Skoglund-inspired installations.

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Students will imagine they are visiting the scene presented in Marshall’s painting Better Homes, Better Gardens and write a letter home about their experience. They will then write a second letter, imagining they were visiting on a misty, moonlit night to stretch their imaginations and enhance their writing abilities.

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Students will learn about Marshall’s creative process when painting Better Homes, Better Gardens and discuss how it influences their perception of his work. They will also discuss the thematic content of the artwork and write a creative piece inspired by the painting.

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In this lesson students will mimic some of the processes that Sam Gilliam may have used to construct his painting Abacus Sliding. By experimenting with paint and unusual painting tools, students will get a better sense of how the artist took risks, tried new techniques, and explored the medium of paint.

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Students will listen to various sections of Petrarch’s poem “The Triumphs,” sketch images related to the text, and compare their drawings to the images portrayed in The Triumphs paintings. Students will analyze the paintings and critique the artist’s portrayal of the sections of the poem that they listened to. They will then create their own visual piece depicting a poem or song lyrics of their choice.

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Students will analyze and compare the Japanese Lacquer Box to pencil boxes used in school. They will then explore why the lacquer box was deserving of such attention to detail by learning about the story represented on the box. They will then design their own boxes based on a different Japanese story, with careful attention to detail.

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Using methods similar to those employed by Keith Jacobshagen when painting By June the Light Begins to Breathe, students will draw upon past memories of a particular space and use these memories to sketch a new scene from their imaginations.

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Students will identify a place that is special to them and represent the place and what makes it special through words or images. They will then examine Blumenschein’s painting Eagle’s Nest Lake and learn about why he painted it and what makes the place so special to him. A follow-up discussion on what makes something special and the role of memories and feelings concludes the lesson.

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Students will first pay attention to details about the Denver Art Museum’s North Building and then imagine they are a spider, or other small creature, and write a short piece about exploring the outside of the building from this new perspective.

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Students will compare and contrast the role of body art among people of different cultures and time periods, then create a tattoo design that symbolizes protection.

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Students will observe and evaluate the installation Four Purple Velvet Bathrobes to better understand the importance of Semmes’s artistic choices and inspiration. Students will then work in groups of four to write and perform a one-act play in which each student takes on the character of one of the robes.

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Students will watch a short clip from the Disney-Pixar movie Toy Story, and compare it to the toy in Richard Patterson’s painting If. Inspired by adventures in the movie, they will brainstorm a list of ideas that describe how Patterson’s toy might have ended up under layers of paint. They will then write a creative short story documenting the adventures.

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After studying the painting Our Lady of the Victory of Málaga, students will discover that the bottom of the painting once depicted a pirate attack. They will research information, print off images of pirates, and use their imaginations to complete the painting with their own pirate scene.

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Students will learn about visual attributes depicted in Zenale’s painting Madonna and Child with Saints, which have special meaning in the Catholic religion. They will then create attributes that represent something unique to their class.

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Students will reflect on Mark di Suvero’s creative process and gain an appreciation for the significance that can be found in giving an artwork a name, both for the artist and the audience. They will then title one of their own doodle drawings based on a free write about something that is important to them.

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Students will learn the significance of the pottery created by Maria and Julian Martinez and discover how pottery-making skills were passed down through their family and members of the San Ildefonso Pueblo community. Students will interview a family or community member about a skill that they have taught to others and write or illustrate a letter explaining how to perform this skill.

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After learning about Thomas Hudson’s painting (its history, the artist, etc.), students will write stories about the people that he portrayed. The stories may be set during the time the portrait was painted, or students may transport the family members to another time and/or place.

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Students will explore how Bouguereau manipulated color, light, and composition to create the idealized scene of Childhood Idyll. They will compare Bouguereau’s idealized style to pop music of today and write a song that captures the class discussion. Students will perform their songs and compete in the style of American Idol.

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Students will learn how the Inca Large Jug was used during Inca ceremonial feasts, then create a comic strip detailing a conversation that might have taken place among invitees during the celebration.

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Students will look at Dan Ostermiller’s Scottish Angus Cow and Calf sculpture and discuss how images can be interpreted and changed to create something new. Students will then choose images to alter by drawing them in a different way, practicing the techniques they discuss with regard to the artist’s artistic process.

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Students will use an animal of their choosing and imagine that animal moving around and through Hubert Candelario‘s Jar. They will write about (or share orally) the animal’s experiences and use their ideas to design a “jar with holes,” which they will build for their animal.

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Students will investigate the significance of the turned-down corners of the Olmec Seated Figure’s mouth, learn how it was often compared to a jaguar’s snarl, explore the meaning of alter ego, and create an artistic representation of themselves indicating an animal that might be their alter ego.

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Students will observe Daniel Sprick’s painting Release Your Plans and explore the importance of artistic decisions. They will then work as a team to create their own arrangement of objects in unconventional compositions.

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Students will explore the use of cool colors in Bouguereau’s painting Childhood Idyll; experiment with cool, warm, and complementary colors; and create a self-portrait using one of these color schemes.

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Students will explore the connection between appearance, sound, and movement, and then create an animal mask that includes visual and aural elements similar to the ones used in a Hamat’sa initiation ceremony.

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By making their own Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone drawings in small groups, students will develop a better understanding of the scope and size of the original painting. They will then use the painting as inspiration for writing creative travel guide entries.

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Students will examine the visual tools used in the painting The Road to Santa Fe and how those tools help the painter tell a particular story. They will then use the painting to explore storytelling and use brainstorming strategies to enrich the content and voice of stories they will write. Multiple drafts and peer editing will help teach students how working and reworking a piece, much like painters do when planning a painting, will strengthen their finished product.

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Students will learn about the importance of flowers in the Netherlands during the mid to late 1600s. They will then explore how Oosterwyck manipulates time in her painting Bouquet of Flowers in a Vase. The lesson will culminate with students writing a poem that reflects these concepts.

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Students will explore the textures of various fabrics and describe what they feel physically and what they imagine the fabric of Four Purple Velvet Bathrobes to feel like. They will use what they’ve learned about texture and fabrics to respond to an art object and create a threedimensional collage using fabric pieces.

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Students will work in teams to observe and evaluate Philip Guston’s Blue Water and develop a theory as to what the painting is about and what the forms could represent. They will create lists of how Guston’s forms could both tell a story and baffle viewers. They will then discuss their ideas with classmates in an open-forum setting that encourages comparison and the exchange of creative ideas.

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Students will compare and contrast the woman in Kevin Red Star’s Knows Her Medicine to other portraits of American Indians in the museum’s collection and discuss what Kevin Red Star means when he talks about “breaking the rules” when he paints. Students will then brainstorm on rules for written expression and engage in writing activities that follow and then break those rules.

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Students will learn about the story depicted in the Incense Burner with Face of Supernatural, as well as how it was used and why. They will then write a continuation of the story. Students will also design a top for the Incense Burner that incorporates details from their stories and elements from the bottom of the burner.

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This lesson exposes students to the significance of horse sculptures in ancient Chinese culture. After studying examples of different horse sculptures, students will choose angular and circular design elements that appeal to them, synthesize those elements, and create a drawing and a three-dimensional horse sculpture.

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Students will explore the mystery and wonder of the Stone Serpent Heads through scholarly research, experimentation with the carving process, and a creative writing assignment written from the perspective of the Central Mexican carver.

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Taking inspiration from the printed fabrics used in the Pratt Family Album Quilt, each student will create their own printing block and six prints. They will then swap prints with other students. After swapping prints, each student will assemble a quilt that is unique and personal.

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The Eleven-Headed Bodhisattva was created by a group of artisan-specialists, rather than one individual carver. In this lesson students will work as a class, each drawing one specific body part, to create a representation of their teacher.

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After examining Our Lady of the Victory of Málaga for both European and Peruvian symbols, students will explore the influence of multiple countries on their daily lives. They will then create self-portraits that reflect the blending of various cultures.

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Students will explore the role of the Senufo Drum as art and a means of communication. They will learn about the meaning of the images on the Drum and invent, draw, and sculpt symbols that reflect values important to them and their classmates.

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Students will explore how body language and position in the Olmec Seated Figure communicates a certain tone or mood, compare the body language and position of this figure with other pieces of art, and create their own three-dimensional piece of art that conveys a selected tone or feeling.

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Students will identify and explain the meaning of emblems on the Chinese Dish with Eight Buddhist Emblems, think of a message they would like to communicate through art, conduct research to find symbols that help to convey their message, and create an original work of art.

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In this lesson, students will explore the symbols, patterns, and colors that are important to the Osage people. Students will create a t-shirt design that expresses information about their own culture and personality, then compose a written reflection on the messages communicated by their clothing design.

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Students will explore the theme of communication as inspired by the Japanese Lacquer Box, how and why it’s important, and how means of communication are or are not cherished.

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Students will explore the concept of memory/remembering using the Malagan figures from New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. They will participate in memory games, talk about how to remember and honor family members, and learn how to use mnemonic devices to remember details and items in a list.

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Students will look at Donald Coen’s painting Yellow Rain Jacket and discuss the compositional technique he used. Students will then choose a photograph that interests them, crop intriguing sections, and paint the cropped image, emulating Coen’s process.

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Students will learn about the design of the Crow people, describe the importance of beads and horses for American Indian art and society, then create a design that represents their family.

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Students will locate the country of India on a world map or globe, examine the different features of the Hanuman sculpture, and relate the character of Hanuman to contemporary superheroes. They will then brainstorm ideas for their own superhero, create a three-dimensional superhero sculpture, and compare it to Hanuman.

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Students will learn about the purpose and use of the Japanese Shinto Deity, read a poem about the creative process, then write their own poem about a time when they created something important or special.

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Students will examine how Russell used the foreground and background of his painting In the Enemy’s Country to demonstrate camouflage. They will then use fruit and found objects to gain first-hand experience with how to disguise an everyday object as something else.

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Students will learn about the purpose and use of the Inca Large Jug, discover how containers for liquids have changed during the course of history, and design a container for liquids for a special occasion.

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Students will examine Remington’s The Cheyenne and identify the challenges he faced in creating a horse that appears to be airborne. They will then work with a partner and go through a similar problem-solving process to create their own airborne sculpture.

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Students will use Remington’s The Cheyenne to talk about change and loss and how art can preserve and record both. They will then conduct an interview with an adult, using questions that get at this sense of change and loss. The information derived from the interview will inform a creative writing piece to be completed by the students.

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Students will learn about Moyo Ogundipe’s creative process and concept of self through his painting Soliloquy: Life’s Fragile Fictions. Through journaling, large and small group discussions, and painting, they will explore aspects of their own identities.

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Students will examine the artistic characteristics of the Death Cart and its role in Holy Week processions, then design and create a parade including related elements such as carts or floats.

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Students will draw upon research, writing, and creative skills to move through various activities inspired by the Iatmul Culture Orator’s Stool.

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Students will use the Palace Façade from the Ruler of the Kingdom of Swat to learn about Swat in its past and present environmental and governmental context. Students will research Swat (circa 1835) and locate it within the modern geopolitical context. Their research will culminate in a traditional or creative written/oral format, and students will select a song refl ecting the themes they identified in their research.

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Students will compare the Assyrian Bird-Headed Deity limestone relief to comic book superheroes to talk about common themes and important differences. Attention to the three-dimensional detail in the relief, as compared to the more flat two-dimensional images of cartoon art, helps them learn about different visual elements artists use to convey certain feelings and concepts.

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Students will connect to the sculpture in a fun way by imagining what it would be like to see the Hanuman sculpture in a procession. After learning about how the sculpture was used, students will design and draw a hero and vehicle to use in their own holiday celebration. The lesson culminates with students writing descriptive pieces, imagining that they are tourists witnessing the procession.

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Students will use the Tlingit House Partition to guide their learning about the Tlingit people’s views on animals and their relationship to humans. Students will then explore their own views on animals, as well as those of their culture, and compare them to those of the Tlingit people. Students will research an animal to learn more about its habitat, means of survival, and status (e.g. endangered or not).

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Students will examine the way in which the Herter brothers included fine details in their work on the Renaissance Revival/Aesthetic Cabinet, then pay attention to detail themselves as they create a miniature door panel that includes a series of borders.

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Students will learn about the artistic technique of embossing by examining an ancient Panamanian Plaque and practice the technique using aluminum foil and a three-dimensional collage.

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Students will explore the significance of the exaggerated features on the Warrior Figure, then create an artistic representation of a real or imaginary individual, incorporating the use of exaggeration to share information about the individual.

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Students will discover how materials can be reused to create new works of art and will describe how Spiritual Messenger exhibits both realistic and expressive characteristics. They will compare Nnaggenda’s work to that of Picasso (who was greatly influenced by African art). Students will create a sculpture using an assortment of found objects and will write a poem from their sculpture’s perspective.

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Students will observe and discuss Daniel Sprick’s still-life painting Release Your Plans and comprise a list of questions they would like to ask the artist. They will then attend a mock press conference as reporters, asking questions and jotting down notes for a newspaper article they will write as homework.

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Students will learn about the portrait of Edward, Prince of Wales and critique the effectiveness of the portrait in accomplishing its goals. They will then make a Facebook page for Edward using the information from the portrait, the praise poem, and original research, adding their own personal touches as they go.

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Students will explore how Nandi was created through the artistic technique of stone carving, then write a reflective piece about how they similarly “chipped away” at a real life situation.

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Students will go take on a mystery, Sherlock Holmes style, to uncover the secrets, history, and deeper meanings of Moyo Ogundipe’s painting Soliloquy: Life’s Fragile Fictions.

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Students will learn about Dan Namingha’s path to becoming a painter and analyze Hopi Eagle Dancer to better understand the outcomes of his decisions. Drawing upon Namingha’s experience and his painting, students will then explore their own backgrounds and creative potential through poetry.

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Students will explore the statue of St. Ferdinand with an eye for detail. They will use the ideas and techniques from the statue to design a royal figure for themselves.

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Students will read the Greek myth of Deucalion and Pyrrha and analyze its relationship to Castiglione’s painting. After researching other artworks depicting flood stories from around the world, they will write a story of their own using only the visual clues in the artwork.

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After learning the importance of positive and negative space, students will carve their own designs in a soft cut linoleum block. Taking inspiration from the Pratt Family Album Quilt, the students will share designs with each other and create their own prints and quilts that display creativity, teamwork, and personal expression.

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Students will discuss how Wes Wilson’s poster reflects the time and place in which he created it and how this type of artistic expression continues to inform and influence a wide variety of visual media today.  Students will also examine how the form differs from images prevalent today and design their own lettering style and posters to attract a specific audience of their choosing.

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Students will learn about the role and significance of the Death Cart during the Catholic tradition of Holy Week processions, then create a two-panel piece of art depicting a challenging situation and its positive resolution.

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This two-day lesson will allow students to learn and apply formal methods of visual arts analysis to investigate and understand Dan Namingha’s Hopi Eagle Dancer. They will then experiment with paints in an effort to get a sense of how the artist used different tools and thicknesses of paints to achieve varying effects in the painting.

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This lesson allows students to understand the significance and history behind the Han dynasty Horse through a creative writing assignment. The students will first learn some historical background information about the Horse. Using fact, imagination, and guided prompts, students will write a story from the Horse’s perspective describing the journey from creation, burial, and discovery to its final place as an object in an art museum.

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Students will learn about The Radcliffe Family portrait and how it reflects the time in which it was painted. They will then step into character as one of the family members and write a few journal entries set at the proper time, and a few more imagining the person in the present. The entries could be acted out for a little more adventure, creativity, and fun!

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This lesson combines art and science by allowing students to use microscopes to record and sketch objects from the natural world. Students will have the opportunity to adapt Terry Winters’s artistic process as their own and create a unique, reflective painting.

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Students will focus on the clothing of the vaqueros in Walker’s painting and explore the connections between fashion and function. Students will also design and draw their own pieces of clothing that combine fashion with an unusual function.

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Students will learn about the x-rays taken of Zenale’s painting Madonna and Child with Saints, and how they show several changes he made during the creative process. Students will discuss the importance of trial and error methods, and the willingness to make changes to get things “just right.”

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In this “discovery lesson” students will use the Yoruba Door Panel to explore the impact of culture and personal experience when representing concepts through art. Students will either draw or sculpt their own work of art entitled “Goat does not consume our things” (eranoje in the Yoruba language) and compare their pieces with the originals.

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Students will explore how William Merritt Chase repeated lines and textures throughout his fish painting. They will make a Japanese-style gyotaku fish print, then choose a line to repeat by adding an object to their print with oil pastels.

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Students will compare a modern-day superhero, a classical hero from literature (Heracles), and a 19th century Western hero (Long Jakes). After discussing what makes a hero, students will write about their own hero of today.

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Students will describe the artistic characteristics of the Plaque, investigate symbols which represent prestige and high status both in ancient Panamanian and contemporary American society, and create a plaque or medallion of their own that indicates prestige using a variety of artistic materials.

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Students will put on their “detective hats” and use magnifying glasses to find evidence that supports attributing the paintings in the Molleno Altar Screen to one artist and one piece. They will work in small groups and present a case to share with the entire class. They will also explore what would need to be different for them to prove that the pieces do not belong together.

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Students use Harry Fonseca’s painting Shuffle Off to Buffalo to spur their imaginations and learn about Old Man Coyote. They write their own stories about how Coyote came to dance on stage dressed up as Uncle Sam.

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Students will use Harry Fonseca’s painting Shuffle Off to Buffalo to explore what Fonseca meant by “living in both worlds” and how that applies to students’ own lives. They will look at stereotypes and external and internal factors affecting their concept of “self.”

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Students will learn the definition of hue and explore Monet’s use of various blue hues in his painting Waterloo Bridge. Students will then create a painting of a famous bridge using various hues of one color.

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Students will examine humans’ impact on the land by comparing the portrayal of the land in By June the Light Begins to Breathe to paintings by Karen Kitchel, Albert Bierstadt, and/or Ernest Blumenschein (all found on Creativity Resource). They will then use their insights to inform a creative writing piece on the subject.

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Students will learn about the Maya Stela, where it was made, by whom, and for what purpose. They will analyze the visual elements within the Stela as well. Using this information, students will write a creative piece imagining that they are the limestone slab used to create the Stela.

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Working in small groups, students will find as many details as possible in Blumenschein’s Eagle’s Nest Lake using specific words to guide their investigation. They will then select three of their favorite details and write a poem that incorporates all three items.

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Students will explore the shiny qualities of objects found in the classroom and in Berthe Morisot’s painting Soup Tureen and Apple. They will work in groups to design and conduct an experiment to organize objects in the order of shininess. The lesson culminates with students creating a collage that reflects their favorite shiny materials.

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Students will examine the artistic characteristics of the Scared Bull of Shiva (Nandi) and learn about the artistic process of creating a stone sculpture. Students will then create a short story and illustration, from the animal’s perspective, depicting Nandi’s life with Shiva.

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Students will gain appreciation of Camille Pissarro’s painting Autumn Poplars and the innovative style of the Impressionists through poetry writing, sketching, and painting.

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Students will learn about the history of the portrait of Edward, Prince of Wales and the inscribed praise poem. They will then write praise poems for their own portraits.

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Students will gain a personal appreciation and understanding of Pissarro’s painting Autumn Poplars by participating in a unique painting activity and creating their own impressionist painting or drawing. They will also write a three-line poem about their artwork.

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Students will learn the creative processes behind Kelley and Mouse’s poster: inspiration from others in the present, creativity “jams,” and artwork found by “fishing in the past.” They will then use these strategies to work in groups to create their own posters.

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This lesson will allow students to pursue a topic of interest based upon information presented about the Samurai Suit of Armor. Focusing on one symbol from Japanese culture, students will practice their research skills using a variety of resources and technology, and present their findings to the class.

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Students will use Davis’s painting, Phantom Tattoo, and his inspiration from jazz music to stir their own creative use of words.

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Students will mimic the unique artistic process used by Richard Patterson to create the painting If. However, instead of mimicking the process artistically, they will do so through a unique creative writing assignment that incorporates all of the layers and steps Patterson went through to create this artwork.

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Students will discuss what cultures value and how they honor what they value. They will learn about the importance of the artistic process in creating the Malagan figures from New Ireland, Papua New Guinea.

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Students will examine Hubert Candelario’s Jar and learn about the methods and intentions behind its creation. They will then apply the artist’s intentions to written works and use “holes” to create a new, aesthetically pleasing literary creation.

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Students will explore Roxanne Swentzell’s notion that many little things make big things possible by keeping a journal about the “little things” they do each week. They will also examine the sculpture and assess the way in which the artist conveys this concept through little details and the use of sewing. Students will then design and sew small pillows to integrate and reinforce the artist’s ideas.

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Students will explore how painter Claude Monet and poet E.E. Cummings used different artistic mediums to highlight the contrasts found in a city. They will then explore various literary devices and compose a poem in the style of Cummings.

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Students will examine how the artist uses different principles of design to tell a particular story in The Road to Santa Fe. They will then explore changing the use of these different elements by rearranging images, changing colors, etc., to see how the story changes. A follow-up discussion focused on social justice issues about the artist/subject relationship shifts how to think about and interpret a work of art.

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Students will identify and describe details in William R. Leigh’s painting Greased Lightning, then choose appropriate vocabulary words to write Mad Lib stories about what may (or may not!) be happening in the painting.

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After learning about the artistry and cultural importance of the Lakota Tipi, students will use their imaginations and creativity to make tipis that tell stories about their own lives.

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Students will warm up their imaginations by reading Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis, then look closely at the many different shapes and lines in Hennings’s painting Rabbit Hunt. They will choose their favorite shape or line from the painting and use it to create their own original drawing.

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Students will explore the meaning and artistic characteristics of the illustrations on the Maya Vase with Palace Scene, then create their own Maya-style drinking vessels complete with a scene from real-life.

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Students will analyze the political themes in Trade Canoe for Don Quixote by examining the elements of the painting. Students will then create a collage that draws a connection between a current event or situation and a piece of literature.

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After learning about the life of St. Ferdinand, students will identify popular figures who are worshipped as royalty in today’s society and write an argumentative piece either supporting or denouncing the icon’s popularity. Students will then choose a symbol they think represents their pop icon and make a collage communicating their argument visually.

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Students will examine the painting Summer, critiquing the choice of food used and discussing the meaning of the piece. They will then create portraits using modern objects to depict facial features and illustrate personality.

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Students will learn the creative processes behind Kelley and Mouse’s poster: inspiration from others in the present, creativity “jams,” and artwork found by “fishing in the past.” They will first complete a collective work of art to experience a collective creative process. Students will then use Kelley and Mouse’s strategies to work in groups to create their own posters.

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Students will learn about the meaning of the Buddhist symbols on the Chinese Dish with Eight Buddhist Emblems, explore the meaning of the symbols on a one dollar bill from the United States of America, and incorporate meaningful symbols when creating imaginary currency for a group or organization.

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Through comedy sessions and skits, students will explore the role of humor in self-care, an important theme of Roxanne Swentzell’s sculpture of a sacred clown, or in the language of Santa Clara Pueblo, a kosha. Students will examine and discuss the piece as well as pictures of their own facial expressions. Posters that reflect what they have to do to for their own self-care tie together key themes of the lesson.

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In order to understand that letters often communicate more than the words they spell, students will explore how to make letters inspired by different shapes. They will begin with a warm-up activity and then examine lettering in advertisements and the Wes Wilson Poster. A teacher-led discussion will help students decipher the literal and more abstract meanings of Wilson’s work.

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Students will participate in a formal debate on the issues raised by Catlin’s painting The Cutting Scene, Mandan O-kee-pa Ceremony. They will enhance their research, critical thinking, and creative problem solving skills as they prepare to argue both sides of a debate.

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After viewing Berthe Morisot’s painting Soup Tureen and Apple and reviewing two poems, students will create a collage and write a poem representing what they consider their “own space.”

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This lesson allows students to use their imaginations to identify, explore, and express their understanding of Sandy Skoglund’s Fox Games. Students will create a story in response to the prompt, “This photo was captured at 3 a.m. on a security camera and you are in charge of figuring out what happened!”

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In this lesson students will become familiar with several Egyptian symbols and compare them to symbols in contemporary culture. Students will then design symbols that represent something important in their lives and create a clay or stone tile tablet communicating that information.

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Students will compare and contrast the woman in Kevin Red Star’s Knows Her Medicine to other portraits of American Indians in the museum’s collection. Students will then compare a formal school portrait of themselves to a more candid photograph and incorporate their observations into a diamante poem.

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Throughout the lesson students will delve into their imaginations using activities and tools designed to explore the Frederic C. Hamilton Building at the Denver Art Museum. They will engage in creativity exercises, build their own “buildings,” and compare their experiences with the creative process used by architect Daniel Libeskind and his team when building the Hamilton Building.

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Students will learn about the Three Young Girls portrait and why historians believe it was painted after the death of the girls’ mother. Using this information, they will write a poem or song about the girls and the loss of their mother, using images and other sensory data from the painting as inspiration for their pieces.

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This lesson allows students to mimic some of the processes that Sam Gilliam used to construct his painting Abacus Sliding. They will experiment with paint and color to create a painting, cut up the painting, and collage the pieces in an effort to get a sense of how the artist used different processes to achieve some of the effects in his painting.

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After reading the Greek myth of Deucalion and Pyrrha, students will analyze Castiglione’s painting and select one of their favorite stories to tell through art.

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Students will experience a portion of the process used by the artist Vance Kirkland when he created Blue Mysteries Near the Sun, No. 4. They will respond to statements made by the artist in order to establish a frame of reference from which to work. They will then create an original work of art that reflects an unknown or anticipated event, emotion, or idea.

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After brainstorming a list of adjectives that describe how they imagine space looking, students will create a painting using those adjectives as inspiration. After viewing Kirkland’s Blue Mysteries Near the Sun, No. 4, they will understand that art can be experienced from multiple viewpoints.

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Students will use the Palace Façade from the Ruler of the Kingdom of Swat to explore the art form of carving, develop observation skills, and discuss the importance of patience and skill when making complex and complicated works of art. They will try their hands at carving by making their own designs and carving them on a zucchini.

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In this lesson students will learn about patience, practice, and persistence through their exploration of the painting Rodeo-Pickup Man. They will also have an opportunity to practice their patience and writing skills by making a verbal rendition of the piece.

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In this “discovery lesson” students will use the Yoruba Door Panel to explore the visual arts concepts of symmetry, repetition, clarity of form and line, conceptual proportion, and high relief. Using some of these ideas, students may then create their own two-dimensional door panels to reflect what they value and their own aesthetic style.

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After looking closely at Greased Lightning, students will examine the unusual angle the artist chose. They will explore other images of horses and then try their hand at drawing what Leigh’s scene would look like from the opposite side.

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Students will look at and discuss Donald Coen’s painting Yellow Rain Jacket and write stories from the perspective of either the horse or the champion rider, exploring how the same details can be communicated differently.

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Using Mark di Suvero’s sculpture Lao Tzu as an example, students will learn about the important considerations that must be kept in mind when designing site-specific sculptures. Students will then choose a space and design a sculpture for that space. Once their design is complete, students will explain, either orally or in a written proposal, why their sculpture should be constructed and how it fits within their chosen space.

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Students will discover how materials can be reused to create new works of art and will describe how Spiritual Messenger exhibits both realistic and expressive characteristics. Students will create a sculpture using an assortment of found objects and will write a poem that complements the theme or message of their artistic piece.

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Students will use the Tlingit House Partition to guide their learning about the Tlingit people’s views on social status and the natural world. They will then explore their own views on status and nature, as well as those of their culture, and compare them to those of the Tlingit people. The lesson will culminate in students creating their own “partition.”

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In this lesson students will have an opportunity to apply journalistic writing skills and their imaginations as they “report” on actual conflicts and write about how they imagine the conflicts would be resolved using the Nkisi.

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Inspired by the Figure Seated on a Bench, students will design and create their own treasure box, identify positive traits about themselves, and illustrate the box with visual representations of their positive traits.

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After viewing and discussing James Walker’s Cowboys Roping a Bear, students will explore symmetry with their bodies and then create their own symmetrical drawings in pairs.

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Students will look at Dan Ostermiller’s Scottish Angus Cow and Calf and discuss how large it is compared to real life. Students will then emulate Ostermiller’s artistic process, recreating a Monopoly game token on a much larger scale by building a base with various materials and covering it with paper mache.

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In this lesson students will first have a go at sculpting a face and compare their efforts to the face of the Nkisi. They will then put on their thinking caps to solve the “riddle” of the Nkisi.

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In this lesson students will use their senses to explore the world around them and the world depicted in the painting Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. They will then have an opportunity to use this sensory information to write a creative piece and “perform” what they’ve written.

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Students will use their imaginations to shrink themselves small enough to fit into Philip Guston’s painting Blue Water. Once inside the painting, they will explore the water and shapes and use their five senses to write or tell descriptive stories about their experience in the painting.

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Students will explore the mystery and wonder of the Stone Serpent Heads through scholarly research and the creation of their own Mexican temple complete with serpent head decorations.

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Students will use American Grasslands to inspire their own investigation and representation of one square-foot of natural space. The paintings will also serve to facilitate a discussion of the impact of living beings (humans and other animals) on the land. A creative writing exercise will help students consolidate what they’ve learned.

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Students will learn about how the Japanese Shinto Deity represents protection, carve a threedimensional sculpture that represents protection out of a bar of soap, and write a tanka or haiku poem describing their sculpture.

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Students will learn about the artistic process involved in creating the Warrior Figure and explore it as a metaphor for the 6+1 Traits of Writing framework. They will use the writing framework to compose a reflective piece about something they developed step-by-step.

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Students will work in small groups and engage in class discussions to explore the painted screen Garden Party on the Terrace of a Country Home. They will compare the scene in the screen to their own lives and then step into one of the characters to write a journal entry about their experience at the party.

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Lección Completa (en español)

Using Elizabeth Hopkins’s Album Quilt as inspiration, students will create an album quilt of their own that tells their life story in images and patterns. They will read Quilters, a play that was written and produced in Denver, and write a creative piece that connects their experience with literature.

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Using Elizabeth Hopkins’s Album Quilt and two stories as inspiration, students will design and create a quilt square that tells a story about their lives. They will present their stories to the class, explaining the significance of the quilt square and the story that inspired it.

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In this lesson students will research topics related to the Lakota Tipi, migration, and the concepts of home and memories. They will then use empathy and their imaginations to complete writing and visual art activities.

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Students will learn about the significance of beads and horses for American Indian artwork and society, then create a descriptive piece written from a horse’s perspective.

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Students will learn about the story depicted in the Incense Burner, as well as how it was used and why. They will discuss themes of transformation, power, honor, and fear, and how these themes are reflected in their own lives. To process and synthesize their understanding, students will write a poem or story reflective of the themes and design a top for the Incense Burner that incorporates them.

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During this lesson students begin by conducting a formal visual analysis of the Hayagriva Sand Mandala, followed by probing more deeply into the symbols and the religious significance of the mandala. Students will create symbols that reflect their private experiences and then research the daily life of a monk to understand better the symbols in the mandala. As a class, students will then develop communal symbols and incorporate them in a community line drawing. They will compare this experience to that of the monks after watching a video about the Wheel of Healing Mandala (made by monks from another Tibetan monastery).

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During this discovery lesson, students will explore the Hayagriva Sand Mandala and develop hypotheses on how it was made, for what purpose, and by whom. They will use a variety of tools to test their hypotheses. After their theory making and testing, students will watch the video on the creation of the Wheel of Healing Mandala (made by monks from another Tibetan monastery) and compare their processes with those of the monks. The comparison may be done in a discussion format or by having students write creative or factual pieces about what they learned (or both).

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Students will compare and contrast the Long Jakes painting to the whimsical illustration for the poem “Backward Bill” by Shel Silverstein. They will discuss similarities and differences in the main character’s expression, position, and other visual elements and write a rhyming poem for Long Jakes similar to “Backward Bill”.

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Students will participate in a nature walk to observe and record organic shapes, lines, etc., and compare these elements with the aesthetic components of the Denver Art Museum’s North Building. They will then work in teams to redesign the art museum using predominantly organic shapes.

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Students will learn about El Anatsui and his work, and will mimic his process of collecting and transforming found materials into a work of art. They will work as a team to create a found object “tapestry” and write a story about their creative process.

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Students will explore assumptions they hold about what makes art through Gene Davis’s painting, Phantom Tattoo. They will also engage in problem solving to figure out how to paint stripes of their own.

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Students will explore the significance of the illustrations on the Maya Vase with Palace Scene, then write a short creative or personal story in which the theme of gift giving plays a prominent role.

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Students will use picture books and the Maya Stela to explore the ways in which filled space and empty space can visually tell a story. After looking at the work of others, they will then create their own stela that tells the story of a significant person they admire, and what they want others to know about that person.

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Students will discover the elements of a Hamat’sa initiation ceremony and explore the connection between appearance, sound, and movement. Students will create an initiation ceremony commemorating an important event in contemporary society.

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Students will analyze the plate made by members of the Martinez family and learn how they collaborated with each other to create art. Students will work in conjunction with a partner to create a piece of art or literature.

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Students will explore the cultural and social role of music as reflected by the Senufo Drum and musical devices they use today. They will then use their imaginations to write a letter justifying the inclusion of an early 21st century musical object in an art museum of the future.

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Students will examine stories that influence their generation and the artistic representations of those stories. A discussion of why these stories are so powerful will set the stage for them to explore the Hanuman Mithila painting and the importance of the stories of Hanuman. Hanuman’s actions will serve as a platform to discuss their experiences with adolescence. Students will then write their own Hanuman stories placing him in their cultural context.

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This lesson exposes students to the significance of the samurai in Japanese historical culture. They will study the different features of the samurai Suit of Armor, brainstorm what materials were used to create each element, and compare the suit to what the teacher is wearing. The students will then use this knowledge to design shoes for the samurai, focusing on the materials available and artisans needed.

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After analyzing the significance of the artistic features of the Figure Seated on a Bench, students will design and create a comic strip based around the ideas represented in the figure.

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Students will be given creative license to design a temple, based off research of other Buddhist temples, that they feel embodies the spirit and characteristics of the Eleven-Headed Bodhisattva. They will then write a tour guide script that appeals to all five senses and leads visitors through their temple to the main attraction, the Eleven-Headed Bodhisattva.

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Students will learn about the history of the painting Three Young Girls. They will then examine the tiny details that make the painting special, from the intricate lace pattern to the tiny petals of each flower.

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Students will focus on the power of sequence, looking at the phases of life and death portrayed in The Triumphs, and other sequences found in everyday life. They will then make their own drawings or collages depicting a sequence in a manner similar to that of The Triumphs.

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Students will collect and transform found materials into a work of art. Through the process they will learn about El Anatsui and his work, as well as explore the difference between two- and three-dimensional art.

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Students will use American Grasslands to appreciate what it means when passion stirs a person and motivates him or her to work hard and realize a dream. They will also use the paintings as inspiration to examine a small part of nature around them, as well as explore their own passions.

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Students will imagine what it might be like to be an art historian or art collector by hypothesizing possible uses of a discovered wooden leg in a descriptive journal entry.

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Students will explore Monet’s painting The Water Lily Pond and conduct a critical comparison of painting and poetry. They will read and discuss poems by three different authors, then write an original composition inspired by Monet’s painting and the poems they read.

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Students will examine the use of marquetry and other fine artistic processes on the Renaissance Revival/Aesthetic Cabinet, then practice their marquetry skills by creating a piece of art using only black, grey, and white pieces of triangular paper to design a picture.

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Students will identify the attributes associated with the saints in the Molleno Altar Screen. They will then reflect on what they would want to be remembered for, and sketch symbols or other visual imagery to represent those characteristics.

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Students look at the Bird and Cornstalk Rug in pairs and discuss Yellowhair’s inspiration from both natural and man-made forms. They then engage in a creative writing exercise that develops their awareness of symbolism in their daily lives.

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Students will look at Ruscha’s painting Molten Polyester and examine his use of letters as elements of a pattern or composition. Following the discussion, students will create a collage using Ruscha’s artwork for inspiration.

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Students will use the Assyrian Bird-Headed Deity limestone relief to talk about what they value and what is valued in their culture in general. Their emphasis on material possessions, most usually identified by students first, will set the backdrop for a discussion about the importance of food production and supply and why it doesn’t usually come to mind first in a list of what’s valued. Students will then research and write a creative or factual piece comparing the Assyrian Bird-Headed Deity with modern methods of ensuring food production for continued livelihood. They could research issues in their own community or in the region where Assyria used to be located.

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Students will examine the Hanuman Mithila painting, describe what they see, and generate hypotheses about the images in the painting with questions to guide them. They will then learn about Hanuman through stories and have an opportunity to learn more about the visual elements, and cultural and religious background of the painting. The lesson will culminate in students creating a short story, skit, or comic strip to help them synthesize what they learned.

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Students will learn how a passion for something can inspire creativity through the painting Rodeo-Pickup Man. They will examine the painting in detail and explore the artist’s motivations. They will then spend time looking at their own passions and make a visual or written piece that reflects these passions and share it with the class.

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Students will use Andrew Dasburg’s Poppies to inspire their imaginations as they create a postcard to send home or to a friend, describing where they are staying on “vacation.” Students will use both drawing and writing to engage creative visual and verbal skills in making the postcard.

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Students will imagine they are one of the bugs in Oosterwyck’s painting Bouquet of Flowers in a Vase and write or tell about the adventures they had while the people in the house slept.

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Students will observe and discuss Hennings’s painting Rabbit Hunt, choose a character from the piece, and write a narrative from that character’s perspective. They will then combine their narratives with those from other students to create a group story that incorporates perspectives from every character in the painting.

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Students will imagine and describe what it feels like to be in a large, busy city. They will then imagine being in a wide, open space, use words to describe it, and make a collage of images from magazines to depict it. They will finish by exploring Cole’s painting Dream of Arcadia and comparing it to their descriptions and collages.

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After first looking closely at Thomas Cole’s painting Dream of Arcadia, students will imagine they are in the painting. They will then write a “Wish you were here…” postcard about their experiences. Younger students may share their experiences verbally with a partner.

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Students will carefully scrutinize the contradiction between the words and images in Ruscha’s painting Molten Polyester, drawing upon the artist’s thoughts on words as art to guide their exploration. The lesson ends with a fun, hands-on activity in which students will make words with a material completely different from their meaning.

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After a careful examination of the painting Poppies, students will use it as a backdrop for a creative writing activity. The lesson will start with a fun storytelling warm-up designed to get students thinking about what catches people’s attention.

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Students have the opportunity to explore the importance of listening and getting someone’s attention through the Iatmul Culture Orator’s Stool. They will have fun learning how to use the “Quiet Coyote” technique and other attention-getting methods, examining the details of the Orator’s Stool, and creating an “orator’s stool” of their own using found materials.

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Students will explore how Giuseppe Arcimboldo used food to depict a human face in his painting Summer. They will then touch and examine various fruits and vegetables, and use these and other foods to sketch portraits of their own.

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This lesson allows students to experience Terry Winters’s painting Rhyme through reading the book Zoom by Istvan Banyai. The students will have the opportunity to predict and illustrate what Rhyme might look like if a camera zoomed out on it.

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