Students will be able to describe and analyze techniques artists use to communicate persuasive messages through two-dimensional and three-dimensional images; understand key themes and artistic styles of the Counter-Reformation period in 17th-century Europe; and create a sculpture that conveys a message conceived by a patron.

This is the first lesson in a sequential unit. Students consider the ways that sculptors have represented concepts and ideals as symbolic forms in three dimensions. They compare historical examples to those in contemporary culture, and begin sketching designs for their own symbolic sculpture.

This lesson is part of a sequential unit. Students participate in a class critique of the symbolic sculptures they created. They critique the work of their peers by responding to questions about the symbolic content and applying criteria for sculpture developed in Lesson 1.

Students will consider the term conceptual art and the role of math - geometry, fractions, permutations - in producing this art. They will first create a conceptual art piece by following a set of Sol LeWitt's instructions. Then, they will design two conceptual art plans using math concepts - one in two-dimensions, another in three - for a student-partner to follow.

This is the first lesson in a sequential unit. Students look at and discuss still-life paintings and develop a definition for the genre. They then further their understanding of this type of painting and practice watercolor techniques by painting their own still lifes from direct observation. Art production focuses on the tools used to create the illusion of three-dimensional space and convey texture in watercolors.

This lesson is part of a sequential unit. Students choose meaningful objects for a still-life arrangement and paint it using watercolors. After reflecting on their choice of objects and composition, students begin to write an artist's statement.

This lesson is part of a sequential unit. Students paint the same still-life arrangement from Lesson 2, but in an opaque medium. They compare similarities and differences of working with the transparent and opaque mediums and refine their artist's statements.

This lesson is part of a sequential unit. Students display the two still-life paintings that they created in previous lessons, along with their artist's statements. They write a review of a peer's work and discuss all of the paintings in a group critique.

Students will examine sixteen paintings by George Baselitz. Students will describe the works and discuss details, the reasoning and meaning behind painting upside down, techniques and methods required to work in this manner, and the process behind the series. Students will also analyze the titles and subtitles Baselitz used and the meaning or implications associated with each. Students will compose a dialogue between two characters in the paintings and will experiment with painting with hands and feet in the style of Baselitz.

Students will view and discuss Cy Twombly's "Nine Discourses on Commodus", research the Roman Emperor Commodus, investigate Twombly's process and technique, and consider the difference between works in a "series" created as "one in a sequence" rather than "stand alones". Students will also discuss how music may inspire visual arts; make paintings based on phrases of poetry; and debate the artistic value of graffiti.

This free website provides more than 600 adaptable lesson plans written by teachers in collaboration with the Denver Art Museum for more than 130 objects from the museums world-class art collection. Lesson plans and resources focus on inspiring students to think and problem-solve creatively. Organized in an easy way so that teachers can pick the topic they would like to explore or enhance, then use works of art to teach that subject.

High resolution images are included. Museum visits are not necessary to implement lesson plans. Includes professional and student development tools such as teacher workshops and webinars, virtual classroom courses, career videos, educator blogs and creativity tools. Easy for teachers in language arts, social studies and visual arts to provide a curriculum rooted in the arts while also meeting 21st Century Skills.

Students will view and discuss Waking, 1984 by Gilbert and George. Working in pairs, students will gather images from newspapers and magazines depicting youth culture and style. Students will then combine the images collected by the class and create a collage showing how they think youth should be depicted by the media. Alternatively, students could create a digital collage by taking pictures of themselves and their peers. Have students discuss how their image selections reflect or represent their generation.

In this activity, students will learn how modern artists reinvented portraiture. By the turn of the 20th century, photographs had become the most accessible and popular mode of portraiture. As though freed from the burden of realism, portrait painters of the time began to explore new ways to represent people, breaking with the literal and representational portrait of the previous era.

In this activity, students learn about how artists living in the rapidly modernizing world of late 19th-century Europe wished not only to depict modern (for them, contemporary) everyday life, but also to reveal the emotional and psychological effects of living in a world in rapid flux.

Students will analyze the sculpture Head with Horns by Paul Gauguin through objective and subjective writing activities and class discussion.

Students will learn about conceptual art, minimalist sculpture, haiku, and readymades through analysis of Yoko Ono's 1966 work "Apple". Students will participate in a number of activities revolving around the theme of "Experiencing the School in a Differnet Way". Activities include writing haiku, producing a collaborative mural project, create a collaborative mixed-media interpretation of one aspect of the school, and conduct a survey of the positive and negative aspects of the school with the goal of promoting positive change.