What is happening in arts teaching and learning in our classrooms? Recent NEMP reports tell us that Year 4 students are not performing well but that there is an increase in scores at Year 8. This new professional development resource builds on research into teacher practice in Years 0-6 classrooms in New Zealand primary schools. It offers new…

This teaching guide introduces students to early 20th century European and American art. Through critically viewing and discussing art images and participating in related activities, students are encouraged to explore the historical and cultural context within which the art was created. This guide includes background information and an overview…

This classroom resource kit contains a presentation for 12 slides representing artworks found in the permanent collection of the J. B. Speed Art Museum (Kentucky), a teacher's manual, and an evaluation sheet. The printed document provides critical insight into the artworks and their historical era by investigating the materials and technical…

Abstract expressionism was the first art movement of international importance to have its roots in the United States. This movement stressed the role of art as a method of individual expression. Abstract expressionist paintings are usually non-representational and some elements of their production have been left to chance. Individual artist's…

Art reflects the ideas, experiences, spirit, and hopes of those who create it. It is through art works that students can see a visual record of how men and women lived and thought throughout history and across cultures. This instructional resource includes 52 transparencies, accompanying teaching strategies, and student worksheets which are…

This slide kit presents the diverse stylistic achievements of 15 African-American artists who worked between mid-19th century to present day. Essays included in the packet incorporate information from interviews with artists Hughie Lee-Smith, Elizabeth Catlett, Benny Andrews, Lois Mailou Jones, Allan Rohan Crite, Howardena Pindell, and Jack…

Tomb art provides an invaluable window into China's history and culture. The understanding that spirits of dead ancestors can exert power and influence over the lives of their descendants has been a central tenet of the Chinese belief system, propelling the culture into practices ensuring the provision of comfort and status to the deceased in…

With the end of the Civil War just 30 years past, the organizers of the Atlanta (Georgia) 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition sought to demonstrate the South's national patriotism and progressivism. While the exhibits at the exposition widely varied, among the most ambitious undertakings were the displays of fine arts found in the Fine…

Brushwork is the essential characteristic of Chinese painting. Ink and brushwork provide the foundation of Chinese pictures, even when color also is used. In the quality of the brushwork the artist captures the spirit resonance, the raison d'etre of a painting. In China, painting and writing developed hand in hand, sharing the same tools and…

Sacred women have been portrayed throughout the history of India and Southeast Asia. Some were depicted as consorts to the Hindu gods and regarded as the necessary force that activates male energy. Other images arose out of local fertility cults and represented uncontrolled feminine energy that could be terrifying in aspect. The calmer Buddhist…

Conflict, in one form or another, eventually makes its way into the daily life of every human being. It is not just a modern problem but has existed as long as humanity itself. This classroom resource kit is designed to be used by educators wishing to teach skills of conflict avoidance, management, and resolution in their classrooms. The kit…

This packet includes a description of the geography of Iran, known as Ancient Persia and gives information about Persian Art. Both pre-Islamic and Islamic influences are discussed. The "Slide List" introduces 21 slides provided with the packet and describes them in the "Slide Descriptions." The packet includes a "Slide…

This teacher resource packet, which includes 20 color slides with a descriptive script and comprehensive lesson guide, aims at engaging students in a study of the people, art, and culture of several West African nations, including the countries of Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, and Nigeria. The packet, designed for use by general classroom…

This resource kit contains a 26-minute video, close-captioned and subtitled in Spanish, a 68-page bilingual study guide, 10 color reproductions of paintings, and 14 slides. The video program, "Latino Voices: Artists and Community," features the work of seven contemporary Latino artists living in the United States. Through personal…

Using different approaches when viewing art is critical because it provokes the viewer to go beyond a cursory glance and the influence of the historical period, and the influence of the culture in which it was created. In this resource kit three approaches to looking at art are examined including the examination of the elements of art, the…