Artbooks, which are a combined form of picture and story book created using mixed media, can be a simple yet powerful way of supporting children affected by war and displacement to tell their stories. They allow children to work through the creative arts, which protects them from being overwhelmed by difficult memories. They also allow, even very…

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum launched a project, the Guggenheim UBS MAP Global Art Initiative, with the goal of broadening the geographic representation of the Guggenheim's holdings and to create a truly global collection. Inspired by this project, this article discusses three contemporary artists: (1) Navin Rawanchaikul, from Thailand; (2)…

Diverse education professionals learned about African cultures in a workshop experience by making African masks using authentic symbolism. Analysis of reflections to evaluate the workshop for applicability to participants with and without African heritage showed that both groups expanded their cultural knowledge of traditional African ethnic…

This article shares contributions from a moderated e-forum in 2007 that explored the transformative potential of arts in learning and social change. It draws on examples of poetry, creative writing, and experiences of innovative practice shared through these conversations by adult educators in contexts as diverse as Africa, Asia, Europe, North…

Learn how to engage and advocate for undocumented children and youth with this new resource written by and for teachers. "Teachers as Allies" provides educators with the information and tools they need to involve immigrant students and their American-born siblings and peers in inclusive and transformative classroom experiences. The…

The textiles of Africa are rich with possibilities for art lessons. With their unique balance of color, pattern, symmetry and repetition, they lend themselves to exciting art lessons with cultural significance. Asante cloth--or Kente cloth, as it is commonly known--is a perfect example. These rich, colorful repeat patterns from Ghana are woven in…

The original Moko Jumbie was a spirit dancer from West Africa. "Moko" is a West African word that refers to gods and "Jumbie" means ghost. In West Africa, Moko Jumbies are known to kidnap and eat disobedient children, steal dreams and see into evildoers' hearts and terrorize them. They walk through villages on 10- to…

Preparation is vital to the success of any journey, especially when one is dealing with a faraway land and 700 sixth graders. Creating a virtual journey to Africa, the author describes an art lesson plan for sixth graders focusing on life on the Serengeti, by having students create tissue paper collages through a three-stage project. (Contains 1…

In this article, the author describes a unit she implemented on Batik designs. This unit helped second-graders gain an understanding of the batik process while learning about mask designs and the Senegalese culture. Batik has origins in many areas around the world, including Indonesia and West Africa. This fabric-resist process involves the…

Describes several writing projects that use computers to expose students to art, cultural history, and present day technology. Suggests activities for Prehistoric art, Egyptian art, African art, Japanese art, and Native American art. (MG)

The Water in Africa Project was realized over a 2-year period by a team of Peace Corps volunteers. As part of an expanded, detailed design, resources were collected from over 90 volunteers serving in African countries, photos and stories were prepared, and standards-based learning units were created for K-12 students. This unit,…

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…

The teaching mini-units in this teacher's guide are designed for use with elementary level students. Thematic study units are given for each of the following countries or continents: Africa, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, and the…

Describes an African maskmaking project completed by seventh grade that gave students insight into tribal cultures. Discusses materials and methods students used to make the masks along with a backdrop painting to complement their masks. Displays several examples of student art. (DB)

Argues that African art helps children to learn vital art concepts and enlarges their understanding of the role of art in human culture. Outlines a unit on African art based on animals. Students created fabric designs and illustrated folktales and fables. Provides a list of free resources. (KM)