Students identify techniques used to communicate visually. They compare and contrast different visual techniques found in mass media. They apply their understanding by creating photographs that use a variety of visual literacy techniques.

Do your young readers have difficulty visualizing what they read? Although the activity described here is for The Call of the Wild, the strategy could be used with any narrative. At the conclusion of each chapter of Jack London’s novel,...

Students examine works of art to develop an understanding of the importance of visual balance in works of art and nature. Students research artists and their artwork for examples of visual balance. Students create works of art showing...

Explore the pop art movement and create a sculpture in the pop art style based on a visual pun, or play on words. The scholar's work may use humor, allegory, metaphor, or be in the form of a parody. Visual examples are provided, and some...

Looking for a powerful reading comprehension method? Try visualization! Learners use this strategy to increase comprehension of a chapter book selected by the teacher. As an assessment, individuals or small groups draw pictures of the...

Students listen to a story and create a picture.  For this visualizing a story, students listen to a simple story without looking at the pictures. students draw an appropriate picture to illustrate what they have heard. Students...

Many muralists throughout history have focused on using their art to represent aspects of their culture or community. After thoroughly researching several muralists, budding artists will create a larger than life mural that contains...

High schoolers "paint" with torn paper!. They focus on the placement of features, facial planes, shadows and highlights using a black and white image. The results from this lesson are visually stunning, and the materials you need to get...

Students gain knowledge of the basics of visual communication. They are introduced to the three fundamental elements of visual language. Those are: camera angle, lighting, and compositions. Students video each other from different angles...

Use online dictionaries to define vocabulary words and create a visualization of word meanings through digital art. Middle schoolers go online to define assigned vocabulary words. They visualize the meanings of the words in photo...

Students explore 5 senses poetry.  In this poetry writing lesson, students visualize a special day and brainstorm related vivid adjectives and phrases.  Students create mindmaps of the five senses to go with their visualization...

Learners investigate shapes in art. In this visual arts lesson, students examine the ancient Panamanian "Plaque" and identify the geometric shapes in the art piece. Learners combine basic shapes to make an artistic picture of their own.

Fourth graders pretend they are going on a trip to Mars as they close their eyes and visualize the journey. They discuss what they saw on the journey to determine how one student may visualize something different than another. Next, they...

Learners practice visualization as a strategy to increase reading comprehension. They practice while the teacher reads a poem to them before reading a poem silently to themselves. Next, they practice making mental images while reading a...

How do you represent a tragic event? Are stories of tragic events better left untold? After reading chapter two of Maus and studying other representations of the Holocaust (suggestions are included), class members create a representation...

Students draw portraits of a dancer. In this visual-arts lesson, students study the work of James Wyeth online. They then watch a dance performance and sketch 10 - 15 pieces depicting dancers. Five of these sketches will be selected for...

Students research a career path in scientific and technical visualization. They prepare a Career Web Page about the career path they chose. The web pages be compiled into an electronic resource for future students.

Learners create stories using only pictures.  In this visual storytelling lesson, students read Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie de Paola and analyze the wordless story.  Learners create new text for the book by writing on...

The intent of this unit is to demonstrate some of the traditional arts of the Middle East. Extensive background information on the religion, culture, and nature of Islamic art found throughout the Middle East is provided. Each of the...

High schoolers make connections between music and visual art. For this integrated arts lesson, students design paintings that challenge them to examine the relationship between art elements and principles.

Students examine the importance of the environment including the setting, lights, sound, costumes, and props for a play or story. They visualize the appropriate environments and practice applying the techniques.

Students practice the techniques of weaving and braiding in this introductory lesson on family traditions and visual art. The lesson includes a video and other resource links.

Help your charges investigate visual art by identifying sounds that are associated with the images. They view art galleries online and discuss which sounds would be present if the image was a real life situation. Additionally, they...

Young scholars discuss the act of selection as a central component in contemporary art making in this visual art lesson ideal for the high school or junior high classroom. Emphasis is placed on the artwork of Duchamp and contemporary...