Students begin the unit exploring collaboration in the Harlem Renaissance, noting how the Harlem Renaissance was an explosion and confluence of art, music, and literature. Throughout the first half of the unit, students explore literary texts, and the art and music they inspired, to develop their ability to compare and contrast these versions and analyze the effects of techniques unique to each medium and note thematic connections. First, students examine scenes and songs from the iconic Broadway musical Shuffle Along. They experience this celebratory text, which transformed American musical theater and was created through the collaboration of Eubie Blake, Noble Sissle, F. E. Miller, and Aubrey Lyles. Students analyze the text’s literary techniques, including figurative language such as allusion and metaphor. Next, students analyze the songs’ musical techniques—volume, tone, and tempo—noting how the musical and textual techniques affect meaning and develop themes such as love persevering through tough times. For the mid-unit assessment, students examine the thematic connections between the poem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson and the song and sculpture inspired by the text. Students compare the different versions, analyzing the effects of the techniques unique to each medium and how they develop themes around how black Americans collaborate to survive, thrive, and create art.

In the second half of the unit, students continue exploring Harlem Renaissance literature by analyzing poems that develop themes about drawing strength from the past and persevering to achieve dreams. First, students analyze “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes, learning how the structure and figurative language develops themes about black Americans connecting to and drawing strength from their African roots. Next, students analyze the poems “Calling Dreams” and “Hope” by Georgia Douglas Johnson, noting how she uses more formal structures and figurative language to develop themes about black Americans achieving their goals despite great obstacles. For the end of unit assessment, student learning is assessed with selected and constructed response questions about the structure, language, and themes in Claude McKay’s “I Shall Return.” Finally, students compare McKay’s poem to artwork by Meta Warrick Fuller and Winold Reiss for thematic connections around drawing strength from and longing for home or Africa. The unit concludes with a collaborative discussion about how all the poems and artwork examined in the unit relate thematically.

Can we “find fuel for the future in the past”? Poet Nikki Grimes asks this question in her poem “Emergency Measures,” the first in her collection One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance. As Grimes does in her book, students will spend the module pondering the wisdom from works created during the Harlem Renaissance. First students will explore scenes and songs from a play, poems, and artwork to experience the explosion of creativity and ideas of collaboration and innovation. Then students examine political artwork and cartoons, informative articles, and short stories to explore the social and political context of the Harlem Renaissance. Finally, students explore the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance, turning back to Nikki Grimes and her collection of poems crafted with lines from Harlem Renaissance poets. Students consider whether they and contemporary writers, singers, and musicians truly can “find fuel for the future in the past.”

In Unit 1, students explore collaboration in the Harlem Renaissance, noting how the Harlem Renaissance was an explosion and confluence of art, music, and literature. Students first examine scenes and songs from the Broadway musical Shuffle Along, experiencing this celebratory text that transformed American musical theater and was created through the collaboration of Eubie Blake, Noble Sissle, F. E. Miller, and Aubrey Lyles. Students analyze how the musical and textual techniques in the play affect meaning and develop themes such as love persevering through tough times. Similarly, students explore the thematic connections of triumph over hardships in the poem “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson and the song and sculpture inspired by the text. Students then analyze iconic poems such as “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes, “Calling Dreams” and “Hope” by Georgia Douglas Johnson, and Claude McKay’s “I Shall Return.” In each of these poems, students analyze the structure, figurative language, and themes such as drawing strength from the past and overcoming adversity to fulfill one’s dreams. Students conclude their exploration of collaboration and cultural confluence in a collaborative discussion comparing McKay’s poem to artwork by Meta Warrick Fuller and Winold Reiss for thematic connections around drawing strength from and longing for home or Africa.

In Unit 2, students explore the social and political context of the Harlem Renaissance by reading short informational texts and examining visual art. Students learn how the Harlem Renaissance occurred during the era of the Great Migration, Jim Crow laws, and the racial violence of post-Civil War America. They then read two short stories, “His Motto” by Lottie Burrell Dixon and “The Boy and the Bayonet” by Paul Laurence Dunbar, analyzing point of view and the interactions between story elements, such as character, plot, and setting. Additionally, students discuss how both stories develop themes about working hard to achieve dreams and how community helps to bring out our best selves. Students continue their exploration of the Harlem Renaissance context by engaging with literary argument writing. Students examine a model literary argument essay then write pair and independent essays, discussing how three pieces of work from the Harlem Renaissance are connected by themes such as looking to the past for strength, collaboration and community to bring out one’s best self, and dreams giving life meaning and purpose.

In Unit 3, students explore the contemporary legacy of the Harlem Renaissance by examining short informational and literary texts, visual art, and performances to further develop their sense of how the Harlem Renaissance continues to impact us today. To develop their background knowledge about this legacy, students analyze Nikki Grimes’ poem “Emergency Measures,” original artwork associated with the poem, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s ballet, “Uptown,” which was inspired by the people, places, art, music, and writing of the Harlem Renaissance. Then students study several of Nikki Grimes’ poems in conjunction with the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance, learning how Grimes uses lines from poets such as Langston Hughes and Georgia Douglas Johnson to create her own poems which develop themes similar to those of the Harlem Renaissance but in a contemporary context. Students continue their exploration of the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance by creating a museum exhibit, which includes three pieces from the Harlem Renaissance and one contemporary piece that they have studied or created themselves. Students write a curator’s statement explaining how the works are connected by theme and create labels discussing the details of structure, language, and theme in each piece. Students practice and revise the presentation of their curator’s statements and labels preparing for the Harlem Renaissance museum, in which students contribute to making a better world by sharing these important works with their community.

This lesson plan (for students age 4 and up) from the Crayola website, incorporates phonics, adjectives, and visual arts. Students make "Rubbings," with crayons while discovering adjectives that begin with the same letter. Provides adaptations and ideas for books to accompany this lesson.

ArtCyclopedia offers a list of notable photographers from the formation of the media to the present--and links to biographies and works.

The National Humanities Center presents collections of primary resources compatible with the Common Core State Standards - historical documents, literary texts, and works of art - thematically organized with notes and discussion questions. Topics discussed in this unit include the following: Becoming Modern: America in the 1920s: Modern City in Art. Study the seven paintings and two photographs presented here, created between 1922 and 1929. All are modernist works; six are precisionist. For most, you are directed to museum websites that provide discussion and zoomable images. Complete the chart, New York City in Visual Art of the 1920s, as you study the works.

A lesson that examines how Native Americans were portrayed by artists in the sixteenth century, whose aim was to convey their appearance to a European audience, and thereby encourage investment in future New World explorations. By studying and comparing various artworks, as they ponder thought-provoking questions, students will come to an understanding of how the artists interpreted what they saw and translated it into their visual representations.

PBS documentary about Seabiscuit, the thoroughbred that made history in Depression-era America. Includes a transcript of the movie, biographies of the many players in the Seabiscuit story, and primary source material from the time.

This is a collection of six video lessons about August Wilson and his works from the PBS American Masters Collection.

Through a video lecture, students discover the visual side of the important applications of mathematics in practical life. More specifically, they will understand the relationship of mathematics and decoration or art.

This look at art in the 21st century focuses on artist Jenny Holzer. Her combination of language, poetry, and projection creates unique installations.

Kiki is the daughter of American sculptor Tony Smith and began her interest in art at a young age. Her work is primarily figurative. The recurrent subject matter in Smith's work has been the body as a receptacle for knowledge, belief, and storytelling.

This artist enjoys infusing art into unlikely places and uses current culture, such as technology, to bring about awareness of global issues.

Features a biography of Richard Serra and links to his art, videos clips, and interviews as well as links to lesson plans and other artist pages.

Susan Rothenberg is most well known for her minimalist horse paintings. PBS has included her in their series art:21 and here on the website you can see her work, read interviews, watch video clips, and read her biography.

A description of the art deco movement, with a chronological list of artists and links to famous works and biographies.

In this video [25:55] learn about many ways to combine art and science as we observe the world around us. We often think of scientists as methodical and precise, and artists as free-willed, impulsive creators. But did you know that some art has science packed right into it? And that artists throughout history have helped scientists conduct their work? Learn about the photography of Berenice Abbott who documented the changing New York skyline with photographs of architecture and urban design of the 1930s, and science interpretation in the 1940s to 1960s. Learn how to use the sun to air dry your salt dough creations and explore papier-mache.

Watch this video [21:40] to learn about the artwork that is created and kept close to the artist's heart, and other artwork is made to be shared! Dig into some DIY book-making, participate in a secret community art project, and learn how artists and musicians build unity through Afro-Caribbean dance styles on a trip to Dogtown Dance Theatre -- all on this episode of The Creative Corner.

African artists commonly base their work on animals observed in their natural habitats. Artful Animals lets you view African art that takes animals as its subject and inspiration. Learn about animals as symbols in African art, the beauty of animals that populate the African continent, and what African artists find interesting about the animals they observe around them.

Students learn how forces are used in the creation of art. They come to understand that it is not just bridge and airplane designers who are concerned about how forces interact with objects, but artists as well. As "paper engineers," students create their own mobiles and pop-up books, and identify and use the forces (air currents, gravity, hand movement) acting upon them.

Look here for information on Gothic art period artists. This period is from the 5th to the 16th century A.D. (400 - 1500). Read about the leading artists and how the movement came about.