Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

The Library of Congress features more than 70 color photographs - taken between 1939 and 1943 - that vividly capture the effects of the Great Depression on rural and small-town America and highlights the economic growth that preceded World War II. This is great visual resource for a 20th century American history class. Photography students can use the site to examine how the "Kodachrome" era changed the way we view our collective past.

tag(s): 1930s (20), 1940s (14), great depression (30), images (263), photography (131)

This beautifully designed site offers five interactive activities that progressively challenge students to connect with, respond to, and interpret the visual arts. A detailed Teacher's Guide provides directions for implementing each lesson. There are outstanding tools here for developing affective and critical thinking skills in students of all levels - from elementary to high school. Also includes an interactive quiz.

tag(s): webquests (8)

The menu on the right side of this page reveals different types of hands-on crafts that are perfect for the elementary classroom. Tap into this resource for some unique ways to celebrate this time of year.

tag(s): christmas (38), crafts (64), holidays (187), Juneteenth (22)

This site is a companion to an exhibit of oil paintings, watercolors, drawings and prints by American artist Winslow Homer. The exhibit spans his career from early oil paintings of the Civil War era and classic images of 19th century American life through his late watercolors of sea scenes.

tag(s): art history (102), artists (84), painting (54)

Add an interdisciplinary twist to one of Aesop's fables with this clever lesson plan. After listening to or reading "The Crow and the Pitcher," students discuss its moral and meaning, design an original puppet for use in acting out the fable, and make and test predictions about the number of pebbles needed by Crow to access the water.

tag(s): counting (60), folktales (34)

Browse through this wonderful collection of personal letters - unabridged and annotated - that Van Gogh penned to his brother, Theo, and gain a new perspective on the man and the artist. Search by theme (love, loneliness, family, etc.) or keyword.

tag(s): van gogh (8)

This elegantly designed site illustrates the importance of balance, contrast, movement, and proportion to a work of art. Part tutorial, part interactive tool, the site features a "make your own masterpiece" option in which students can select a background, add resizable subjects, and submit for critique. Includes an excellent Teacher Guide that provides interdisciplinary connections.

tag(s): artists (84)

This art-based lesson plan examines how artists use color to set the tone of a painting or convey a specific mood. After identifying color schemes in a variety of paintings, students are asked to discuss the resulting impact to the viewer and the role played by cools vs. warm colors.

tag(s): colors (63)

Improve writing skills while tapping into art and critical thinking skills. This lesson plan takes students to virtual art galleries, guides them through a brainstorming exercise, then challenges them to analyze character, setting, situation, and vocabulary, before creating an original story. A nice activity for exploring connections between images and words, and learning characteristics of narrative writing.

tag(s): narrative (16), vocabulary (238), writing (324)

Using art, music, and literary classics, students explore the idea of "monsters" in society, analyze how they are portrayed, the purpose they serve, and why they are necessary. After an introductory brainstorming activity, students read Beowulf and Grendel, watch and listen to snatches of monster-inspired music (Night on Bald Mountain, Jaws, and others), then apply research skills to design and present their own conceptual monster. Includes an assessment rubric, links to multimedia resources, and extension activities.

tag(s): characterization (19), literature (221), stories and storytelling (58)

Science and art are more closely related than you might suppose. To prove it, visit this breathtaking site that features scientific photographs of items found in the microscopic world. Click on the "Gallery" to view the images (which include E. coli, marigold petal hairs, and compost heap fungus - to name a few), then visit the "Equipment" link to find out what was used to create them. Also available in German.

tag(s): images (263), photography (131)

This interdisciplinary site - loaded with facts and real-life scenarios - explores the physiology, psychology, art, and philosophy of color. Find out how color affects our mind, health, environment and society. Includes a discussion board, so monitor accordingly.

tag(s): colors (63), psychology (65)

Take a tour of the archaeological and architectural remains of Athens, Greece on this impressive site (created by a classical archaeologist at the Indiana University) that presents a photographic archive of the city's most historic venues. All images may be downloaded and used for school projects and presentations, provided that the terms outlined in the Creative Commons License (check out the link) are followed.

tag(s): greece (47), greek (47), greeks (46), states (124)

You'll be enlightened, amazed, and even mystified by this eclectic collection of online museums that tout the bizarre, the practical, and the mundane. Interspersed among the "traditional' exhibits featuring the likes of Van Gogh and Ansel Adams are those covering a dizzying array of interests and obsessions. Check out the Gallery of Stove Burners, Ephemera Now, or the Museum of Norwegian Manhole Covers (we're not kidding). In addition to making some interesting cultural statements, the exhibits provide great ideas and insights for art and photography students.

tag(s): artists (84), inventors and inventions (80), museums (53), trivia (19)

Learn more about Dali and his works with this site maintained by the Gala-Salvador Foundation - an organization the artist founded in 1983. In addition to biographical information, the site offers interactive, virtual tours of the three museums managed by the Foundation.

tag(s): museums (53)

This searchable collection of images from the New York Public Library contains thousands of items scanned from dust jackets, documents, posters, maps, illustrated books, and more. There is no fee for classroom or research uses, but the images may not be disseminated in any form (books, articles, brochures, Web pages, etc.). Please include the citations used in the "gallery" when incorporating these resources into your teaching materials. Encourage your students to do the same and introduce them to the concept of Fair Use!

tag(s): images (263)

If you can't take your students to see Van Gogh's works in person, at least take them to the computer lab to stroll through the virtual halls of the National Gallery. Visitors can navigate through the exhibit, zoom in on paintings of interest, and read and listen to learn more about them.

tag(s): painting (54), van gogh (8)

Secondary students can use this interactive tool to experiment with the color, space, and visual rhythm characteristic of Piet Mondrian's work. Start with one solid block, then follow basic instructions to create horizontal and vertical divisions. Each rectangle can be easily resized or re-colored. A few simple mouse clicks will yield impressive results.

J.K. Rowling's site is a welcome change from the standard publisher's fare, offering an assortment of Harry Potter trivia and many interesting facts about how the stories came to be and have evolved. While it's not strictly instructional, this one would be a great source of facts for a Harry Potter webquest.

tag(s): harry potter (9)

Use this blank, printable "Cat in the Hat" template for a drawing or writing activity to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday on March 2.

tag(s): dr seuss (12)