Educator Resources: Art and Design

Image: A group of students working together on an art project. Text: Art and Design Resources for Educators

The Smithsonian's goal for art resources in grades PK–12 is to provide a well-rounded and inclusive artistic education that fosters creativity, critical thinking, cultural understanding, and an appreciation of the arts among students. To achieve these objectives, the Smithsonian employs a range of resources and media tailored to different grade levels, including a variety of activities in different artistic mediums, techniques, and cultural contexts. Also included are interdisciplinary resources connecting art with Smithsonian content including history, science, and literature.

Grades PK–2 (Early Learners/Primary)

Image: A watercolor painting of music notes. Text: Grades PK–2

Smithsonian Learning Lab

Talk With Me Toolkit: Music

Listen to a beatboxer make music and experiment with making different sounds with your voice with tips from this Smithsonian Music resource. Grades PK–1. Learning Lab collection containing conversation prompts, videos, and hands-on activities.

Text: Let's Make and Play. Image: A children's piggy bank craft

Smithsonian Learning Lab

Let's Make and Play: Coins in the Bank

Craft a piggy bank and fill it with paper coins from around the world!Grades PK–2. Learning Lab collection containing step-by-step activity, reflection questions, and extension ideas.

Image: A painting of a girl holding a paper lantern

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Craft: Paper Lantern

Make and decorate a paper lantern inspired by an artwork. Grades 1–5. Learning Lab collection containing 4 common craft supply activities, instructional videos, and artworks for inspiration.

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Grades 3–5 (Elementary)

Photo: Three funny art-making robots make scribbles on paper. Text: Grades 3–5

Smithsonian Learning Lab

ArtBots!

Create your very own art-making robot out of everyday household materials and simple electronics. Grades 3–8. Learning Lab collection featuring step-by-step instructions for beginning circuitry project, instructional video, PZ thinking routine, and scaffolded lesson plan.

Illustration: A collaged elephant made from various museum photographs. Text: Grades 4–7

Smithsonian Open Access

How to Make a Collagasaurus!

Learn about history, art, culture and science while creating a fantastic creature with the Smithsonian's Open Access collections. Grades 3–8. Learning Lab collection featuring how-to activity guide and Open Access resources.

Graphic: Cropped images of famous artists in graphic style. Text: Grades 3–5

Hirshhorn Museum

About the Artist (For Kids!)

Get to know the artists who made some of your favorite artworks with kid-friendly, interactive artist biographies, available entirely online.Grades K–5. Website that includes artist biographies, related online resources, and extension activities

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Grades 6–8 (Middle School)

Image: Ten women stand in a crowd, drawn by ten different artists. Text: Grades 6–8

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Drawn to Art: Ten Tales of Inspiring Women Artists

Discover ten inspiring stories about trailblazing women artists in the this series of short online comics.Grades 3–10. Collection of short biographical comics.

A cutout collage of a jazz orchestra and musicians, with a green and red background.

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Folkways Learning Pathways

A Smithsonian Folkways Music Pathway is an integrated, thematic, and fully customizable journey of discovery that places music from the Smithsonian Folkways collection and other Smithsonian Institution primary resources at the center of the educational experience.

Illustration of a wolverine cartoon character with illustrated Athabascan cultural artifacts.

Smithsonian Learning Lab

Making Connections: Athabascan Lifeways and You

Visit with Dene people from Alaska, look closely at their cultural belongings cared for by the Smithsonian Institution, learn about their ways of life, and make connections. Grades 3–7. Learning Lab collection featuring downloadable activity guide, interviews, Athabascan crafts, and extension activities.

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Grades 9–12 (High School)

Image: A portrait made from handwriting. Text: Grades 8–12Create a portrait that combines drawing and words.

National Portrait Gallery

Open Studio: Word Portrait

Create a portrait that combines drawing and words.Grades 6–12. Video tutorial. Simple drawing supplies.

Image: Minimalist watermelon slice graphic. Text: Grades 8–12

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

Design a Poster

Design a poster, using elements such as color, line, and composition.Grades 6–12. Learning Lab collection containing looking exercises, contextualization, design challenge, and extension activities.

Image: Portrait painted of Henrietta Lacks. Text: Grades 9–12

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Henrietta Lacks: The Mother of Modern Medicine

Look closely at the composition and learn more about the context of this portrait of Henrietta Lacks, the mother of modern medicine.Grades 9–12. Learning Lab collection containing looking exercises, contextualization, and conversation prompts.

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Extended Learning

Resources designed for use by K–12 teachers, afterschool program providers, families, and individuals interested in lifelong learning.

Photo: A group of educators stand in an art gallery. Text: Educator Resource

National Portrait Gallery

Reading Portraiture 101

In this guide, educators will learn how to teach students to spot visual clues in portraits and respond to them, and use portraits as a springboard for a conversation in their classrooms. For educators. Learning Lab collection containing portraiture definitions, elements of portrayal, looking activities, thinking routines, curatorial videos, and activity worksheets.

Image: a Japanese woodblock print of rice paper window, with Superman's shadow projected across

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Integrating Social Studies and the Visual Arts

Sample "learning to look" strategies from the Smithsonian American Art Museum for combining visual arts with social studies. For educators. Printable pdf with looking strategy examples and connected resources.

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