"L'Art de L'Afrique optional French Language Presentation"
Former French colonies in Africa have a rich and complex history.  Explore the traditional arts of selected countries such as Mali, The Democratic Republic of Congo and The Cote d’Ivoire in this lesson suitable for any class studying African culture and/or French.  Designed for grades 9 - 12.

"African Masks"
Learn why African artists use animals as points of reference in mask making and how masks are used in ceremonies. Students compare the differences and similarities between African and American masks in terms of materials, and roles in life and seasonal cycles.  Designed for grades 2 - 4.

"Ancient American Art:  The Aztec and their Ancestors"
This lesson introduces the art of selected cultures in ancient Mesoamerica (today, Mexico, Guatemala and adjacent countries).  Objects of ceramic, gold and stone (including jade) shed light on religion and rulership among the Aztec, Maya, and others in the centuries before European contact.  An effort is made to provoke students to think critically as they help the instructor analyze art works and their meaning.  Designed for grades 7 - 12.

"Aztec, Maya and More!"
This lesson introduces the arts, myths and writing systems of selected Mesoamerican cultures.  Ceramic figures, objects made from cast gold, carved limestone and jade are used to glimpse the life among the Aztec, Teotihuacan, Maya and Olmec people in centuries before European contact.  Designed for grades 3 - 6.

"The Art of Adornment"
In a program created especially for middle schoolers, students will explore ways in which various cultures throughout history have used adornment to establish personal and social identity. Body shaping, tattooing, piercing, scarification, cosmetic use and decorative arrangements of hair reflect diverse cultural values and also relate to issues of self-definition facing students today.  Designed for grades 7 - 8.

"The Chemistry of Art"
The Cleveland Museum of Art is currently field-testing a problem-based learning class taught by the Museum’s Chief Conservator, Bruce Christman.  Each distance learning session focuses on a real-life conservation problem related to experiments conducted by high school students in their own classrooms.  There are four lessons in the series:
Examining the Authenticity of Museum Objects:  Students test metal density and explore properties of matter.
Extending the Senses:  Using the electromagnetic spectrum, students investigate the use of ultraviolet as well as x-ray diffraction in probing works of art.
Restoring Works of Art:  Chemistry to the Rescue:  Students simulate cleaning delicate objects as they study properties of various solvents and how they react with different paints and varnishes.
Paper Chemistry and Conservation:  Students investigate paper chemistry and conservation and are introduced to the uses of chemical processes in printmaking.

"Contemporary Art"
Discover the stimulating and diverse art of the later twentieth century. Beginning with the mid century action painter Jackson Pollock, students will be introduced to styles ranging from Abstraction to Pop Art to variations of Realism. Painting and sculpture by artists represented in the collection of The Cleveland Museum of Art will be presented along with information about selected techniques used to create these works.  Designed for grades 4 - 6 or 7 - 12.

"Egyptomania:  A 4 - Part Series"
"Egyptomania: A 4-Part Elementary School Series"
Discover the ingenuity of one of the world’s earliest civilizations through this lively series of four video conferences on the following topics:  Daily Life, Hieroglyphics, Mummification, and Animals. This highly interactive program-just for elementary students-is accompanied by an in-classroom activity kit which is mailed to teachers before the series begins.  Designed for grades 2 - 3 or 4 - 6.

"The Harlem Renaissance"
Travel back in time to bustling New York City in the 1920s and discover the art, literature and music produced by African Americans living in Harlem during this period.  Students will be introduced to artists such as Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, and photographer James Van Der Zee, as well as to the poetry of Langston Hughes.  Designed for grades 9 - 12.

"Impressionism"
Learn about the works of Impressionist and Post-Impressionists painters such as Monet, Degas, Van Gogh and Cézanne whose experiments with the effects of different conditions of light and paint application created a new way of seeing the world. The world these artists shared had much in common with our own era of rapid technological change and rise in standard of living. Students will consider how such factors influenced impressionism.  Designed for grades 4 - 6, 7 - 8,  or 9 - 12.

"Interpreting America's Story Through Art"
By examining American art and artifacts from the CMA’s collection, this series prompts discussion on America’s national character and heritage.  All lessons, developed by teams of teachers, are accompanied by reinforcement materials specifically designed to foster critical thinking skills.  Topics for each lesson include:
Lesson 1:  America Emerging - 1700’s
Developing American identity, folk art, the influence of the Age of Reason, the effect of the mercantilist economy, and underlying causes of the Revolution.
Lesson 2:  America Expanding - 1801-1861
Frontier life, the results and impact of westward expansion, landscape painting, Jacksonian democracy and genre art.
Lesson 3:  America Transforming - 1861-1918
Momentous social changes brought about by urbanization, industrialization, immigration and technological inventions.

"Medieval Masterpieces"
Rich intellectual and technical achievements distinguish the art of the Middle Ages.  Throughout Europe manuscript illumination, architecture, sculpture and metal work flourished under the patronage of church and court.  In this lesson students will encounter splendid liturgical objects such as a gold and porphyry altarpiece made for an 11th c. German countess, and a silver vessel for a holy relic obtained from a Byzantine emperor.  Courtly items also featured in the lesson include a whimsical table fountain and gothic style tapestries made for a chateau.  Biblical subjects such as Daniel in the lion’s den ? seen on a medieval column capital ? help make connections between art and religion for classes studying world religions, culture and/or European history.  Designed for grades 7 - 12.

"Modernism:  Early 20th Century Art"
Favuism, Cubism, de Stijl, Surrealism and other selected movements in early 20th century art are introduced through the Museum’s collection.  Explore the visual innovations of artists such as Matisse, Picasso, Mondrian and Miro in a period marked by the primacy of personal expression over a realistic rendering of the world.  Designed for grades 9 - 12.

"Museum Careers"
Take a behind-the-scenes look at one of the vital jobs at the Cleveland Museum or Art.  Students will have the opportunity to discuss with a featured staff member the projects, career path, influences and aspirations which shaped that person's professional life.  The selected staff member brings video clips of his/her working environment, information on relevant programs and an enthusiasm for lively interchange with your class.  Past presenters have included the Curatorial Assistant of Ancient Art, the Coordinator of Film Programs and the Curator of the Musical Arts Department.  Designed for grades 9 - 12.

"Native Americans and Settlers: Encounters in Early Ohio History"
Tools, documents, and paintings from the collections of the Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) in Cleveland and the Cleveland Museum of Art evoke the lives of Native Americans and settlers in North East Ohio.  Educators from both the WRHS and the CMA guide students through an examination of the mutual perceptions between the Native Americans and settlers as well as the historical environment created by their encounters during the 18th and 19th century.  During this lesson upper elementary students participate in a bartering exercise to help them imagine transactions and issues of mutual dependence between the two groups. The high school version of the lesson features information and discussion based on primary documents at the WRHS such as Moses Cleveland’s Letter to the Six Nations (an association of Eastern Woodlands Native Americans in N.Y., Pa., and Ohio).  An in-classroom activity kit accompanies the lesson for upper elementary students.  Designed for grades 4 - 6 or  9 - 12.

"'Race' is a Four Letter Word"
This lesson provides students with the opportunity to critically examine works of art from various time periods and consider not only ways that race and racial groups have been depicted in various societies, but also how those depictions might perpetuate  stereotypes and biased thinking.  Designed for grades 7 - 12.

"Renaissance Painting:  An Overview"
Selected painting from the CMA collection help acquaint students with the Renaissance, the transitional period of European history in which learning and the arts blossomed and medieval thought was gradually subjected to the beginnings of scientific scrutiny. Portraiture, early landscape elements, and contemporary details in these works show the artists’ growing attention to the world around them. Specialized vocabulary words (e.g. perspective, patron, altarpiece, tondo) introduce basic concepts related to Renaissance painting.  Designed for grades 9 - 12.

"Spanish Art"
This lesson features paintings by artists working from or born in Spain.  Renaissance, Baroque and Modern Spanish art offer a varied stylistic range to students as well as information on the cultural and historical context of the works highlighted. Many of the artists ---El Greco, Goya and Picasso, for example, are among the best known in western art history and may already be familiar to the students. By special arrangement all or portions of this lesson can be presented in the Spanish language, so that it is suitable for World History, European History, or Foreign language students.  Designed for grades 9 - 12.