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Lesson Plans

These lesson plans help you integrate learning about works of art in your classroom. Select an option below to browse lesson plans by grade, or continue scrolling to see all lesson plans.

Lesson plans for elementary school students

Lesson plans for middle school students

Lesson plans for high school students

 

Elementary School

 

Figurine of a camel carrying transport amphorae

Ancient Animals at Work

Identify ways animals (past and present) enhance daily life through a close look at an ancient figurine and art making.

An African mask made of carved and painted wood, fabric, and plant fibers

Animal-Inspired Masks and Masquerades

Help students understand the connections between art and the environment of Guinea, animal anatomy, and the cultural context of the Banda mask with the help of viewing questions and a dance activity in the Museum's African Art galleries.

A suit of armor highly decorated with geometrical and floral patterns, blackened and gilded

Armor—Function and Design

Identify moveable and static features of armor as well as functional and symbolic surface details and examine similarities and differences between human and animal "armor" through classroom viewing questions. Enhance the lesson with a sketching activity based on an English suit of armor in The Met collection.

An interior courtyard with pagodas, plantings, ornamental rocks, and a fish pond

The Astor Chinese Garden Court

Explore the Museum's Astor Chinese Garden Court and enhance students' understanding of how traditional Chinese gardens reflect the concept of yin and yang and how material selection and design can convey ideas about the human and natural worlds. Use viewing questions and a storytelling or drawing activity in the Museum's Chinese galleries.

An over-life size bronze sculpture of a group of men chained together in a group, walking in a circle

The Burghers of Calais

Convey the interpretive significance of pose and expression in the visual arts—in the Museum or the classroom—with viewing questions and a story-writing activity inspired by a nineteenth-century French sculpture by Auguste Rodin.

A stone arched doorway with seven fantastic animals carved in relief bordering the arch

Medieval Beasts and Bestiaries

Explore the use of animals as symbols in medieval art with viewing questions and a group drawing activity at The Met Cloisters or in the classroom.

A close-up of a large stone relief panels depicting a long-haired bearded king in a conical cap with a small peak and a long diadem (the royal crown); he holds a bow, and a ceremonial bowl; facing him, is a beardless man carrying a fly whisk and a ladle

Power in Ancient Mesopotamia

Examine how a great ancient Mesopotamian king conveyed power and leadership in a monumental wall relief in the Museum's Ancient Near Eastern art collection and consider how leaders today express the same attributes through viewing questions and an activity.

A close-up of a dark brown, burgundy, olive-green and white carpet decorated in a repeating pattern of geometric motifs

The Nomads of Central Asia—Turkmen Traditions

Students will be able to identify ways art of the Turkmen people of Central Asia reflects nomadic life and understand the functional and symbolic role objects play in their lives.

A hollow, wooden Oceanic sculpture with a bird-like face, large round eyes, sharp down-turned beak, and pointed head

Voices of the Past

Focus on a slit gong in the Museum's Oceanic collection to illustrate the impact of scale in works of art, and consider objects' functions in their original contexts and ways different communities engage with their elders and ancestors. Classroom viewing questions and an oral history activity enhance the lesson.

 

Middle School

 

A painting by Claude Lorrain of The Trojan Women Setting Fire to Their Fleet

Aeneas, Art, and Storytelling

Virgil's epic poem, The Aeneid, has inspired generations of artists and writers. Create your own artwork inspired by the text and consider how artists draw upon and reinterpret stories from the past.

The Temple of Dendur, Roman Period, reign of Augustus Caesar, ca. 15 B.C. Egypt, Nubia, Dendur, west bank of the Nile River, 50 miles south of Aswan. Aeolian Sandstone; L. from gate to rear of temple 24 m 60 cm (82 ft.). Given to the United States by Egypt in 1965, awarded to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1967 (68.154)

Architecture and the Natural World

How can buildings reflect the relationship between people and the environment? Explore possibilities in this lesson plan featuring an ancient Egyptian temple.

A highly ornate calligraphic Arabic signature in blue and decorated profusely with tiny painted and gilded flowers in blue and white

Art and Empire—The Ottoman Court

Students will be able to recognize ways a tughra functioned as a symbol of power and authority within a culturally diverse and geographically expansive empire.

An interior courtyard with pagodas, plantings, ornamental rocks, and a fish pond

The Astor Chinese Garden Court

Explore the Museum's Astor Chinese Garden Court and enhance students' understanding of how traditional Chinese gardens reflect the concept of yin and yang and how material selection and design can convey ideas about the human and natural worlds. Use viewing questions and a storytelling or drawing activity in the Museum's Chinese galleries.

A large silver plate decorated in relief of two armies engaged in battle

The Battle of David and Goliath

Illuminate strategies for conveying stories through images in the classroom with viewing questions about a large silver plate in the Museum's Medieval collection and an illustrating activity.

A painting with close-up and distant views of the figure 5 in the foreground, middleground, and background

Beyond the Figure

Consider how artists convey personality in nonfigural portraits and the relationship between visual and verbal expression by looking at a painting by Charles Demuth in the Museum's Modern and Contemporary galleries and through a portrait-making activity in the classroom.

Emanuel Leutze's 1851 painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River

Bravery Stands Tall

Examine a major turning point in the American Revolution through a close look at this depiction of General Washington and his troops crossing the Delaware River.

An over-life size bronze sculpture of a group of men chained together in a group, walking in a circle

The Burghers of Calais

Convey the interpretive significance of pose and expression in the visual arts—in the Museum or the classroom—with viewing questions and a story-writing activity inspired by a nineteenth-century French sculpture by Auguste Rodin.

A landscape with a large snow-covered mountain in the distant background, large rocky mountains in the near background, open plains in the middle ground and a lush forest with a raging river and waterfall in the foreground

Composing a Landscape

Study the relationship between the human and natural worlds in art, as well as the techniques artists use to convey ideas, by exploring a painting by Frederic Edwin Church in the Museum's American Wing. Extend the lesson through a writing and drawing activity in the classroom, or a sketching activity outdoors.

A colorful Islamic manuscript page decorated with caligraphic writing and figures in a landscape around a campfire

The Making of a Persian Royal Manuscript

Students will be able to identify some of the key events and figures presented in the Persian national epic, the Shahnama (Book of Kings); make connections between the text and the illustrated pages of the manuscript produced for Shah Tahmasp; and create a historical record of their community.

A highly detailed Islamic manuscript painting of two vultures: one black with a red head and the other light gray with a dark gray head

The Mughal Court and the Art of Observation

Students will be able to recognize ways works of art reflect an intense interest in observation of the human and natural world among Mughal leaders; and understand ways works of art from the past and present communicate ideas about the natural world.

A white stone high relief carved sarcophogus depicting a group of women in classical dress holding various artistic or musical instruments, triumphing over three women with mermaid tails and wings, who have been pushed to the ground

Muses vs. Sirens

Through movement and storytelling, uncover the layers of meaning embedded in a Roman sarcophagus.

A prisoner in arm cuffs exiting the front door of a house, leaning down to kiss a baby in the arms of a woman; on the street, armed guards line the entrance to the stoop of the house

Point of View in Print and Paint

Explore ways that viewpoint shapes the way we picture the past in this lesson plan featuring a depiction of the abolitionist John Brown.

A dark wood African side chair decorated with seated figures and animals on the chair back, and on the rungs between the legs

The Power behind the Throne

Bring the Museum's African collection into the classroom with viewing questions and an art-making activity that cultivate visual analysis and an understanding of how surface detail and composition can express themes of power and leadership.

A close-up of a large stone relief panels depicting a long-haired bearded king in a conical cap with a small peak and a long diadem (the royal crown); he holds a bow, and a ceremonial bowl; facing him, is a beardless man carrying a fly whisk and a ladle

Power in Ancient Mesopotamia

Examine how a great ancient Mesopotamian king conveyed power and leadership in a monumental wall relief in the Museum's Ancient Near Eastern art collection and consider how leaders today express the same attributes through viewing questions and an activity.

A wooden sculpture of a bird with a long neck, square wings, and a long, curved sharp beak

A Rite of Passage

Explore the ways rituals, ceremonies, and rites of passage play an important role in communities around the world through an investigation of related objects.

A scientific instrument constructed of brass circular plates placed one on top of the other, which can be slid and rotated; the brass is intricately pierced and engraved with Arabic calligraphy and floral motifs

Science and the Art of the Islamic World

Students will be able to identify similarities and differences between scientific tools used now and long ago; and use research findings to support observations and interpretations.

An oxidized copper sculpture of an Indian deity with four arms, standing on one leg dancing, encircled by a ring of stylized fire

Shiva—Creator, Protector, and Destroyer

Inspire students to interpret, communicate through, and personally connect with art through an in-classroom examination of a powerful sculpture in the Museum's Indian art collection and a self-portrait activity.

A hollow, wooden Oceanic sculpture with a bird-like face, large round eyes, sharp down-turned beak, and pointed head

Voices of the Past

Focus on a slit gong in the Museum's Oceanic collection to illustrate the impact of scale in works of art, and consider objects' functions in their original contexts and ways different communities engage with their elders and ancestors. Classroom viewing questions and an oral history activity enhance the lesson.

 

High School

 

A painting by Claude Lorrain of The Trojan Women Setting Fire to Their Fleet

Aeneas, Art, and Storytelling

Virgil's epic poem, The Aeneid, has inspired generations of artists and writers. Create your own artwork inspired by the text and consider how artists draw upon and reinterpret stories from the past.

Cuneiform tablet: administrative account of barley distribution with cylinder seal impression of a male figure, hunting dogs, and boars

Ancient Mesopotamia—Literacy, Now and Then

From cuneiform inscriptions to digital tablets, this lesson highlights changes and continuity in written communications across the ages.

A brass candle stick engraved wtih a zigzag pattern and decorated in inlaid black and red pigment

Arabic Script and the Art of Calligraphy

Students will be able to identify visual qualities of several calligraphic scripts; recognize ways artists from the Islamic world engage various scripts to enhance works of art supporting a range of functions; and assess the merits of several computer-generated fonts in supporting specific uses.

A highly ornate calligraphic Arabic signature in blue and decorated profusely with tiny painted and gilded flowers in blue and white

Art and Empire—The Ottoman Court

Students will be able to recognize ways a tughra functioned as a symbol of power and authority within a culturally diverse and geographically expansive empire.

A hyper-realistic modern and austere painting of an industrial building with a cluster of huge white pipes that pierce tall stone towers

The Art of Industry

Use viewing questions and a debate activity to investigate the relationship between art and community values, techniques artists use to convey ideas, and strategies for interpreting an American painting in the Museum's Modern and Contemporary galleries.

An interior courtyard with pagodas, plantings, ornamental rocks, and a fish pond

The Astor Chinese Garden Court

Explore the Museum's Astor Chinese Garden Court and enhance students' understanding of how traditional Chinese gardens reflect the concept of yin and yang and how material selection and design can convey ideas about the human and natural worlds. Use viewing questions and a storytelling or drawing activity in the Museum's Chinese galleries.

A large silver plate decorated in relief of two armies engaged in battle

The Battle of David and Goliath

Illuminate strategies for conveying stories through images in the classroom with viewing questions about a large silver plate in the Museum's Medieval collection and an illustrating activity.

A painting with close-up and distant views of the figure 5 in the foreground, middleground, and background

Beyond the Figure

Consider how artists convey personality in nonfigural portraits and the relationship between visual and verbal expression by looking at a painting by Charles Demuth in the Museum's Modern and Contemporary galleries and through a portrait-making activity in the classroom.

An over-life size bronze sculpture of a group of men chained together in a group, walking in a circle

The Burghers of Calais

Convey the interpretive significance of pose and expression in the visual arts—in the Museum or the classroom—with viewing questions and a story-writing activity inspired by a nineteenth-century French sculpture by Auguste Rodin.

A landscape with a large snow-covered mountain in the distant background, large rocky mountains in the near background, open plains in the middle ground and a lush forest with a raging river and waterfall in the foreground

Composing a Landscape

Study the relationship between the human and natural worlds in art, as well as the techniques artists use to convey ideas, by exploring a painting by Frederic Edwin Church in the Museum's American Wing. Extend the lesson through a writing and drawing activity in the classroom, or a sketching activity outdoors.

A colorful Islamic manuscript page decorated with caligraphic writing and figures in a landscape around a campfire

The Making of a Persian Royal Manuscript

Students will be able to identify some of the key events and figures presented in the Persian national epic, the Shahnama (Book of Kings); make connections between the text and the illustrated pages of the manuscript produced for Shah Tahmasp; and create a historical record of their community.

A highly detailed Islamic manuscript painting of two vultures: one black with a red head and the other light gray with a dark gray head

The Mughal Court and the Art of Observation

Students will be able to recognize ways works of art reflect an intense interest in observation of the human and natural world among Mughal leaders; and understand ways works of art from the past and present communicate ideas about the natural world.

A dark wood African side chair decorated with seated figures and animals on the chair back, and on the rungs between the legs

The Power behind the Throne

Bring the Museum's African collection into the classroom with viewing questions and an art-making activity that cultivate visual analysis and an understanding of how surface detail and composition can express themes of power and leadership.

A wooden sculpture of a bird with a long neck, square wings, and a long, curved sharp beak

A Rite of Passage

Explore the ways rituals, ceremonies, and rites of passage play an important role in communities around the world through an investigation of related objects.

A scientific instrument constructed of brass circular plates placed one on top of the other, which can be slid and rotated; the brass is intricately pierced and engraved with Arabic calligraphy and floral motifs

Science and the Art of the Islamic World

Students will be able to identify similarities and differences between scientific tools used now and long ago; and use research findings to support observations and interpretations.

An oxidized copper sculpture of an Indian deity with four arms, standing on one leg dancing, encircled by a ring of stylized fire

Shiva—Creator, Protector, and Destroyer

Inspire students to interpret, communicate through, and personally connect with art through an in-classroom examination of a powerful sculpture in the Museum's Indian art collection and a self-portrait activity.

Above: Writing board (detail), ca. 1981–1802 B.C. Middle Kingdom. Dynasty 12. From Egypt; Said to be from Upper Egypt, Thebes or Northern Upper Egypt, Akhmim (Khemmis, Panopolis). Wood, gesso, paint, 16 15/16 x 7 1/2 in. (43 x 19 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Edward S. Harkness, 1928 (28.9.4)