Students will participate in a 5E lesson on classification. To ENGAGE, students will think about common vs scientific names and interpret relatedness between four species. To EXPLORE, students will watch a clip of their choice from Our Planet and document organisms' defining characteristics. Students create a hierarchy to predict the relatedness of the species. To then learn about classification systems, students will participate in the EXPLAIN activities. Three videos and guided notes are available for students to document their learning. An EVALUATIVE formative assignment Candy Cladogram Drag and Drop is available for students to practice their understanding of phylogenetics. Then, students will ELABORATE on their knowledge by researching the scientific names of the organisms they observed in the Our Planet clip (explore section). Students will evaluate the accuracy of their orginial hierarchy and explain how scientific developments have impacted classification. Additional cladograms are included for students to interpret.

Exercise Creative Thinking with Digital Art Games. Interactive visual arts games like Tate Paint can allow students to explore digital tools for artmaking with a series of creative prompts to start with such as weather, food, natural world, and experiments.

Who were the ancient Egyptians? Explore objects from ancient Egypt to discover how the Egyptians lived and what they believed in this Interactive Exploration featuring works of art from the VMFA's collection.

This resource consists of background information on Egyptian geography and climate, Egyptian life and society, role of the pharaoh, the purposes of ancient art, the role of scribes, hieroglyphics, the afterlife and mummification, Nubia (Egypt's southern neighbor), comparisons/contrasts to art from other parts of Africa, and a discussion on the legacy of Egyptian art (Egyptomania).

Woven throughout the informational narrative are several different types of looking, thinking and learning activities, all of which call on students' observation and critical thinking skills as they closely examine selected art and artifacts. Reflection questions that encourage deep thinking are featured, along with clickable popups on images that further explain Egyptian art and society. Activities like "Look At This," "What's the Story," "Be the Scribe," will bring student engagement, reflection, and critical and creative thinking to any ancient Egypt lesson!

This resource presents a variety of digital resources hosted by Virginia Museum of Fine Arts that students can use to explore the life and work of renowned African-American photographer Louis Draper.  

When world events suddenly shift our perspective and present overwhelming concerns, thinking like an artist can offer a way to creatively reflect on and process our days. Use the art, videos, and ideas in this lesson concept to help students explore ways to visually articulate their experiences by considering the colors, objects, and materials they encounter throughout their days.

Who were the Ancient Greeks? Explore more about the Ancient Greeks and what they valued as a society in this Interactive Exploration.

This resource consists of two different types of looking, thinking and learning activities. These activities call on students' observation and critical thinking skills as they closely examine selected objects from Ancient Greece. The activities explore the themes of mythology, religion, sport, and trade.

The "Look at This" activities provide close-up views with guiding questions and background information. Students will learn more about what the ancient Greeks valued as a society.

The "Surprise Me" activities offer pop-up hot spots on selected objects to reveal intriguing information about Greek religion, gods, goddesses, trade, sport and mythology. Students will investigate how these objects relate to Greek religion and human need for protection from harm and healing from disease and injury.

The exercises in this plan are designed for students to exercise improvisation skills and creative thinking in dance movement. The exercises could be used as warm-up activities, or could lead to a larger choreographic project. This instructional plan is designed to be used in parts or whole.

Artists throughout time have come to their work with stories to tell, concepts to explore, and puzzles to work out. By taking time to look at a work of art with a curious and investigative eye, students can activate creative thinking to imagine and expand on the story it presents. Use this interactive exercise to guide students as they examine a work by Roslyn Drexler, creatively document the ideas it presents to them, and consider how their thoughts connect with the artist's own ideas and intentions.

Artworks can offer an opportunity to consider creativity in places and times that may be different from our own. Spending time to look carefully at the form, imagery, texture, and patterns of a work of art can help students consider and become curious about the materials and techniques, artistic conventions, and cultural contexts of unfamiliar objects. Use this interactive exercise to guide students as they examine an Ancient American work of art, document the ideas it presents to them, and consider how their thoughts connect with what we know about the artist's own ideas and intentions.

Spending time with a work of art can be an opportunity for thoughtful inquiry and ideation. Imagining what lies beyond the frame of an artwork gives students the opportunity to consider contextual clues and think about how artistic decisions are made.

Art is often about making ideas and beliefs visible. For centuries, religions across the globe have used images to represent complex and abstract ideas about humankind's place in the cosmos. Students can use this interactive exercise to spend thoughtful time with a religious work of art and become curious about the way art can help communicate sacred and profound ideas.

Artists throughout time have come to their work with stories to tell, concepts to explore, and puzzles to work out. Looking at art made in our own century lets students consider complex ideas about our shared global experience. This interactive exercise invites students to slow down their looking and generate ideas as they creatively interpret an artwork from the VMFA's 21st Century collection.

Art objects made and used in the past can offer clues to the ideas and attitudes that may have been prevalent at the time of their creation. Spending time to thoughtfully examine and explain their own ideas about such an object encourages students to become curious and open lines of inquiry about historical context. This interactive exercise guides students as they document their thinking about an 18th century American artwork.

We can look at art to analyze and interpret the ideas at play; we can also use art as a prompt for creativity; but these two things don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Use this simple creative writing exercise to help students collaboratively use creative thinking in tandem with critical thinking as they make meaning from an abstract artwork.

This activity activates prior knowledge while developing insight into historical perspectives. Use this activity to help students broaden their horizons and explore diverse ideas.

Artworks can offer an opportunity to consider different perspectives. Artists are intentional about how they depict people alone or in groups. Spending time to look carefully at expressions, body language, and contextual clues in figural artwork can help students consider ideas about identity, community, and belonging. Use this interactive exercise to guide students as they explore a work by Kehinde Wiley, creatively document the ideas it presents to them, and consider how their thoughts connect with the artist's own ideas and intentions.

Spending time with a work of art can be an opportunity for thoughtful inquiry and ideation. For students, documenting their ideas as they work to interpret an artwork offers the chance to exercise metacognition. With this interactive exercise featuring an artwork by Congolese artist Sammy Baloji, students are can gain insight into how they process information and formulate ideas.

Spending time with a work of art can be an opportunity for thoughtful inquiry and ideation. For students, documenting their ideas as they work to interpret an artwork offers the chance to exercise metacognition. With this interactive exercise featuring an artwork from the Mughal Empire, students can gain insight into how they process information and formulate ideas. This activity is good practice for formulating research questions and synthesizing ideas.

Students will be interpreting Selma to Montgomery March, Alabama, 1965 by James Karales using the See/Think/Wonder method and the Elements and Principles of Art and Design.

Use this resource set to guide young learners as they explore and interpret a diverse group of six artworks from the Virginia Museum of Arts collection.

Under the "suggested activities" menu next to each artwork, you will find link to an educator-led "Little Eyes Look" video. Using an inquiry-based approach that fosters curiosity and creative thinking, educators introduce viewers to vocabulary related to both art-making and the subjects depicted in the artworks. Students consider artistic intention and decision-making and are supported by factual content about artists's lives and art-making practices. 

Three open-ended engagement activities are also suggested with each work. These simple exercises can be used to foster extended thinking about each piece.