This resource provides a menu of self-directed art-making challenges, each of which relates to a work of art in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts collection. Give your students voice and choice as they investigate authentic works of art and work to develop a visual language, convey complex ideas, and solve problems creatively.    

How do artists create a story that provides a message or provokes emotions in that single frame? This lesson will help students analyze ways in which the composition of a painting contributes to telling the story or conveying the message through the placement of objects and images within the painting.

Think Critically about Art using Digital Discussions. Students develop critical thinking skills by engaging with artistic works and in describing, analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating works of self and others.

Tracking Self-Assessment Over Time. Students use interactive digital tools to document progress over time. A common rubric can be used for self-assessment and reflection, based on teacher-established criteria and/or personal learning goals set by the student.

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.

Smarthistory is a free resource developed for art and art history instructors full of academic essays and videos. This lesson guides students through synthesizing materials in Smarthistory to create short video presentations on artist techniques, art movements, artists, and artist statements. The products can become a classroom video library resource for students by students that builds over time.

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.

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.

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.

Explore objects from Ancient Rome and discover how Romans portrayed themselves and wished to be remembered. This student-facing resource includes text, images, maps, as well as interactive exercises that call invite students to closely examine authentic objects from Ancient Rome.

The first three activities provide close-up views with guiding questions and background information. What will you learn about the connections between power, status, citizenship, and images in ancient Rome? How do these objects relate to identity and how people are portrayed or remembered? Who is represented and who is not?

The next three investigations offer pop-up hot spots on selected objects to reveal intriguing information about Roman culture, gods, goddesses, and mythology.

How do these objects relate to what the Romans thought was important?

In this Thematic Exploration, students will explore the different ways artists represent individuals in portraits. They will learn to gather clues about the time period in which the portrait was created, the lives of the subjects, and the thoughts of the artists.

Using portraits from the VMFA's collection, students will explore the Who, What, When, Where, and Why of portraiture. Guiding questions are woven throughout the activity, alongside a close examination of seven different portraits from a variety of different eras and cultures. Students are encouraged to observe, interpret, analyze, and reflect thoughtfully in each step. This activity also includes summative reflection questions to wrap up the conversation, as well as an optional "Create Your Own Portrait" activity.