Curriculum: Language Arts: Lessons

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words Helen Londergan After being introduced to selected pieces of Keith Haring's work, students brainstormed for words and concepts that they wished to illustrate in a Haring-esque style. Attention was given to color, composition, and how well the word was illustrated by the student-artists' depiction of it. Sign Language 1 The Whitney Museum of American Art Students explore signs and vocabulary linked to the work of Keith Haring. Creating a Personal Symbol Barbara Tapley-Kenney After studying the work of Keith Haring, these high school students created their own personal symbols on woodblocks. The symbols were then printed on to an item of clothing and incorporated into a banner. Pictures Kathy Kaiser Usually lessons take a class through a project, this lesson takes a class through reflection and display, a great complement to any activity. Big Hat People Heather Zinkosky Influenced by Keith Haring's book, BIG, this lesson explores clothing and the adjectives we use to describe and differentiate them. Small Kathy Kaiser Using Keith Haring's book, BIG, Children will write and illustrate all the words they know for the word small. Posters with a Message I Lea Basile Lazarus Offering students the possibilities to express their thoughts and concerns, this project outlines a structure to help students make public posters with important messages in a bold and straightforward manner, similar to some of the work Haring did during his lifetime Hip Hop Dance Cut-Outs Heidi Shelton Emphasizing collaboration, this teacher brought in music that Keith Haring worked to when he was making art and helped her students create a mural using it as inspiration. Hip Hop, Skip, and Jump The Whitney Museum of American Art This program was designed to be a take-home activity for children in conjunction with the exhibition of Keith Haring's work at the Whitney Museum in New York City. Line and Expression - 2D Art Gallery of Ontario An activity provided by the Art Gallery of Ontario designed to teach children about Keith Haring's art, specifically his art-making methods and his use of line and shape to create a symbolic language. Lady Liberty Maura Walsh This wonderful project celebrates freedom and Keith Haring at the same time, while helping students to understand what makes this country so unique and special. Bio Kathy Kaiser Along with defining Keith's goals and strategies for his life as an artist, children will consider their own aspirations and strategies necessary to attain their goals. Children Respond to Keith Haring's Work City Gallery Wellington Using the Keith Haring exhibition as a starting point in their Education and Outreach programming, City Gallery helped children be inspired by and respond to Haring's work. Everyday Objects as Art Wan Ling Li, Keith Haring/SVA Scholarship Recipient After examining "readymade" artwork by several influential 20th Century artists, these high school students created sculptures by painting on "everyday objects". Offering both an art history and an art-making component, this lesson allows students to analyze and synthesize the creative process for themselves. Clay Alphabet Sculpture Scenes Dan Deslaurier A fun and informative introduction to the art of Keith Haring and an opportunity for students to sculpt their own clay letters! Mural to Music 1 The Whitney Museum of American Art Ask your students to make a collaborative mural drawing to music, using their invented sign language, their imagination, and their responses to the music. Posters Kathy Kaiser Using examples of Keith's own progressive posters as a springboard, students are encouraged to create their own messages in the form of a public poster. I Can Dance to the Music of Everything Amy Ryan This children-designed book explores rhyming, musical inventions, rhythm and dance using the process of printmaking. Pop Shop 1 - Symbol Making The Keith Haring Foundation Students will learn about Keith Haring's use of symbols by examining his bold, direct lines and images and create their own. Symbols & Signs Art Gallery of Ontario An activity provided by the Art Gallery of Ontario, this lesson seeks to help children identify and express their emotions through lines and symbols, just as Keith Haring did. Pop Shop 3 - Printmaking (Tee Shirts) The Keith Haring Foundation Learn printmaking, including printing Tee shirts, based on the images of Haring's work. Gesture Drawing Sarah Laing Gesture drawings, inspired by Keith Haring. To introduce students to the artwork of Keith haring. To expose them to the Art Term "Gesture". Book of Little Things Lea Basile Lazarus Although initially used as an adjunct to a larger scale lesson, this activity provides much potential when used with Keith Haring's book, NINA'S BOOK OF LITTLE THINGS, which allows for interactive visual and conceptual activities. Keith Haring – New Wave Aztec Guggenheim Museum After exploring The Aztec Empire and an exhibition of original works by artist Keith Haring at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, students from throughout New York City created their own digital animations in Flash MX inspired by the works on view at the museum. Heart Collage Jennifer Pendergast & Ms. Bessie A simple lesson designed for younger students. Perfect for Valentines or Mothers Day. A Book About Heart Lara McBride An explorative lesson that stimulates language skills while aiding in the development of social and emotional awareness. Studying Haring's Public Mural: "Crack is Wack" The Keith Haring Foundation Haring's 2-sided mural on a handball court at 128th Street & 2nd Avenue in NYC overlooks the FDR drive. A public site that has brought much acknowledgement since it was painted in 1986. This lesson, organized collaboratively with The Children's Storefront gives local students the opportunity to examine and reflect on one of Haring's most influential landmarks. On the Move The Whitney Museum of American Art To explore students' perceptions of movement and how it can be expressed in images. Make a visual diary of how you move throughout the day. Ten Kathy Kaiser Using Keith Haring's book, TEN as a starting point, children will learn to quantify and visually depict numbers. Sign Language 2 (Found Object Sculpture) The Whitney Museum of American Art Sign Language 2 picks up where Sign Language 1 leaves off, helping students to develop their symbol three-dimensionally. Kieth Haring Across Curriculum Katinka Bryan A wonderful lesson sent in by a school in England that helps students examine and discuss art while developing their own fun and silly essays. Add a Page to Love Jennifer Pendergast & Ms. Bessie Using Keith Haring's book, LOVE, as a stepping stone, students are asked to create their own page to express love while challenging their use of color. Red and Blue Kathy Kaiser This collaboritive project, inspired by a set of prints Haring made titled, RED AND BLUE, asks children to interpret classmates' abstract shapes and write or tell a story about them. Character Traits in Fables Lisa Kelley-Connor Fourth and Fifth grade Special Education students wrote fables, created a subway mural, dance freeze cut outs, illustrations and sculptures of their characters, wrote a song and choreographed a dance for each character, and designed a web page of their work on the project. Tools for Discussing Haring's Work The Keith Haring Foundation By maintaining a framework to lead a discussion, this outline will help make looking at, talking about, and responding to art less intimidating. Marbling a la Haring Erin Tapley Using the process of paper marbling, this teacher has found a way to help students deconstruct and compose their own abstract compositions. The Story of Red and Blue- WRITING The Keith Haring Foundation This lesson helps students explore the creative possibilities of using language to interpret art. Tabletop Graffiti Mural Valerie Kerwin When an art teacher from a YMCA in Florida decided to clean up her shabby tables and teach her students about graffiti art, she decided to combine the projects and revive the tables with art! A strong emphasis on collaboration and cooperation led to a classroom full of personalized furniture. Creating Stories Catherine Lapping Looking and drawing merge in this lesson to help students understand and appreciate Keith Haring's work. As an extension to this project, these NYC school children decorated bags containing holiday gifts for local charities. The Story of Red and Blue- ART The Keith Haring Foundation This spontaneous explorative project allows students of all ages to open up and make free associations with positive results. Subway Drawings & Semiotics Wan Ling Li, Keith Haring/SVA Scholarship Recipient Using Haring's Subway Drawings as a starting point, this project emphasizes the use of personal icons and symbols through traditional drawing as well as computer-generated graphics. Snapshots Kathy Kaiser Inspired by work Haring explored throughout his life, this project asks students to photograph one another and reflect upon what they see both externally and internally. Questions Kathy Kaiser A writing lesson that asks children to determine questions to elicit interesting and revealing biographies of other children. Decoding Haring's Symbols Howard Michaels A lesson in yarn painting sent in by a teacher from New Jersey. Support tools such as the video, "Drawing the Line: a Portrait of Keith Haring" were used and discussed. Stories Kathy Kaiser Similar to the book, I WISH I DIDN'T HAVE TO SLEEP, containing children's responses to Haring's work, students are encouraged to look at Haring's work, and create their own stories. Posters for a Charity Wan Ling Li, Keith Haring/SVA Scholarship Recipient This insightful lesson combines ethics with art, allowing students to consider the social and political climate they live in, and to take positive action by creating posters that inspire awareness and change. Symbols to Sculptures Art Gallery of Ontario Designed by the Museum Educators at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, Canada, this lesson encourages students to consider shapes as a construct for symbol making. The project proposes a transformation from 2-dimensional drawings to synthesized, 3-dimensional forms. Many Chairs, One Table Ahuva Mantell, Keith Haring/SVA Scholarship Recipient When a college student combines her studies in Art Education with a local high school, a large-scale sculptureal work becomes the centerpiece. Mural to Music 2 The Whitney Museum of American Art Ask your students to make a collaborative mural drawing to music, using their invented sign language, music, using their invented sign language, music logos, imagination, and their responses to the music. HaringKids Guide Norma Burrowes An interactive worksheet program that will help students explore HaringKids on their own. Banners with a Message II Lea Basile Lazarus Using the "Posters with a Message" Lesson as a starting point, this project allows students to exhibit their work publicly and address the related concerns of presentation and observation. Pop Shop 2 - Etching and Woodcutting The Keith Haring Foundation Learn about printmaking using Haring's imagery as a starting point. Signs of Everyday Life The Whitney Museum of American Art Keith Haring was interested in how signs are used in many different cultures, from Egyptian hieroglyphics to contemporary advertising on the city streets. He often signed his artwork with a "radiant baby" sign instead of his name. This lesson seeks to explore the signs around us, and to create our own. Making Masks Gonzalo Fuenmayor, Keith Haring/SVA Scholarship Recipient Merging ancient and contemporary art, this lesson examines the significance of mask-making in the past and present. A great starting point to larger projects, or a fast exploration for the less patient. Line & Expression - 3D Art Gallery of Ontario An activity provided by the Art Gallery of Ontario designed to help students understand meanings and representations of symbols and to synthesize 2-dimentional imagery into 3-dimensional forms.