Explore our favorite teaching tools.
Like our service projects, this list is continuously evolving. If you don't see your favorite books or websites, we welcome your suggestions in the comment section below.
Websites - Preschool and Early Elementary
Recycled Art Ideas for Kids
www.artsheaven.com/recycled-art-ideas-for-kids.html
This fun site not only provides great ideas for creating pieces of art using recycled goods, but also gives an explanation for why recycling is important and some tips on what materials you might find in your own home.
Go Fish cards: Art Renaissance, Impressionist Artists, Van Gogh and Friends, and Modern Artists by Birdpress Cage. Ages 7 and up. Learn about different periods of art while playing Go Fish.
Composers Card Game by US Games. Similar to Go Fish, collect cards to learn about famous composers and their works.
Books & Games - Late Elementary
African American Quilting: The Warmth of Tradition by Sule Gregc Wilson (Rosen Pub Group, 1999). Ages 10-13. The tradition of creating quilts is deeply rooted in numerous cultures and in particular can act as a snapshot of African-American history. With beautiful pictures and interesting stories about quilters such as Harriet Tubman, this is an excellent way for students to learn about a commonly overlooked piece of art history.
7 Wonders board game by Asmodee. Ages 10-14. Decide how to best build your civilization and enhance it with art, scientific, and military advancements and inventions.
Passport to Culture board game by Passport to Culture. Ages 10 and up. Make your way around the board and test your knowledge of world cultures.
Books, Games & Organizations - Young Adult
Graffiti World: Art from Five Continents by Nicholas Ganz (Harry N. Abrams, 2009). Seen as vandalism, graffiti is now seen by many as the future of art. Learn about graffiti artists, their roots, and what inspires them to create these public displays.
Street World: Urban Art and Culture from Five Continents by Roger Gastman et al (Harry N. Abrams, 2007). A new generation has brought with it a new form of art. Outside of conventional homes of art, urban art and its artists express emotions and opinions for spectators to see.
Metropolitan Museum of Art for Teens: Blogs, videos, and programs are hosted by the Met and specifically aimed towards teen art enthusiasts.
Teens in Museums: Learn about the different way that teens are working together to make their museums more interesting, accessible, and relevant to their audiences.
Visions Services Adventure Visions offers not only an opportunity to volunteer in exotic locations—ranging from the British Virgin Islands to Peru—but to become immersed in culture. Students can choose to volunteer in English, Spanish, or French-speaking communities.
Civilization Board Game by Eagle Games. Ages 14 and up. Build a civilization and experience natural disasters, political strife, and war along the way.
Books & Websites - Adult
Art that Changed the World (DK Publishing, 2013). From the origins of art in 30,000 BC to the end of the twentieth century, this book provides a timeline and photos of the most crucial art pieces in history.
Curating Difficult Knowledge: Violent Pasts in the Public Places edited by Erica Lehrer et al (Palgrave MacMillan, 2008). A must for parents and educators to understand how museums decide what exhibits to display and the politics that surround controversial pieces.
Disability Art and Culture Project Founded in 2005, this organization works to promote and support people with disabilities that want to enhance and demonstrate their artistic abilities.
City Search
www.citysearch.com
Want to know about local museums so you can inquire about volunteer opportunities? Curious about whether there’s an arts and crafts show coming? Want to get some ideas about where to take a group of homeless kids on an outing? This web site can connect you to what’s going on in cities all over the country.
Still Looking? Browse our projects.
