the warhol: lessons by subject
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Elementary
Reading Comprehension
Activity: Synopsis: Details:

Diversity of Voice: Views on Guns in America - This lesson uses the artworks of Andy Warhol as a springboard for discussing diverse points of view about gun ownership, gun use, and gun imagery in contemporary culture. Students read texts ranging from personal viewpoints to the Bill of Rights in order to debate cultural values.

Grades: 8 to 12

Subjects: Social Studies, Civics, Art, Language Arts

Collecting Unit / Lesson 2: The Artistic Practice of Collecting – Andy Warhol’s own elaborate practice of collecting is investigated in this lesson. Students are introduced to his Time Capsules and asked to think about their own cultural context in relation to articles found in Time Capsule 21. Joseph Cornell’s collage boxes are also introduced and analyzed. Grades: 8 to 12

Subjects: Reading Comprehension
Collecting Unit / Lesson 3: Contemporary Artist Examples – Students are introduced to artistic practices that use personal, professional, and institutional collecting, as well as a wide array of contemporary artists employing these practices. Symbolism, anthropology, and archival information are presented and discussed. Grades:

Subjects: Reading Comprehension
History & Memory / Lesson 1: Collective Memory – The cultural phenomenon of “collective memory” is introduced in this lesson. Students brainstorm and create a Top Five list of defining events for their generation and imagine 40 years into the future – what will be remembered and forgotten? Grades:

Subjects: Cultural Studies, History, Critical Analysis, Reading Comprehension
History & Memory / Lesson 4: Historians Interpret Sources – Historians are interpreters and this lesson helps students understand how to think critically when reading an historic account of an event. The many roles of a historian are outlined and discussed, as well as the way in which critical judgment helps form the “story” of history as it is written and the importance of reliable sources. The historian Conover Hunt, writing about JFK, is used as an example. Grades:

Subjects: Evaluation, Research Skills, Historical Sources
History & Memory / Lesson 5: An Artist Interprets the Sources – A type of interpreter beyond an historian is introduced in this lesson: the artist. Students learn how artists use source material and comment on current events and politics, like historians, but with different results. Andy Warhol’s Jackie and Flash Series are used as examples for class discussion. Students observe and discuss the selection of images, editing, scale, printing, and presentation in order to understand intentions behind the artwork. Grades:

Subjects: Art, Critical Analysis, History, Cultural Studies, Editing
History & Memory / Lesson 6: Research as a Historian, as an Artist – Working in groups, students’ research a focus area of JFK’s Presidency, using both primary and secondary sources. Groups agree upon a research strategy, and select three to four images that best represent their research. Each group’s research is then presented to the class and images are displayed. Grades:

Subjects:
Critical Response / Lesson 1: Introduction: What is a Critic? – This lesson is a starting point for understanding analysis as it introduces the concept of a critic. Students learn the difference between an informed and uninformed opinion and discuss the kinds of judgments they make in their everyday lives. Grades:

Subjects: Critical Analysis
Critical Response / Lesson 2: Identify Tastes and Biases – By setting ground rules for discussion and using a warm-up word association list, students explore the difference between bias and taste in this lesson. After learning about biases and tastes related to their lives, they then turn their newly honed skills to observing and commenting on art. Grades:

Subjects: Critical Analysis, Art, Cultural Studies
Critical Response / Lesson 4: Research – The importance of historical and cultural context is introduced in this lesson. Students learn that an informed opinion comes from gathering a rich knowledge base and understanding the big picture. They use research, analysis, artistic methods, and previously published opinions to compare and contrast different artistic styles. Grades:

Subjects: History, Cultural Studies, Art, Critical Analysis, Interdisciplinary
South Vo-Tech Grades:

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Oliver High School Grades:

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Artists Past & Present: All of the artists pages have reading handouts. Grades:

Subjects:
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English / Writing / Language Arts
Activity: Synopsis: Details:

Camouflage: Sound Activity - Students use viewing, speaking, listening and writing skills to explore their own intuitive responses and interpretations of an artwork. Sound clips are played while students look at a work of art and write their feelings, thoughts and associations. Valuable comprehension and discussion questions allow for a rich follow-up conversation.

Grades: 4 to 12

Subjects: Art, Aesthetics, Language Arts & Writing, Social Studies, Cultural Studies

Ode to Food Activity - Students produce narrative illustrations and writings in the poetic form of an ode after discussing a quote by Andy Warhol and viewing his artworks portraying Campbell’s soup cans. Students explore the concept of liking something so much; one is compelled to create art about that thing. Grades: 1 to 12

Subjects: Art, English, Language Arts, Creative Writing

Jackie: Flashbulb Memory - This lesson explores the phenomena of flashbulb memory and the ability of powerful images to bring back personal memories. Students are introduced to the historical context behind Warhol’s portraits of Jacqueline Kennedy and are able to make comparisons and to write about their own memories of events. Grades: 6-12

Subjects: History, Social Studies, English, Creative Writing, Art

Time Capsule 21: A Day in the Life of Warhol - What can you learn about someone’s personality, interests, place in culture and in history through the objects they collect? This lesson begins to explore those questions in a simple activity using an archive on the Internet of one of Andy Warhol’s 600+ Time Capsules. Students explore the contents of Time Capsules 21, selecting objects to interpret and then write about the artist. This lesson encourages creative writing as well as research and analysis. Grades: 6-12

Subjects: English, Language Arts, Creative Writing, History, Social Studies, Art, Computer

Collecting Unit / Lesson 2: The Artistic Practice of Collecting – Andy Warhol’s own elaborate practice of collecting is investigated in this lesson. Students are introduced to his Time Capsules and asked to think about their own cultural context in relation to articles found in Time Capsule 21. Joseph Cornell’s collage boxes are also introduced and analyzed. Grades: 8 to 12

Subjects: Reading Comprehension

Collecting Unit / Lesson 3: Contemporary Artist Examples – Students are introduced to artistic practices that use personal, professional, and institutional collecting, as well as a wide array of contemporary artists employing these practices. Symbolism, anthropology, and archival information are presented and discussed. Grades:

Subjects: Reading Comprehension, Social Studies

Schenley High School Grades:

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Ross Elementary Grades:

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Trinity High School Grades:

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CAPA High School Grades:

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History & Memory / Lesson 1: Collective Memory – The cultural phenomenon of “collective memory” is introduced in this lesson. Students brainstorm and create a Top Five list of defining events for their generation and imagine 40 years into the future – what will be remembered and forgotten? Grades:

Subjects:

History & Memory / Lesson 7: Develop Your Own Interpretation – By combining the knowledge they’ve gained through lessons one through six, students act as historians to interpret JFK’s legacy using a variety of research skills to write a critical essay interpreting what Americans do and should remember about JFK. Then they act as artists to visually interpret JFK’s impact on American society. Grades:

Subjects: Critical Analysis, Writing, Art, History, Cultural Studies

Critical Response / Lesson 1: Introduction: What is a Critic? – This lesson is a starting point for understanding analysis as it introduces the concept of a critic. Students learn the difference between an informed and uninformed opinion and discuss the kinds of judgments they make in their everyday lives. Grades:

Subjects: Critical Analysis

Critical Response / Lesson 2: Identify Tastes and Biases – By setting ground rules for discussion and using a warm-up word association list, students explore the difference between bias and taste in this lesson. After learning about biases and tastes related to their lives, they then turn their newly honed skills to observing and commenting on art. Grades:

Subjects: Critical Analysis, Art, Cultural Studies

Critical Response / Lesson 3: Intuitive Response – Students are encouraged to use their intuitive skills in this lesson. Guided by a series of prompts, after looking at artwork by Warhol and
de Kooning, they write a variety of responses based on impression and emotion. They then share their writing with the class.		 Grades:

Subjects: Aesthetics, Language Arts, Creative Writing

Critical Response / Lesson 4: Research – The importance of historical and cultural context is introduced in this lesson. Students learn that an informed opinion comes from gathering a rich knowledge base and understanding the big picture. They use research, analysis, artistic methods, and previously published opinions to compare and contrast different artistic styles. Grades:

Subjects: History, Cultural Studies, Art, Critical Analysis, Interdisciplinary

Critical Response / Lesson 5: Writing a Criticism – This lesson synthesizes skills learned in previous Critical Response lessons. Students review the writing they’ve completed for lessons two, three, and four and combine ideas in order to establish and articulate their own informed critical point of view in relation to a piece of art. Grades:

Subjects: Critical Analysis, Point of View, Writing
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Social Studies / History / World Cultures
Activity: Synopsis: Details:

Diversity of Voice: Views on Guns in America - This lesson uses the artworks of Andy Warhol as a springboard for discussing diverse points of view about gun ownership, gun use, and gun imagery in contemporary culture. Students read texts ranging from personal viewpoints to the Bill of Rights in order to debate cultural values.

Grades: 8 to 12

Subjects: Social Studies, Civics, Art, Language Arts


Hammer & Sickle: Interpreting Symbols and Meaning - This lesson features artworks that incorporate powerful symbols: the hammer and sickle and the American flag. Students first deconstruct how the symbol is treated in the artwork and then infer meaning by comparing and contrasting the aesthetic qualities of the artworks. This lesson can be extended into a research project into the historic and cultural contexts behind each one of the featured works. Grades: 8 to 12

Subjects: Art, Aesthetics, History, Social Studies, Language Arts.

Jackie: Flashbulb Memory - This lesson explores the phenomena of flashbulb memory and the ability of powerful images to bring back personal memories. Students are introduced to the historical context behind Warhol’s portraits of Jacqueline Kennedy and are able to make comparisons and to write about their own memories of events. Grades: 6-12

Subjects: History, Social Studies, English, Creative Writing, Art

Time Capsule 21: A Day in the Life of Warhol - What can you learn about someone’s personality, interests, place in culture and in history through the objects they collect? This lesson begins to explore those questions in a simple activity using an archive on the Internet of one of Andy Warhol’s 600+ Time Capsules. Students explore the contents of Time Capsules 21, selecting objects to interpret and then write about the artist. This lesson encourages creative writing as well as research and analysis. Grades: 6-12

Subjects: English, Language Arts, Creative Writing, History, Social Studies, Art, Computer

Collecting Unit / Lesson 3: Contemporary Artist Examples – Students are introduced to artistic practices that use personal, professional, and institutional collecting, as well as a wide array of contemporary artists employing these practices. Symbolism, anthropology, and archival information are presented and discussed. Grades:

Subjects: Social Studies, Reading Comprehension

Arsenal Middle School Grades:

Subjects:

Highlands High School Grades:

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Pleasant Hills Grades:

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Schenley High School Grades:

Subjects:

History & Memory / Lesson 1: Collective Memory – The cultural phenomenon of “collective memory” is introduced in this lesson. Students brainstorm and create a Top Five list of defining events for their generation and imagine 40 years into the future – what will be remembered and forgotten? Grades:

Subjects:

History & Memory / Lesson 2: What Do You Know About JFK? – John F. Kennedy and his collective memory legacy are introduced in this lesson. Students learn firsthand how collective memory is passed on through generations by examining their own knowledge (or lack of it) regarding JFK’s presidency and assassination. Students interview a person who lived through JFK’s assassination and present interviews to the class. Grades:

Subjects: Writing and Speaking Skills, History, Critical Analysis, Evaluation

History & Memory / Lesson 3: Sources of Information – Primary sources and secondary sources are defined and their reliability assessed. Students then evaluate their own primary and secondary sources in terms of strengths and weaknesses. Grades:

Subjects: Research Skills, Historical Sources

History & Memory / Lesson 4: Historians Interpret Sources – Historians are interpreters and this lesson helps students understand how to think critically when reading an historic account of an event. The many roles of a historian are outlined and discussed, as well as the way in which critical judgment helps form the “story” of history as it is written and the importance of reliable sources. The historian Conover Hunt, writing about JFK, is used as an example. Grades:

Subjects: Evaluation, Research Skills, Historical Sources

History & Memory / Lesson 5: An Artist Interprets the Sources – A type of interpreter beyond an historian is introduced in this lesson: the artist. Students learn how artists use source material and comment on current events and politics, like historians, but with different results. Andy Warhol’s Jackie and Flash Series are used as examples for class discussion. Students observe and discuss the selection of images, editing, scale, printing, and presentation in order to understand intentions behind the artwork. Grades:

Subjects: Art, Critical Analysis, History, Cultural Studies, Editing

History & Memory / Lesson 6: Research as a Historian, as an Artist – Working in groups, students’ research a focus area of JFK’s Presidency, using both primary and secondary sources. Groups agree upon a research strategy, and select three to four images that best represent their research. Each group’s research is then presented to the class and images are displayed. Grades:

Subjects: Research Skills, History, Visual Literacy, Cultural Studies

History & Memory / Lesson 7: Develop Your Own Interpretation – By combining the knowledge they’ve gained through lessons one through six, students act as historians to interpret JFK’s legacy using a variety of research skills to write a critical essay interpreting what Americans do and should remember about JFK. Then they act as artists to visually interpret JFK’s impact on American society. Grades:

Subjects: Critical Analysis, Writing, Art, History, Cultural Studies

Charleroi Elementary School Grades:

Subjects:

Critical Response / Lesson 4: Research – The importance of historical and cultural context is introduced in this lesson. Students learn that an informed opinion comes from gathering a rich knowledge base and understanding the big picture. They use research, analysis, artistic methods, and previously published opinions to compare and contrast different artistic styles. Grades:

Subjects: History, Cultural Studies, Art, Critical Analysis, Interdisciplinary
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Media Literacy
Activity: Synopsis: Details:

Death & Disaster: Newspaper Activity - Students look through contemporary newspapers to critically examine the use of photojournalism to report the news or to tell a story. Students create their own interpretation and story using Andy Warhol’s processes of appropriation, cropping and repositioning.

Grades: 6 to 12

Subjects: Social Studies, Journalism, Art, Photography, Language Arts & Writing

Screen Test Activity - After viewing and discussing Warhol’s Screen Tests, students will develop their own on-screen personality and film one another, using Warhol’s “Recipe.” Students will compare and contrast Warhol’s Screen Tests to Hollywood Screen Tests and discuss how “living portraits” can be created through the use of film. Grades: 6-12

Subjects: Art, Creative Writing, Film, Technology

Collecting Unit / Lesson 3: Contemporary Artist Examples – Students are introduced to artistic practices that use personal, professional, and institutional collecting, as well as a wide array of contemporary artists employing these practices. Symbolism, anthropology, and archival information are presented and discussed. Grades:

Subjects:

Collecting Unit / Lesson 4: Project Ideas – In this hands-on lesson students think about and explore personal collecting practices; they research professional collecting, and construct a display based on principles of institutional collecting. Brainstorming leads to a project proposal, a work of art, and finally a critique session of other students’ work using critical analysis and evaluation skills. Grades: 8 to 12

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Steel Valley High School Grades:

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Stephan Hoderlein Grades:

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Barbara Kruger Grades:

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Kota Ezawa Grades:

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Philosophy
Activity: Synopsis: Details:

Brillo - But Is It Art? Taste & Bias Activity - This lesson is a good icebreaker and introduction to critical response. Students think about a sometimes-difficult and controversial work of art like Andy Warhol’s Brillo Box, in order to determine their own judgments about what constitutes good art. Students use higher level thinking skills to differentiate between tastes and biases and to listen to diverse ideas even if they personally do not like a work of art in question.

Grades: 6 to 12

Subjects: Art, Aesthetics, Philosophy, Psychology, Cultural Studies
Hammer & Sickle: Interpreting Symbols and Meaning - This lesson features artworks that incorporate powerful symbols: the hammer and sickle and the American flag. Students first deconstruct how the symbol is treated in the artwork and then infer meaning by comparing and contrasting the aesthetic qualities of the artworks. This lesson can be extended into a research project into the historic and cultural contexts behind each one of the featured works. Grades: 8 to 12

Subjects: Art, Aesthetics, History, Social Studies, Language Arts.
Collecting Unit / Lesson 3: Contemporary Artist Examples – Students are introduced to artistic practices that use personal, professional, and institutional collecting, as well as a wide array of contemporary artists employing these practices. Symbolism, anthropology, and archival information are presented and discussed. Grades: 8 to 12

Subjects:
Collecting Unit / Lesson 4: Project Ideas – In this hands-on lesson students think about and explore personal collecting practices; they research professional collecting, and construct a display based on principles of institutional collecting. Brainstorming leads to a project proposal, a work of art, and finally a critique session of other students’ work using critical analysis and evaluation skills. Grades: 8 to 12

Subjects:
History & Memory / Lesson 1: Collective Memory – The cultural phenomenon of “collective memory” is introduced in this lesson. Students brainstorm and create a Top Five list of defining events for their generation and imagine 40 years into the future – what will be remembered and forgotten? Grades:

Subjects: Cultural Studies, History, Critical Analysis, Reading Comprehension
History & Memory / Lesson 3: Sources of Information – Primary sources and secondary sources are defined and their reliability assessed. Students then evaluate their own primary and secondary sources in terms of strengths and weaknesses. Grades:

Subjects: Research Skills, Historical Sources
Schenley High School - Grades:

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Audio Flashbulb Memories - Grades:

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Student Podcasts - Grades: 8 to 12

Subjects:
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Mathematics
Activity: Synopsis: Details:

Super Size It: Scale in Art & Advertising - From billboards to mini I-pods the sense of scale and size is a critical factor in marketing and the appeal of products in popular culture. This lesson explores how the concept of size can change the value and/or impact of images on the viewer. Students select a picture of a product to enlarge in an artwork, then work collaboratively to paint their image. Analysis of cultural trends and historical quotes support the art making activity.

Grades: 4-12

Subject: Art, Graphic Arts, Social Studies, Cultural Studies, Math
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Music
Activity: Synopsis: Details:

Camouflage: Sound Activity - Students use viewing, speaking, listening and writing skills to explore their own intuitive responses and interpretations of an artwork. Sound clips are played while students look at a work of art and write their feelings, thoughts and associations. Valuable comprehension and discussion questions allow for a rich follow-up conversation.

Grades: 4 to 12

Subjects: Art, Aesthetics, Language Arts & Writing, Social Studies, Cultural Studies
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Elementary
Activity: Synopsis: Details:

Collecting Unit Elementary Adaptation - These lessons are adapted from the larger collecting unit to introduce younger students to the basic concepts of collecting. Andy Warhol and Joseph Cornell are explored as two artist examples. In the production lesson students think about their own personal collecting to make either a Warhol inspired painting or a Cornell inspired box. Lesson steps include suggestions for assessment and critical thinking.

Grades: K to 5

Subjects: Collecting, Critical Analysis, Art, Cultural Studies

Blotted Line Drawing - This Lesson features Andy Warhol’s early drawing technique that incorporates
a very basic printing process. Students use critical thinking skills to judge commercial advertisements and to make decisions on what they will include,
embellish and edit out of their own drawings		 Grades: 4 to 12

Subjects: Art, Commercial Design

Ode to Food Activity - Students produce narrative illustrations and writings in the poetic form of an ode after discussing a quote by Andy Warhol and viewing his artworks portraying Campbell’s soup cans. Students explore the concept of liking something so much; one is compelled to create art about that thing. Grades: 1 to 12

Subjects: Art, English, Language Arts, Creative Writing

Commissioned Portraits - Students use photographic images and an easy collage process to alter their own self-portraits. Using Andy Warhol’s photographic-silkscreen portraits, students explore the function of portraiture and why artists are paid to create portraits. Grades: K to 12

Subjects: Art, Graphic Arts, History, Social Studies, Cultural Studies
Hammer & Sickle: Interpreting Symbols and Meaning - This lesson features artworks that incorporate powerful symbols: the hammer and sickle and the American flag. Students first deconstruct how the symbol is treated in the artwork and then infer meaning by comparing and contrasting the aesthetic qualities of the artworks. This lesson can be extended into a research project into the historic and cultural contexts behind each one of the featured works. Grades: 8 to 12

Subjects: Art, Aesthetics, History, Social Studies, Language Arts.

Rubber Stamping Activity - Repetition, decoration, pattern and design are explored in this lesson
using Warhol’s illustration technique of rubber-stamping. Elementary students can embellish shoe drawings with pre-made stamps while older students can create their own stamps and symbols.		 Grades: K to 12

Subjects: Art, Graphic Arts, Printmaking

Still Life & Observation Drawing Activity - This drawing lesson outlines the basics of contour line
drawing using Andy Warhol’s artworks as examples.
Students will create simple contour line drawings of
onions, followed by longer observational drawings from simple still life arrangements.		 Grades: K to 12

Subjects: Art, Graphic Arts

Super Size It: Scale in Art & Advertising - From billboards to mini I-pods the sense of scale and size is a critical factor in marketing and the appeal of products in popular culture. This lesson explores how the concept of size can change the value and/or impact of images on the viewer. Students select a picture of a product to enlarge in an artwork, then work collaboratively to paint their image. Analysis of cultural trends and historical quotes support the art making activity.

Grades: 4-12

Subject: Art, Graphic Arts, Social Studies, Cultural Studies, Math
Ross Elementary