Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

While designed for art history, this time line will also appeal to anyone interested in concise summaries of the movements of prehistoric civilizations and peoples throughout the world. As it moved into ancient and modern history, the site offers nicely written summaries of the relationships between art, culture, and the political and social developments in each culture. World cultures faculties will love this one.

tag(s): art history (108), time (91)

This British Museum site about the ancient Middle East and Asia has seemingly endless nooks and crannies, each of which leads to an encounter about the history and culture of of that civilization. Try it as part of a world cultures course, an introduction to Buddhism or Hinduism, or a look at the geography of the Indian subcontinent.

tag(s): art history (108), asia (136), china (83), india (32), middle east (50)

This site offers a generous helping of images of Mary Cassatt's late 19th-century impressionist work. Cassatt was one of few Americans to paint in the impressionist style, making her even more interesting to American students. Large format images make this site especially useful as a teaching tool.

tag(s): art history (108), artists (87), impressionism (6), painting (54)

This site offers a comprehensive look at the work and life of 17th century Dutch painter Jans Vermeer. It includes an extensive catalog with many full-color, large format images of his paintings. There are also sections on the painter's life, the various schools of Dutch art, and Vermeer's patrons. Great art history reference site!

Photography can be both an art form and a form of scientific inquiry. Photos of People and Cultures can promote human understanding better than any written words. This site from National Geographic can serve both ends if used properly. Art teachers "focus" on tips and techniques and photography advice areas, while science/social studies teachers will easily locate a wide range of plant, animal, culture, and geography images. As always, the photos themselves are exquisite. You will need to sign up for the free newsletter (with email) to view the photos.

tag(s): animals (293), photography (131)

Art and Social Studies teachers will find this collection of contemporary stamp artwork interesting both for its style and for the range of themes that have been incorporated into stamps. The oversize artwork helps illustrate the details in these images.

tag(s): africa (170), african american (121)

Of interest to teachers of social studies, American history, or art, this site from UC Berkeley samples over 400 years of artistic portrayals of Native Americans in a variety of settings. The site is notable both for the quality of the images but also for the contexts in which they are presented. Suitable for a wide age range, depending on the amount of guidance the classroom teacher provides.

tag(s): art history (108), native americans (116), painting (54)

This Art Institute of Chicago site is an intriguing resource for high school fine-arts teachers looking to supplement their curriculum by studying science and technology's application in the art world. The site can also be used by chemistry and technology teachers looking to expand students' understanding of science's real life applications. The site has multi-media lecture resources, as well as lesson plans on a range of topics, including the Chemistry and Physics of Light and color, and chemical oxidation's effect on paint color.

tag(s): art history (108)

Divided into resources for educators, parents, and students, this Smithsonian site has a wealth of information.

tag(s): cultures (226)

This site highlights the offerings of the George Eastman House by providing information on each of the museum's resident and traveling exhibits, as well as information about George Eastman, founder of the Eastman Kodak company, and his historic estate in Rochester, NY. There are even 360 degree cameras for viewing the rooms and gardens of the estate. The Education and Research section has video demonstrations of historical photographic processes, and each of the exhibit explanations provide useful information on the history of photography.

tag(s): inventors and inventions (81), photography (131)

This site brings the Vatican to you through interactive tours of the Sistine Chapel and other sections of the Vatican Museums. Students can browse the exhibits, and, in some cases, view detailed versions of the paintings themselves. The Sistine Chapel section alone is worth a visit, both as a rich cultural resource, and as a fine arts resource.

tag(s): museums (52)

With puzzles to make, puzzles to solve, and optical illusions to observe, this interactive site puts brains and eyes to the test. The site also has a maze maker, math games, word games, and tricks to perform. The "Puzzles to make" section has detailed directions and printable instructions for using these puzzles in the classroom.

tag(s): puzzles (148)

This site provides good fine arts background material with museum listings, photographs of works, and articles for a number of artists. Teachers and students can search for information by artist, painting title, and museum. The site also has a great comprehensive list of artistic movements with definitions and a list of participating artists.

tag(s): artists (87), drawing (62), museums (52), painting (54)

It's an art and architectural style, not a school building. This site from the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts offers a visual perspective on the art and architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, William Gray Purcell, and others. In addition to showing works of art, the site offers several interactive tours of Wright houses, many in the twin cities area. Art teachers will use this one as a great American design example. There is a lot of information on this site. The a few complementary images (not the main images) for each topic require Flash.

tag(s): air (99), prairie (6)

While most of this site deals with visiting Versailles, students will find sections dealing with the King's daily routine and the life of the French court in the 17th and 18th centuries. In addition, there are images of some of the more notable artwork, and of course, large sections available "seulement en Francais," which we hope will please the world language teachers. There's nothing like it elsewhere. There is an incredible amount of information to discover at this site by scrolling down the home page AND click on the Explore tab at the top of the home page. There are a few videos that are hosted on YouTube, if your district blocks YouTube they may not be viewable.

tag(s): france (40)

This site offers a detailed biographical treatment of Escher's work in illustrating perceptual and spatial phenomena and illusions. The site will be useful both for art instruction and for math or science study. We were delighted to find illustrations large enough to show the intricacies of these images. Even younger students will respond to, "What's going on in this picture?" discussions of these images.

tag(s): perspective (20)

Students reading Twain's books may be surprised to know that he lived in Hartford, not along the Mississippi. This site from the restored home offers a virtual tour, a kids' section with a word search, and some very basic information about the house. This one's worth a look for those interested in late 19th century architecture.

tag(s): architecture (84), mark twain (8)

Artsonia is an online community to facilitate sharing of art instruction ideas and student artwork. The site requires free registration with the name or zip code of your school and your email. There is much to see and do and is worth a peek if you're interested in seeing what other students and teachers are doing.

tag(s): crafts (76), makerspace (40)

The Islamic Arts and Architecture Organization offers an almost encyclopedic site on art and design in the Islamic world. The site includes extensive galleries and detailed articles on the various topics presented. Art or art history teachers will find this one an outstanding source of examples of art and craft from this complex culture.

tag(s): crafts (76), middle east (50)

This is an on-line museum that contains a rotating selections of photographic exhibitions, including contemporary photographers and early photos as well. There is a wide variety of content in numerous artistic styles. This would be a great place for students in photography or design classes to explore how others use light, shape, and composition in creating images.

tag(s): museums (52), photography (131)