Free Art History Lessons for K-12

Art history can seem daunting to teach, but with the right resources, it can become an engaging and enriching subject for your children. Here are two excellent resources that provide free art history lessons for K-12, including lesson plans, classical artwork images, artist bios, and even materials you can borrow by mail.

American Art History Lessons

We love old school crafts at our home: weaving, spinning, and embroidery are our current favorites. Craft Revival offers a large collection of free lesson plans for K-12 on crafts such as weaving, basketry, and pottery. These lesson plans include historical information on each craft. Projects are included. the skill, and they include hands-on projects.

There is much more to these lessons – Craft Revival even outlines which subjects are taught in each lesson. For example, one title is Quilts and the Underground Railroad, Grades 4-5; Subject: Art; Related Subjects: Social Studies, Language Arts, Geometry 

Visit Craft Revival to explore their free practical skills and lesson plans, separated by elementary, middle, and high school grades.

World Famous Art History Lessons

At the National Gallery of Art website, there are two excellent ways to learn:

• For K-8 or so: One of my children loves to be involved in the making of art, so she spends time in the NGAkids Art Zone on her own. This section of the gallery changes frequently, and includes interactive games and activities.
• For teens and yourself: Visit the huge NGA online database of art, where you can read art history, artist bios, and view works of art.  This is an excellent resource for Charlotte Mason teacher or others who make Art Study a focus of their curriculum. 

Also, did you know you can borrow materials from the National Gallery of Art by mail? I’ve personally done it; it’s an amazing free resource! 

why teach art history?

I wrote an article on why we may want to teach art history, and included ten masters you may want to consider studying in your homeschool. You can read it here.

if you’re worried over teaching art…

I wrote something on how we naturally teach art to our children. You can read it here.

ENHANCE YOUR ART HISTORY TEACHING WITH THESE RESOURCES

Enhance Your Art History Lessons with These Resources

To complement these free art history lessons, you might consider adding these resources available on Amazon. These books and materials can provide additional depth and hands-on activities for your students:

1. The Story of Art by E.H. Gombrich – A comprehensive and engaging book that covers the history of art from ancient times to the modern era.
2. Art Lab for Kids by Susan Schwake – This book offers 52 creative art projects that are perfect for young artists and tie in well with art history lessons.
3. Discovering Great Artists by MaryAnn F. Kohl and Kim Solga – Hands-on art projects inspired by famous artists, providing a practical way for kids to learn about art history.
4. Arteza 72 Watercolor Pencils – High-quality watercolor pencils that can be used for art projects inspired by the lessons.

By incorporating these resources into your art history curriculum, you can provide a richer and more engaging experience for your students. Happy teaching!