A young girl holds a paintbrush and leans over a colorful table

Education Resources

We have a wealth of educational resources for educators, homeschooling families, and caregivers who are looking to infuse some artistic play into free time at home. Use the filters below to find resources for a variety of age groups, ranging from shorter activities to full lessons. We are updating this page every week with new activities for you!

Art Activities

These imaginative and fun activities, paired with artworks from our collection, are intended for all ages as a creative way to engage with art.

Lesson Plans

The lessons throughout Reading Art Like Text examine the intersection of text and image through examples drawn from Carnegie Museum of Art’s online collection. Lessons in this interdisciplinary curriculum engage K–12 students in the subject areas of English language arts, social studies, mathematics, and science. Many of the questions throughout, long used by museum educators, support the practice of close reading and analytical thinking as prescribed in the Common Core State Standards. This resource is intended to help teachers incorporate art into their teaching practice in ways that address those standards. Teachers should feel free to adapt these lessons to their particular needs.

*Disclaimer: All images are to be used for in-classroom, educational purposes only. Any reproduction of these images, including on the web, requires additional written permission from Carnegie Museum of Art and any applicable copyright holders.

An artwork depicts a face with a book and spring on its forehead, many eyes and a large bright red oval on the mouth. The face sits over a field of swirling color and eyes and dark black lines make a pattern over the face. To the right of the artwork is a column of largely blank space and some of the dark lines spill into the empty space.

Activity: This is Me

In this art activity, let’s think about selfies and self-portraits and how we can use them to share information about who we are.

A drawing depicts people in a variety of poses, alone and in groups. Some are sitting or reclining, others are standing with hands on hips or in pockets. The drawings of people cover the whole page. 

Activity: Every Picture Tells a Story

In this art activity, look closely at Samuel Rosenberg’s Picnic and use it as the starting point for an imaginary picnic of your own!

A hand-brushed circle of deep black pigment is tacked directly on a white gallery wall. The circle is reflected in the gallery floor.

Reflection: Confronting Implicit Bias Inspired by Quentin Morris

Look closely at Quentin Morris’ Untitled (January-February 1994) and take time to examine how implicit biases are present in your own thinking.

A young woman wearing a black and white dress and cap stands in front of a large tree with twisting branches. She is standing next to a bunch of wheat and holding some in her hands while looking directly at the viewer. The roofs of two houses can be seen in the background.

Activity: Write a Story Inspired by Edvard Munch

Spark some creative thinking with this art activity inspired by Edvard Munch. Use Girl Under Apple Tree as a prompt for a short story!

One woman sits holding a banjo in her lap while another woman is seated behind her, looking over her shoulder and watching her play.

Activity: Thank Your Teachers

After looking closely at Cassatt’s artwork called The Banjo Lesson, take some time to write a thank-you to a person who has helped you learn something new.