My Masterpieces: A Different Approach

My Masterpieces is a partnership between Pasadena cultural institutions and Pasadena Unified School District. Each grade level visits a different cultural partner with a focus on arts integration. The Norton Simon Museum hosts the fifth grade students throughout the district. The collection areas of study include landscapes, portraits and dance in sculpture. Throughout the exploration of each art work, students are asked to consider: How do artists choose their mediums to best express themselves? Each lesson compares two different examples of the same type of art work. The curriculum packet includes images, tombstone information, standards, vocabulary, objectives, materials, procedures, projects, differentiation and extension activities.

This curriculum packet is aligned to content standards for California public schools in visual arts, history–social science and Common Core English-language arts for grades 5–12.