Social Studies

Ruth Asawa (1926-2013) was an American modernist artist known primarily for her abstract looped-wire sculptures inspired by natural and organic forms. As a member of the avant-garde artistic community at Black Mountain College in North Carolina, Asawa studied under the influential German-American Bauhaus painter and color theorist Josef Albers, as well as the American architect and designer Buckminster Fuller. After achieving professional success in the early 60s, she became the driving force behind the creation of the San Francisco School of the Arts, which was renamed the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts in 2010.

Georgia O'Keeffe (1887- 1986) was called the "Mother of American modernism." O'Keeffe gained international recognition for her paintings of natural forms, particularly flowers and desert-inspired landscapes, which were often drawn from and related to places and environments in which she lived.

Keith Allen Haring (1958-1990) was a New York City based artist whose popularity grew from his spontaneous drawings in New York City subways: chalk outlines of figures, dogs, and other stylized images on blank black advertising spaces. Known for his murals, he produced more than 50 public artworks between 1982 and 1989, many of them created voluntarily for hospitals, daycare centers, and schools. His later work often conveyed political and societal themes. 

Joan Miro (1893-1983) was a Catalan painter, sculptor, and ceramist from Spain. Earning international acclaim, his work has been interpreted as Surrealism, but with a personal style. He was notable for his interest in the unconscious or the subconscious mind, reflected in his re-creation of the childlike.

Henri Matisse (1869-1954)  was a pioneer in the modern art movement. Regarded as one of the artists who best helped to define the revolutionary developments in the visual arts throughout the opening decades of the twentieth century, his mastery of the expressive language of colour and drawing is displayed in a body of work spanning over half a century.

Alma Woodsey Thomas (1891-1978) was a Howard University graduate. For 35 years, she served as a middle school art teacher in Washington, D.C. Her first professional show was in 1966 at the age of 75. From this point on, Thomas' distinct abstract style made her become an important role model for women, African Americans, and older artists. She was the first African American woman to have a solo exhibition at New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art, and she exhibited her paintings at the White House three times.

Build a light that celebrates the concept of stained glass. Choose from a variety of artist inspired themes or suggest one that your classroom would like to commemorate or honor. Decorate your light with artist inspired materials, designs, and patterns. Understand and demonstrate the difference between transparent, translucent, and opaque. How does light affect color and pattern? Designs that we have done in the past include:Chagall, Matisse, Alma Thomas, Joan Miro, Ruth Asawa, and Kieth Haring. We can create a light to suit your pedagogic and design curriculum.

Early Egyptians believed in eternity. They recorded the stories of their Pharaohs and people for you to understand 4,000 years later. Discover how they built massive pyramids to protect the remains of their Pharaohs against time and thieves. They included models of all the comforts of life forever.

Construct a diorama of the Egyptian landscape, including a Pyramid, a Sphinx, camels, and the River Nile. Discover how Egyptians built massive pyramids to protect the remains of their Pharaohs against time and thieves. A hinged construction allows students to reveal the inner workings of a pyramid.
Create a sarcophagus, canopic jars, and jewels to fill your pyramid. These creations will be a symbol of the comforts of life that a Pharaoh would take on their journey to the afterlife.

Chinese gates signify thresholds between worlds and social realms, marking entrances to sacred spaces, cities, and even the afterlife. They often symbolize power, wealth, or cultural identity. These impactful structures are crucial symbols for the Chinese diaspora, serving as monumental declarations of heritage and cultural fusion. Students will learn the significance of Chinese Gates as well as construct one of their own and decorate it with traditional Chinese artistry.

A Roman villa was typically a farmhouse or country house in the territory of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. The earliest examples are mostly humble farmhouses in Italy, while from the Republican period on, a range of larger building types emerged, with some reaching extravagant proportions. Learn about Roman culture and construction.