Arts (Visual and Applied)
Languages
History
- Social Documentary and Street Photography
- Civil Rights in America
- Mexican Art and Activism
Image: National Child Labor Committee and Lewis Hine.
Arts
Digital Visual Communication
Grade 9–12, Computer Graphics, Yearbook, Multimedia
Students explore computer based graphic and information design, advertising, web design, cinematography, and data visualization in the context of effective visual communication. They discuss and analyze how the selection of the content, the elements of art, and the principles of design affect modern communication.
For a more in-depth program, a two-part presentation option is available. The topics covered in each part will be selected based on your curriculum.
Social Documentary and Street Photography: Keeping It Real
Grade 9–12, Photography, 2-D Art - All levels
Students explore the diverse and rich work of photographers who use their cameras as tools for social change. The presentation weaves together social documentary and street photographs to inspire students’ creativity.
For a more in-depth program, a two-part Photography presentation option is available:
- Part I – The Language of Photography: The Elements of Art through the Lens of Photography
- Part II – Social Documentary and Street Photography: Keeping It Real
Discovering Art Through Critical Thinking
Grade 9–12, 2-D Art, 3-D Art - All levels
Students use critical thinking skills to perform an in-depth analysis of form and content on a small number of contemporary artworks. They compare and contrast themes and the use of the elements of art, style, and varying media. Students interpret an artwork’s meaning and identify cultural and global significance while assessing how point of view and purpose shapes the content and style of the work(s).
Mexican Art and Activism: The Legacy
Grade 9–12, 2-D Art - All levels
Explore the artistic legacy of post-revolutionary Mexico and learn how it inspired artists across the border and around the world, including WPA muralists, Chicano artists, and contemporary street artists.
Art on View at SJMA: Analysis and Critical Thinking
Grade 9-12, Arts 2-D and 3-D- All levels
Students will closely examine visual details of on view artworks at San Jose Museum of Art. Using inquiry-based formal analysis, students gather visual evidence to build compelling narratives around diverse artistic themes. This evidence-based approach directly strengthens their ELA writing and studio art critiques.
Frida Kahlo: Mexican Icon
Grade 9-12, 2-D Art – All levels
Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits were her voice. She painted her memories, her pain, her loves. Students will view Kahlo’s art which reveal her life stories, her feminism, and her mexicanidad — her deep pride in her Mexican identity. Students will also discuss the dream-like qualities of her work, although Kahlo said “I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.”
Hung Liu: Shining A Light on Humanity
Grade 9-12, 2-D Art, Photography – All levels
Hung Liu, a daughter, a mother, a farmer, a soldier, an artist, a teacher and a citizen of both China and later America, is drawn to archival photography. She paints from her own, those of historical Chinese and Dorothea Lange. Liu elevates marginalized voices, bringing them to life, while imbuing compassion and empathy into her work. Stories of human connection unfold as students critically analyze her symbolism and decode embedded meanings, bridging different times, cultures and perspectives.
Request an Art in the Dark Presentation
Languages
Discovering Art Through Critical Thinking
Grade 9–12, English, Journalism - All levels
Students use critical thinking skills to perform an in-depth analysis of form and content in a small number of contemporary artworks. They compare and contrast themes as well as the use of the elements of art, style, and varying media. Students interpret an artwork’s meaning and identify cultural and global significance while assessing how point of view and purpose shapes the content and style of the work(s).
Mexican Art and Activism: The Legacy
Grade 9–12, Spanish - All levels
Explore the artistic legacy of post-revolutionary Mexico and learn how it inspired artists across the border and around the world, including WPA muralists, Chicano artists, and contemporary street artists.
Art on View at SJMA: Analysis and Critical Thinking
Grade 9-12, English, Journalism - All Levels
Students will closely examine visual details of on view artworks at San Jose Museum of Art. Using inquiry-based formal analysis, students gather visual evidence to build compelling narratives around diverse artistic themes. This evidence-based approach directly strengthens their ELA writing and studio art critiques.
Connecting Art and Literature: Grade 11 English
Grade 11 English Languages - All Levels
Students will act as visual investigators to actively analyze how masterworks and their assigned American literature texts speak the same. They will actively decode complex visual imagery to uncover the motifs, symbols, and societal themes shared with their assigned books. Practicing collaborative visual analysis, students will investigate contemporary and historical artworks and synthesize their findings to build cross-disciplinary arguments. This presentation will be customized for your texts: The Crucible, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, The Scarlet Letter, Transcendentalism text, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Of Mice and Men, The Great Gatsby, or The Things they Carried.
Frida Kahlo: Mexican Icon
Grade 9-12, Spanish, English - All Levels
Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits were her voice. She painted her memories, her pain, her loves. Students will view Kahlo’s art which reveal her life stories, her feminism, and her mexicanidad--her deep pride in her Mexican identity. Students will also discuss the dream-like qualities of her work, although Kahlo said “I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.”
Hung Liu: Shining a Light on Humanity
Grade 9-12, Mandarin, English - All Levels
Hung Liu, a daughter, a mother, a farmer, a soldier, an artist, a teacher and a citizen of both China and later America, is drawn to archival photography. She paints from her own, those of historical Chinese and Dorothea Lange. Liu elevates marginalized voices, bringing them to life, while imbuing compassion and empathy into her work. Stories of human connection unfold as students critically analyze her symbolism and decode embedded meanings, bridging different times, cultures and perspectives.
Request an Art in the Dark Presentation
History
Social Documentary and Street Photography: Keeping It Real
Grade 11
Students explore the diverse and rich work of photographers who use their cameras as tools for social change. The presentation weaves together social documentary and street photographs to inspire student’s creativity.
For a more in-depth look at American culture and forms of activism we recommend you request both the Civil Rights in America and the Social Documentary and Street Photography presentations.
Civil Rights in America: American Artists and the Struggle for Equality
Grade 11
Students explore social justice and American Ideals as they interpret art by American artists from the pre-civil rights era to the present. Topics include: the Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s and 1960s, the Chicano Movement of the 1960s, the Civil Rights of Japanese Americans and how contemporary artists represent these issues today.
Please note that content will vary depending on the presentation time, so please let your docent know your preferences.
Mexican Art and Activism: The Legacy
Grade 10, 11
Explore the artistic legacy of post-revolutionary Mexico and learn how it inspired artists across the border and around the world, including WPA muralists, Chicano artists, and contemporary street artists.
Request an Art in the Dark Presentation
Special Days Classes
Art for you SDC
Grade 9–12, SDC
Students participate in a fun, informative, and interactive look at the way we communicate through art using the elements of art. The presentation adapts to fit wide-ranging needs and capabilities of the special education student. Your docent will work with you to provide the drawing activity, video and artwork selections, and mode of delivery that will best meet the needs of your students.
For a more in-depth program, a two-part presentation option is available. The topics covered in each part will be selected based on your curriculum.