Age/Grade: Middle School: Lessons

Monkey Mosaic Martin Richerzhagen Two schools in Germany collaborate on a full-scale mosaic, using imagery inspired by our favorite artist, Keith Haring! Haring Mosaic Reliefs Kristin Anson 4th and 5th graders from Equador learned about Keith Haring and clay techniques. They put all their knowledge together and made Haring style Mosaics. Haring Art Truck Meeghan Humphrey Students from this high school in Ohio painted a pickup truck inspired by Keith Haring's style. Making Masks Gonzalo Fuenmayor, Keith Haring/SVA Scholarship Recipient Merging ancient and contemporary art, this lesson examines the significance of mask-making in the past and present. A great starting point to larger projects, or a fast exploration for the less patient. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words Helen Londergan After being introduced to selected pieces of Keith Haring's work, students brainstormed for words and concepts that they wished to illustrate in a Haring-esque style. Attention was given to color, composition, and how well the word was illustrated by the student-artists' depiction of it. Keith Haring Mural Project Art Gallery of Ontario Influenced by the exhibition of Keith Haring's work at the Art Gallery of Ontario, local children create their own full-scale mural, and donate it to a local church. Haring Stone Figurines Martin Richerzhagen A high school in Germany partners up with a local nursery school to sculpt Haring-inspired scultpures from stone. Swimming Pool Mural in Alf Martin Richerzhagen This lucky school in Germany was asked to decorate the hallways of a local community swimming pool. Using Keith Haring's art as inspiration, 15 students set out to fill the walls with colorful, bold, and fun designs along the theme of swimming. The Story of Red and Blue- ART The Keith Haring Foundation This spontaneous explorative project allows students of all ages to open up and make free associations with positive results. Pieces of Peace Cindy Williams Middle School students from St. Petersburg, Florida, were asked to draw a picture inspired by the work of Keith Haring. The pictures represent world issues that affect their lives. The pictures were later combined to make a 6 foot painted puzzle, and put on display at the Florida Holocaust Museum. Posters with a Message I Lea Basile Lazarus Offering students the possibilities to express their thoughts and concerns, this project outlines a structure to help students make public posters with important messages in a bold and straightforward manner, similar to some of the work Haring did during his lifetime Keith Haring and Aborignal Art David Butler Inspired by both Haring's line and the artwork of the indigenous people of Australia, Aborigines, the students from this school in Texas created distinctly patterned portraits using markers and paint. Questions Kathy Kaiser A writing lesson that asks children to determine questions to elicit interesting and revealing biographies of other children. Pendants Heather Zinkosky A lesson that allows students to design a symbol and challenges them to transform their designs into sculpture & wearable art. Everyday Objects as Art Wan Ling Li, Keith Haring/SVA Scholarship Recipient After examining "readymade" artwork by several influential 20th Century artists, these high school students created sculptures by painting on "everyday objects". Offering both an art history and an art-making component, this lesson allows students to analyze and synthesize the creative process for themselves. The Tarpaulin Project Art Gallery of Ontario A lesson that practically guarantees great results AND a low budget! The Tarpaulin Project was developed by the Education Staff at the Art Gallery of Ontario in an effort to help students become more familiar with Keith Haring's work and working methods while cultivating students' ability to express emotions on a visual level. It's All in the Line! David Butler Inspired by Keith Haring's line, these middle school students from Texas created very colorful art filled with all different kinds of line. The Keith Haring Car Maegen Kissell- Nair During this lesson the children learned about Keith Haring and what kind of artwork he created. Then they had fun expressing painting an entire car in Haring-inspired imagery! The 1980s Series - Fashion The Keith Haring Foundation During the 1980s, music, dance, fashion, and art experienced a boom of energy and innovation. It was also during the 80s that Haring came into prominence and produced most of his signature work. This series of lessons seeks to explore the cultural and creative phenomenons of the 1980s for the youth of today. The Fashion lesson allows students to transform old clothes, model them and reflect on the process while having fun and being creative. Teaching to Standards Mary Stokrocki & Marcia Buckpitt A joint effort between the University of Arizona's Education division and a local public school summer program, this lesson explores how some Apache students responded to Keith Haring's art using their computers as art-making tools. Line & Expression - 3D Art Gallery of Ontario An activity provided by the Art Gallery of Ontario designed to help students understand meanings and representations of symbols and to synthesize 2-dimentional imagery into 3-dimensional forms. Clay Portrait Project Norma Burrowes Using traditional portraiture methods of proportion, students explore and combine their knowlegde with Haring-style, expressive, and colorful aesthetics to produce vibrant clay masks. To download facial proportions sheet go to Visual Aids, use link on the right. Sign Language 1 The Whitney Museum of American Art Students explore signs and vocabulary linked to the work of Keith Haring. Keith Haring Painting Project Joy Taylor Long Island high school students explore a painting project inspired by Scholastic Magazine's November 2007 feature on Keith Haring's work. Lessing meets Haring Anne Rössler This elementary school in Germany partnered up with some college students to create a challenging mural that functions as visual storytelling and encourages graffiti prevention. Pop Shop 1 - Symbol Making The Keith Haring Foundation Students will learn about Keith Haring's use of symbols by examining his bold, direct lines and images and create their own. Graffiti Project Jasmine Pasch, Jane Gledhill, and Ian Stewart A combined dance/visual art week long project, accompanied with live music and ending with a sharing, for students on the autistic spectrum. Street Art Project Kevin McGroary A low-budget, exciting way to explore the function and creative process of public art while gaining a deeper understanding of Haring's work. Painted Chairs Martin Richerzhagen This lesson, sent in by a class in Germany, is a great project to help brighten up any classroom by painting the furniture, Haring-style. Haringkids Italy Anna Mosca Middle-schoolers in Milan, Italy learn about Keith Haring and make their own work inspired by his style. A Haring Production Martin Richerzhagen This 7th grade class designed a stage set for their local job convention. Using Haring's bold and colorful style, they created emblems of various different occupations on large, free standing wood boards that were placed around the stage. Sign Language 2 (Found Object Sculpture) The Whitney Museum of American Art Sign Language 2 picks up where Sign Language 1 leaves off, helping students to develop their symbol three-dimensionally. Keith Haring Olympics Kim Salesses Students from Florida create a public mural of figures participating in an Olympic sports, in the style of Keith Haring. Hip Hop, Skip, and Jump The Whitney Museum of American Art This program was designed to be a take-home activity for children in conjunction with the exhibition of Keith Haring's work at the Whitney Museum in New York City. A Sculptor's Model The Keith Haring Foundation This lesson was designed to parallel The Tampa Museum's survey: "Keith Haring: Art & Commerce," on view March 18 through June 11, 2006. Local children were presented with a slide presentation of Haring's work, with a particular emphasis on Haring's large scale steel sculptures and accompanying sculptural macquettes. Students then participated in a workshop where they too could design and construct their own scaled down models of imaginary, mythic sculptures. A Mural Gift Bryna Bobick 5th grade students participated in a mural making activity based on the art of Keith Haring. The mural was presented to Rosemont Elementary School as a "thank you" gift for everyone at the school who as helped the 5th grade students. The Story of Red and Blue- WRITING The Keith Haring Foundation This lesson helps students explore the creative possibilities of using language to interpret art. Marbling a la Haring Erin Tapley Using the process of paper marbling, this teacher has found a way to help students deconstruct and compose their own abstract compositions. Haring Mobiles Tina McDermott This lesson was sent to us by a school in New Jersey whose students designed and constructed their own Haring-inspired hanging mobiles. A great extension to lessons involving the figure and movement. Snapshots Kathy Kaiser Inspired by work Haring explored throughout his life, this project asks students to photograph one another and reflect upon what they see both externally and internally. Fence Mural Valerie Kerwin This ambitous teacher created a fence mural with her students in Sarasota, Florida. Each student's figure drawings becoming full-scale figurative paintings on a bright and bold playground fence. How to Create A Mural Brian Yanish Kids brainstorm ideas, make sketches, practice painting, and work together to paint this inspiring mural. This project was sent in by a very special program called FreeArts, developed to help abused children. Window Mural Kimber Garrett A teacher's account of her "Nutcracker Mural" done in the style of Keith Haring's characters in a local storefront window. Keith Haring Animations Mark McCloskey Year 5 & 6 students from this school in the UK created their own computer animations. Keith Haring and Graffiti Taz Ismail & Becky Evermon Students from this Montessori school in Canada studied Keith Haring and then worked collaborately to make several murals, custom t-shirts, and sculptures, all exploring the theme of "Peace, love and the environment." Haring Inspired Wall Murals Jean Knight Parent and student volunteers wemt to Greenfield Elementary School on the Martin Luther King Jr holiday to work together and paint Haring-inspired murals on the walls of the fourteen stairwell landings. Symbols to Sculptures Art Gallery of Ontario Designed by the Museum Educators at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, Canada, this lesson encourages students to consider shapes as a construct for symbol making. The project proposes a transformation from 2-dimensional drawings to synthesized, 3-dimensional forms. Making Self-Portraits Gonzalo Fuenmayor, Keith Haring/SVA Scholarship Recipient A psychologically investigative examination and corresponding lesson dissect the purpose and meaning of self-portaiture. Children Respond to Keith Haring's Work City Gallery Wellington Using the Keith Haring exhibition as a starting point in their Education and Outreach programming, City Gallery helped children be inspired by and respond to Haring's work. The 1980s Series - Graffiti The Keith Haring Foundation During the 1980s, music, dance, fashion, and art experienced a boom of energy and innovation. It was also during the 80s that Haring came into prominence and produced most of his signature work. This series of lessons seeks to explore the cultural and creative phenomenons of the 1980s for the youth of today. The Graffiti project seeks to create an open & constructive forum for students to communicate their thoughts and feelings by creating a "graffiti wall" within the classroom. Haring Mosaic Martin Richerzhagen These 8th graders from a town in Germany were invited to create a public mosaic for their local town hall in Bullay. Inspired by Keith Haring, the students chose bold, colorful figures to depict their message. Class Mural Martin Richerzhagen Make your classroom a bright and inspiring place for you and your students to work in. This project shows you how to paint a wall mural, wake up old curtains, and filter light through wonderful stained glass, a la Haring, of course. Great for school and for home. Pop Shop 2 - Etching and Woodcutting The Keith Haring Foundation Learn about printmaking using Haring's imagery as a starting point. Signs of Everyday Life The Whitney Museum of American Art Keith Haring was interested in how signs are used in many different cultures, from Egyptian hieroglyphics to contemporary advertising on the city streets. He often signed his artwork with a "radiant baby" sign instead of his name. This lesson seeks to explore the signs around us, and to create our own. A Haring Event Nancy Williams & Marilyn Morgan This school in New Jersey hosted a "Dine with Your Child" afternoon, complete with Haring-inspired hallway decorations and home-made tee-shirts. Creating Stories Catherine Lapping Looking and drawing merge in this lesson to help students understand and appreciate Keith Haring's work. As an extension to this project, these NYC school children decorated bags containing holiday gifts for local charities. Keith Haring & Social Awareness Tampa Museum of Art This thorough educational curriculum was designed by the Tampa Museum of Art to coincide with the exhibition: "Keith Haring: Art & Commerce," on view March 18 through June 11, 2006. Flip Books Kathy Kaiser This lesson, similar to our Morphs lesson, is designed for children to examine the visual quality of movement in Haring's work, emphasizing sequence and time. Pictures Kathy Kaiser Usually lessons take a class through a project, this lesson takes a class through reflection and display, a great complement to any activity. Designing a Bus Stop Martin Richerzhagen This lesson, sent in by an 8th grade class took their art outside, and painted bus shelters throughout the city of Zell in Germany. One is inspired by our favorite artist, Keith Haring. Keith Haring Inspired Drawing & Sculpture Children's Village Boys from Children's Village learn about Keith Haring's work, and make their own drawings and sculptures inspired by his style and sensibility. Chalk Drawings Chan Bliss Students from an elementary school in Tampa, Florida visited an exhibition of Keith Haring's work at the local Tampa Museum of Art and then made their own Haring-inspired work! A Haring Holiday Kathleen McCrea Create Haring-inspired holiday ornaments with children using this fun and easy project sent in to us by a high school in Kansas. Virtual Figure Sculptures Dan Deslaurier A fun and informative introduction to the art of Keith Haring, and an opportunity for students to design and build their own paper figure sculptures and envision them anywhere they want! Lady Liberty Maura Walsh This wonderful project celebrates freedom and Keith Haring at the same time, while helping students to understand what makes this country so unique and special. Figure Cut-Outs Valerie Kerwin This fun lesson begins with drawing the figure Haring-style. Experimenting with different poses, students design and create large-size cut-out constructions. Introduction to Keith Haring Wan Ling Li, Keith Haring/SVA Scholarship Recipient This interactive lesson helps inspire those students who seek to understand their world through music, dance, fashion and popular culture. A totally hip and fun project with extensive teacher notes to follow. Posters for a Charity Wan Ling Li, Keith Haring/SVA Scholarship Recipient This insightful lesson combines ethics with art, allowing students to consider the social and political climate they live in, and to take positive action by creating posters that inspire awareness and change. HaringKids Guide Norma Burrowes An interactive worksheet program that will help students explore HaringKids on their own. Stop the Violence Christy Dillard Groups of students were given the task of creating a Haring-style painting that communicated a message about an important social issue. Morphs Kathy Kaiser This lesson, similar to our Flip-Book lesson, is designed for children to explore movements and perform them as the different characters in Haring's work, emphasizing transitional poses and personal expression. Mural to Music 1 The Whitney Museum of American Art Ask your students to make a collaborative mural drawing to music, using their invented sign language, their imagination, and their responses to the music. Haring Inspired CD Covers Wan Ling Li, Keith Haring/SVA Scholarship Recipient Integrating art and music, this cohesive lesson seeks to teach students the fundementals of graphic design by creating their own Haring-inspired CD Covers. Keith Haring Art Work Mark McCloskey These students from the UK learned all about Keith Haring before they began their own interpretive pastel posters. Afterwards, they wrote their opinions, reflecting on the imagery and their knowledge of Keith Haring. They posted it on their school web site for everyone to enjoy. Posters Kathy Kaiser Using examples of Keith's own progressive posters as a springboard, students are encouraged to create their own messages in the form of a public poster. Body Language Through Sculpture Gonzalo Fuenmayor, Keith Haring/SVA Scholarship Recipient Exploring gesture and movement using clay, this lesson was produced by a college student majoring in Art Education. Bus Stop Mosaic Martin Richerzhagen This 8th grade class from Germany was invited to creat a doublesided mosaic for a local community bus stop. Pop Shop 3 - Printmaking (Tee Shirts) The Keith Haring Foundation Learn printmaking, including printing Tee shirts, based on the images of Haring's work. Symbols & Signs Art Gallery of Ontario An activity provided by the Art Gallery of Ontario, this lesson seeks to help children identify and express their emotions through lines and symbols, just as Keith Haring did. Studying Haring's Public Mural: "Crack is Wack" The Keith Haring Foundation Haring's 2-sided mural on a handball court at 128th Street & 2nd Avenue in NYC overlooks the FDR drive. A public site that has brought much acknowledgement since it was painted in 1986. This lesson, organized collaboratively with The Children's Storefront gives local students the opportunity to examine and reflect on one of Haring's most influential landmarks. The 1980s Series - Music The Keith Haring Foundation During the 1980s, music, dance, fashion, and art experienced a boom of energy and innovation. It was also during the 80s that Haring came into prominence and produced most of his signature work. This series of lessons seeks to explore the cultural and creative phenomenons of the 1980s for the youth of today. The Music lesson gives students the opportunity to create music videos using their favorite songs, implementing the use of story boards and set design. Water Tank Mural Sarah Ryan This middle school in Australia used Keith Haring's dancing figures as inspiration for a mural on a water tank using characters that represent their school subjects. Fine Art to Animation with Keith Haring Ben Tegeler & Jen Deets These 5th Graders studied Keith Haring and the significance of his life and art on our world. After exploring elements of line and color through drawing; they then created their own morphes in the computer lab using VSEÂ’s Animation Maker. Kieth Haring Across Curriculum Katinka Bryan A wonderful lesson sent in by a school in England that helps students examine and discuss art while developing their own fun and silly essays. Designing Objects The Katonah Museum of Art Using a project framework similar to that of Keith Haring's, children can explore the possibilities of designing a personally customized watch, bicycle, and car, using the templates provided. Subway Drawings Sandra Beyer Using Haring's Subway Drawings as a starting point, this exciting lesson offers an innovative way to create a spontaneous work process that students will love. Bio Kathy Kaiser Along with defining Keith's goals and strategies for his life as an artist, children will consider their own aspirations and strategies necessary to attain their goals. Tabletop Graffiti Mural Valerie Kerwin When an art teacher from a YMCA in Florida decided to clean up her shabby tables and teach her students about graffiti art, she decided to combine the projects and revive the tables with art! A strong emphasis on collaboration and cooperation led to a classroom full of personalized furniture. Tools for Discussing Haring's Work The Keith Haring Foundation By maintaining a framework to lead a discussion, this outline will help make looking at, talking about, and responding to art less intimidating. Haring All Over Jennifer Pendergast & Ms. Bessie A lesson that focuses on pattern and design through line and color. The teacher, a fellow Haring fan, used many of the images on our site to inspire her students. The finished products were photographed and made into a book. Subway Drawings & Semiotics Wan Ling Li, Keith Haring/SVA Scholarship Recipient Using Haring's Subway Drawings as a starting point, this project emphasizes the use of personal icons and symbols through traditional drawing as well as computer-generated graphics. Haring Cooperative Quilt Jill Fish Magnesen Students work together to make a quilt inspired by the life and vision of Keith Haring. Kids Risk Project: Painting with a Message Kimberly M. Thompson and Linda Hatch This lesson focuses on helping kids help themselves and other kids by painting with a message in the style of Keith Haring. It empowers them and teaches that their art can be a source of hope and information for others. Take Colour to the Street Maarten Vranckx Pupils make paintings on big wooden panels that are placed on the sidewalk. Line and Expression - 2D Art Gallery of Ontario An activity provided by the Art Gallery of Ontario designed to teach children about Keith Haring's art, specifically his art-making methods and his use of line and shape to create a symbolic language. The 1980s Series - Breakdancing The Keith Haring Foundation During the 1980s, music, dance, fashion, and art experienced a boom of energy and innovation. It was also during the 80s that Haring came into prominence and produced most of his signature work. This series of lessons seeks to explore the cultural and creative phenomenons of the 1980s for the youth of today. The Breakdancing lesson, in particular, allows students to translate Haring's celebrated images of dancing people into choreographed breakdancing routines. Decoding Haring's Symbols Howard Michaels A lesson in yarn painting sent in by a teacher from New Jersey. Support tools such as the video, "Drawing the Line: a Portrait of Keith Haring" were used and discussed. Many Chairs, One Table Ahuva Mantell, Keith Haring/SVA Scholarship Recipient When a college student combines her studies in Art Education with a local high school, a large-scale sculptureal work becomes the centerpiece. Keith Haring Tables Christy Dillard Using the theme of "pressure", this class explored ways in which they experience and deal with social pressures in their everyday life and painting these images on to a large-scale table. Subway Art Megan McDonald A great starting point for a large scale project, this lesson uses simple materials, and optimizes their boldness and beauty. Inspired by Haring's early graffiti work in the subways of NYC, these students took off with their own innovative and creative ideas. Totem Poles Children's Village A favorite of Keith's, Children's Village students build an outdoor totem pole while they explore the relation between place and identity. Haring Lampshades Martin Richerzhagen These students from Germany participated in a competition to design Haring-inspired lampshades. Mural to Music 2 The Whitney Museum of American Art Ask your students to make a collaborative mural drawing to music, using their invented sign language, music, using their invented sign language, music logos, imagination, and their responses to the music. Banners with a Message II Lea Basile Lazarus Using the "Posters with a Message" Lesson as a starting point, this project allows students to exhibit their work publicly and address the related concerns of presentation and observation. Pop Shop 4 - Shopkeeping The Keith Haring Foundation Create and run a store to sell prints, pictures, tee shirts created in Pop Shop Lessons 1 - 3.