Dorothea Lange (1895–1965)
*Migrant Mother*, Nipomo, California, 1936
Gelatin silver print (retouched version)
Image: 13 1/2 x 10 3/4 in. (34.3 x 27.3 cm)
Paper: 14 x 11 in. (35.6 x 27.9 cm)
LC-USF34-9058-C (film negative). Location: FSA/OWI - J339168
Library of Congress, image online at: http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/128_migm.html

Julia Lemos (ca. 1842–1923)
*Memories of the Chicago Fire in 1871*, 1912
Oil on canvas
25 ¼ x 38 in. (64.1 x 96.5 cm)
Chicago History Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis D. O’Keefe 1918.10, ICHi-62293

William S. Jewett (1821–1873)
*The Promised Land - The Grayson Family*, 1850
Oil on canvas
50 3/4 x 64 in. (128.9 x 162.6 cm)

Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection, 1999.79

Todros Geller (1889–1949)
*Strange Worlds*, 1928
Oil on canvas
28 ¼ x 26 1/8 in. (71.8 x 66.4 cm)
The Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Leon Garland Foundation, 1949.27

Sarah Alvarez, Director of Teacher Programs at the Art Institute of Chicago, demonstrates how teachers can facilitate close reading of art in the classroom using techniques developed in museums to make connections to the CCSS-ELA.

Quick Links

American Art at the Core of Learning (AACL) is an unprecedented collaboration between twelve Chicago museums. Led by the Terra Foundation for American Art, the project demonstrates the relevance of museums and American artworks in K-12 education.

If this is your first time visiting AACL, check out some of these can’t-miss resources:

Just for Teachers

Want to bring more art into your curriculum? Examples at the links below will help you get started.

VIEW a lesson: https://www.terraamericanart.org/learning/lesson-the-dust-bowl-experience-documenting-lives-dorothea-langes-migrant-mother/

EXPLORE texts for students:

For students in grades 3-5: https://www.terraamericanart.org/learning/art-study-memories-of-the-chicago-fire-in-1871/
For students in grades 6-8: https://www.terraamericanart.org/learning/art-study-the-promised-land-the-grayson-family/
For students in grades 9-12: https://www.terraamericanart.org/learning/art-study-strange-worlds/

WATCH a video about teaching with artworks: https://www.terraamericanart.org/tools-for-teachers/tools-for-teachers-video-reading-a-painting/

BUILD your own CCSS-ELA integrated lesson using our Common Core Questions for Discussing Artworks: https://www.terraamericanart.org/tools-for-teachers/discussing-art-and-common-core-anchor-standards/

Project highlights

LEARN about projects completed by AACL partners: https://www.terraamericanart.org/aacl/partners/

REVIEW our evaluation report:
https://www.terraamericanart.org/aacl/what-we-learned/