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Art Around the World

Third graders take a trip around the world through art — Mexican papel picado, Japanese origami, African masks, Aboriginal dot painting, Native American pottery — discovering how every culture makes beautiful things.

Grade 3Culture35 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓See art from cultures.
  • ✓Name art forms.
  • ✓Connect art to places.
  • ✓Appreciate world art.
Essential Question

Every culture around the world makes beautiful art in its own special way! What are some art forms from different places?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

The Art Around the World Explorer

Project this and tap each art form. Have children explore art from cultures around the world.

🌍 Explore art around the world — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · Artistic Process (Look · Explore · Create · Share · Reflect)

35 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Look — Art Everywhere

4 min

Every culture makes beautiful art — what are some?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show world art.
  • Ask where it’s from.
  • Get ready.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Explore — World Art

9 min

Children explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to the Art Around the World Explorer.
  • Note each form.
  • Connect to places.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Note them.
  • Name.
3

Create — Create

10 min

Children create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pick a world art form.
  • Try making it.
  • Add your own touch.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Pick it.
  • Try it.
  • Make it.
4

Share — Share

8 min

Children share.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show your art.
  • Say where it’s from.
  • Be kind.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Show it.
  • Say it.
  • Be kind.
5

Reflect — Reflect

4 min

Children respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a world art form.
  • Say its place.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Visual Arts).

NCAS
VA:Cn11.1.3

Connect art to cultures.

NCAS
VA:Re7.1.3

Perceive art from cultures.

NCAS
VA:Cn10.1.3

Connect art to communities.

NCAS
VA:Re8.1.3

Interpret cultural art.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Art + place cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ is from ___.”
  • Use art images.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with origami.
  • Use pictures.
  • Name one form.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Make a world art piece.
  • Find art from your culture.
  • Compare two art forms.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🌍World art images
  • 💻The Art Around the World Explorer
  • 📄Craft supplies
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

culturea group’s way of lifepapel picadoMexican cut paperorigamiJapanese paper foldingmaska carved face coveringdot paintingAboriginal dot artpotteryart made from claytraditionsomething passed downworldall the places on Earth
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What art form comes from Japan?
Origami — paper folding.
QUESTION 2
What is papel picado?
Colorful cut paper from Mexico.
QUESTION 3
Does every culture make art?
Yes — in its own special way!

Reflect: world art.

Have children try one world art form, like folding an origami shape. A printable world-art sheet is in the Arts library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Art Around the WorldFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Art Around the WorldQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Art Around the WorldPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: culture, dot painting, mask, origami, papel picado, pottery, tradition, world
  1. a group’s way of life
  2. a carved face covering
  3. Japanese paper folding
  4. all the places on Earth
  5. Mexican cut paper
  6. art made from clay
  7. something passed down
  8. Aboriginal dot art

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What art form comes from Japan?
  2. What is papel picado?
  3. Does every culture make art?
Answer key — Part A: 1) culture · 2) mask · 3) origami · 4) world · 5) papel picado · 6) pottery · 7) tradition · 8) dot painting
Part B: 1) Origami — paper folding. 2) Colorful cut paper from Mexico. 3) Yes — in its own special way!