Week-Long Art History Unit Study for High School (FREE PRINTABLE)

Art History: Cultural and Historic Concepts and Appreciation

This unit is appropriate for grades 9-12, but can be tailored to fit a family-style learning format.  It is designed to be used in a single week OR in a Fun Friday format, completing one day of the unit each week of the month.  Visit the Subscribers Page for a printable PDF version.

For extra enrichment, study Art & Architecture in depth.  To tailor for additional middle or elementary school family members, visit the entire Crash Course Art History page to pick and choose from additional topics.

---

Day 1: Prehistoric to Ancient Art

Activities:

• Read/Watch:

  • Khan Academy: Introduction to Ancient Art

• Visual Analysis:

  • Compare the Venus of Willendorf to a Greek Kouros statue – What do they represent? How do their forms differ?

• Creative Option:

  • Create your own cave painting using natural colors or brown paper and charcoal

• Journal Prompt:

  • “Why do you think early humans made art? What does that say about human nature?”

---

Day 2: Medieval to Renaissance Art

Activities:

• Watch/Read:

  • The Art of the Renaissance

  • Why is Medieval Art so Weird?

• Art Detective Activity:

  • Study da Vinci’s The Last Supper and Michelangelo’s David — What techniques do you notice?

• Mini Skill Practice:

  • Try drawing using basic one-point perspective

• Journal Prompt:

  • “What made Renaissance art different from the art that came before it?”

---

Day 3: Baroque to Romanticism

Activities:

• Watch/Read:

  • Baroque and Rococo Art Overview

  • Romanticism

• Compare & Contrast:

  • View two paintings (e.g., David’s Oath of the Horatii vs. Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People)

  • Discuss how each reflects different values

• Creative Option:

  • Create a symbolic painting or collage that expresses a strong emotion (fear, joy, freedom, etc.)

• Journal Prompt:

  • “If you lived in the Romantic era, what subject would you paint and why?”

---

Day 4: Modern Art Movements (Impressionism to Surrealism)

Activities:

• Watch/Read:

  • Impressionism and Beyond

  • “What Is Surrealism?”

• Creative Option:

  • Try a "Monet-style" color study or a Surrealist drawing (automatic drawing or dream-based image)

• Discussion Prompt:

  • “Why did modern artists reject realism? What were they trying to express instead?”

• Journal Prompt:

  • “Which modern art movement speaks to you the most, and why?”

---

Day 5: Contemporary Art & Reflection

Activities:

• Watch/Read:

  • What is Contemporary Art?

  • Explore a virtual gallery tour

• Student Art Response Project:

  • Create a work of art that responds to a social or personal issue

• Discussion/Presentation:

  • Present your art and write: “What is the purpose of art today?”

• Final Journal Prompt:

  • “What have I learned about the role of art in human history — and in my own life?”

---

Optional Resources & Tools

Online Platforms:

• Smarthistory

• Khan Academy: Art History

• MoMA Learning

Books (Optional):

• The Story of Art

• Art That Changed the World 

• What Makes a Rembrandt a Rembrandt?

Pick up the ENTIRE SERIES right now - plus several bonus units - in our Cottage Shop.

These units are appropriate for grades 9-12, but can be tailored to fit a family-style learning format.  They are designed to be used in a single week OR in a Fun Friday format, completing one day of the unit each week of the month.  Each day takes 1-2 hours. This bundle includes the basic twelve, tailored to each month of the year, plus EIGHT bonus units!