K–12 Students and Educators
Discover lesson plans and activities below by grade level.
Byzantine Seal Cookies
All ages | Make sugar cookies stamped with your own monogram or animal impressions.
Botanical Coloring Sheets
All ages | Bring nature inside with these coloring pages of plants, taken from works by botanical artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Read & Create: Zonia’s Rain Forest
Grades Pre-K–2 | Listen to the story “Zonia’s Rain Forest” and learn about ecosystems and botanical art by Margaret Mee. Explore ecosystems around you and gather leaves to create your own botanical prints! Available in English and Spanish.
Read & Create: Run, Little Chaski!
Grades Pre-K–2 | Listen to the story “Run, Little Chaski!” An Inka Trail Adventure and learn about khipus with a hands-on counting activity using simple knots. Available in English and Spanish.
Read & Create: Jacob the Juggler
Grades Pre-K–2 | Listen to the story “Jacob the Juggler” based on a French legend from the 13th century and create story puppets or print coloring pages inspired by the tale.
Patterns in Nature Curricular Support
Grades K–2 | This curricular support provides teachers and students with resources that align with the Patterns in Nature unit of the DCPS Arts Framework.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Letter Tutorial
Grades 4 and up | Write an official letter to friends or family secured with your own Byzantine seal.
Creature Collection Worksheet
Grades 3-5 | Learn about animals and mythological creatures on Byzantine seals in this matching and drawing worksheet.
Flower Garden Curricular Support
Grades 3–5 | This curricular support provides teachers and students with resources that align with the Flower Garden unit of the DCPS Arts Framework.
The Orchestra: Strings Attached Curricular Support
Grades 3–5 | This activity guide provides teachers and students with resources that align with The Orchestra: Strings Attached unit of the DCPS Arts Framework.
Heliconia Pencil Topper Tutorial
Grades 4 and up | Learn about pollination and co-evolution with this paper craft tutorial.
Creature Foil Impression Tutorial
Grades 3 and up | Design your own Byzantine creature seal and engrave it in foil with this craft tutorial.
3D Byzantine Seal: Write a Story Worksheet
Grades 6–8 | Look closely at a 3D model of an eleventh-century Byzantine seal and write a story about the figure based on your observations.
Monogram and Inscription Foil Impression Tutorial
Grades 6 and up | Learn about monograms and inscriptions on Byzantine seals and create your own design engraved in foil paper with this craft tutorial.
Hummingbird Mobile Tutorial
Grades 6 and up | Learn about hummingbirds and the plant-bird relationship with this paper craft tutorial. Students will read about hummingbirds and create a hummingbird mobile by scientist and artist Amy Lamb.
Pre-Columbian Jewelry Word Search and Wari Textile Exercise
Grades 6–8 | Learn about materials and subjects in Pre-Columbian jewelry, and search for colors, shapes, and lines in a Wari textile.
Margaret Mee and the Amazon Lesson Plan
Grades 6–12 | Using the Heliconia plant species as a case study, students will explore an Amazon Rainforest ecosystem and the effects of deforestation.
AP U.S. History Document-Based Question: Dumbarton Oaks Conversations
Grades 10-12 | Prepare for the AP U.S. History exam with this sample DBQ that asks students to analyze the role of the Dumbarton Oaks Conversations for the United Nations in the formation of the post-World War II order.
AP World History Document-Based Question: Margaret Mee
Grades 10–12 | Prepare for the AP World History exam by using a sample DBQ that examines the role of artists, scientists, and other experts in response to the deforestation of the Amazon.
Margaret Mee and the Amazon Lesson Plan
Grades 6–12 | Using the Heliconia plant species as a case study, students will explore an Amazon Rainforest ecosystem and the effects of deforestation.
Creative Process Curricular Support
Grades 9–12 | This activity guide provides teachers and students with resources that align with the Creative Process unit of the DCPS Arts Framework for high school students.