Art, Books, and Creativity (ABC) Curriculum
Art, Books, and Creativity (ABC) is the museum’s signature arts integration curriculum. This model curriculum unites visual arts and language arts through the creation of artists’ books, with a specific focus on the cultural contributions of women artists. ABC promotes visual literacy and critical thinking by developing students’ skills in observation, reflection, and arts creation.
Educator Resources
Our educator guides below are rich resources created to complement the museum’s special exhibitions and collection.
Adaptable for Pre-K–12 classrooms, these guides include biographical information about artists and artworks, digital images, discussion questions, suggested classroom activities, and related standards of learning.
Exhibition and Collection Educator Guides
Magnetic Fields: Expanding American Abstraction, 1960s to Today
This resource packet was developed in conjunction with the exhibition Magnetic Fields: Expanding American Abstraction, 1960s to Today, on view at NMWA from October 13, 2017, to January 21, 2018.
The guide contains:
- 11 digital images
- Elementary school lesson plan
- High school lesson plan
- Gallery activities adaptable for classroom use
- Student worksheets
- Grading rubric
Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Idea
This resource packet was developed in conjunction with the exhibition Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Idea, which was on view at NMWA from December 5, 2014, to April 12, 2015, and the online exhibition A Global Icon: Mary in Context.
The guide contains:
- 30 digital images
- Exhibition labels and thumbnail images for 60+ objects
- Detailed fact sheets about six women artists
- Suggested discussion exercises
- Instructions for a bookmaking activity
- Glossary of selected material and technique terms
American People, Black Light: Faith Ringgold’s Paintings of the 1960s
This resource packet was developed in conjunction with the exhibition American People, Black Light: Faith Ringgold’s Paintings of the 1960s, which was on view at NMWA from June 21 to November 10, 2013.
The guide contains:
- Nine digital images
- Information about the artist and artwork
- Suggested discussion questions
- Worksheet and classroom activities
- Related standards of learning (Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia)
- Glossary of selected art terms, movements, and historical moments
- Civil Rights–era quotations that put the artwork in context
See For Yourself Cards
Related Content
Professional Development and the ABC Curriculum
