Using Spark videos as a resource in your classroom engages students and supports the integration of the arts into all subjects, and encourages students to explore creative careers and develop a lifelong interest in arts and culture. Our educator guides (listed below according to genre) include background on each artist or organization, historical and cultural context, field trip ideas, vocabulary lists, and standards-aligned, media-rich lesson plan ideas.
Visit our Arts Education section for more of KQED’s arts resources for educators.
Visual Art | Dance | Music | Theater
Visual Art
6th Street Photography Workshop
Community Photography
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This educator guide is about the history of photography.
Adam 5100
Graffiti and Street Art
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This educator guide discusses aboriginal art practices and includes hands-on activities related to political printmaking and a critical writing assignment.
Aguilar, Jesus
Contemporary Video Installation
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This educator guide gives a brief history of media art and activities related to audience responses to the genre of visual art.
Alavi, Seyed
Conceptual Public Art
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Inlcuded are analytical activities based on the use of text in artwork and research.
Arcega, Michael
Conceptual Art
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Provides information about artist Michael Arcega with lesson plan ideas related to conceptual art.
Asawa, Ruth
Abstract Sculpture
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Information highlighting arts education in the Bay Area and the model programs established by Asawa and her family.
ASCEND School
Arts Integrated Education
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An overview of the strategic planning process in Alameda County and ways for arts education stakeholders to get involved in the community.
Beasley, Bruce
Large-Scale Sculpture
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This educator guide is about the work of Bruce Beasley and the history of modernist sculpture.
Bechtle, Robert
Photorealist Painting
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Included is the history and evolution of photorealism in painting.
Bennett, Garry Knox
Furniture Art
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This educator guide addresses the history of art furniture.
Birk, Sandow
Painting and Film
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This educator guide is about history painting and storytelling.
Bui, Thai
Conceptual Sculpture
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This educator guide explores the history and traditions of Bay Area Funk, Conceptual Art and Minimalism.
Cartagena, Victor
Conceptual Art Installations
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This educator guide explores the history of the Salvadoran civil war and the concepts/themes in Victor Cartagena’s installations.
Chagoya, Enrique
Political Satire Painting
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Included is the history and traditions of printmaking and political humor in Mexico and the US.
Chamberlain, Ann
Public Art
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This educator guide discusses the history of public monuments and the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.
Chen, Julie
Conceptual Bookmaking
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This educator guide explores the history of books, from ancient scrolls to contemporary art books.
Conservators at the Fine Arts Museums of SF
Visual Arts Conservation
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This educator guide addresses the scientific and artistic issues of preserving and conserving works of art.
di Rosa, Rene & the di Rosa Preserve
Visual Arts Museum
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Includes information about collecting as a personal preference, public tradition and national obsession.
Duarte, Caleb
Painting and Sculpture
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This educator guide includes writing activities related to the idea of home and an art activity where students build small structures out of found objects.
Earthworks: Denevan, Jim and Drury, Chris
Land Art
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Included is information about the history and tradition of artists making work in and about the natural environment.
Ed Hardy, Don
Tattoo Artist
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Explore the traditions of tattooing from the earliest civilizations to the present day with this educator guide.
Fabian, Mitra
Sculpture with Found Materials
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Students will participate in writing, visual art, critical thinking, and mathematical activities.
Ferlinghetti, Lawrence
Contemporary Painter
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Included are language arts lesson plans related to visual critique and poetry analysis.
Frey, Viola
Monumental Ceramic Sculpture
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This educator guide includes information about the history of ceramics and the contributions of Bay Area artists.
Goldberg, Ken
Internet Art and Robotics
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Explore the world of tele-robotics and other new media with this educator guide.
Goldsworthy, Andy
Land Art
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This educator guide is about Andy Goldsworthy and the history of artists working with the landscape and environment.
Guerrero, Jaime
Glass Art
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Included is information on glass blowing, Mayan and Aztec iconoography, and the history of glass work in art and architecture.
Held Jr., John
Mail Art
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This educator guide explores the history and many forms of mail art and stamps.
Hevel, David
Pop Art Sculpture
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Invite students to participate in a subversive collage activity and discuss points related to popluar culture.
Hido, Todd
Photography
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Students are introduced to Todd Hido’s art and provided with a historical and critical context of the artists’ evocative images of Bay Area homes and posed female models.
Huayi, Li
Contemporary Chinese Landscape Art
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Students will explore the history of the Chinese Cultural Revolution and landscape painting as well as contemporary painting.
Ireland, David
Conceptual Art
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This educator guide explores the history of conceptual art and David Ireland’s contributions.
Jeremijenko, Natalie
Conceptual Art and Science
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This educator guide explores conceptual art as well as the investigative and ethical issues of life science and cloning.
Johanson, Chris
Painting and Street Art
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Included is information on the history and tradition of street-based works and the field of painting.
Keats, Jonathan
Conceptual Art
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Explore the history of conceptual art and the role of science in contemporary art with this educator guide.
Knight, Keith
Comic Art & Hip Hop
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This educator guide explores the history and form of the cartoon, as well as Keith Knight’s artistic and musical careers.
Kos, Paul
Conceptual Artwork
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Explore the history of conceptual art with this educator guide.
Laitala, Kerry
Conceptual Artwork
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Students will learn the history of experimental and avant-garde filmmaking.
Liu, Hung
Portrait Painting
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This educator guide addresses the different techniques Hung Liu blends in her work, including history painting and portraiture.
Loranc, Roman
Landscape Photography
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Students will learn about photography, landscape photography and Romanticism as a creative approach in art making.
Mangrum, Joe
Public Installation Art
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This educator guide provides information on land and envioronmental art, and the cultural significance of mandalas.
Marshall, Kerry James
Painting and Murals
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This educator guide discusses contemporary artists’ reimagined forms of history painting.
Mesa-Bains, Amalia
Installation Art
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Included is information about the history of Dia de Los Muertos and hands-on and discussion activities for the classroom.
Mission District Street Art
Street Art and Murals
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This educator guide includes activities related to researching and creating murals and public art pieces.
NIAD (National Institute of Art and Disabilities)
Fine Art
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This educator guide addresses the notion of “outsider art” amidst the larger question of artistic practice.
Oxbow School
Visual Arts Education
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This educator guide includes intensive activities that involve high-level studio work and critique for students in an atelier environment.
Paglen, Trevor
Photography and Geography
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This educator guide addresses activist art and geography related to the military through Trevor Paglen’s work.
Parker, Julia
Native American Basket Weaving
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Students will trace the history of basket weaving in the West Coast Miwok Indian population.
Patel, Sanjay
Digital Animation
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Included is a lesson plan related to researching the history of animation as well as hands-on activity ideas.
Rodriguez, Favianna
Activist Printmaker
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This guide includes activities related to analyzing artwork that supports social change and discusses the history of the Chicano arts movement.
Shanghai Exhibit at the Asian Art Museum
Cultural Exhibition
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Students will learn historical information about the city of Shanghai and participate in activities related to poster design, painting, and more.
Shaw, Richard
Ceramic Sculpture
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Students will explore the history of the trompe l’oeil technique in art and the contemporary Bay Area movement of realism in ceramics.
Snelling, Tracey
Mixed Media Installations
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This educator guide discusses artists who have commented on the American landscape and includes hands-on activities related to interpreting local scenery.
Snibbe, Scott
Interactive Media Art
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Explore digital and new media art and the historic interplay between art, science and technology with this educator guide.
Stevens, Gary
Woodworking
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This educator guide discusses the history and tradition of wood carving.
Syjuco, Stephanie
Conceptual Art
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Students will discuss globalization, labor issues, and capitalism through this educator guide.
Thiebaud, Wayne
Painting
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This educator guide provides information about the Pop Art movement and how it relates to Wayne Thiebaud’s work.
True, Laurel
Mosaic Art
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This educator guide explores the history and traditions of mosaic art and mosaic murals.
Underwood, Consuelo Jimenez
Fiber Art and Weaving
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Students will explore the history and traditions of textiles in various cultures, as well as issues related to the US/Mexican border.
Von Mertens, Anna
Contemporary Quilt Making
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This guide explores the history of quilting from the early 18th century through the present day.
Weinstein, Nikolas
Glass Sculpture
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This educator guide introduces glass as an art medium, historically situating glassblowing practices.
Young Audiences of Northern California
Multidisciplinary Arts Education
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Explore the history of arts education in California and the Bay Area, and a wide array of local resources.
Dance
AXIS Dance Company
Integrated Dance
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This edcuator guide includes information about the Axis Dance Company, featuring dancers with and without disabilities.
Bhangra
Indian Folk Dance
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This educator guide provides information about bhangra and lesson plan ideas related to music and dance.
Cai, Lily
Contemporary Chinese Dance
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Students will explore movement activities and discussion-based activities related to the Chinese Cultural Revolution.
Das, Pandit Chitresh
Kathak Dance
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Students will participate with improvisation, work with rhythms, and reflect on dance as an art form.
Diamano Coura West African Dance Company
Senegalese Dance and Music
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This educator guide discusses distinctive musical structures and dance traditions unique to West Africa.
Goode, Joe
Contemporary Dance Theater
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Students will explore the history and form of dance-theater as an artistic genre.
Halau ‘o Keikiali’i
Hula Dance Conservation
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This educator guide discusses the Hawaiian dance form of hula, including its historical traditions, cultural significance, and present day practice.
Halprin, Anna
Modern/Contemporary Dance
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This educator guide introduces students to modern, postmodern, and contemporary dance.
Jenkins, Margaret
Modern/Contemporary Dance
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Students will discuss the history of modern dance and the contributions of some its most innovative choreographers.
King, Alonzo
Contemporary Ballet
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This educator guide explores the history of modern-contemporary ballet and the contributions of innovative choreographers.
Kreiter, Jo
Acrobatic Public Art
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This educator guide explores the history of public performance art.
Ledoh and Salt Farm Butoh
Japanese Butoh Dance
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This educator guide discusses the history of butoh, its origins in post-war Japan and its diverse contemporary forms.
Kunst-Stoff
Experimental Dance
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Students are introduced to experimental dance strategies and explore movement in this educator guide.
ODC Dance
New Modern Dance
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This educator guide addresses the history and uniqueness of ODC/San Francisco and dance in the Bay Area.
San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival
Cultural Dance
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This educator guide includes an activity in which students will research their families’ personal experiences with cultural and ethnic dance.
Shri Krupa Dance Foundation
Classical Indian Dance
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This educator guide is about the Indian dance form of Bharata Natyam and its traditions and practices.
Music
Ashkenaz Community Music and Dance Community Center
Music & Culture
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Explore the history of this community venue as a point of connection and learning about world cultures.
Blades, Wil
Jazz Organ Music
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This educator guide is about jazz, the history of the Hammond B3 organ, and the science of electronic instruments.
The Bonesetter’s Daughter
American Opera rooted in Chinese Music
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This educator guide explores the process of collaboration, and the history of both Chinese and Western operatic traditions.
Chasse, Loren
Sound Art
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This educator guide explores sound and the history of sound as a musical form, extending back to the early 1900s.
The Crooked Jades
Old Time/Contemporary Music
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This educator guide is about old-time music and its roots.
Davignon, Matt
Experimental Music
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Students will explore the history of experimental music and sound art through this educator guide.
Derique
Hambone Body Music
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This educator guide introduces the evolution of this traditional art form from the pre-Civil Rights era to contemporary culture.
Grisman, David
Bluegrass Music
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This educator guide is about the history of bluegrass music.
Guerrero, Tommy
Atmospheric Music
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This educator guide about skateboarding and street culture in San Francisco.
Hot Club of San Francisco
Gypsy Jazz Music
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This educator guide includes listening and discussion activities related to different genres of jazz music.
Irving M. Klein International String Competition
Classical Music
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Students can trace the history of stringed instruments as well as the history of string competitions.
Khan, Ali Akbar
Hindustani Classical Music
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Students will explore North Indian Classical music and culture.
Kitka
Woman’s Vocal Group, Eastern European influence
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Included is historical information about Eastern European vocal traditions.
Kitundu, Walter
Innovative Musical Instruments
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Experimental music, turntablism, and the creation of new instruments inspired by those that are traditional.
Klez California
Traditional Instrumental Music
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This educator guide explores cultural learning, dance, and music activities related to the klezmer tradition.
Los Cazadores del Sur
South American Street Music
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Help students explore the history and tradition of roving musicians from Medieval minstrelsy through the Modern mariachi.
Neuberg, Amy X
Experimental Music
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This educator guide includes research, discussion, and music-related activities in response to the use of electronics and experimentation in contemporary music.
Orquesta La Moderna Tradición
Cuban Music & Dance
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Included is the history of danson and the many music and dance forms it inspired.
Pamela Z
Sound Art
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This educator guide addresses the role and uses of technology in the arts.
Paul Dresher & Ensemble
Experimental Instrumental Music
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Teachers can use this educator guide to help students trace the legacy of new instrument development and experimentation, and its impact on musical culture.
Riley, Terry
Experimental Music
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This educator guide includes information about the history of minimalism and serialism in music.
Rova Saxophone Quartet
Improv Music
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Students will explore improvisation in music, jazz and free jazz through this educator guide.
Santos, John
Latin Jazz
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This educator guide includes hands-on activities and discussion points related to the instruments and rhythms of Latin jazz music.
SF Jazz High School All-Star Ensemble
Jazz Music
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This educator guide includes listening and research activities related to the history of jazz music.
SF Taiko Dojo
Taiko Drumming
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This guide explores the history and traditions of the ancient art of taiko drumming in Japan.
Wiley, Howard
Jazz Saxophone
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This educator guide includes activities that will teach students about the history of African American Southern folk traditions and the roots of jazz music.
Theater
3 For All
Improv Theater
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This educator guide addresses improvisation as a technique for developing thinking and language skills.
A.C.T.
Theater
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This educator guide explores Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot and absurdism in literature.
Baron, Carlos
Political/Cultural Theater
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Students will learn about the political history of Chile and participate in poetry writing and theater-based activities.
California Shakespeare Theater
Shakespeare Theater
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This educator guide addresses the political nature of Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar and a contemporary staging of the play.
Calligraphy of Thought
Muslim Spoken Word
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This educator guide introduces an East Bay Muslim poetry collective and explores the history of Hip hop music.
Edgar, David
Politics & Theater
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Students will learn the history of political activism and politicial theatre in the UK and the US.
Gotanda, Philip Kan
Playwright
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This educator guide includes writing, hands-on, and discussion activties in which students will learn about the process of theater writing.
Headrush
Guerilla Performance Art
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This educator guide explores the history of experimental, political theater and performance art.
Joseph, Mark Bamuthi
Performance Art
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Students will explore spoken word, autobiography, and performance art.
Lorraine Hansberry Theatre
Contemporary African-American Theater
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This educator guide goes over the history of drumming, street performers, and African American musical theater.
Marsh Youth Theatre
Contemporary Youth Theater
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This educator guide explores the history of children’s theater in the US.
New Conservatory Theatre
Contemporary Theater
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Students will explore the history and programs of the New Conservatory Theatre Center and its role in community development in San Francisco.
People’s Temple Project
Documentary Theater
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This educator guide explores the creation of a play about the real-life story of the People’s Temple.
Sha Sha Higby
Performance Art
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This educator guide explores the traditions of mask-making, performance art and theater.
Shadowlight Productions
Indonesian Shadow Puppet Theater
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Students will be introduced to the history of Balinese shadow puppetry, Wayang Kulit, and Larry Reed’s innovations.
Snider, Gypsy
Circus Act
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Introduce students to the history of the circus and acrobatic performance.
Tamalpais High School Doc Theater
Documentary Theater Education Program
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Students will explore the history of documentary theater through this educator guide.
Teatro Vision
Chicano Theater
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This educator guide offers activities related to Latino/Chicano Theatre, the internment of Japanese-Americans, and theater.
The Running Crew at the Brava Theater
Technical Theater Program
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Help students engage in creative, hands-on activities related to technical theater with this educator guide.
Theatre of Yugen
Noh Theater
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This educator guide addresses the fusion in theatrical productions, the traditions of Japanese noh, and Theatre of Yugen’s signature style.
Traveling Jewish Theatre
Documentary Theater
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This educator guide addresses collaborative theater, political theater, and the history of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Youth Speaks
Spoken Word and Poetry
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This educator guide is about the history of spoken word and performing arts.