SBMA At School

Welcome teachers, families, and students! Use this page to discover art activities, writing prompts, and lesson plans on works of art in the Museum's permanent collection. All material has been developed by SBMA's Education Department and is organized by grade level and subject matter. See something you love? Or want us to develop a lesson plan around your curriculum? Share your thoughts and ideas at education@sbma.net!

Download the SBMA Sketchbook! Filled with creative writing ideas, drawing prompts, and inspirational artist quotes, this sketchbook invites students to express their imaginations through drawing, writing, thinking, and moving! Available to download in English/Spanish.

These creative activities invite students to “put themselves in the picture” and then write and illustrate their own stories using artworks as inspiration.

These creative writing prompts introduce students to important writers and artists. Through close examination of a work of art, students are invited to write their own poems, stories, essays, or letters.

This resource for teachers and students explores David Alfaro Siqueiros' 1932 mural Portrait of Mexico Today. Housed on the front steps of SBMA, the artwork is the only fully intact mural by the artist painted in the United States and an important example of the Mexican Mural Movement. Filled with historical overviews of the artist's life and work, as well as writing prompts, hands-on art activities, research questions, and a crossword puzzle, the resource connects to California Content Standards in History-Social Studies, English Language Arts, and Ethnic Studies.

These interdisciplinary lesson plans invite students to explore one work of art from SBMA's permanent collection in closer detail. Connecting to California Content Standards in English Language Arts, History-Social Studies, and Ethnic Studies, each lesson plan includes a writing prompt, research question, and hands-on activity.  

Compare and Contrast: Art + Social Justice: Grades 9 – 12

These slideshows invite students to compare and contrast two works of art from the Museum's permanent collection. Encouraging critical thinking and visual comprehension, they were created in collaboration with Santa Barbara-based high school teachers for the 9th-grade Ethnic Studies curriculum. Each slideshow relates to the theme of art and social justice, touching on topics including community, identity, oppression, social movements, and liberation. Meant to be supplemented to classroom curriculum, these pairings are intended to help start important, challenging, and even difficult conversations facilitated by teachers.

Art + Climate Change: Grades 4 – 12

These interdisciplinary lesson plans consider the intersection of art and science, with special attention given to climate change and environmental activism. The lesson plans were developed as part of the Environmental Alliance of Santa Barbara County Museums, a 2022 community initiative exploring the impact of climate change through art, history, science, and nature.

Discover Art Lessons and More! Grades K – 12

Using Google Classroom with your students? Explore our Google Drive for Educators filled with interactive slideshows, lesson plans, coloring pages, and more!

And for even more SBMA lesson plans, please visit our comprehensive lesson plan archive here. Organized by subject matter, discover plans related to the ancient world, math and science, and even creative movement exercises! All lesson plans relate back to special exhibitions or works of art in SBMA's permanent collection.