In this lesson, students are introduced to the story of the Buddha and his teachings. Using objects in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts, students learn about the diverse Buddhist traditions that developed throughout Asia up to 1500 CE, and the roles works of art play in Buddhist history, culture, and practices. 

Through a variety of experiences, students reflect on the role of art in capturing parts of themselves, their communities, and society as a whole. Using an examination of 50 years of photographs by Russ Marshall as inspiration, students create their own Photovoice Project with the intention of capturing a slice of their lives in this moment in time

Through a variety of experiences, students will be able to develop an understanding of Transportation Design and the Design Thinking Process. Students will utilize STEAM concepts to produce a car prototype, work collaboratively, and adapt their thinking based on mathematical data. In creating a marketable product for a target audience, students must consider form and function as well as trends in design and their historical influences.

In this STEAM lesson, students are immersed in a world of Transportation Design as they use the Design Thinking Process to create their own vehicle prototype out of everyday materials. Students will plan, create, analyze data, and adapt their designs to produce a balance of form and function in their vehicle. Through trial and error, students will begin to understand how an Engineer thinks through problem-solving and reflection.

What is the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) and how do conservation professionals use it?  How can these imaging techniques show us more about artful objects? In this lesson, students learn about the EMS and apply their skills using special exhibition Bruegel's “The Wedding Dance” Revealed.  

What happens behind closed doors at the DIA? Using the Bruegel's “The Wedding Dance” Revealed exhibition, students explore the work of DIA conservation professionals and how they unraveled the mysteries behind Bruegel’s famous piece using observation, scientific inquiry, and scientific instruments. 

Through classroom and museum experiences, high school students will be able to compare and contrast the roles of a variety of three-dimensional objects from Japanese, Chinese, and Korean cultures. 

Through a variety of classroom and museum experiences, high school students will be able to explain how ceramic forms can provide examples of both continuity and change between regions and how the trade of ceramic products between cultures can create a positive impact on both economic and diplomatic fronts. 

Through a variety of classroom and museum experiences, middle school students will apply their scientific inquiry skills to investigate different artistic mediums in order to discover how artists have applied various tools and technology in the transformation of raw materials into works of art. 

Through classroom and museum experiences, middle school students will be able to describe the ways in which East Asian painting and calligraphy in various formats have evolved as records of time and conveyors of cultural values.