Life on Mars and the Web

Welcome to the Life on Mars web site! Find out about the structure and content of the site, and helpful suggestions for its navigation at Life on Mars and the Web.

Classroom Blogs

In addition to providing valuable lessons in technology education, classroom blogging

strengthens students' critical thinking and informational writing skills. Used as a tool to create meaningful learning opportunities before and after museum visits, this blogging platform allows your students to mine the visual images and diverse ideas on the Life on Mars web sitet their own visual, critical and aesthetic responses...and it's fun!

Please note that we are no longer creating new Classroom Blogs for Life on Mars.

For extra assistance call 412.622.1974

Permission Slip (.pdf, 244 KB)-- This is a document summarizing Carnegie Museum of Art's suggested terms and conditions for student blogging. Teachers may distribute copies to students prior to beginning work on the Classroom Blog.  Both students and their parents should be asked to sign, and students  should return the form to teachers. The handout may be used as a helpful guide for classroom discussions on the "rules of the road" for writing on the web. Navigating the blogosphere with this guide is a safe, productive, and exciting  educational experience. 

Here is a current list of classroom blogs.:

Bethel Park: Life on Mars

Highlands: ArtSpeak

Shaler Arts

North Allegheny: The NASH Probe

Pine-Richland: Mr. Thearle's Class Web-Log

Allard Elementary: LiLa Moon 5

Winchester Thurston Art Talk

The Art Connection - Grade 5: Art & Nature

Allderdice Aesthetics

Bradford Woods Elementary: Planet 4

CAPA Visual Arts: Life on Mars

Claysville Elementary Blog

Alien Nation BP

The Seneca Mother Ship

BVAC 1IFE oN mARS

NAI GOAL/Art Students Visit Life on Mars

Cougars on Mars

Images of Artworks

Download images of artworks (.zip, 33.5mb) from Life on Mars for your classroom presentations. You can also download an illustrated list of the works (.pdf, 2.0 mb).

Use of PowerPoint-sized images of the artwork is subject to the following terms and conditions:

All Content is Protected by Copyright Laws
Images are protected by copyright laws and may be covered by other restrictions as well. Copyrights and other proprietary rights in the images subsist in individuals and entities other than, and in addition to, Carnegie Museum of Art (CMA). CMA expressly prohibits the copying of any protected materials on this Web site, except for the purposes of fair use as defined in the copyright laws, and as described below.

Classroom Use is Permitted
CMA authorizes educators to use downloaded images for classroom teaching purposes only. By downloading images from this Web site, users agree that they will limit their use of such files to the permitted use only, and will not violate CMA's or any other party's proprietary rights.

Commercial Use is Restricted
Unauthorized publication or exploitation of CMA's images is specifically prohibited. Anyone wishing to use any of these images for commercial use, publication, or any purpose other than classroom use must request and receive prior permission. All requests to reproduce works of art should made using the online Rights and Reproductions Electronic Order Form.

Audio/Video Library

 Search this library of audio and video content and use the commentary and interviews in your classroom. The resources introduce Life on Mars to students, inspire lesson plans that reach across the curriculum, and encourage thought-provoking discourse on themes from contemporary culture.

Pre-Visit Materials

Students who are prepared for their museum visits with classroom or web-based exposure to contemporary art and its associated methodologies find field trips personally meaningful and academically enriching. Use these resources as guides as you plan your visit to Life on Mars.

Pre-Visit Material: Introducing Life on Mars (.pdf, 1.7mb)

Student Handout: Introducing Life on Mars (.pdf, 92kb)

Interdisciplinary Classroom Connections

Works of  contemporary art are ideal springboards for the creation of multidisciplinary learning opportunities. In this document, explore the thematic connections between artists in Life on Mars and the academic disciplines. You will find great teaching ideas inspired by works of art in the exhibition, which make great pre- and post-museum visit classroom activities.

 Classroom Activities for Learning across the Disciplines (.pdf, 1.0mb)

Lesson Plans

Here are lesson plans by Western Pennsylvania teachers who are exploring Life on Mars with their students. Find helpful ideas for engaging your students with some of the exhibition's major themes in the classroom, on the web, and at the museum.  As you build on these and develop your own ideas, please share your insights in the Teachers' Ideas and Updates Blog.

Lesson Plan: Getting the Big Picture (.pdf, 71kb)

Student Handout: Getting the Big Picture (.pdf, 25kb)

Lesson Plan: Humor (.pdf, 60kb)

Student Handout: Humor (.pdf, 48kb)