top of page
Tom Lea Institute Teaching Resources

The Tom Lea Institute is here as a source for educators, with state-of-the-art lessons prepared and ready to use electronically or as printed materials – 
free of charge.
  Resources are provided by the generosity of our donors and grants.

 

The following district partners are using our curricula: 

El Paso ISD, Canutillo ISD, Ysleta ISD, San Elizario ISD, Dell City ISD, Fredericksburg ISD, St. Clements Parish School, Radford School.

​

Tom Lea Institute curricula have been developed in consultation with district curriculum directors to ensure they target high priority topics and exemplify state-of-the-art pedagogy.  

​

All blended curricula include:

  • Social studies or history, the primary focus

  • English or ELR

  • Art

  • Character qualities (social-emotional)

  • Digital literacy

  • Critical thinking and active learning skills

  • Rich primary sources 

  • Adaptable for cross-curricular teaching

  • Tours conducted by TLI in the borderland region are available and at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, TX. 

​

Typically, there are 6-8 lessons included and activities for project-based learning.

​

Professional development and all materials are available free of charge to teachers, schools/school districts, private/charter schools, and homeschools. 

 

to Learn more about our education programs and how to implement the curriculum,

please contact the Institute at hcobb@tomlea.net or call (915) 533-0048.  

Single Lesson Curricula

Portraiture
Small Man in a Vast and Wonderous World High School
InkWash
Mural

grade 9-12

Lets make a mural! with Julian Vidales

Screenshot 2024-08-09 140047.png

TEKS FOCUS

SS: Develop and expand visual literacy skills using critical thinking, imagination, and the senses to observe and explore the world by learning about, understanding, and applying the elements of art, principles of design, and expressive qualities. 

​

Learn what a mural is and how to make your very own.

FEATURES

Instructional video

ENGLISH VERSION

grade 6-12

Rosario Ponte Portraiture 

IMG_0256.JPG

TEKS FOCUS

SS: Develop and expand visual literacy skills using critical thinking, imagination, and the senses to observe and explore the world by learning about, understanding, and applying the elements of art, principles of design, and expressive qualities

FEATURES

Instructional video, and Rosario

Ponte's portraiture.

ENGLISH VERSION

GRADE 10-12

Small Man in a Vast and Wondrous World 

Lea, T. (1984) The River Li [Oil on Canvas] 24 X 32 Collection of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Hunt,

TEKS FOCUS

SS: study the significant artistic
periods that contributed to Tom Lea’s landscape practice.

FEATURES

Tom Lea's WWII and landscape paintings.

ENGLISH VERSION

grade 9-12

Tom Lea's Ink Wash featuring Joey Lee Cabral

11111.JPG

TEKS FOCUS

SS: Develop and expand visual literacy skills using critical thinking, imagination, and the senses to observe and explore the world by learning about, understanding, and applying the elements of art, principles of design, and expressive qualities

FEATURES

Instructional video, Lesson Plan,

and Presentation.

ENGLISH VERSION

Curricula

GRADE 2

Magnificent Murals

2ndgrade.jpg

TEKS FOCUS

SS: study of their local community by examining the impact of significant individuals and events on the history of the community

FEATURES

Lea murals: A Franciscan Friar Showing a Book to Indians in the 17th Century,
Las Cruces, NM; 
Pass of the North,
El Paso, TX and d
ramatic films.

ENGLISH/SPANISH VERSION

grade 3

Mighty Horses on El Camino Real

3rdgrade.jpg

TEKS FOCUS

SS: learn how diverse individuals have changed their communities, specifically the Oñate expedition, map reading.

Three video game modules, class lessons, readers' theater.
>> download PDF information

FEATURES

Tom Lea, José Cisneros paintings,
John Houser Equestrian Monument
and dramatic films.

ENGLISH/SPANISH VERSION

grade 4

Who Passed Through Here?

4thgrade_2.jpg

TEKS FOCUS

SS: history of Texas from the early beginnings to the present within the context of influences of North America

>> download PDF information

ART FEATURED

Lea’s Pass of the North mural and dramatic films.

ENGLISH/SPANISH VERSION

grade 7

The Mexican Revolution Through the Eyes of Tom Lea,
José Cisneros, & Posada

46camp_2.jpg

TEKS FOCUS

SS: synthesize how the events of the Mexican Revolution impacted El Paso in the larger context of the Progressive movement leading up to WWI, Women’s Suffrage and Prohibition. 

>> download PDF information 

ART FEATURED

Paintings, drawings, and photos of Tom Lea, José Cisneros, Posada, and dramatic films.

ENGLISH/SPANISH VERSION

grades 6-8

We Live on a Volcano STEAM Camp

68grade.jpg

TEKS FOCUS

Geography, chemistry, natural history experiential lessons present within the context of influences of North America

ART FEATURED

Tom Lea’s landscapes

ENGLISH VERSION

grade 11

What’s the Big Deal About the New Deal?

11thgrade.jpg

TEKS FOCUS

Six lessons: Concepts of the Depression, New Deal & WPA 

>> download PDF information

ART FEATURED

7 murals painted by Tom Lea as part of the WPA program, and dramatic films.

ENGLISH VERSION

grade 11

Uncommon Valor:  WWII Through the Eyes of Admiral Chester Nimitz
and Tom Lea

11thgrade_2.jpg

TEKS FOCUS

SS:  US History WWII Pacific theater, Pearl Harbor, island hopping, Battle of Midway, atomic bomb, Admiral Nimitz

>> download PDF information 

FEATURES

Lea’s WWII art for LIFE magazine, and dramatic films.

ENGLISH VERSION

What’s the Big Deal About the New Deal?
Magnificent Murals
Mighty Horse on El Camino Real
Who passed through here
The Mexican Revolution
We Live on a Volcano Camp
Uncommon Valor WWII

grades 2-12

STUDENT WALKING TOURS

Student Walking Tours are approximately sixty to ninety minutes long around downtown El Paso. All tours reinforce knowledge of local artists, muralists, architects, life in the borderland region, history, and more! 

Awakening the Giants of Our History: Artistic Legacy of El Paso

Appropriate for grades 2-12.

>> download flyer pdf

Fossils in Our Walls, Cisneros in our Halls

Appropriate for grades 2-12.

 >> download flyer pdf

Plaza & Plaza Theatre 

Appropriate for grades 2-12.

>> download flyer pdf 

Four Views of El Paso

Appropriate for grades 2-12.

>> download flyer pdf 

Downtown Treasures

Appropriate for grades 2-12.

​

Alligators,Bats and Owls...

Oh My!

Appropriate for grades 2-12.

 >> download flyer pdf

Tom Lea & José Cisneros in the Mexican Revolution

Appropriate for grades 5-12.

>> download flyer pdf 

Los Murales de Segundo Barrio

Appropriate for grades 5-12.

>> download flyer pdf 

Travel the World in Architecture

Appropriate for grades 5-12.

>> download flyer pdf 

The curricula are made possible by the generosity of:

MCAD

Humanities Texas

Texas Comission on the Arts

Hoblitzelle Foundation

Summerlee Foundation

The Brown Foundation

The Pruett Foundation

Moleen Foundation

El Paso Electric

Wells Fargo

Sarah Farms

The Chiu Family

Jack Lewis

​

​

​

​

Sherril Winter

David R. Schmidt

Jim Harris

Harlen Hill

Lyn Linka

Jan Dwyer

Jamey Clement

Gary Crozier

James Kemp

Ron Woellhof

Melanie Brown

Ed Hart

The Admiral Nimitz Foundation

bottom of page