This lesson plan is an idea I tried at one of the National Art Education Conferences. This is such a fun project because it gives you the experience of paper pulp painting, but without the blenders or mess. One thing…
I wanted to introduce graphic design to my 4th graders and I thought a magazine cover would be super fun. I was able to check out the mobile lab computers for one of my classes, but for the other unit,…
This is one of my favorite lessons for kindergartners! First, we identify and classify the colors as warm or cool. Then, we choose all the warm colors we have (different shades of oranges, yellows, reds). Then the first day, the…
The 1st graders looked at art that was about water and then created their own underwater collage using tissue paper, foil, cellophane and drawings of underwater creatures.
Frank Lloyd Wright: The 2nd graders discussed Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings. We analyzed how he integrated his buildings with the surrounding nature. The students worked collaboratively to build intricate buildings out of wooden blocks. Next, they represented these buildings with…
This unit focused on recalling a family memory and creating a picture about this story. We read about the artist Faith Ringgold and her story quilts.
I was reading the teacherartexchange listserve from the Getty museum, which is a very cool list serve, and I felt really sorry for one teacher who only has $100 for a budget that serves 350 students. She was wondering what…
Drawing Activity This drawing activity will help to sensitize you to the variety of drawing styles and qualities. First, fold your paper in half 3 times in order to make 8 rectangles. In each of the rectangles, you will make…
Secret Cities The 4/5s learned how to draw 3-d forms and include shading and shadows. They stacked these shapes to make a “secret city”. I got this idea from a book about drawing by Mark Kistler. This artist had a…
This is a worksheet from Carla Sonheim’s Art of Silliness class. I recommend this class, it’s very fun. The worksheets she sends you each day are very unique drawing activities. What I am doing with these is photocopying them for…
In my blog perusing, I found this cool junk mail tutorial. Wouldn’t it be a fun project for kids to recycle all those pieces of junk mail we all receive? The catalogs and flyers that come in the mail are…
Hatching and Cross-Hatching by the 3/4s The 3/4s are learning about hatching and cross-hatching. They explored this technique in a portrait drawing. After a quick practice of portrait drawing, the students moved on to a cross hatched animal. Animal pictures…
Contour Drawings The students observed the details and lines on their shoes. They completed a contour line study of their footwear. Next, they turned these drawings into “miniature playgrounds” for stick people. Contour drawing helps define and explore edges through…
The 5/6s visited the Chazen Art Museum to see Medieval illuminated manuscripts. These delicate and decorative books were amazing! The students designed their own illuminated letter using inspiration from the illuminated manuscripts they observed. Weused pencil, watercolor paints, colored pencils…
On Wednesday I had a substitute teacher. I left this drawing assignment for the 2nd graders to complete. Divide your paper in half. On one side, draw what you imagine your life to look like when you are 30 years…