Elementary Art Lesson Plans

Students access prior knowledge of emotion in art. In this typefaces lesson, students understand that the lines and shapes in the computers font give us different feelings. Students examine fonts and feelings. Students make a file card with emotion words and appropriate fonts.

In this lesson learners explore visual arts by creating a color wheel in class. In this primary color lesson, learners identify the three primary colors and their combinations which create secondary colors. In this lesson learners create a color wheel with the primary colors by using paint and a paper plate.

Students evaluate visual arts by creating a mural on their school grounds. In this art analysis lesson, students research Keith Haring's artwork while utilizing the web. Students read the book I Wish I Didn't Have to Sleep and create a mural on campus similar to Haring's style.

In this lesson students explore China and analyze Chinese Ink Painting as well as incorporating poetry into artwork. With the theme of "Peace" as their foundation, in groups they practice painting bamboo with an original Quatrain poem.

Students study the life of Ellis Wilson. They examine the use of simple shapes when drawing human figures. They examine how to incorporate pattern into a background setting.

Students celebrate Youth Art Month! in March. They write and teach a lesson to the class. Students are video taped while teaching, and critique themselves. The lesson serves as a "wake up" to students about the job of teaching.

Students discover what a URL is and use URLs pointing to art sites that contain works they use in their next art class as they begin a cooperative unit on facial expressions in works of art.

2nd graders design a mixed-up animal using art supplies. In this animal art lesson, 2nd graders listen to a reading of Eric Carle's, The Mixed Up Chameleon, before using art supplies to make a "manimal" or mixed up animal. They blend animal names when describing their animals. They watch a YouTube interview of Eric Carle.

In this lesson students experiment with clay and use various clay techniques to create a ceramic lotus flower.  In this ceramic lotus flower lesson, students design, then dry and finally paint their flower.  In this lesson students research the symbolism and culture of the lotus. 

This lesson has students create a series of 6 drawings in KidPix illustrating the stages of a particular facial expression. They save each step of the expression as a separate file for use in a slide show. They save the slide show and print a copy for their teacher.