Curated OER
Branching Art From Nature
Young scholars construct an art piece from nature. In this visual art lesson plan, students use objects from the environment (petals, leaves, and stones) to create a unique art piece.
Curated OER
Art Appreciation
Pupils analyze and critique famous art prints in this introductory lesson to the appreciation of Visual Art forms. Emphasis is on classroom discussions of cultural values, prejudice, and opinions. The lesson includes possible extensions.
Curated OER
A Fair Trade
Students examine a piece of art to find objects and symbols used by the artist. In this visual art lesson, students look at Jaun Quick-to-See Smith's, "Trade Canoe for Don Quixote." They look for symbols and items that show the artists...
Curated OER
The Talking Stick
Young scholars examine the lives of the Aboriginal peoples of Saskatchewan. For this talking stick lesson, students discover dance, art, music, and traditions of the First Nations people. Young scholars design and create a talking...
Curated OER
Talking Rocks
Artists imitate the symbols used by tribes of the Southwest or use their own word pictures that communicate something about themselves. This lesson is a perfect blend of visual art and social studies. Students create a beautiful piece of...
Poetry4kids
How to Create a “Found Poem”
Writers compose an original found poem by searching for words that inspire them. Words are taken from everyday conversation, books, cut from magazines, the mail, or an already written poem.
Curated OER
Picture a Tarantula
Students create an illustration based upon a read-aloud. In this visual arts lesson plan, students listen to the book The Tarantula Scientist and listen for details. Students create a picture based upon what they imagined during the...
Curated OER
Classic Still Life Drawing
Provide your young artists with an opportunity to study the masters and their techniques to become skilled at drawing still life. They discuss and view images from artists like Degas and Michelangelo, practice drawing techniques such as...
Curated OER
Shaded Bottles
Learners draw, and then paint three-dimensional bottles to practice shading which shows shape and perspective. The step-by-step process for creating dimensional still life art is outlined, which makes teaching art an attainable task. Oil...
Curated OER
Pop-Up Pop Art, Tunnel book
Students study iconic symbols Keith Haring would make in his artwork. They invent a background for the images, and draw the characters. Students create a Tunnel Book and a Pop-Up Book based on their drawings.
Curated OER
Lesson: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Attention to Detail
After a quick warm up activity, learners get ready to use their keen observation skills to examine an ornate Japanese pencil box. They discuss the artistry, skills, and story of the box, paying close attention to details. They then...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan: Becoming an Animal
The Kwakwaka'wakw are indigenous people from Vancouver Island and British Columbia. The class analyzes a Kwakwak'wakw ceremonial mask, how it was used, and its cultural significance. They then create animal masks representing their...
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Lesson: Animal Journeys
Here is a great way to get the brain going. Children look at an image of the sculpture, Jar and then imagine what an animal would look like as it moved inside the sculpture. They then use clay and cookie cutters to create a...
American Art Clay Co., Inc.
Ceramic Tile Wall Murals
Science, social studies, language arts, and art classes work together with administrators to produce a permanent, ceramic tile wall mural to install at their school.
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Thrilling Information: Music and Reading
Here’s a cross-curricular program music activity that uses Peer Gynt to engage class members. Groups take one section of “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” choreograph their section of the tune to represent the story as they imagine it,...
Curated OER
Recycling With Art
Students create works of art from recyclable materials. In this visual arts instructional activity, students investigate works of art created from recyclable materials. Students choose an emotion to convey and then create an art piece...
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Family Portraits
Students discuss, analyze, and interpret "Portrait of a Dutch Family" by Fans Hals and then create subject specific projects for assessment. This cross-curricular lesson is well-suited for Language Arts or Visual Arts classrooms and...
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Visual Messages: Creating a Photomontage
Students create a photomontage. For this lesson on photography as a means of conveying emotion, students use images gathered from the Internet to create a photomontage comparing how water is used in Africa and the U.S.
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Clicking Your Way to Poetry: Composing Word Association Poems with the Visual Thesaurus
Use a Visual Thesaurus to compose word association poems. Discuss poetry and word association, create word maps, then practice creating poems based on playful word associations. A perfect way to celebrate "Poem in Your Pocket Day" (April...
Curated OER
Sculpture: Exploring Pop Art: Creating
Learners work in teams to create collaborative sculptures of food. They are required to create the food, dishes, and utensils needed to display their work. Note: This is a team building and design exercise.
Curated OER
Visual Depth in Art
Students explain the concept of foreground, middle ground and background in creating a sense of depth in a landscape painting or drawing.
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Writing Through Art
Examine the works of visual and performing artists with upper graders. Using the works, they identify the comparisons among the techniques used. They will also review the six traits of effective writing and keep a writing journal...
Curated OER
Greeting Card Boxes: Recycled Art
Greeting cards can be cute or pretty, and they end up in the trash. Turn your old greeting cards into a functional box. Learners fold, cut, and tape old cards to create small boxes that are perfect for holding paperclips, erasers, or...
Curated OER
Pie Pan Art
Discover stained glass techniques and create "pie pan" art using similar techniques in this Art instructional activity for the 3rd and 4th grades. The instructional activity begins with a teacher-led overview of the history of stained...