Lesson Plan
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Soft Sculpture Self-portraits

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students create a soft sculpture bust of themselves using such as muslin. They color, stuff and sew the bust.
Lesson Plan
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Improvising Music

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Young scholars watch "The Greatest TV Moments: Sesame Street Music A to Z" and improvise melodic and rhythmic embellishments for the song "O What A Beautiful Morning" or "Rubber Duckie."
Lesson Plan
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Hot Problem Solving

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars follow the steps of the engineering design process to meet the challenge of getting their entire class from one location on the playground to the sidewalk without touching the ground between. The class develops a well...
Lesson Plan
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Learning to Play the Panpipes

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students experience what a pan pipe is and how sound is produced on it. Research a brief history of the pan pipe. Employ producing a characteristic tone and be able to produce various pitches. Play a simple melody and ensemble on the pan...
Lesson Plan
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An Introduction to Opera: The Emperor's New Clothes

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders are introduced to opera, its vocabulary, definitions and are given an opportunity to listen to an opera sung by children. They identify phrases and events in the story, "The Emperor's New Clothes." Each student creates a...
Lesson Plan
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Fun Dance

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students perform a dance step in physical education class. They move to the beat of the music, counting eight beats to a set of movements. Students walk forward four counts and do two jumping jacks. They walk backwards four counts and do...
Lesson Plan
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Ecosystem Tumble

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students create visual representations of ecosystems. In this ecology instructional activity, students discuss the interdependence of plants and animals in various ecosystems. Students cut pictures from magazines and glue them on...
Lesson Plan
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Theatre Vocabulary ad Elements

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine basic theatre vocabulary and use it to discuss a play.  In this theater lesson, 5th graders identify the elements of a play.  Students perform their play and use theatre vocabulary to explain their...
Lesson Plan
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Folk Music

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore Folk Music in Iowa. For this folk music lesson, students discuss different types of folk music and how it relates to life in Iowa. They take the tune of a song and write their own lyrics to describe their life. 
Lesson Plan
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Emily Carr Trees

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students examine the work of artist Emily Carr.  In this watercolor lesson, students observe how to draw trees and to use crayon resistance.  Students also create a watercolor tree. 
Lesson Plan
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Bottle Dolls/Figurative Sculpture

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students use water bottles with sand in them (to give stability) They add heads made of crumpled newspaper with masking tape. They paper mache the entire figure and make them into people or animals. Students add paint and accessories...
Lesson Plan
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Modern Mona

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students use contour drawings of the Mona Lisa. Students turn the drawings upside down and cover 3/4 of the drawing with a sheet of construction paper. They "erase from their minds" what the drawing is, and complete the quarter section...
Lesson Plan
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Animal Tales Theatre

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students participate in a theatre production involving how to protect animals. Students create their own puppets which will be used in the production. Students read information provided to them and highlight the important information...
Lesson Plan
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Angling Your Way Through a Picture

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students look at the geometry in an artwork. In this art history/geometry lesson, students research the artist Charles Sheeler and look at his painting Stacks in Celebration. They find the different types of lines, angles, and...
Lesson Plan
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Tibetan Monk Sand Paintings

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students complete an art project. In this sand paintings lesson, students learn about the history of mandalas and then create a sand painting of their own. Extensions include writing a story or poem about their sand painting, study of...
Lesson Plan
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Magazine Mosaics

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
  Students create their own mosaic from magazine pieces and cut outs.  In this art lesson, students discuss advertising inside of magazines and what ads are the most effective.   
Lesson Plan
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DRYWALL CARVING

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students study relief sculpture and architectural elements, discuss Egyptian hieroglyphics and relief sculptures that can be seen on Roman and Greek structures, and create a relief sculpture using drywall.
Lesson Plan
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Creating Realistic Faces

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students explain that, in order to create realistic faces, artists study live models, use mathematics to explain correct proportion, and practice by making sketches. They create a self-portrait using these principles.
Lesson Plan
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Orchid in Blind Contour Format

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students create blind contour drawings. They compare methods of drawing including blind contour and contour approaches. Students follow a blind contour method to produce a drawing of a flower and then complete the piece with a watercolor...
Lesson Plan
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Making a Simple Film Canister Kaleidoscope

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students use clear film containers with 1/4 inch holes drilled in the bottom to create kaleidoscopes. They use mirror board folded into a triangle shape and cake decorating sprinkles to create the kaleidoscope effect.
Lesson Plan
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Exploring Film Genres for Telling Hero Stories: Narrative Shorts

For Teachers 5th - Higher Ed
Students research that a narrative film tells a story using camera movement, sound, lighting, editing and other film making techniques. The audience must be taken into consideration when making a film. They explore what makes their hero...
Lesson Plan
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Montana Animal stacks

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students view Ode to Chief Seattle and create an animal sculpture.  In this art lesson, students choose a variety of materials for creating an animal sculpture using flora and fauna and other environmental images.  Students...
Lesson Plan
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Drawing Plants with Plant Studio Freeware

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students identify parts of plants by name and the relationship among these parts as they use Plant Studio Freeware Wizard and tools on the computer to draw a particular plant from life or from a picture.
Lesson Plan
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Clay Personality Boxes Lesson Plan

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students create cut slab boxes from clay using the slip and scoring technique. They impress a surface texture into the clay. Students decorate their box to represent themselves in some way.