In the Puerto Rican Carnivale, a traditional figure seen in many parades is the "vejigante," a clown-like character who wears a colorful mask. The author's kindergarteners were learning about Carnivale in Spanish class, so making vejigante masks of their own in art class was a great idea--and an opportunity to teach them papier-mache…

During a recent summer, the author participated in a Hands Across the Water Teacher Exchange Program to New Zealand. This experience gave her the opportunity to see how people in a different country live on a day-to-day basis. For her, one of the more interesting aspects of New Zealand was its indigenous culture, the Maori. In this activity, the…

When introducing a new unit, art teachers know that sometimes a little "bling" can really grab students' attention. The author received "ooohs" and "aaahs" from her fourth-graders when they learned they would be creating "Faux Fall Repousse." The dazzling shine of the aluminum foil and the beautiful array of autumnal colors were impossible for…

Cameos are low-relief portraits that are traditionally carved out of large conch seashells, although other materials, such as stone or metal, may be used. Thus, Lincoln's head carved on a penny is considered a cameo. Cameos are typically worn as jewelry in the form of a pendant, brooch, or ring. The process dates back to the 500s A.D. In this…

Every fall season, each grade level of Rowland Hall St. Mark's Lower School in Salt Lake City, Utah, completes a mask-making project to be featured in a schoolwide parade. This sparked an opportunity to incorporate the fourth-grade unit of realistic and observational drawing with mask making. In this article, the author describes how her students…

In this article, the author discusses the different two- and three-dimensional art forms. She also describes the different media that can be used in these art forms.

Art teachers are constantly seeking innovative ideas, approaches and media to incorporate into fresh and inspiring lessons. In this article, the author describes how her class created relief or mosaic-like self-portraits by gluing or attaching multiples of any chosen objects or materials onto a surface.

In this article, the author describes an art project inspired by the work of Joseph Cornell. The project called for designing both the outside and the inside of a cigar box according to the student's theme. Thus, students needed to consider the viewer's vantage point with the box both closed and open, general design elements, two-dimensional and…

In this article, the author describes a metal-tooling project for his fourth-graders. Giving the students a specific subject with specific features and textures enabled him to guide them step-by-step in the metal-tooling process. This project would be a great practice project for even high-school students before doing other relief work. After…

Japanese masks have been worn for a number of reasons. In the past they were often used in plays and celebrations. Today in Japan, social masks are essential in many party gatherings as a form of expressing one's personality. In this article, the author describes an art project wherein students created Japanese masks and kimonos.

The author was originally inspired by "The Exquisite Snake" exhibit she saw at a local museum. Two hundred contemporary artists contributed to this exhibit, which was an adaptation of the old parlor game called "The Exquisite Corpse" that Surrealist artists used to play in the late 1920s and '30s. The author just loved this idea and decided to…

Australian Aboriginal culture is rich, complex and fascinating. The art of Aboriginal Australians shows a great understanding of the earth and its creatures. This article presents an activity which has been designed as a multi-age project. The learning outcomes have been written to suit both younger and older students. Aspects of the project could…

Highlights "Celebrating the Creative Spirit," a traveling exhibition featuring the work of 25 furniture-makers from nine southern states who use furniture as a means of personal artistic expression. Provides background on five different artists and an example artwork from each. (CMK)

Describes an art activity in which students create patterned booklets. Explains that the activity provides students with an opportunity to study pattern, rhythm, color, and shape while participating in hands-on learning. Provides a list of vocabulary and the exact steps of constructing the booklet. (CMK)

Describes an art activity for use in a unit on agriculture in which third grade students create packing crate labels. Students compare examples of packing crate labels, identifying the name, image, product description, and visual elements such as color and balance. Discusses the process of creating the labels. (CMK)