Described are various arts and crafts ideas, mostly with a February theme. Included are: ceramic boxes, valentine ideas, and patriotic projects--symbols of our country, silhouettes of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and stars and stripes. (KC)

Describes a mural project designed to introduce students to the concept of overlapping similar images as a way of depicting a time sequence. This article is one of four articles in this issue on elementary-level mural projects. (Author/SJL)

Describes two art projects, one for second-grade students and the other for third-grade students, inspired by the artwork of Claude Monet. The second-graders created leaf prints to frame the Impressionist autumn trees they painted, while the third-grade lesson centered around the videotape "Linnea in Monet's Garden." (CMK)

This book features objects of the Mesopotamian, the Egyptian, and Islamic cultures. In exploring important contributions in ancient art, the book presents visuals that are interpretations of authentic artifacts, usually in museum collections, or illustrations from archaeological publications and articles. Historical items (n=55+) have been adapted…

Describes an art project in which fifth-grade students create abstracts and collages after exploring artwork of various artists. Explains that this project is perfect as a final activity for the school year and also helps to use up any leftover paint supplies. (CMK)

Presents an art lesson used with sixth-grade students in which they painted their school mascot (a tiger) in the style of a famous artist. Explains that students selected an artist, such as Andrew Wyeth or Edvard Munch. Describes how the students created their tigers. (CMK)

Describes a schoolwide parade that was the culminating event of a three-week unit of study into the world of masks by elementary students. Unit emphasized the use of exaggeration, repetition, and symmetry in maskmaking. Provides examples of student work. (DB)

Describes an art lesson for second-grade students that uses basic shapes to paint pictures of dragons. Discusses how the students created their dragons and lists the art materials needed. Includes a list of learning objectives. (CMK)

Describes a school-wide project in which elementary students beautified their school walls with murals of their own design. This article is one of four in this issue on elementary school mural projects. (SJL)

Third- and fourth-grade volunteers created two large murals at Nishuane Elementary School. This article is one of four in this issue on elementary mural projects. (SJL)

Presents a multicultural project used with fourth-grade students in which they created a three-dimensional totem pole using leftover cereal boxes. Discusses in detail how to create the totem pole. Explains that students learned about Northwest American Indians in class. (CMK)

Discusses methods for teaching elementary art students the principle of a focal point in the design of art works. Suggests beginning with well-known paintings as examples of utilizing a focal point, and then encouraging students to create their own designs. Displays examples of student art employing a center of interest. (DB)

Environmental education is enhanced through day-long field trips that integrate children's literature, science, environmental awareness, and sketching. Literature sets the context of the learning, and sketching encourages children to carefully observe a natural area. After the field trip, children create community displays featuring writing and…