Various studies have indicated that incorporating origami activities into a geometry lesson can promote elementary and middle school students' mathematical reasoning, enhance their ability to use precise mathematical terminologies, and increase their communication skills. The authors wondered if origami activities have a place in high school…

When first encountering contemporary art, the viewer is confronted with particular challenges--the works can be both surprising in application of materials and provocative in presentation. Contemporary art can confound its audience as they attempt to decode and interpret its meaning. This Instructional Resource outlines an approach for art…

Paper folding, or origami in Japanese, is a traditional craft that has been enjoyed by both children and adults for hundreds of years. Mathematicians have long studied the mathematics of paper folding. They use square papers to construct mathematical shapes (for example, folding an equilateral triangle from a square paper or trisecting an angle),…

Electronic textiles (e-textiles)--fabrics embedded with electrical or electronic components--offer a new model for teaching this content. E-textiles also engage students in programming and engineering design through nontraditional projects and materials. This article describes a four-week electricity curriculum using three e-textiles projects that…

In this article, authors Jordan T. Hede and Jonathan D. Bostic present a classroom activity that challenges upper elementary students' understanding of area beyond a memorized formula and explores the meaning behind students using A = l × w to solve rectangular area problems. This activity will deepen students' understanding of the area…

Literature supports children's literacy growth in many ways. It helps children extend their understanding and clarify different situations in their lives, recognize and deal with feelings, and be more empathetic. Hands-on activities based on stories support children in giving shape to their thoughts. These creative activities not only empower the…

This article and the one that follows, "Quilt-Making in the Elementary Class" (EJ1077043), emerge from Mountain Laurel Montessori School and provide examples of the intrinsic links between the hand and academic lessons. This article features a compilation of artful recipes for young children (Soap Sculpting Clay, Easy Flour Paste, Face…

Empowering Women is a traveling exhibition of folk art that focuses on ten cooperatives from four continents and ten countries. The exhibition is a window into the ways that cooperatives empower women to: (1) preserve and reinvigorate their country's traditional arts; (2) generate steady livelihoods for their families; (3) send their children to…

Even in the best of economic times, most art teachers are subsidizing their artroom budgets with their own money and dumpster diving to provide the kind of art experience their students deserve. Green is in and art teachers have years of experience recycling trash into treasures. This urn project gives art teachers a big bang for their buck. They…

In this article, we explore whether or not arts-based research engages different ideas and processes--different nouns and verbs--when the art form is understood as design, craft, or "fine" art. We propose that the fine, craft, and design arts each provide opportunities for conducting research, that their identities are built upon mutual support…

Henri Matisse (1869-1954) was a very prolific Impressionist/Post-Impressionist artist whose longevity allowed him to produce many wonderful, brightly colored pieces of art that spanned different styles, movements and media. Elementary-school children love color and appreciate any project that does not require their work to be exact or totally…

Creating a story quilt is a powerful and alternative way for students to demonstrate understanding of social studies content. This article describes the use of story quilts in elementary school classrooms at three different grade levels (1st, 3rd, and 5th). In each unit of study, the teacher devoted, on average, three to four weeks to guiding…

Nanoscale science and engineering (NSE) and nanotechnology are emerging fields that have captured the attention of scientists and engineers, as well as mainstream media. However, the general public is relatively unaware of NSE, and schools (both K-12 and undergraduate institutions) rarely include nanotechnology as part of their curriculum. To help…

Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen), author of "Out of Africa," said, "God made the world round so people would never be able to see too far down the road." The author embraced this wonderful thought by venturing on a three-week journey to Kenya and Tanzania in search of grand adventure. In this article, the author shares her adventure…

The Senufo people create paintings on hand-woven fabric using natural fibers, natural dyes made from leaves, and mud dug from the roots of trees. The fabric of the Senufo is woven in strips approximately six-to-eight inches wide, and sewn together to make a larger fabric for painting. The stylized drawings painted on the cloth are of masked…