Studio Thinking 3 is a new edition of a now-classic text, a research-based account of teaching and learning in high school studio arts classes. It poses a framework that identifies eight habits of mind taught in visual arts and four studio structures by which they are taught. This expanded, full-color edition includes new material about how the…

The first edition of this bestseller was featured in "The New York Times" and "The Boston Globe" for its groundbreaking research on the positive effects of art education on student learning across the curriculum. Capitalizing on observations and conversations with educators who have used the Studio Thinking Framework in diverse…

For many artists, visual representation begins with the creative exploration of real and personal experiences. The primary challenge in creating such introspective works is maintaining the ability to connect with a broader audience. For high school students specifically, tremendous pride manifests in the creation of artistic works that represent…

This article describes how to make a clay camera. This idea of creating functional cameras from clay allows students to experience ceramics, photography, and painting all in one unit. (Contains 1 resource and 3 online resources.)

The majority of student and professional artists have faced the challenge of creating a self-portrait. It is probably the most universal task set for artists throughout the ages. The lesson described in this article serves as an alternative to the traditional self-portrait and as a means of achieving a likeness in a nonthreatening way. Students…

Printing, stamping, and rubbings are enjoyed by all ages, and the image-making capabilities of this media are endless and very spontaneous. In printmaking, images can be repeated, overlapped, inked in various colors, cut up, reassembled, and manipulated. Students find these methods to be engaging and serendipitous. This lesson, designed for eighth…

Want to teach printmaking on a tight budget? Try using erasers! The size and shape does not matter--they are easy to cut and print beautifully. Have students place the eraser on white paper and trace around it. They should select a design and draw it in the traced space to fit the dimensions of the eraser. It is important that the design hits at…

Marbling paper is a favorite in many elementary classrooms. The marbling project described in this article, using a sunset and silhouette concept, is foolproof, inexpensive, and engaging. After looking at images of incredible sunsets for inspiration, each student uses marbling paper, black construction paper, three colors of chalk, and a tub of…

Middle School students present unique challenges to visual arts teachers, who wonder how they can touch the academic, emotional, and social lives of students entering their early teen years. If lessons are to rate high with them, they must not only appeal academically to their inquisitiveness, but also to their social an emotional development as…

This article describes a classroom art project inspired by the work of Robert Frost, one of the most acclaimed and beloved American poets of all time. Using tints and shades in a composition, this project demonstrates how quality literature may be incorporated into elementary art lessons in a very useful way, making art an important complement to…

This article describes how to create the life-size teacher portraits that are displayed during an annual "Meet the Teacher" event held to introduce students and families to the facility and staff of the Apple Glen Elementary School in Bentonville, Arkansas. Several months prior to this event, students are asked to closely observe their…

Developing kindergarten lessons can be very challenging, especially at the beginning of the school year when many students are just learning to cut paper and hold crayons. The author's favorite beginning unit of the year is "mice paintings," a practical introduction to drawing, color theory, and painting. This unit also incorporates children's…

Not every art department is fortunate enough to have access to digital cameras and image-editing software, but if a scanner, computer, and printer are available, students can create some imaginative and surreal work. This high-school level lesson begins with a discussion of self-portraits, and then moves to students creating images by scanning…

This article introduces a new "perspective" on the typical landscape painting. It is an opportunity for art students to study the local ecosystem and native trees in their community. Other aspects of this assignment are the study of Symbolism and a new focus on the natural designs created by exposed tree roots. (Contains 1 web link.)

Teens have issues! They talk about suicide and war. They experiment with drugs, drinking and smoking. Their lives may have been touched by abuse, gangs, or guns. Young people worry about these issues and many others as they work out their emerging identities and race toward their futures. This article discusses how the teachers in Voyager House…