Prior knowledge of hand-building and several weeks of practice throwing on the wheel allowed Jane Graziano, as guest artist, her students, and a high-school art teacher to focus on introducing works by artists who found inspiration from the sea: glass artist Dale Chihuly, clay artists Ken Price, John Bennett, and Vipoo Srivilasa to name a few. She…

Matisse's use of bright colors and strong pattern is an instant motivator for elementary students. He effectively balances colors and simple shapes. This lesson, designed for 3rd graders, is an example of how art studio experiences for young students can draw upon art history. Sections include: (1) Discovering Patterns; (2) Planning Special…

In this article, the author talks about art in the classroom. He urges teachers to envision their classroom as a balance between inspiration and meditation, clutter and clarity, excitement and introspection. Remember that each student has a unique threshold for stimulation--what inspires one student to productive creativity may well trigger the…

This brief article describes the life of Maria van Oosterwijck. It also discusses her art and its significance and symbolism. A list of suggested activities for elementary, middle, and high school students is included.

A student sketchbook is not a new idea. However, the appropriate application and assessment capabilities of the sketchbook are often overlooked. Historically, artists were trained via copying the works of master painters and draftsmen. In the same tradition, the author has infused the art curriculum with sketchbook copying exercises to improve…

This brief article describes how a Anne Young taught her students to make a monoprint out of a coffee filter. A monoprint is a one-of-a-kind picture. This lesson taught students to use art materials and tools in a safe and responsible manner.

In this article, the author describes a classroom lesson relating to still life and the artist, Ralph Goings. While students painted, they discussed about how Ralph Goings shows that everyday, household items can be visually appealing. To give everyday objects a new, unintended purpose is a powerful way to rediscover the world. In younger…

In many American schools, class size continues to increase while art budget dollars remain the same or, even worse, decrease. Art educators need to become proactive and creative in procuring art supplies for their classrooms. This may necessitate asking for supplemental funds from the PTA or raising money through fundraising. It may also mean that…

The Jigsaw Mural Project provides a way for young children to work on a large-scale and permanent mural, in a manner that allows them to work on the floor and without the use of ladders. It is also a chance for art educators to work with students as teacher and collaborator in one. This project took place with preschool children ages two through…

Almost all early civilizations had mythological stories. From the great cradles of civilization--Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome--to the Mother Earth and Father Sky of the early Native Americans, myths have been part of the civilization of humankind. Typically, in this teachers' ninth-grade painting class, the students paint landscapes in…

Have you ever thought of using music as a subject for art? When the author discovered that her third graders studied jazz in music class every February, it seemed an opportune time for her to simultaneously focus on music in art, specifically through the work of African-American artist Romare Bearden. To familiarize her third-grade students with…

Expressionistic textured paintings are intense and passionate for both the viewer and the artist. Regional subject matter can relate the artist's feelings with the period and location of the artwork. This article briefly describes one classroom's experience engaging in a lesson relating to combining Expressionism and Regionalism. The class was a…

The author's inspiration for this lesson for her fifth- and sixth-grade students came from an article on Peruvian-style retablos in the December 1998 issue of SchoolArts. She wanted a multicultural theme for a three-dimensional assignment that incorporated many art-making and higher-order thinking skills. She prepared a packet or kit for each…

Easttown Township chose to celebrate its tercentenary to create a greater awareness of local history. In this article, the author discusses how she incorporated this celebration into her art classroom. With history and architecture as the theme, sixth-grade art students researched homes and buildings in the township dating back as early as the…

The author describes a lesson she did on abstract art with her high school art classes. She passed out a required step-by-step outline of the project process. She asked each of them to look at abstract art. They were to list five or six abstract artists they thought were interesting, narrow their list down to the one most personally intriguing,…