This is a lesson that not only teaches portrait techniques but also engages the imagination. A perfect combination. Photocopy the “Imagination Portrait” handout and give one to each child. Discuss... Learn More
folk art stylings, African art is colorful, dynamic and easily adaptable to most age levels. This lesson takes two 1⁄2 40-minute class sessions. For the first class, we painted the... Learn More
Some of my favorite lessons to teach in the art room originate from a book. Searching through old and recently published children’s books is both inspiring to me as a... Learn More
Sometimes it’s fun to draw with a paint brush. That’s exactly what my fourth graders did as they studied various tree shapes for an upcoming project. They also learned that... Learn More
Drawing a giraffe can look intimidating to a young student but if you demonstration a rather pathetic looking giraffe on the white board, they will begin to settle down. My... Learn More
I have a book on African Animals and in it a few pages featuring the Lesser Flamingo. If you have any flamingo visuals in the form of calendars or books... Learn More
Creating sunflowers in the art room is a welcomed subject. They are easily understood by most children, some have planted a few in a school garden, and many have plucked... Learn More
Using a template or a starter when teaching little kids about the process of making portraits helps the child considerably. Don’t worry that you are stifling creativity. As long as... Learn More
Castles are a sure thing in the art room. Every grade level loves to make castles and I often teach a castle drawing project to my upper grade students. Instead... Learn More
The term collagraph refers to the collage board where the materials (in our case, foam shapes) are arranged. Collagraph plates are created by sticking foam shapes or equally thick pieces... Learn More
Kevin Henkes picture book, Birds (illustrated by Laura Dronzek), is a perfect book to read in art class. The illustrations are dynamic, the prose is short (doesn’t take up too much time!)... Learn More
This looks like a project that requires more than 60-minutes, but if you use a small piece of paper and layer the paints as instructed, the kids will be able... Learn More
Pirates stole their ships, converted the ship to accommodate the crew, fortified the ships to carry canons and sailed around searching for more boats to conquer. The Jolly Roger flag... Learn More
Drawing from observation, in my opinion, is the ultimate goal for learning how to draw. Once children are confident with drawing lines and shapes and when they know how to... Learn More
This art lesson combines color, lines and patterns…a perfect example of covering many elements of art in one lesson. The main focus of this lesson is to teach children how... Learn More
Mister Seahorse Lesson plan teaches young children (ages 4-7) how to create painted paper just like author-illustrator Eric Carle then use a template to create a stunning seahorse. This project... Learn More
Nugget & Fang by Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Michael Slack is a humorous story about friendships, stereotypes and starting school that will engage young readers. The illustrations depict a gentle... Learn More
This is one of the prettiest projects my third grade students have ever created. It was inspired by a jellyfish painting I discovered through Pumpkin Chef’s Pin on Pinterest. It’s been a... Learn More