A STEM and Career inspired lesson for grades 4 to 12.  ​I work in a magnet high school where students choose a program area, and many earn a certification by the time they graduate, even earning some college credit.  We have programs like bio pharmacology, game design, nursing, welding, cosmetology, HVAC and a few others. I wanted to do a lesson that would allow students to illustrate something within their desired field within their artwork, and connect with my school community bringing more attention to my program. Perhaps I could reach students who had not yet considered taking a ..read more

A Fun STEM-based lesson for grades 4 and up. ​Collaborative projects in the art room can be a bit of a challenge. It’s hard to assign individual grades to group work, but in this coral reef printing lesson, I found a fun way for students to trade and share work. Though I have focused on a coral reef here, this could be done for any environment where multiple elements would be possible, like a jungle, forest, tundra, mountainous area or any biome. It’s also where you may be able to collaborate with an earth science colleague for a STEM-based lesson.   I created a Google Doc that students ..read more

Lessons on social & emotional learning grades 4 to 12. Click cover to see the book on Amazon. All art explorations have the potential to connect to social and emotional learning. When students are given a chance to express their opinions, points of view, or feelings, there are emotional connections that can be made. This resource focuses on lessons that allow students to express their thoughts and feelings through their paintings, drawings, and sculptures. The explorations here can be altered to fit your specific population and available supplies from crayons to clay and everything in be ..read more

Emulating Artists with a lunch tray and milk carton. Lunch With Vincent van Gogh A great way for students to experience art history is to create a work of art inspired by a particular artist. My “If Picasso” book series does this with animals, landmarks, and Christmas Trees in the style of artists throughout history. They can be a fun resource for this project to help students understand the idea of emulation.   I was inspired for this project by the work of my independent student who started drawing and painting on her used lunch trays. I thought her work was cool, and the s ..read more

Exploring Abstract Expressionism Through Collage & Song "Fast Car" By Tracy Chapman I wanted students to explore abstract expressionism in a meaningful way. I introduced them to the ideas that color and shape can have emotional values through the book, “The Emotional Color Wheel.” Though the video at the end of this blogpost will cover it for free.   On our first day we took notes based on the resource to have a base of knowledge to work from. We noted that shapes seemed to corollate best with rhythm. So smooth or soft music paired well with circular motifs, aggressive music tied ea ..read more

Personally expressive compositions to explore new media & techniques. ​Drawing from observation is a core experience in any art program. Often this can take the form of a classical still life exploration. Typically the instructor creates a composition of objects that will be both visually interesting and perhaps challenge their students. When I explore in this way, I make it homework for students to bring in 1 object to create still life collections in groups, providing a few of my own or fabric as a back drop. When students are part of the creation process, I find they are motivated to d ..read more

Are research papers dead? Plagiarism has always been an issue when students are assigned a research project. To combat that, I changed my research assignment to an interview. You can see it here. By pretending the artist was still alive, the research became a creative essay based on researched facts. This enlivened the assignment, and often produced creative results and insights. Now that Chat GPT is here, I decided to input some of my prompts to see how the algorithm might do... and it did surprisingly well. (See below) My plagiarism checker came back clean, except for my assigned questions ..read more

If Picasso Went To The Zoo ​Emulation is a tried-and-true lesson that gives students a chance to "step in the shoes" of an artist. It is also the genesis of my "If Picasso" book series. I used the books with my classes so they could see many examples of animals in the style of diverse artists throughout history. Though I usually restrict this lesson to artists who have passed, I opened it up this year to any artist whose work has been exhibited in a gallery setting. This would allow students to explore artists who are famous or emerging, or perhaps less well known. In the case of one of my s ..read more

A lesson in empathy & social emotional learning We know that art can be therapeutic for our students. When I do S.E.L. lessons like this I make sure my guidance department is aware. Sometimes lessons like these will illuminate struggles students are facing. This presents an opportunity for guidance to intervene and get the assistance a child needs to thrive and cope.   This lesson begins with some writing. I ask students to list 5 life events that have shaped them into the person they are today. Events can be both positive or negative. I make it clear they only share what they are co ..read more

Made from recycled clothing, inspired by Pop icon Claes Oldenburg ​If you're looking for a crafty diversion between large units in art class, these might just be the perfect menu item! I have successfully made these with my students ages 7 through 18, and everyone of them loved it! They are sort of the simple version of a stuffed animal, and you have many options on how to build these. I begin with a short video about Claes Oldenburg, and we talk a bit about pop art. I like how he says he was making high art with low materials. What's lower than recycled materials? This exploration ..read more