J. Paul Getty Trust
Shaping Ideas: Symbolism in Sculpture—Lesson 2
Young artists create a series of sketches of ideas for a sculpture, and using the criteria develop in the previous class, critique their sketches. They then choose one of their ideas and create their work of art.
Curated OER
Clay Assessment Sheet
After your art class has completed a clay project, they can fill out this self-assessment to build their art-analysis and self-reflective skills. There are eight questions on two pages to help you grade your learners.
Dick Blick Art Materials
“Gawu” — African-influenced Tapestry
Here's a great way to combine environmental science with art. Kids use recycled materials to create their own Gawu, a tapestry made of discards. Although designed for special education classrooms, the activity is sure to engage all...
Curated OER
Figurative Slot Sculptures
Middle schoolers create 3-dimensional works of art in the form of slot sculptures. I love this instructional activity, because it exposes learners to a completely different form of art. Everything you need to do to successfully-implement...
Curated OER
Abstract Planes in Paper Sculpture
High schoolers create maquettes of abstract sculptures utilizing the elements of art; line, shape, value, color, space and texture and the principles of design; balance, emphasis, contrast, rhythm and movement, pattern and unity. These...
Curated OER
Horse of a Different Color: An Introduction to Color in the Visual Arts
Students identify ways in which the artist uses color to draw the view's attention to points within the composition and creates a sense of depth. They discuss the effect of color on the tone and mood of an artwork.
Curated OER
Triaxial Blends: Ceramics Lesson
To me, art implies color. Your class can learn all about triaxial blends, glazed colors, and ceramics. Included are the step-by-step instructions needed to teach learners how ceramic glazes developed, color blends, and how to measure and...
Curated OER
Camel Container: Ceramics
Play with clay while building finger dexterity and important sculpting techniques. Learners make camel containers while they practice throwing and molding clay. Fun camel facts make this an interdisciplinary art lesson.
Curated OER
Lesson: Double Album: The Collection and the Archive
An open discussion starts this activity off. The class takes a critical look at five works of art that demonstrate the impact and purpose of identity through collections or archives. They then write a list or draw 10-15 items found in...
Curated OER
Lesson: Elizabeth Peyton: Pictures of Royalty: The Imagined
Elizabeth Peyton is an artist who creates images of people (often famous) that she doesn't personally know. These images become part of her imagined community. Learners analyze her work, her community of imagined friends, and then create...
Curated OER
Blick Liquid Watercolor
Introduce this abstract art to your class; they must chose ordinary classroom objects and shapes to paint with watercolors. The overlapping effect will create a fun, abstract piece of art!
National Gallery of Canada
Make a Parfleche
Examine American Indian art and culture by observing contemporary art and creating original pieces. Class members discuss artwork included in the plan and use these images to help inspire their own work, which should represent their...
Curated OER
Artist Study Record
What pieces of art have your learners studied so far? You'd certainly know if they had been using a record sheet! Each record page is reserved for one artist, and pupils can write in painting names and related information. Also included...
Curated OER
Virtual Art Student: Sculpture
This is a big project, but lucky for you, the materials, steps, and additional notes are at-the-ready to make it a classroom possibility. Your class will sculpt a life-sized artist using steel brackets, plywood, chicken wire, and...
Curated OER
Canvas Folding Screen
Elementary, middle, and high schoolers design canvas folding screens; much like the ones that are so prevalent in Asian homes. Be warned that this art instructional activity requires a lot of materials, so it will be expensive to...
Memorial Art Gallery
Art Alive! - Beach at Blue Point
And then what happened? Class members engage in a series of activities that model for them how to read the story in a painting. Participants respond to questions that ask them to closely examine the elements in William Glackens' "Beach...
Memorial Art Gallery
Art Alive! - Towing a Boat, Honfleur
Color, light and shadow, the placement and size of objects. These are some of the tools artists used to tell their stories. Model for learners how to read a painting by closely examining these features. The richly detailed packet...
Dick Blick Art Materials
Egg-Stra Easy Watercolor “Crunch”
It doesn't have to be Easter to enjoy this egg-stra fun art project. Kids crunch egg shells, saturate them with color, and glue them to boxes or other objects to make egg-stra special gifts.
Curated OER
Using the Internet - Art and Design
An interesting resource that might work best in an upper level art course, this handout provides a list of nine websites where young artists can read and study about all forms of art. These online resources range from a dictionary of...
Art Institute of Chicago
Act It Out
Examine two works of art and use these pieces as inspiration for dialogues. The whole class discusses Renoir's Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise and Toulouse-Lautrec's At the Moulin Rouge. Then, in groups of either three or ten, pupils...
Curated OER
Cardboard Art
Have your class view images of cardboard art by the artist Berni Valenta. The brief presentation could be used as a source of inspiration for budding artists; especially those who are going to try to produce a piece of cardboard art...
National Gallery of Canada
Who Am I?
Connect design elements and principles to identity a culture with a discussion and related art activity. After analyzing artwork in relation to design, class members talk about personal and cultural identity. Using items that represent...
National Gallery of Canada
Reinventing the World
After examining and discussing Guy Ben-Ner's Treehouse Kit, a contemporary art installation with a sculptural and video element, small groups work together to create short silent films. The films should be built around a particular topic...
Curated OER
Intro to Art
Learners explore illusions by drawing and viewing images in class. In this art perspective lesson plan, students analyze a skeleton outline drawing which demonstrates the ability to draw in a two point perspective. Learners utilize the...