Curated OER
Sand Crabs
Students identify shapes to create sand crabs, and make colored sand for texture.
Smithsonian Institution
Dia de los Muertos: Celebrating and Remembering
Help scholars understand the history, geography, traditions, and art of Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. Find background information for your reference as well as a detailed cross-curricular lesson plan. Learners compare...
Agriculture in the Classroom
Making Half MyPlate Fruits and Vegetables
Establish healthy eating habits with a lesson focused around MyPlate's food recommendations and the importance of eating fruits and vegetables. Through class discussion and worksheet completion, scholars discuss the best choices of foods...
Dick Blick Art Materials
A.T.C. (Artist Trading Cards)
Trade 'em, flip 'em, save 'em. Yes, it's trading cards! Kids design their own artist trading cards, complete with images and stats.
Science Matters
A Model of Plate Faults
The San Andreas fault is one of the longest fault zones in the world. In a series of 20 lessons, the fourth lesson has pupils use a paper model to recreate various types of plate faults. Each is held in position then drawn into a science...
Curated OER
Kites!
Let's go fly a kite! Little learners cut, glue, color, and design kites from a variety of materials. The step-by-step instructions are included along with three wonderful book recommendations. Tip: This project could easily be...
Dick Blick Art Materials
Peace Windows
Peace, love, tolerance, faith. Marc Chagall's Peace Window in the United Nations World Headquarters serves as a model for young artists as they create their own peace-themed transparent paintings. A great activity for both SPED and...
Curated OER
Telling Stories About Ourselves
Students discover how visual images communicate meaning. They create costumes that tell personal stories and perform dances wearing the costumes.
Curated OER
Paper Flowers
Here is a great art project to use at the onset of spring. Little ones use paper towels, tempera paint, and glue to create free-form flowers. Tip: Use this idea to make the front of a Mother's Day card.
Curated OER
Peace Posters
Students focus on a theme to create a poster or collage. In this theme based art project, students communicate their peace theme through drawings to communicate their present feeling and ideas. Students learn the emotions conveyed in the...
Curated OER
My Summer Vacation: Traveling
A classic lesson idea, kindergarteners share stories about their summer vacations on their first day of school! First, your young learners will listen to you talk about your summer vacation, making sure to use plenty of visual aids. Then...
Curated OER
The Learning Book
First graders identify, comprehend, and evaluate the content and artistic aspects of oral and visual presentations. Then they participate in formal and informal presentations and discussions of issues and ideas. Students also create...
North Carolina Standard Curriculum
Rhythm Counting
Understanding time signatures and rhythm counting are two very important parts of playing an instrument well. Here are three basic lessons rolled into one that prompt upper graders to play their instruments with care. They'll practice...
Curated OER
Color Twist Game
Create your own version of Twister with this step-by-step lesson plan. Materials include canvas, acrylics, poster board, compass, and foam paint brushes. This is a fun art project that will also provide lots of activity and laughs!
Curated OER
Planet Dance
High schoolers examine Anna Halprin's philosophies and choreography and perform one of her Planet Dances. They find a site that inspires them to create a dance based on the environment's design, levels, textures, and atmosphere.
Curated OER
Building Vocabulary
Decode and acquire new vocabulary! Readers use new vocabulary in their writing and use synonyms to determine meanings. Visual learners label pictures and group words together to increase understanding.
Curated OER
Thirty-Second Look
Students articulate why more than 30 seconds is required to examine a work of art, in order to gain an understanding of it. They give reasons why discussing a work of art increases their understanding of it.
Curated OER
The Bear Facts
Students explore various kinds of bears and gather information about them. In this research and habitats instructional activity, students chart their bear information on large posters with illustrations of their bears. Students map the...
Curated OER
Texture With Chemical Reactions
Students explore the use of different textures in watercolor paintings in this late-elementary lesson plan. Emphasis is placed upon the art element of texture using the science of chemical reaction. The lesson plan includes one...
Curated OER
Draw Like an Egyptian
Students craft their own Egyptian art. In this ancient Egyptian art instructional activity, students explore Egyptian art and create their own work following the 4 guidelines presented in the instructional activity.
Curated OER
They Put On Masks
Eighth graders examine Native American art. In this mask making lesson, 8th graders compare mask making traditions among different cultures. Students watch a demonstration of mask making and construct a mask of their own.
Curated OER
A Chair For My Mother
Learners create art inspired by literature. In this literature instructional activity, students read A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams and then design cards and draw gifts they would present to new neighbors.
Curated OER
Storybook Art
Students read the book Swimmy, by Leo Lionni. They study his method of illustrating and then create an underwater scene of their own using the same method.
Curated OER
Leprechaun Dust
Learners make "leprechaun dust" in this short art lesson using Jello instant pistachio pudding, small jars, milk, and spoons. Ideal for celebrating St. Patrick's Day with early-elementary students. Can be combined with the reading of a...