In the lesson described, the middle school students had been studying the artist Georgia O'Keeffe and the history of her work. Students enhanced their flower portraits by adding a matching border and connecting the lesson to other subject areas. Students dissected a flower and drew a small diagram of the flower and labeled the parts. This is an…

People nurture and protect environments they are connected to. Teachers can use their outdoor settings--rural, urban, or suburban--to develop and encourage children's appreciation and ownership of their natural environment. At the Silvio O. Conte Community School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, students and teachers are doing just that through a…

This article describes one classroom's experience with a unit of study that helped students connect their artistic experiences with their understanding of prehistoric times. The unit, culminating in a performance, involved three sixth-grade classes. The components of the thematic unit reinforced an understanding of the elements and principles of…

This article describes one classroom's experience engaging in a lesson that challenged introductory art students to design a functional ceramic clock in an art-historical style of their choice. The clocks were sculpted in low-relief so that the hands of the clockworks could move freely around the face of the clock. Students were given an…

This article offers ideas on using the center approach to teaching art. This approach involves dividing up one's classroom into different activity centers. The teacher discusses a typical scenario that could occur in a classroom. The class begins with an entire class lesson, followed by center time. The continuation of this article appears in the…

Presents the results of a statewide survey of Kansas art teachers. Teachers revealed that Discipline Based Art Education had little influence on them. Primary areas of concern were lack of funding and low status of art programs. Includes statistical analysis of the relationship between teaching experience, level of education, and teaching…

Presents a series of lesson plans and learning activities using discipline based art education principles to focus on four works by African American artists. The artists featured are Joshua Johnson, Horace Pippin, Alma Thomas, and Tom Miller. Includes a representative color plate of each artist's work. (MJP)

Reviews arguments against including content-rich art activities within the special education curriculum. Provides counterarguments for including such activities and reports on the work of a speech pathologist who used art activities. Discusses approaches and strategies for teaching children with behavior problems. (CFR)

Presents a sequential curriculum in design education focusing on product design embodying conceptual statements to guide instruction. Discusses conceptual statements for primary, intermediate, and middle school levels. Concludes that the study of design must be an integral part of the art curriculum. (CFR)

Examines the development and evolution of discipline-based art education (DBAE) from its inception in the early 1980s to its current practice. Maintains that the movement's success comes from the support and acceptance of educators in the field. Discusses the recent integration of DBAE and multicultural education. (MJP)

As professionals, arts education teachers must model ethical use both when working with students and when preparing materials for classroom use. This document provides arts educators with guiding principles for managing a classroom where they both model and teach appropriate, ethical behavior, in adherence to copyright policy, legislation, and the…

Accessible and hands-on yet grounded in research, this book addresses the "whats," "whys," and "how-tos" of integrating literacy instruction and the arts in grades K-8. Even teachers without any arts background will gain the skills they need to bring music, drama, visual arts, and dance into their classrooms. Provided are a wealth of specific…

The author explores the advantages and disadvantages of integrated curriculum in the middle school setting. She reviews several models for integrated curriculum and guidelines for creating a successful integrated curriculum. A ready-to-use middle school unit on the American Revolution is also presented. Nine complete lessons are provided for…

Provides four lesson plans using discipline-based art education techniques to examine the content and technique of a series of art works portraying Texas. The lesson plans use "mind mapping" (nonlinear visualization of a concept or idea easily linked to others). Includes background information on artists Bruno Andrade, Dennis Blagg,…

Observes that the focus and special quality of art education can sometimes be diluted in an interdisciplinary setting. Provides several examples and suggests creative and cooperative responses. Includes guidelines for maintaining quality art instruction in an interdisciplinary context. (MJP)