In this article, the authors describe how mathematics teachers and art teachers were able to enthusiastically engage seventh- and eighth-grade students in an interdisciplinary activity focused on scaling, proportional reasoning, and measurement by recreating artwork on a famous private collection. Using the artwork from The Barnes Foundation in…

The purpose of this research was to explore the impact of an online-learning component incorporating peer discussion groups on art achievement, digital literacy practice, student engagement, and student attitude of an eighth-grade visual arts classroom. Participants included 30 students in two 8th-grade art classes. Students in one class received…

The fun of creating collages is there are unlimited possibilities for the different kinds of materials one can use. In this article, the author describes how her eighth-grade students created an owl using mixed media.

In this article, the author describes 8 Tags, a project that she used with her eighth-grade studio art students to encourage them to come up with original and creative solutions to an assignment. She also wanted to incorporate their knowledge of the elements of art and principles of design. In this project, students were challenged to create an…

Art teachers are constantly seeking innovative ideas, approaches and media to incorporate into fresh and inspiring lessons. In this article, the author describes how her class created relief or mosaic-like self-portraits by gluing or attaching multiples of any chosen objects or materials onto a surface.

Helping students learn how to interpret and analyze imagery is an important skill. With last year's historical election of the first African American president, it was an opportune time to explore where Americans are going as a nation and what kind of future they envision. Middle-school students are eager to give their opinions, but learning to…

The news is sometimes frightening, but reacting to a disaster in a positive way empowers students to make a difference. On January 12, 2010, a catastrophic earthquake occurred in Haiti. An estimated three million people were affected and an estimated 230,000 people died. In response to this tragic event, the author's eighth-grade class viewed and…

Creating an appreciation of art history in her junior-high students has always been one of the author's greatest challenges as an art teacher. In this article, the author describes how her eighth-grade students re-created a famous work of art--piece by piece, like a puzzle or a stained-glass window--out of construction paper. (Contains 1 resource.)

Manurewa Intermediate students were given an experience only the arts can provide as they collaboratively researched, responded to and celebrated a school mural project. The mural project was initiated by Shane Hansen through the Principal Iain Taylor and coordinated by Dianne Macdonald, a Professional Learning Leader at Manurewa Intermediate…

The author of this article describes how her eighth grade art students heighten their awareness of differences between their public self and their inner self by: manipulating water bottles to create sculptural self-portraits; constructing armatures of the generic person in "The Scream" by Edward Munch; finding and collecting examples of images and…

Public art takes many forms, including commemorative sculptures, site-specific works, and collaborative murals. Additionally, public art can beautify an urban environment or raise awareness of social issues. Public works of art are a form of discourse and open conversations and dialogue, helping communities work toward unity and empowerment. Using…

In this article, the author relates how he and his class outlined a plan for a public artwork project to be displayed in their community. The author discusses how he asked his students during the course of making the project to reflect on the following: (1) Who am I?; (2) Who are middle-school students?; and (3) What does collaboration look like?…