Creating a collage can be an effective way to help elementary children develop good compositional habits, drawing skills, and confidence. Students first gather pictures and photographs and create a collage. They then create a work of art from the collage, by drawing and painting it. (RM)

Techniques are presented to get children thinking about their body motions, thereby increasing the expressiveness of their drawings. (RM)

Third in the Mighty Easy Motivators series, this book is a hands-on guide to crafts for pre-school and grade school children to engage in during the literature program, after-school activities, or playtime. The programs in the book meet two objectives: introducing children to exciting new stories and poems and helping them create a story-related…

The authors suggest using graphic dialog--an adult and child drawing together and discussing their work--as a way of developing children's graphic skill. They illustrate the procedure through case studies and note that graphic dialogs between two children can also be effective. (SJL)

Discusses two broad stages of children's drawing--scribbling and representation--and the phases of each stage that children will pass through as they develop. Provides suggestions for supporting children's early drawing development. (HTH)

Presented are techniques that elementary and secondary art teachers can use to help students evaluate their own works of art. These include mapping and diagramming, tracings, coverings, cutting apart and placing together, estimating, framing, enlarging and reducing, simplification and elaboration, projecting, playful tools, celebrations and…

Described is an art activity in which sixth graders were asked to draw something that they hear. The children created aural pictures that were truly inventive personal interpretations. (RM)

How second graders made three-dimensional forms using construction paper scraps is described. (RM)

Thirteen ideas for using paper bags for class art activities are given. Directions for making bag barracudas, bionic bags, bigfoot bags, bag sculptures, bag beads, and body bag superstars are included. (PP)

Described is a method of tapping students' creative potential in art: the Spontaneous Response Drawing. SRD consists of drawing with a single line, usually with crayons or colored felt tip pens on a large sheet of paper. (KC)

Presents three drawing/writing activities for primary grades: telling picture stories, attaching words to picture stories, and (for older primary students), interpreting writing through art. (SM)

Notes that reflection can support both teachers and students in the aftermath of a disaster. Examines the visual and written works of North Dakota and Minnesota children who were victims of the flooding of the Red River in 1997 as a representational way to gain a broad perspective on children's thinking about their experiences surrounding the…

Describes the origin of Swedish rya knotting and illustrates how it is done. Outlines a lesson plan to make a Swedish rya mat using weaving and knotting techniques. (KM)

Describes an art activity that (1) began with students interpreting slides of artworks by Chicago (Illinois) artists and (2) led to students creating artworks directly on slides. Explains that students included descriptions and meanings of their works. (CMK)

States that many art teachers see weaving as too simple to be used as an activity in the art classroom. Asserts that weaving does not have to be unimaginative and provides ideas for using weaving to give students an artistic experience. (CMK)