Art reflects the ideas, experiences, spirit, and hopes of those who create it. It is through art works that students can see a visual record of how men and women lived and thought throughout history and across cultures. This instructional resource includes 52 transparencies, accompanying teaching strategies, and student worksheets which are…

This teacher's guide accompanies a packet of five art reproductions based on portraits as a theme. The guide offers suggestions for engaging children's attention and curiosity about art and artists, and encourages exploration of the issues these works present through art activities, discussions, learning centers, field trips, and other experiences…

Offers an art lesson designed to introduce junior high school students to a Shiva sculpture and to Hindu symbolism. The lesson is based on a full-color photograph of a 500 year-old bronze sculpture entitled Shiva Nataraja, King of Dancers. (BR)

The Edo period in Japan (1615-1868) saw the flowering of many forms of cultural expression, colorful and boisterous, muted and restrained, that today is thought of as typically Japanese. These include kabuki and no drama, the tea ceremony, martial arts, woodblock prints, and porcelain. This culturally diverse and vibrant period gets its name from…

Describes how art activities can create a comfortable atmosphere of valuing diversity without spotlighting the culturally different child. Guidelines are offered for using folk arts, art history, children's literature, and small-group activities. (RH)

Recommended activities include: (1) etymology exercises for elementary school students; (2) a search for information about Alexander the Great; (3) monthly inspections of the school yard to observe environmental changes; and (4) an art history unit on Cro-Magnon cave drawings. An interdisciplinary unit on transportation is included. (PP)

Presents background information about the artist El Greco. Focuses on his painting of Saint Peter,"The Penitent Saint Peter," chosen because of the facial expression and body language. Includes a reproduction of the painting and information about the painting. (CMK)

Discusses the role of the square in art and explains that students can study modern art. Includes background information and artwork by four artists: (1) Richard Anuszkiewicz; (2) Victor Vasarely; (3) Frank Stella; and (4) Bridget Riley. (CMK)

Focuses on the use of the art technique called watergraph in which students use watercolor to paint over photographs. Provides three examples of how teachers used this process with their students, including creating self portraits inspired by the work of Edgar Degas. (CMK)

Presents an activity where students select a social problem or cause and then create a poster to express something about the problem. States that students first learn about the history of posters. Includes learning objectives and an additional activity. (CMK)

Provides historical background on mosaics. Describes an art activity in which students create their own mosaics. Discusses what the students can use as material to make the project much more cost effective and explains the process of creating the mosaics in detail. (CMK)

Presents an activity in which elementary students reproduce the artwork, "The Goldfish Bowl," that was originally created by Henri Matisse. Explains that the students utilize the same art technique that Matisse used: decoupage. Discusses the process of creating the artwork in detail. (CMK)

Introduces the "2002-03 Clip and Save Art Prints." Explains that these articles focus on facial expressions. Provides background information on the topic and explains the structure of the articles. Includes three examples of interpretations of facial expressions. (CMK)

Provides information on monoprints, describing the process of creating monoprints, the various uses of monoprints, historical information on monoprints, ideas about variations of this process, and printmaking artists. Includes teaching suggestions and learning objectives. (CMK)

Describes what occurred during an "Art Exchange Day" between two high schools that offered students access to varying viewpoints about art. Explains how the students created their own artworks of cakes and other desserts, inspired by the work of Wayne Thiebaud. Includes examples. (CMK)