Describes a two-part unit for middle school students that focuses on gesture. Students (1) create puppets using oak tag and brass fasteners, (2) trace the gesturing puppets into a drawing, and (3) decorate the puppets they originally created. (CMK)

Provides historical background on the ancient Hohokam people. Provides an art activity in which fifth grade students create effigy vessels based on their study of the Hohokam. Describes the process. Explains that students develop clay modeling skills and an appreciation for Hohokam culture. (CMK)

Presents a project in which students used the modeling compound called Sculpey to create miniature creatures called "wee folk". States that the project students were required to learn two new techniques: (1) working in stages; and (2) using round wooden toothpicks as primary tools. (CMK)

Describes an art project where students used excelsior, shredded wood used for packing, to create animals. Explains that excelsior can be found at furniture and grocery stores. Discusses in detail the process of making the animals and includes learning objectives. (CMK)

Describes a second-grade art activity called "The Name Game" in which the students create letter people around the letters of their names. Helps teachers and students get acquainted at the beginning of a new year. Explains that students review old art concepts while simultaneously learning new ones. Provides directions, diagrams, and specifies…

Describes a lesson for third-grade students that begins with an examination of bird prints done by John James Audubon and moves into the students creating their own torn paper birds. Introduces the students to the beauty of birds and focuses on the environmental issues that face birds and their habitats. (CMK)

Describes a project designed to enhance the development of preschool children's aesthetic awareness. Explores how the project presented strategies and materials that can be readily incorporated into the curriculum for any group of young children. Strategies included focusing children's observations; making art happen; and expanding artistic…

Describes an activity for first-grade students in which they learn about cave paintings and become spelunkers, or people who explore caves as a hobby, making their own paper head-lanterns. Explains that students draw animals on the walls of their "cave" (a dark hallway lined with brown kraft paper). (CMK)

Focuses on the importance of stickers in the creative life of children. Explores children's use of stickers as decorations in bedrooms, on school supplies, on clothes, and on bodies. Discusses "sticker surveys" that lead to talk about stickers and art. Explores the use of stickers in an art class. (CMK)

Describes a two-part art activity in which second-grade students first create self-portrait puppets of themselves as band members and then create another portrait puppet in the Cubist style of Pablo Picasso. Explains that the activity enables students to compare realistic and abstract styles. Includes learning objectives. (CMK)

Discusses how experiences with water provide children with opportunities to be artists. Describes different types of water play for children. Believes that experiences with water introduce children to the principles of painting. (CMK)

Storytelling has cultural roots and this can be employed to teach a culturally pluralistic curriculum. Stories can be selected from a variety of sources and used to match lesson objectives. Criteria for selecting stories should include the authenticity of cultural representation, the amount of cultural information, appropriateness, and the…

An interdisciplinary social studies/art project involving elementary students in studying the local architecture of Woodbury, Connecticut, and sharing their experiences through murals and bulletin boards is described. How baseboard covering can be used as a block printing material is discussed. A lithography printing technique for use in secondary…

To have more contact with children who particularly desired her help, an itinerant art teacher set up a box in each school where students could voluntarily leave their artwork for her to comment on and return later. The week's outstanding products were displayed in the cafeteria "art gallery." (SJL)

Presents an art lesson used when teaching about North American Indians to fourth- and fifth-grade students. Explains that the students learn how to make baskets using a coil-wrap technique with colored yarns and beads. Provides a step-by-step explanation of how to create the baskets. (CMK)