Given the unavoidable prevalence of death in the world, the author writes that she finds it interesting that teachers devote little if any class time to the topic of grief. Teachers often avoid talking about recent losses, cloak death in metaphors and euphemisms, and feel discomfort around grieving students. Yet death still comes to classrooms.…

Today's global digital culture not only engages young people in daily consumption of visual images, texts, and artifacts, but also provides them with the tools to actively participate in the production of imagery and narratives. Whether they post a picture on Facebook, create a blog, or make a YouTube video with their peers, they engage in what…

In this article, the author examines how art educators can create narrators of art history rather than those who ascribe truth to the opinion of a few. She presents a series of tangible classroom activities that will potentially help art history become meaningful to students' lives. The author states that students have a right to access art…

This article describes a series of public space projects based on the contemporary practice of interventionist artists who seek to creatively transform spaces and disrupt the ritual of the everyday. Two of the four public space projects were planned for school spaces: (1) a mock marathon during class transitions ("Monthly Meeting Marathon"); and…

Provides a lesson to familiarize students in grades four-six with the many ways that artists use the technique of collage. Students observe and discuss ways artists make use of materials other than paint on canvas. Examines how the introduction of foreign materials to a surface affects the illusion of space. (LS)

Describes a lesson that shows high school students a work of art derived from literature, acquainting them with methods an artist can use to present a story in visual form. Students discuss how Anthony van Dyck controlled and manipulated light, color, gesture, and composition in his painting to depict a moment from literature. (LS)

Provides a lesson for grades four-six that develops students' ability to analyze a piece of furniture as a work of art which reflects the historical, social, and artistic values of the society that produced it. Students design their own chair based on the user's lifestyle, the chair's precise use and location, and the materials used. (LS)

Presents a lesson that introduces students in grades K-three to sources of design inspiration in contemporary urban settings. Using Don Eddy's painting of a jewelry store window display, asks students to describe and analyze the interplay of shape, pattern, and color. Suggests studio activities, including an activity in which students build a…

Inquiry-based classroom activities require students to solve problems and answer questions that have more than one possible resolution. These types of activities stimulate critical thinking skills and dispositions in students. PreK-12 art classrooms are rich with opportunity for inquiry-based activities for children and adolescents. This article…

Examines the use of holography in the art technology program of a junior high school. Characterizing holography as a valuable artistic experience and discovery experience and stressing the importance of student interest and involvement, the author discusses the necessary equipment for the project and includes two diagrams of a holographic setup.…

Points out that the word "style" can mean how an object is designed or how to identify a particular artist, group, culture, or movement. Illustrates four artworks from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Provides background information and questions for students to analyze, interpret, and create artwork. (KM)

Presents a lesson plan which uses a "haniwa" figure of a horse to introduce K-3 students to Japanese ceramic sculpture. Includes student objectives and background information on the Kofun Period in Japan (250-552 A.D.). Presents instructional strategies, evaluation criteria, and a photograph of the sculpture. (GEA)

Presents a lesson that introduces students in grades K-three to medieval tapestry and how tapestries can symbolically communicate stories. Students design their own tapestry based on an allegory written by the class. Provides background information, instructional strategies, and activities for student evaluation. (LS)

Provides a lesson plan for teaching K-three students to analyze and empathize with a portrait by post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh. Describes background of the artist and the painting "The Postman Roulin." Suggests instructional strategies, activities, and evaluation methods. Lists bibliographical material relative to van…

Describes a lesson plan that introduces students in grades 10-12 to the decorative arts as a vehicle for exploring the cultural framework as a means of communicating various aspects of the human experience. Students design a story cloth based on a visual symbol they have developed to represent a human issue such as famine or war. (LS)