Ed Willis Barnett had quite a military training: he attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, (1917 to 1920) and served in both World Wars. He was also an accomplished fencer, and earned a position on the 1928 U.S. Olympic fencing team. That year the summer Olympics were held in Amsterdam, so he traveled to Europe for the…

Diversity is a concept teachers share with their students every day, teaching them to respect, admire and celebrate the uniqueness that makes everyone special. In this article, the author describes how to make early elementary multimedia self-portraits which are a wonderful way to visually exhibit the diversity of each school. When displayed, they…

Rick Beck works in cast glass; his large-scale work ranges in scale from 15 inches to around 7 feet tall. His medium--glass--makes the scale of Beck's pieces very impressive. He is probably best-known for his oversized cast glass sculptures of common hardware: nuts, bolts, screws, measuring spoons, saws, eating utensils, eye hooks, wing nuts and…

The 20th of January 2009, will always be known as the date of the inauguration of the first African-American President of the United States. The journey--historically, socially and emotionally--has been a long one. The story of race relations in America, from exploitation to excellence, has been told by many in various forms, from song and dance…

Presents an art lesson for eighth-grade students in which they created their own architectural structures. Stresses a strong discipline-based introduction using slide shows of famous buildings, large metropolitan cities, and 35,00 years of homes. Reports the lesson spanned two weeks. Includes a diagram, directions, and specifies materials. (CMK)

Offers a fifth-grade art lesson on lighthouses prompted by reading Arielle North Olson's "The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter" during a language-arts lesson. Reports that the students made a two-dimensional and a three-dimensional project. States that the students were excited about conveying their ideas using two different media. Explains…

Presents an art activity in which the students engrave white lines into black by scratching away the surface of a prepared ink facing to make scratchboard drawings. Discusses the different types of scratchboard, explains how students can make scratchboard themselves, and describes the process of drawing on scratchboard in detail. (CMK)

Presents a printmaking project that enables students to work with lines and shapes by having them create tile designs on Scratch-Foam Board. Explains that the shape of the combined four tiles should be a pinwheel while the design on one corner of each tile should connect forming a design within itself. (CMK)

Presents an elementary art activity that successfully teaches the process of slabbing by having students create fishbowl plaques. Explains the process step-by-step beginning with a demonstration to the students along with showing previous examples. Endorses a type of clay that fires white because the glaze colors are much more vibrant. (CMK)

Describes a lesson in which students drew their own self-portraits following three criteria: (1) use mixed media; (2) emphasize expressiveness of facial features; and (3) focus on the eyes. Asserts that students were not allowed to use an opaque projector or copy from photographs. Reports the students had difficulty drawing the planes of their…

Discusses an art exhibit, "The Age of Armor," presented by the Higgins Armory Museum (Worcester, Massachusetts). Includes the itinerary for the exhibit. Provides background information on armor as an artform and examples of armor. (CMK)

Presents an interview with Jude Odell, a clay artist and art teacher, in which she discusses her educational background, her experience with teaching, and her career as a ceramic artist. Includes a lesson for creating a figurative goblet. (CMK)

Provides background information on the life and career of Gerald Brockhurst, an artist known for his etchings. Includes information on his etchings. Describes the travelling exhibition of Brockhurst's etchings "Gerald Leslie Brockhurst: Etchings from the William P. Brumfield Memorial Collection." (CMK)

Describes an advanced elementary art project that was inspired by a fountain. Explains that the students created water fountains for tabletop display using hand building clay and glazing techniques. States that students selected a design based upon their abilities. (CMK)

Discusses the use of sketches and maquettes (idea models usually made of clay) as a preparatory method for a final artwork. Suggests ways to teach students about the importance of planning an artwork. Discusses the sketches and maquettes of sculptural pieces by Henry Moore, Constantin Brancusi, and Antoine Pevsner. (CMK)