A teacher or art specialist who would like to initiate kite activities will draw confidence from beginning with proven, class-tested designs, easy to make and decorate, sure to fly, using inexpensive materials. Instructions for making a Vietnamese kite and a stapled sled kite are provided. (RM)

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

Presents an art lesson for elementary students using painter Claude Monet as an introduction to Impressionism. Discusses Monet and his artwork. Explains that the students copy Monet's painting "The House of Parliament, Sunset" in order to draw the contour or outline of the buildings. (CMK)

Three student projects using clay are discussed. These include a ceramic wall panel with an eagle motif, clay vessels formed by coiling clay, and clay puppets made with light bulbs as armatures. Instructions on materials, forming techniques, and finishing are given. (IS)

Explains a method of block printing using styrofoam shapes to make high relief. Describes the creation of the block design as well as the actual printing process. Uses a range of paper types for printing so children can see the results of using different media. (LS)

Discusses the use of the chalkboard as a surface for creating art and enabling young students to express their creativity. Explores different ways that art teachers can use chalkboards, such as for taking attendance, for use during a child's time-out, or a place to rehearse an artwork. (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)

Focuses on a second grade art lesson (two 40-minute class periods) in which students use stencils, oil pastels, and watercolors to create an impressionistic landscape. Discusses how to create the stencils, using oaktags, and how to create the picture. (CMK)

Explores the use of the random-weave basketry technique, addressing the supplies and equipment needed, getting started on the random-weave form, two different projects (organic birdhouses and theme baskets), project evaluation, and additional ways to integrate random-weave basketry into the art curriculum. (CMK)

Describes how children six years and older can create plaster friezes. Children were first shown examples and then drew plans before creating their own friezes. (KM)

States that paying attention to the mail children receive, the items that are contained, and how children prepare and send mail is an excellent lesson for art teachers interested in advancing the "mail arts" as an authentic form of child's art. Describes mail art as created by children. (CMK)

Describes a unit on lighthouses, originally a social studies unit, in which students participate in two art projects: (1) a lighthouse printmaking activity and (2) a scratch-etch activity using lighthouses. Describes the steps for printmaking and the process of creating scratch-etch drawings. (CMK)

Discusses the importance of designing settings for children that encourage hands-on creativity through play. Suggests the designs are art forms requiring a participatory art teaching style. Describes the technique and provides proven design ideas. (CMK)

Presents an art project, used in a culturally diverse curriculum, in which second grade students create Chinese New Year dragons. Describes the process of creating the dragons, from the two-week construction of the head to the accordion-folded bodies. (CMK)

Focuses on children as "wrapping artists," stating that a child's wrapping art includes elements of ritual: finding a special object, selecting and customizing the wrapper, and participating in the unwrapping event. Discusses surface decorating, the exploration of form through wrapping, and collecting wrapping-art. (CMK)