The sixth-grade art curriculum includes world cultures and the art-history timeline. This lesson was created as the authors were developing relevant projects. They also presented it at an Ohio Art Education Association fall conference as part of their thematic unit, "Art of the Himalayas." As teachers, they were fascinated by the annual…

Miriam Schapiro (b. 1923) is that rarity: a famous, living woman artist. In trying to reinforce the idea of contemporary women in art, the author chose to introduce her sixth-graders to Schapiro's work. In this article, the author describes how her students created dancing figures which were inspired by Schapiro's series of "Rondo" dancers.

This article describes a lesson on Schapiro Shapes. Schapiro Shapes is based on the art of Miriam Schapiro, who created a number of works of figures in action. Using the basic concepts of this project, students learn to create their own figures and styles. (Contains 1 online resource.)

Most art teachers would agree that architecture is an important form of visual art, but they do not always include it in their curriculums. In this article, the authors share core ideas from "Architecture and Environment," a teaching resource that they developed out of a long-term interest in teaching architecture and their fascination with the…

Public art takes many forms, including commemorative sculptures, site-specific works, and collaborative murals. Additionally, public art can beautify an urban environment or raise awareness of social issues. Public works of art are a form of discourse and open conversations and dialogue, helping communities work toward unity and empowerment. Using…

Preparation is vital to the success of any journey, especially when one is dealing with a faraway land and 700 sixth graders. Creating a virtual journey to Africa, the author describes an art lesson plan for sixth graders focusing on life on the Serengeti, by having students create tissue paper collages through a three-stage project. (Contains 1…

A Mrs. Jefferson, a sixth-grade lead science teacher, wandered through her students' art show, she enjoyed the creative drawings that her students did in art class. Next year, due to budget cuts, the art teacher would be shared with several other schools and would not have time for weekly art classes for every grade. The principal understood the…

Teaching about Native artworks as part of school arts curriculum can serve to pass on traditional ecological knowledge while also contextualizing colonialism's influence on traditional and contemporary Native arts practices. This article explores how schools can actively engage in community arts partnerships with American Indians who have…