Based on the notion that visual decisions play an important role in what children recognize and interpret in books and that teachers have a special responsibility to help students become visually literate, this article draws parallels between visual and verbal concepts and suggests some activities for teaching "picture reading" skills in the…

Proposes ways for teachers to integrate visual literacy into the curriculum in order for young people to understand the visual culture they live in. Examples use children's books to explore stereotypes, reading images, artistic style, visual accuracy, and comparisons between books and the audiovisual products upon which they are based. (EM)

The first step in learning to appreciate art is learning to classify a work according to its primary purpose. The artist creates art for one of three reasons: to recreate the physical world (Imitationalism); to express an idea or feeling (Emotionalism); or to create an interesting design (Formalism). A classified work may then be critiqued by: (1)…

This research indicates that art education can help develop visual perceptual abilities which can be applied to all areas of learning. Skills in visual perception developed through the study of art will help integrate subject areas. The study organized research and information that emphasized the redefinition of art in the elementary school…

Offers eight projects and activities designed to make elementary students wiser television viewers and better thinkers. The activities help students get more out of television, determine what is questionable, and develop visual literacy and thinking skills. Children become active consumers of television and other visual media. (SM)

This handbook, written for teachers, art teachers, and parents of young children, describes actual elementary school classroom experiences. Each anecdote is juxtaposed with a simple explanation of its philosophical and psychological rationale. Symbolic representation of the environment through art making is seen as a natural language, a…

Presents activities to help teachers address the needs and behaviors of students raised on television; includes resources to help teachers use television productively in the classroom, a send-home reproducible on children and television violence, and notes on an interview with Shari Lewis and television tips for primary students. (SM)

The teaching activities presented in this document focus on teaching students the language of science through reading and writing. The first activity engages students in writing everything they know about a particular science topic, devising questions for further study, reading and gathering information to answer the questions, developing specific…

Results of a summer training seminar for elementary art teachers showed that students taught by teachers trained in aesthetic education demonstrate a measurable increase in their sensitivity to aesthetic stimuli. The seminar is described and the evaluation results are discussed. (RM)

Picture books are useful tools for teaching many abstract and complex concepts of the social studies at the elementary level. They allow students to develop visual literacy through sustained viewing time necessary for exploration, critique, and reflection on the images portrayed. Numerous examples of picture books are presented to support such…

Reviews and recommends a series of books using picture postcards to trace a geographical journey. The geographical regions include France, Mexico, Canada, Russia, and the United States. The books introduce young readers to different geographic locations and ways of life. (MJP)

Works of visual art contain an inner dynamism and energy that an individual's perceptual apparatus can translate into kinesthetic impressions, movement, and sound. Through this translation, a child's natural energies can interact with the artwork through multiple sensory experiences, enriching art appreciation. After a brief examination of the…

Describes the efforts of one elementary art class to move beyond the limits of formalism when examining and discussing art. Guided by the teacher, the class attempted a critical deconstruction of the work of Edgar Degas focusing on his depiction of working class women. Includes three reproductions of Degas works. (MJP)

Provides a rationale and lesson plan for incorporating geography and art at the K-4 level. The lesson plan features a landscape painting by George Innes, a simplified chronology of his life, as well as a template of questions about the artist and the spatial significance of the painting. (MJP)

Provides evidence that sixth-grade students are capable of considerable art historical understanding. Suggests that second-grade students are able to incorporate knowledge of individual artists, and some limited historical perspective, in their consideration of artworks. Includes assessment instrument and statistical tables. (MJP)