Teaching art at the elementary level provides the student and the teacher with the opportunity to develop artistic skills and enhance awareness of the world and its varied cultures. Art provides the chance to gain an appreciation of the various styles of art and artists. Art education allows for students' individual growth; unique, valuable…

Ranger Rick's NatureScope is a creative education series dedicated to inspiring in children an understanding and appreciation of the natural world while developing the skills they will need to make responsible decisions about the environment. Contents are organized into the following sections: (1) "What Makes an Insect an Insect?,"…

Considers the ways in which the processes involved in learning to read are inherent in art and music experiences; discusses visual arts activities as catalysts for vocabulary development, sensory control, and close observation; and provides an overview of such music activities as folk singing as motivaters for reading. (JL)

Discusses how an open door policy of an artist's workshop and school classrooms can facilitate connections between art and writing, reading, and science. Describes how classroom teachers receive memos detailing the workshop routine and observe the workshop while the art teacher observes classroom activities. Describes how a "Community of Teachers…

Illustrates imaginative approaches to drawing that encourages children's line interests, line collections, and line markings, and helps children to see art everywhere with drawing possibilities in everything. Includes ideas for inventing line making tools and drawing machines, for using new approaches, or treating drawing surfaces and tools in…

The pumpkin is the theme for a collection of classroom activities which teachers can integrate into the language arts, science, social studies, math, and art curriculums. Many activities were suggested by classroom teachers. (IAH)

It is possible to connect art and language arts using traditional Japanese art. After explaining the Japanese art forms of Haiku poetry and sumi-e painting, the article describes a project in which students write haiku on special paper then illustrate their poems with gung and shey strokes. (SM)

Discusses ways that arts and crafts can be integrated into content learning activities. Describes activities in a unit on animals in winter, noting that arts and crafts present an opportunity for children to demonstrate learning in new ways. (JW)

Explains how proper preparation, including giving students specific tasks to accomplish, helps focus a museum or sculpture garden visit. Outlines two basic ways that a teacher might organize a tour: (1) by showing a progression from figurative to abstract sculpture, and (2) by discussing design concepts. Includes pictures of four sculptures,…

Describes a local history project undertaken by fourth graders at Trumansburg Elementary School in Trumansburg, New York. Students studied the architecture of the village by visiting historical structures, sketching buildings, constructing three-dimensional models, and visiting a living history village. (MDM)

Explains how teachers can use graphs and graphing concepts when teaching art, language arts, history, social studies, and science. Students can graph the lifespans of the Ninja Turtles' Renaissance namesakes (Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci) or world population growth. (MDM)

Describes a schoolwide parade that was the culminating event of a three-week unit of study into the world of masks by elementary students. Unit emphasized the use of exaggeration, repetition, and symmetry in maskmaking. Provides examples of student work. (DB)

Examines studies, especially those of Viktor Lowenfeld, which suggest that coloring books are harmful to the creative expression of children. Proposes an alternative hypothesis that views coloring books as useful teaching tools to help children understand and appreciate art. Calls for further research into the issue. (KM)

An activity book to help elementary teachers and students explore the environment offers information and questions about spaceships; an ecology primer and poster with questions; information on animal adaptation with poster and questions; ecological and dramatic arts projects; a script for performance; and suggestions to make Earth Day celebrations…

Discusses how children's picture books can be used by the media specialist and in collaboration with the art teacher to engage children in artistic, imaginative activities. Presents an annotated bibliography of picture books which could be followed up with art activities in the library, classroom, art room, or at home. (AEF)