It's easy to see the connections between science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) in daily life, but they may not be so obvious in the classroom. This month's lessons allow students to explore the components of STEAM through a favorite art supply, the crayon, and a beloved American tradition, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day…

There is a lot of creative energy between students and their art materials. In this lesson, the author discusses materials an artist may use to create a work of art--paint, a paintbrush, a palette, crayons, markers, pastels, and so on. Each student sketched a picture of themselves holding some tools that can be used in art. The objectives of this…

Presents an art activity in which first grade students draw dinosaurs in order to learn about the concept of warm and cool colors. Explains how the activity also helped the students learn about the concept of distance when drawing. (CMK)

Describes an art lesson in which first grade students learned to reproduce the three-dimensional world on two-dimensional paper, creating a landscape through a telescopic perspective. Explains that students first learn about landscapes. Discusses the process of making telescopic drawings. (CMK)

Presents an activity that used the book "The Rainbow Fish" by Marcus Pfister as a means to introducing the project in which first-grade students created a picture of a fish. Explains how the students practice following step-by-step directions by the teacher. (CMK)

Describes an art project that was used with first grade students in which they learn about Vincent van Gogh's style of painting. Explains that the children learn to create circles and straight lines and how to fill in with color. (CMK)

Presents an art activity that enables first-grade students to learn about color mixing by driving toys trucks through paint. Explains that the students created rainbow fish and drew the background with crayons. States that this activity demonstrates how to utilize nontraditional tools or objects when creating art. (CMK)

Presents an art activity for first grade that uses multicolor scratch paper. Explains that students make scratch-drawings of bird nests, then, as a class, discuss types of birds and bird positions (such as sitting or flying), and finally each creates a bird to add to the nest. (CMK)

Discusses two activities based on the paintings of Paul Klee who used simple lines, bright colors, and happy subjects within his artwork. Explains that in the kindergarten activity, the students practice line drawing and looking at tree forms as well as painting; the first grade activity focuses on the abstract cubist style. (CMK)

Describes an art activity for first-grade students in which the students draw their own still-life pictures, using teddy bears and balls as the subject matter. Explains that the students must include three objects, a line for the table, and overlap the shapes. (CMK)

Explains that relief sculpture is three-dimensional and flat along the back with forms and figures projecting from the front. Describes an art activity for first- and second-grade students and another for middle school students to make relief sculptures focusing on the theme of architecture, and specifically, houses. (CMK)

Describes how to make tunnel books, which are viewed by looking into a "tunnel" created by accordion-folded expanding sides. Suggests possible themes. Describes how to create a walk-through tunnel book for first grade students. (CMK)