Describes an art activity in which ninth-grade students developed a graphic language from the system of symbols used in sign language. Students learned to sign, practiced with deaf students, and experimented with mirroring hand movements graphically. The exercise increased student awareness of rhythm and visual cues in nonverbal communication. (AM)

Under guidelines prepared by Sol LeWitt, an artist, students prepared wall murals in a team effort which included public school students, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Lauder Foundation, and the administrators of the art program in the New York City Schools. (KC)

Believing that adolescents need to explore their feelings about life and their fantasies about death, an art teacher was prompted to use a human skeleton as a still life subject. The success of this art project is described. (KC)

This introduction to an issue devoted to the arts in secondary education raises the question of the justification of the arts in a cost-conscious, job-oriented school system and offers evidence of the positive impact of arts programs. (JM)

This statewide survey of secondary school principals in Virginia focused on administrator perceptions of arts education. More than 92 percent agreed with the concept of arts education, the goals and objectives of a comprehensive program, and the proposed criteria for an effective program. (Author/LD)

Following the comprehensive, systematic, curriculum-driven Discipline-Based Art Education approach should help erase many problems plaguing secondary level art education. Although developing a DBAE program is time- and energy-consuming, improvements in student motivation, learning, and aesthetic judgment justify these efforts. Includes five…

Discusses the project Learning to See which is concerned with the aesthetic and design aspects of environmental study. Focuses on research work in the schools that is based on environmental experience. Presents a five-point plan for art and design relative to environmental study. (KO)

The Arts Director of the Model Secondary School for the Deaf at Gallaudet University offers guidelines for recruiting support for an arts program. The importance of demonstrating easily attainable initial goals and positive presentation is stressed. Guidelines include obtaining administrative support, using volunteers, finding creative funding,…

This article provides examples of ways to implement an arts program consistent with a model of talent development for diverse groups of students. The process-oriented approach emphasizes role modeling and the necessity for teachers who can function as artists themselves. Tips for class structure, curriculum, and scheduling are also provided. (PB)

Examines the rationale and related research supporting inclusion of the arts in secondary English and history courses. Looks at examples from a classroom teacher's experience in including drama, painting, and music into the literature curriculum. (RS)

Discusses the use of sketches and maquettes (idea models usually made of clay) as a preparatory method for a final artwork. Suggests ways to teach students about the importance of planning an artwork. Discusses the sketches and maquettes of sculptural pieces by Henry Moore, Constantin Brancusi, and Antoine Pevsner. (CMK)

Describes an art project where students create slab planters that are functional clay objects. Discusses how the students prepare their drawings for the planter and how to create the planter. Explains that the subject matter is depicted in a progression from reality to abstraction. (CMK)

Presents an art lesson that incorporates self-portraits and a familiar art technique: coloring paper with crayons, covering the colors with a layer of black, and drawing through the black to reveal the hidden colors. Explains that the students must be expressive by using the colors or concentrating on their facial features. (CMK)

In this anthology, 18 authors address art education and classroom issues of concern to the middle and high school level teacher. The volume includes: (1) "The Discipline of Art" (Harlan Hoffa); (2) "Art Criticism and Social Integration of the Disciplines of Art" (Tom Anderson); (3) "The Period of Transescence and Its Relevance for the Secondary…

Presents four paintings and summarizes a discipline based art education approach to studying them. Each painting is followed by a brief text consisting of information about the subject and artist. The text also includes writing assignments, research questions, and related activities. The paintings include portraits by Goya and Joan Miro. (MJP)