Just like the classroom, children's outdoor environments should be filled with artistic creations that add sparkle and imagination to the space. One of the author's favorite ways to add art to the outdoors is by installing a mosaic mural of child-made tiles. The process of making the tiles is fun for all; each tile is a charming work of art in…

The metamorphosis of glass when heated is a magical process to students, yet teachers are often reluctant to try it in class. The biggest challenge in working with glass in the classroom is to simplify procedures just enough to ensure student success while maintaining strict safety practices so no students are injured. Project concepts and safety…

Baskets have been an integral part of everyday life in every civilization and every part of the world. This article traces the origin of basketmaking, features craft artist Mary Jackson, and discusses how to engage students in basketmaking using traditional and non-traditional materials.

In a never-ending search for new and inspirational still-life objects, the author discovered that home improvement retailers make great resources for art teachers. Hardware and building materials are inexpensive and have interesting and variable shapes. She especially liked the dryer-vent coils and the electrical conduit. These items can be…

In the supervisory relationship, the use of expressive arts activities has proven to be beneficial to students. Using art materials, students often discover new ways of understanding complex cases and grow personally. Through the art activities, unconscious material is made conscious and then that material is open to processing with the…

When an art tutor adopts the role of assistant to a disabled artist it is difficult not to move from helping with the physical handling of materials on the one hand into the actual creative process on the other, thus influencing how the artwork looks. Ecas is an Edinburgh-based charity which promotes opportunities for physically disabled people to…

This article presents the history of pencils. Graphite, which is the main component that makes pencils write, was first discovered to be useful in marking the sheep of local farmers in Borrowdale, England in 1954. This graphite left a much darker mark than lead, which made it ideal for use by writers and artists. Around, 1795, Nicolas-Jacques…

Using works of art with young children is a perfect way to bridge the gap between art activities that are too open or too closed. Teachers of young children sometimes try to find a middle ground by allowing free painting time at an easel in addition to recipe-oriented activities such as putting together precut shapes to create a spider or an apple…

In this article, the author discusses an art adventure with her third, fourth, and fifth grade enrichment kids to the Fort Collins Museum of Contemporary Art in Colorado. The author demonstrates and teaches her students how to use the art tissue paper and oil pastel complementing the creative spirit of the Jaune Quick-to-See Smith work presented…

The authors describe how they started a holiday mural project for students in different grades. They discuss how Gustav Klimt became the inspiration for this project. Klimt is an artist known for his "painted mosaics." The authors decided to use a theme that was decorative and enchanting, containing all of the jewel-like qualities that a holiday…

Comics and graphic novels are being incorporated into upper elementary and middle school classrooms based on the novels' popularity and ability to stimulate interest in voluntary reading. Their format--combining words and sequential images--may hold power for an even younger audience. As beginning readers struggle to decode new words in books,…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ways second grade children signaled the meanings they made from pictures and print and to identify ways they signaled new meanings when transmediations between these two semiotic systems took place. The study was a mixed methods study using qualitative methods in a case study format for the first…

Asperger Syndrome (AS) and autism are two pervasive developmental disorders of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Individuals with AS may have exceptional speech and language abilities and difficulty establishing friendships with peers. The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) states that all American children have the right to…

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…

In this article, the author talks about an international art fashion show at St. Timothy's School in Stevenson, Maryland, which provided opportunities for students to showcase what they did best, from design to research, to creative production, to modeling. According to Randy Stevens, Head of School, the project helped students think more deeply…