This article describes a collaborative painting project that allows first- through third-grade students to work with partners to create a four-inch square of a group painting and learn the basics of mixing paints to produce lights and darks, and tints and shades. One by one, the students worked on the painting in their free time. The author kept a…

This article reports on the ways of incorporating paintings, posters, and film into an advanced German content- and language-integrated course called "Green Germany." It demonstrates how these visual media can be employed for enriching the exploration of various aspects of the course's environmental themes. In line with the research on…

Art educators should be concerned with teaching their students to make critical connections between the classroom and the outside world. One effective way to make these critical connections is to provide students with the opportunity to engage in community-based art endeavors. In this article, three university art educators discuss engaging…

In this article, the author describes a silk-painting project with a sea-creature theme for eighth-grade students. Other themes can be used such as geometric quilt designs, tropical rain forest, large flowers, Art Nouveau motifs, portraits and more. (Contains 2 resources.)

The author teaches painting in a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. Each fall semester he asks his students why they have come to Pratt and what they want to do when they graduate. The common answer is to develop as artists and find a commercial gallery to show and sell their work. Some want the MFA degree…

Rutz presents samples of artist Steve Mumford's paintings from the Iraq war zone alongside photos or other war images and asks readers to examine notions of journalism, photojournalism, and the practices of representing war.

In this article, the author describes a glass art project inspired by Dale Chihuly. This project uses two-liter plastic soda bottles which are cut apart and trimmed. Applying heat using a hair dryer, the plastic curls and takes an uneven blown-glass quality. The "glass" is then painted using acrylic paint. (Contains 2 resources and 1 online…

In this article, the author describes an art project wherein students used simple shapes and photo references to imagine what they might look like when they are one hundred years old. The project challenged the students technically, intellectually, and emotionally. The artwork stimulated their imagination and their imagination informed their…

On perusing American collage artist Eric Carle's book, "Rooster's Off to See the World," at an annual school book fair, the author, mesmerized by the carnival of colors and collage on each page, thought "What a wonderful visual aid for a combination painting and collage unit." Her first-graders were involved in a painting unit, and knowing their…

In this article, the author shares how she changed the way she engaged with Alex, a student who was reluctant to do art projects. While reflecting on Alex's objections to doing art projects, she noticed one concern in particular that arose again and again: he wanted to play. Alex experienced the shift into art-making as a break from playing with…

In the small island country of Haiti, colorful taxis transport the natives to the market. Although the taxis may be crowded with people, goods, and even livestock, it is considered a luxury to ride rather than go on foot. The children's picture book, "Tap-Tap," is a wonderful introduction to the culture of this land. The name…

Some people only think about conservation on Earth Day. Being in the "art business" however, this author is always conscious of the many products she thinks get wasted when they could be reused, recycled, and restored--especially in a school building and art room. In this article, she describes an art lesson that allows students to paint…

The underwater ecosystem of the ocean is a topic that is explored extensively by first-grade students in the author's school. By engaging students in literature and science, the author was able to introduce the topic of endangered sea life and the ways students can make a difference to protect the oceans. (Contains 1 online resource.)

Recent studies showed that stimuli are evaluated more favourably when they are perceived to capture others' attention, an effect coined "mimetic desire". The aim of the present research was to examine the combined role of Need for Cognition and target's facial trustworthiness in this effect. Participants saw movie excerpts of trustworthy and…

Latin American customs and colors play an important role as second graders are introduced to multicultural experiences through food, music, dance, art, and craft. In this article, the author describes a printing project inspired by Guatemalan weavings and amate bark paintings. (Contains 2 online resources.)