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Lesson Plans by Discipline - Art History
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Deep Silver |
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Grades K – 4 |
Grade Level |
|
 |
NEW! Butterfield Horse Construct a high-relief horse using Activa Fast Mache and found objects. Combine a painted and collaged background with a horse made of quick mache, sticks, pine needles, leaves, and shredded papers in the style of Debra Butterfield. |
3 – 12 |
|
 |
NEW! Convertible “Canned” Sculpture Composition — the way the elements of a piece of art are arranged and relate to each other — can be difficult to grasp. This lesson plan presents an easy, forgiving way to see the effects of composition while using the dimensional works of Frank Stella as an example. The sculpture is assembled with magnets on a metal can so it can be taken apart and rearranged to see how the composition is affected — what works and what doesn’t. |
3 – 12 |
|
 |
NEW! Decalcomania: Glue Paint Symmetry Prints “Decalcomania” was a techique was used by Surrealists to create impromptu paintings controlled largely by chance. Much like a Rorschach Ink-Blot test, they would search for hidden imagery and develop it into a finished painting. This tidy and highly interactive process uses Glue Paint in a finger painting-style of application — without actually touching it. Looking for hidden images and contour lines in the print will fuel the imagination of a young Surrealist! |
K – 12 |
|
 |
NEW! Lessons on Lascaux Create a cave wall that crackles with authenticity! Using a paste made with powdered tempera and a Dura-Lar stencil, make a beautiful 3-D cave creation. |
3 – 12 |
|
 |
NEW! The Walls are Watching You! Form a whimsical and functional "pocket" to animate a wall. This project combines the wall pocket with a face jug, creating a fun and whimsical (or scary) face pocket out of clay. |
2 – 12 |
|
 |
NEW! Easy-Outline Botanical Illustration Prints Although photography and modern printing processes have replaced the need for cataloguing plant life with detailed drawn and painted illustrations, botanical illustration is still a beloved art. To make an accurate rendering of a plant, students can create an impression in plaster, then trace the shape and details with colored pencil, ink, or watercolor. Mixing and shading for color accuracy and identifying the plant are some of the skills that will be learned in this exercise. |
K – 12 |
|
 |
Stain painting was a successful technique employed by Color Field artists Helen Frankenthaler and Morris Louis. They poured diluted acrylic color over large canvases to form “veils” of brilliant color. In this lesson, students will first learn a simple process for creating their own drawing pad, then stain and design a canvas cover for it. 
|
3 – 12 |
|
 |
New Guinean “Plant Paste” Doll Make a hand-built ritual doll with only three simple materials! Knead together clay, instant papier mâché and burlap fibers to create an intriguing art doll. Add body paint and embellish by adding seed bead teeth, a shell necklace, or clothing made of burlap. |
4 – 12 |
|
 |
Prairie-Style Stained Glass Clings Frank Lloyd Wright referred to his stained glass windows as “light screens” because they interacted with the view behind them, rather than covering or obscuring it. Here, students use geometry and repeating patterns to create a vinyl window cling that incorporates the ideals of Prairie-Style Design.
|
K – 12 |
|
 |
Practice the ancient art of sumi-e painting with a modern twist! Paint with diluted wax resist, then reveal your masterpiece by applying black sumi-e ink over the top. The addition of watercolor gives the painting even more interest.
|
K – 12 |
|
 |
Originating in ancient India, Mehndi is the artistic application of designs to the hands and feet. Students can enjoy the practice of Mehndi without staining their skin by creating radial designs in marker while wearing a glove. The sense of touch while creating the design is an important part of the process.
|
K – 12 |
|
 |
Mehndi, tatau, and modern "ink" - the history of art is incomplete without including the practice of creating decoration on human skin. In this lesson plan, students create a jointed clay marionette and use fine-line markers to cover it with expressive designs. |
3 – 12 |
|
 |
The wealthy Byzantine Empire had a huge influence on personal ornamentation. Characterized by extensive iconography, pendants and medallions were widely produced to denote faith, office or rank. For this project, students use air-dry clay and colorful rhinestones to create their own Byzantine-style medallions. Gilded with gold powder and finished with a gloss coating, they can be used as ornaments or placed outdoors as mini stepping stones. |
K – 12 |
|
 |
Impressionistic Marker Painting You won't believe what these markers can do! The juicy, alcohol-based ink reacts with itself or with hand-sanitizer to make painterly drawings on clear plastic film.
|
3 – 12 |
|
 |
Picasso-Inspired Soft Sculpture By looking through the vast array of figurative paintings done by Picasso during his cubist phase, students may find many possibilities for soft sculpture adaptations. Fine art, sculpture and textiles combine to make this eye-catching piece!
|
K – 12 |
|
 |
The practice of illumination — decoration of pages with ornate lettering, luminous color and precious metals, was developed during the middle ages when literacy was rare and books were even more so. With this process, students design one of their own initials on reflective board and add transparent color — it appears to glow with reflective light from within. |
3 – 8 |
|
 |
Upcycled Leather and “Turquoise” Cuffs Worn as protection in battle, support for heavy labor and to identify status, leather cuffs have shielded wrists throughout mankind’s history. To the Pueblo and Navajo, turquoise is considered sacred and powerful, the perfect adornment. This project invites students to design a cuff from an old leather belt. Embellish with “turquoise” beads fashioned from polymer clay or with stamping, lacing and marker designs. |
3 – 12 |
|
 |
In the 1960’s, Frank Stella became known for his minimal geometric paintings of concentric squares that used color to create visual movement. Each concentric square of color related to the next, whether they were harmonic or contrasting colors. In this lesson plan, students consider color relations and “paint” a Stella-style work with colored masking tape, |
4 – 12 |
|
 |
The first thing children learn when learning to draw a face or a figure is to view each part as a basic shape. This project approaches sculpture in the same way. Using geometric Styrofoam shapes, students build a bust or torso. The finished result resembles a simplified version of something you might have seen from Picasso or one of the other Cubist painters, only in three dimensions. This project is a good introduction to sculpture for young students. |
K – 6 |
|
 |
Drawing on the reverse side of a matte sheet of acetate, students create “windows” into the work of a chosen artist, using similar colors, subject matter and style to describe the artist’s focus. See if the class can guess which artists are represented on each student’s “palette.” |
K – 6 |
|
 |
Unlock the secrets of an ancient Egyptian pyramid with this easy-to-construct box that opens to reveal “treasure” inside. When closed, the outside walls are held in place with a clay disk. Remove the disk and open the pyramid to reveal what's inside. Younger students can make artifacts from clay to place inside. Older students may be challenged to learn the inner parts of the pyramids and add paper pages to write about and illustrate their discoveries. |
3 – 8 |
|
 |
Spanish painter Joan Miró is known for his playful art. Although he was a world renowned artist, his work gives the impression it could have been created by a child. Miró was interested in reducing characters to their simplest forms and using very basic, bright colors. He felt some of the best ideas were inspired by the simplest things. In this project, students attach and weave Chenille Stems onto stitchery canvas to make simple shapes and designs. |
K – 6 |
|
 |
Making Elemental Drawing Materials Blick Art Materials was not around to provide art supplies 32,000 years ago, but, somehow, the earliest humans found a way to draw and paint on cave walls using materials made from basic elements all around them. Similar to the Paleolithic era, students will make their own drawing tools by transforming simple materials from the classroom, and then using them to communicate through images. |
K – 12 |
|
 |
Beginning in the early 1880s, the “Art Nouveau” style flourished in all forms of art. Beautiful pottery was mass-produced during this era, especially in the form of decorative tiles. Tube lining — a technique in which a design outline was created first and then filled in with color — is the definitive look of Art Nouveau. If kiln-glazed ceramics are not an option for your environment, this project is a way to produce glossy, hand-painted tiles that look like the real thing.
|
K – 8 |
|
 |
Art 2 Infinity: Two projects incorporating Mirror Board Artists through the ages have used reflective surfaces to define and alter perspective, create symmetry and "bend" reality. Mirrors have been a tool for creating art, the subject matter and the art itself. Here are two project ideas for using metallic film to capture light and create intriguing illusions: “Kaleidoscope Paintings” and “Infinity Boxes”. |
K – 12 |
|
 |
Students of all ages can mimic mosaic artisans throughout history with these easy tile-making and “grouting” techniques. Clay tiles are glued to a firm backboard and grouted with acrylic paint. This project is safe and simple enough for younger students and those with special needs.
|
K – 12 |
|
 |
Geometric patterns occur in rich profusion throughout Islamic Cultures. This lesson is an invitation to look at the history and meaning behind patterns and view the work of a contemporary Iranian artist. Students design and assemble a reflective mosaic pattern using metallic papers on adhesive film. Easy and tidy...no glue! |
K – 12 |
|
 |
Native American Story Necklaces One of the many rich crafts produced within the Native American culture is a "fetish," or story necklace, designed to illustrate history and legend with carved creatures representing spirits, animals or ancestors. |
K – 6 |
|
 |
This lesson plan is designed to celebrate fine artists by honoring them with a "commemorative stamp." This project also introduces students to philately, the study and collection of stamps. |
3 – 6 |
|
 |
Where standard painting builds an image from the background forward, a reverse painting is created in a backward fashion — foreground first — with each phase applied so the background finishes the painting. A backing of metallic foil reflects light through the pastel in the same manner as gilding.
|
3 – 12 |
|
|
This lesson plan uses interactive floating layers and windows to create depth within the artwork.
|
3 – 12 |
|
 |
Students will research the painting style of a famous artist of their choice, then design a pair of painted shoes reminiscent of that artist’s design sense and choices of subjects and colors. |
K – 6 |
|
 |
Neo-Impressionistic artists of the late 1800s developed a pictorial technique in which they placed specific brushstrokes of pure color directly on their canvas instead of mixing colors first on a palette. In this lesson plan, students will create balls of air dry clay and attach them collage-style to a self-adhesive board to recreate the Divisionism approach to painting. |
2 – 6 |
|
 |
The purpose of this lesson plan is not to make replicas of Egyptian jewelry but to design jewelry that is dramatic using Egyptian jewelry as a reference. |
K – 12 |
|
 |
Art history is an excellent discipline to accompany this lesson plan, as students become familiar with masterpieces by various artists. Students will choose an artwork that inspires them from a specifictime, genre or culture, and paint their own version on a cardboard frame. |
3 – 8 |
|
 |
This lesson plan gives students the opportunity to learn about the concept of architecture, particularly towers and turrets.Using watercolor painting techniques and tracing, cutting, and gluing skills,students create lines, patterns and textures while understanding the concept of near being larger, far being smaller. |
3 – 6 |
|
 |
Introduce students to Pop-Art while creating fun, colorful ties. |
K – 12 |
|
 |
"Marc Chagall, is known for his paintings of floating, dream-like people, animals and objects. Students design “Float People” to display their understanding of colorful imaginary images." |
K – 6 |
|
 |
Martin Puryear-Inspired Basketry Students learn the importance of negative space while creating a non-traditional basket by focusing on it as a sculptural element rather than a functional object. Being a non-representational form, these abstract baskets draw attention to volume and space and redefine what a basket is intended for. |
3 – 12 |
|
 |
This project uses pastels; a favored medium of Impressionist artists – drawn onto matte surface Shrink Film. The chalk of the pastels doesn't actually shrink, it simply condenses along with the film to form rich, intense areas of color.
|
3 – 10 |
|
 |
"Secco" is the term used for applying color to dry plaster, the manner Da Vinci used in his famed "The Last Supper." Using Plaster of Paris, students create drawings then purposefully add stress fractures.
|
1 – 12 |
|
 |
"Drawing with Thread" is an interpretation of work by Wassily Kandinski in 1913. Kandinski is called the first totally abstract artist. Free flowing water color and line suggests but does not define images. |
K – 8 |
|
 |
Egyptian Relief Sculpture by Amaco Students should research hieroglyphs and find a hieroglyphic symbol that has meaning to them. They might choose their initial as a their symbol, or create a figure in the style of an Egyptian Queen or Pharaoh. |
4 – 6 |
|
|
|
Grades 5 – 8 |
Grade Level |
|
|
NEW! Butterfield Horse Construct a high-relief horse using Activa Fast Mache and found objects. Combine a painted and collaged background with a horse made of quick mache, sticks, pine needles, leaves, and shredded papers in the style of Debra Butterfield. |
3 – 12 |
|
|
NEW! Convertible “Canned” Sculpture Composition — the way the elements of a piece of art are arranged and relate to each other — can be difficult to grasp. This lesson plan presents an easy, forgiving way to see the effects of composition while using the dimensional works of Frank Stella as an example. The sculpture is assembled with magnets on a metal can so it can be taken apart and rearranged to see how the composition is affected — what works and what doesn’t. |
3 – 12 |
|
|
NEW! Decalcomania: Glue Paint Symmetry Prints “Decalcomania” was a techique was used by Surrealists to create impromptu paintings controlled largely by chance. Much like a Rorschach Ink-Blot test, they would search for hidden imagery and develop it into a finished painting. This tidy and highly interactive process uses Glue Paint in a finger painting-style of application — without actually touching it. Looking for hidden images and contour lines in the print will fuel the imagination of a young Surrealist! |
K – 12 |
|
|
NEW! Lessons on Lascaux Create a cave wall that crackles with authenticity! Using a paste made with powdered tempera and a Dura-Lar stencil, make a beautiful 3-D cave creation. |
3 – 12 |
|
 |
NEW! Make-a-Mock-Moc! Create a traditional Chippewa or Pucker-top moccasin using canvas, suede or leather remnants, seed beads and paint. |
5 – 12 |
|
|
NEW! The Walls are Watching You! Form a whimsical and functional "pocket" to animate a wall. This project combines the wall pocket with a face jug, creating a fun and whimsical (or scary) face pocket out of clay. |
2 – 12 |
|
|
NEW! Easy-Outline Botanical Illustration Prints Although photography and modern printing processes have replaced the need for cataloguing plant life with detailed drawn and painted illustrations, botanical illustration is still a beloved art. To make an accurate rendering of a plant, students can create an impression in plaster, then trace the shape and details with colored pencil, ink, or watercolor. Mixing and shading for color accuracy and identifying the plant are some of the skills that will be learned in this exercise. |
K – 12 |
|
 |
NEW! Ancient Bas-Relief Casting Create an ancient "carving" using cast paper and blasa foam! |
5 – 12 |
|
|
Stain painting was a successful technique employed by Color Field artists Helen Frankenthaler and Morris Louis. They poured diluted acrylic color over large canvases to form “veils” of brilliant color. In this lesson, students will first learn a simple process for creating their own drawing pad, then stain and design a canvas cover for it.
|
3 – 12 |
|
|
New Guinean “Plant Paste” Doll Make a hand-built ritual doll with only three simple materials! Knead together clay, instant papier mâché and burlap fibers to create an intriguing art doll. Add body paint and embellish by adding seed bead teeth, a shell necklace, or clothing made of burlap. |
4 – 12 |
|
|
Prairie-Style Stained Glass Clings Frank Lloyd Wright referred to his stained glass windows as “light screens” because they interacted with the view behind them, rather than covering or obscuring it. Here, students use geometry and repeating patterns to create a vinyl window cling that incorporates the ideals of Prairie-Style Design.
|
K – 12 |
|
|
Practice the ancient art of sumi-e painting with a modern twist! Paint with diluted wax resist, then reveal your masterpiece by applying black sumi-e ink over the top. The addition of watercolor gives the painting even more interest.
|
K – 12 |
|
|
Originating in ancient India, Mehndi is the artistic application of designs to the hands and feet. Students can enjoy the practice of Mehndi without staining their skin by creating radial designs in marker while wearing a glove. The sense of touch while creating the design is an important part of the process.
|
K – 12 |
|
|
Mehndi, tatau, and modern "ink" - the history of art is incomplete without including the practice of creating decoration on human skin. In this lesson plan, students create a jointed clay marionette and use fine-line markers to cover it with expressive designs. |
3 – 12 |
|
 |
Scrimshaw-Style Yupo Engraving As early as 1750, New England whalers passed the time by engraving nautical artwork on bones, tusks, etc. As a means of experiencing this traditional American craft, students can etch into Yupo using scratch tools, then fill the lines with oil pastel.
|
5 – 12 |
|
|
The wealthy Byzantine Empire had a huge influence on personal ornamentation. Characterized by extensive iconography, pendants and medallions were widely produced to denote faith, office or rank. For this project, students use air-dry clay and colorful rhinestones to create their own Byzantine-style medallions. Gilded with gold powder and finished with a gloss coating, they can be used as ornaments or placed outdoors as mini stepping stones. |
K – 12 |
|
|
Impressionistic Marker Painting You won't believe what these markers can do! The juicy, alcohol-based ink reacts with itself or with hand-sanitizer to make painterly drawings on clear plastic film.
|
3 – 12 |
|
 |
Considered a lost art for many centuries, encaustic painting is enjoying a resurgence because of modern techniques, tools and materials. While encaustic painting requires moving molten wax from a heating element to a surface, the technique used in this lesson plan creates textured “reservoirs” in metal foil that channel and cradle sprinkled wax chips as they melt. Interesting dimensions and contrasts between the metal and translucent wax occur when cooled.
|
5 – 12 |
|
|
Picasso-Inspired Soft Sculpture By looking through the vast array of figurative paintings done by Picasso during his cubist phase, students may find many possibilities for soft sculpture adaptations. Fine art, sculpture and textiles combine to make this eye-catching piece!
|
K – 12 |
|
 |
“Art-O-Motion” Mechanical Sculpture In 1913, Marcel DuChamp mounted a spinning bicycle wheel to a stool to make what is considered the first kinetic sculpture. Since then, many artists have paired physical science and engineering with artistic vision to create amazing pieces of mechanical sculpture. This simple, pulley-operated design has students design “gears” that spin on spools when a string is pulled.
|
5 – 12 |
|
|
The practice of illumination — decoration of pages with ornate lettering, luminous color and precious metals, was developed during the middle ages when literacy was rare and books were even more so. With this process, students design one of their own initials on reflective board and add transparent color — it appears to glow with reflective light from within. |
3 – 8 |
|
 |
Pop Art Portraits: in the style of Andy Warhol Andy Warhol, a key figure in the Pop Art movement, “mass-produced” silk-screened portraits of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. Transferring an image of themselves onto clay and duplicating it several times, students can experiment with color combinations in portraits, just as Warhol did.
|
5 – 12 |
|
|
Upcycled Leather and “Turquoise” Cuffs Worn as protection in battle, support for heavy labor and to identify status, leather cuffs have shielded wrists throughout mankind’s history. To the Pueblo and Navajo, turquoise is considered sacred and powerful, the perfect adornment. This project invites students to design a cuff from an old leather belt. Embellish with “turquoise” beads fashioned from polymer clay or with stamping, lacing and marker designs. |
3 – 12 |
|
|
In the 1960’s, Frank Stella became known for his minimal geometric paintings of concentric squares that used color to create visual movement. Each concentric square of color related to the next, whether they were harmonic or contrasting colors. In this lesson plan, students consider color relations and “paint” a Stella-style work with colored masking tape, |
4 – 12 |
|
|
The first thing children learn when learning to draw a face or a figure is to view each part as a basic shape. This project approaches sculpture in the same way. Using geometric Styrofoam shapes, students build a bust or torso. The finished result resembles a simplified version of something you might have seen from Picasso or one of the other Cubist painters, only in three dimensions. This project is a good introduction to sculpture for young students. |
K – 6 |
|
|
Drawing on the reverse side of a matte sheet of acetate, students create “windows” into the work of a chosen artist, using similar colors, subject matter and style to describe the artist’s focus. See if the class can guess which artists are represented on each student’s “palette.” |
K – 6 |
|
|
Unlock the secrets of an ancient Egyptian pyramid with this easy-to-construct box that opens to reveal “treasure” inside. When closed, the outside walls are held in place with a clay disk. Remove the disk and open the pyramid to reveal what's inside. Younger students can make artifacts from clay to place inside. Older students may be challenged to learn the inner parts of the pyramids and add paper pages to write about and illustrate their discoveries. |
3 – 8 |
|
|
Spanish painter Joan Miró is known for his playful art. Although he was a world renowned artist, his work gives the impression it could have been created by a child. Miró was interested in reducing characters to their simplest forms and using very basic, bright colors. He felt some of the best ideas were inspired by the simplest things. In this project, students attach and weave Chenille Stems onto stitchery canvas to make simple shapes and designs. |
K – 6 |
|
|
Making Elemental Drawing Materials Blick Art Materials was not around to provide art supplies 32,000 years ago, but, somehow, the earliest humans found a way to draw and paint on cave walls using materials made from basic elements all around them. Similar to the Paleolithic era, students will make their own drawing tools by transforming simple materials from the classroom, and then using them to communicate through images. |
K – 12 |
|
|
Beginning in the early 1880s, the “Art Nouveau” style flourished in all forms of art. Beautiful pottery was mass-produced during this era, especially in the form of decorative tiles. Tube lining — a technique in which a design outline was created first and then filled in with color — is the definitive look of Art Nouveau. If kiln-glazed ceramics are not an option for your environment, this project is a way to produce glossy, hand-painted tiles that look like the real thing.
|
K – 8 |
|
|
Art 2 Infinity: Two projects incorporating Mirror Board Artists through the ages have used reflective surfaces to define and alter perspective, create symmetry and "bend" reality. Mirrors have been a tool for creating art, the subject matter and the art itself. Here are two project ideas for using metallic film to capture light and create intriguing illusions: “Kaleidoscope Paintings” and “Infinity Boxes”. |
K – 12 |
|
 |
A whimsical makeover for discarded dishes! Inexpensive, diverse and unmatched pieces from thrift stores, garage sales, etc. are recycled into contemporary sculptures in this project. Pieces of unprimed canvas are layered and glued to the surface, then painted with Blick Matte Acrylic color. Center the design around a theme, as Judy Chicago did in the 1970’s with “The Dinner Party” or design a place setting for a particular artist.
|
5 – 12 |
|
|
Students of all ages can mimic mosaic artisans throughout history with these easy tile-making and “grouting” techniques. Clay tiles are glued to a firm backboard and grouted with acrylic paint. This project is safe and simple enough for younger students and those with special needs.
|
K – 12 |
|
|
Geometric patterns occur in rich profusion throughout Islamic Cultures. This lesson is an invitation to look at the history and meaning behind patterns and view the work of a contemporary Iranian artist. Students design and assemble a reflective mosaic pattern using metallic papers on adhesive film. Easy and tidy...no glue! |
K – 12 |
|
 |
Around the 1920s, a movement in modern art began in Russia as a group of artists began constructing sculpture for an industrialized world. As new technology produced strong, shining surfaces of glass, steel and plastic, Constructivists pioneered the use of modern, mechanical materials in art. This project weaves a variety of classroom-friendly “metals” — papers, foils and wires — into relief and three-dimensional art. |
5 – 12 |
|
 |
When one hears the name of Alexander Calder, the picture of kinetic hanging mobiles immediately comes to mind. These were only a portion of Calder’s vast body of work — he also painted and created stationary pieces called “stabiles.” Often, they resembled his mobiles — but without moving parts. In this lesson, students will create a “stabile” using Taskboard — a new, natural, wood-based medium used by architects and 3-D designers to create models.
|
5 – 12 |
|
|
Native American Story Necklaces One of the many rich crafts produced within the Native American culture is a "fetish," or story necklace, designed to illustrate history and legend with carved creatures representing spirits, animals or ancestors. |
K – 6 |
|
|
This lesson plan is designed to celebrate fine artists by honoring them with a "commemorative stamp." This project also introduces students to philately, the study and collection of stamps. |
3 – 6 |
|
 |
Model a Famous Painting in Friendly Plastic Students will use Amaco Friendly Plastic to create a likeness of a famous painting or work of art. |
7 – 10 |
|
 |
Modern Figure Sculpture in the style of Alberto Giacometti To create the gracefully haunting look of a Giacometti figure, this lesson plan introduces Paverpol™, a unique product that can be used with a variety of materials — textiles, paper, self-hardening clay, paper maché and more — to make sculptures so sturdy that they can be placed outdoors. It's non-toxic, safe for anyone to use and dries so quickly, you can make a sculpture in one day. |
7 – 12 |
|
 |
EZ Encaustic uses only small amounts of soft decorating wax that may be softened by hand or by using low temperature heat. Also included are instructions for a Painterly Encaustic process, using melted wax.
|
5 – 12 |
|
|
Where standard painting builds an image from the background forward, a reverse painting is created in a backward fashion — foreground first — with each phase applied so the background finishes the painting. A backing of metallic foil reflects light through the pastel in the same manner as gilding.
|
3 – 12 |
|
 |
Based on the sculpture of Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz, students create a 3-dimensional figure study in fiber.
|
7 – 12 |
|
|
This lesson plan uses interactive floating layers and windows to create depth within the artwork.
|
3 – 12 |
|
|
Students will research the painting style of a famous artist of their choice, then design a pair of painted shoes reminiscent of that artist’s design sense and choices of subjects and colors. |
K – 6 |
|
|
Neo-Impressionistic artists of the late 1800s developed a pictorial technique in which they placed specific brushstrokes of pure color directly on their canvas instead of mixing colors first on a palette. In this lesson plan, students will create balls of air dry clay and attach them collage-style to a self-adhesive board to recreate the Divisionism approach to painting. |
2 – 6 |
|
|
The purpose of this lesson plan is not to make replicas of Egyptian jewelry but to design jewelry that is dramatic using Egyptian jewelry as a reference. |
K – 12 |
|
 |
One of the principles of the Modern style of architecture is that the materials and functional requirements determine the design of the structure. Keeping that in mind, students will build a model of a home to function within a chosen environment. |
7 – 12 |
|
 |
Classic neon signs are a part of everyday American culture, crossing over lines of economics, geography and heritage. This lesson incorporates the glowing “light painting” impact of neon signage in a clean, neat and easy-to-understand learning experience. |
5 – 8 |
|
|
Art history is an excellent discipline to accompany this lesson plan, as students become familiar with masterpieces by various artists. Students will choose an artwork that inspires them from a specifictime, genre or culture, and paint their own version on a cardboard frame. |
3 – 8 |
|
|
This lesson plan gives students the opportunity to learn about the concept of architecture, particularly towers and turrets.Using watercolor painting techniques and tracing, cutting, and gluing skills,students create lines, patterns and textures while understanding the concept of near being larger, far being smaller. |
3 – 6 |
|
 |
This lesson plan begins by focusing on line and texture as students sculpt a flat slab of clay, defining an impressionistic landscape. Once the clay has dried, students will paint the piece using a palette of colors inspired by Van Gogh. |
5 – 8 |
|
|
Introduce students to Pop-Art while creating fun, colorful ties. |
K – 12 |
|
 |
This Lichtenstein-inspired lesson looks at pop culture imagery today and describes it in comic book-style prints using slow-drying waterbased Akua Kolor inks. |
7 – 12 |
|
 |
A painted book in the style of Robert Indiana. This lesson plan challenges students to choose eight ideas that can be stated with one simple word, then assemble them into a painted book. |
5 – 12 |
|
 |
Impressionist-Style Painted Tile Through the study of Impressionist painters and their works students will select their own color palette and design an impressionistic scene reminiscent of those painted in the mid 1800s. |
5 – 12 |
|
|
"Marc Chagall, is known for his paintings of floating, dream-like people, animals and objects. Students design “Float People” to display their understanding of colorful imaginary images." |
K – 6 |
|
|
Martin Puryear-Inspired Basketry Students learn the importance of negative space while creating a non-traditional basket by focusing on it as a sculptural element rather than a functional object. Being a non-representational form, these abstract baskets draw attention to volume and space and redefine what a basket is intended for. |
3 – 12 |
|
|
This project uses pastels; a favored medium of Impressionist artists – drawn onto matte surface Shrink Film. The chalk of the pastels doesn't actually shrink, it simply condenses along with the film to form rich, intense areas of color.
|
3 – 10 |
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"Secco" is the term used for applying color to dry plaster, the manner Da Vinci used in his famed "The Last Supper." Using Plaster of Paris, students create drawings then purposefully add stress fractures.
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1 – 12 |
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Translated to “glass paste,” the French term Pate de Verre refers to a glass vessel kiln-fired in a mold. This lesson shows how to make a simple one-part mold and glass casting. |
5 – 12 |
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The architectural style developed by the ancient Greeks has had such an influence on world civilization that it surrounds us still today. This block printing lesson introduces the three orders of Greek columns and challenges students to discover them in famous buildings and the surrounding community. |
6 – 12 |
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"Drawing with Thread" is an interpretation of work by Wassily Kandinski in 1913. Kandinski is called the first totally abstract artist. Free flowing water color and line suggests but does not define images. |
K – 8 |
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Egyptian Relief Sculpture by Amaco Students should research hieroglyphs and find a hieroglyphic symbol that has meaning to them. They might choose their initial as a their symbol, or create a figure in the style of an Egyptian Queen or Pharaoh. |
4 – 6 |
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Grades 9 – 12 |
Grade Level |
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NEW! Butterfield Horse Construct a high-relief horse using Activa Fast Mache and found objects. Combine a painted and collaged background with a horse made of quick mache, sticks, pine needles, leaves, and shredded papers in the style of Debra Butterfield. |
3 – 12 |
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NEW! Convertible “Canned” Sculpture Composition — the way the elements of a piece of art are arranged and relate to each other — can be difficult to grasp. This lesson plan presents an easy, forgiving way to see the effects of composition while using the dimensional works of Frank Stella as an example. The sculpture is assembled with magnets on a metal can so it can be taken apart and rearranged to see how the composition is affected — what works and what doesn’t. |
3 – 12 |
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NEW! Decalcomania: Glue Paint Symmetry Prints “Decalcomania” was a techique was used by Surrealists to create impromptu paintings controlled largely by chance. Much like a Rorschach Ink-Blot test, they would search for hidden imagery and develop it into a finished painting. This tidy and highly interactive process uses Glue Paint in a finger painting-style of application — without actually touching it. Looking for hidden images and contour lines in the print will fuel the imagination of a young Surrealist! |
K – 12 |
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NEW! Lessons on Lascaux Create a cave wall that crackles with authenticity! Using a paste made with powdered tempera and a Dura-Lar stencil, make a beautiful 3-D cave creation. |
3 – 12 |
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NEW! Make-a-Mock-Moc! Create a traditional Chippewa or Pucker-top moccasin using canvas, suede or leather remnants, seed beads and paint. |
5 – 12 |
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NEW! The Walls are Watching You! Form a whimsical and functional "pocket" to animate a wall. This project combines the wall pocket with a face jug, creating a fun and whimsical (or scary) face pocket out of clay. |
2 – 12 |
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NEW! Easy-Outline Botanical Illustration Prints Although photography and modern printing processes have replaced the need for cataloguing plant life with detailed drawn and painted illustrations, botanical illustration is still a beloved art. To make an accurate rendering of a plant, students can create an impression in plaster, then trace the shape and details with colored pencil, ink, or watercolor. Mixing and shading for color accuracy and identifying the plant are some of the skills that will be learned in this exercise. |
K – 12 |
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NEW! Ancient Bas-Relief Casting Create an ancient "carving" using cast paper and blasa foam! |
5 – 12 |
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Stain painting was a successful technique employed by Color Field artists Helen Frankenthaler and Morris Louis. They poured diluted acrylic color over large canvases to form “veils” of brilliant color. In this lesson, students will first learn a simple process for creating their own drawing pad, then stain and design a canvas cover for it.
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3 – 12 |
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New Guinean “Plant Paste” Doll Make a hand-built ritual doll with only three simple materials! Knead together clay, instant papier mâché and burlap fibers to create an intriguing art doll. Add body paint and embellish by adding seed bead teeth, a shell necklace, or clothing made of burlap. |
4 – 12 |
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Prairie-Style Stained Glass Clings Frank Lloyd Wright referred to his stained glass windows as “light screens” because they interacted with the view behind them, rather than covering or obscuring it. Here, students use geometry and repeating patterns to create a vinyl window cling that incorporates the ideals of Prairie-Style Design.
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K – 12 |
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Practice the ancient art of sumi-e painting with a modern twist! Paint with diluted wax resist, then reveal your masterpiece by applying black sumi-e ink over the top. The addition of watercolor gives the painting even more interest.
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K – 12 |
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Originating in ancient India, Mehndi is the artistic application of designs to the hands and feet. Students can enjoy the practice of Mehndi without staining their skin by creating radial designs in marker while wearing a glove. The sense of touch while creating the design is an important part of the process.
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K – 12 |
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Mehndi, tatau, and modern "ink" - the history of art is incomplete without including the practice of creating decoration on human skin. In this lesson plan, students create a jointed clay marionette and use fine-line markers to cover it with expressive designs. |
3 – 12 |
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Scrimshaw-Style Yupo Engraving As early as 1750, New England whalers passed the time by engraving nautical artwork on bones, tusks, etc. As a means of experiencing this traditional American craft, students can etch into Yupo using scratch tools, then fill the lines with oil pastel.
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5 – 12 |
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The wealthy Byzantine Empire had a huge influence on personal ornamentation. Characterized by extensive iconography, pendants and medallions were widely produced to denote faith, office or rank. For this project, students use air-dry clay and colorful rhinestones to create their own Byzantine-style medallions. Gilded with gold powder and finished with a gloss coating, they can be used as ornaments or placed outdoors as mini stepping stones. |
K – 12 |
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Impressionistic Marker Painting You won't believe what these markers can do! The juicy, alcohol-based ink reacts with itself or with hand-sanitizer to make painterly drawings on clear plastic film.
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3 – 12 |
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Considered a lost art for many centuries, encaustic painting is enjoying a resurgence because of modern techniques, tools and materials. While encaustic painting requires moving molten wax from a heating element to a surface, the technique used in this lesson plan creates textured “reservoirs” in metal foil that channel and cradle sprinkled wax chips as they melt. Interesting dimensions and contrasts between the metal and translucent wax occur when cooled.
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5 – 12 |
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Picasso-Inspired Soft Sculpture By looking through the vast array of figurative paintings done by Picasso during his cubist phase, students may find many possibilities for soft sculpture adaptations. Fine art, sculpture and textiles combine to make this eye-catching piece!
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K – 12 |
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“Art-O-Motion” Mechanical Sculpture In 1913, Marcel DuChamp mounted a spinning bicycle wheel to a stool to make what is considered the first kinetic sculpture. Since then, many artists have paired physical science and engineering with artistic vision to create amazing pieces of mechanical sculpture. This simple, pulley-operated design has students design “gears” that spin on spools when a string is pulled.
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5 – 12 |
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Pop Art Portraits: in the style of Andy Warhol Andy Warhol, a key figure in the Pop Art movement, “mass-produced” silk-screened portraits of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. Transferring an image of themselves onto clay and duplicating it several times, students can experiment with color combinations in portraits, just as Warhol did.
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5 – 12 |
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Upcycled Leather and “Turquoise” Cuffs Worn as protection in battle, support for heavy labor and to identify status, leather cuffs have shielded wrists throughout mankind’s history. To the Pueblo and Navajo, turquoise is considered sacred and powerful, the perfect adornment. This project invites students to design a cuff from an old leather belt. Embellish with “turquoise” beads fashioned from polymer clay or with stamping, lacing and marker designs. |
3 – 12 |
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In the 1960’s, Frank Stella became known for his minimal geometric paintings of concentric squares that used color to create visual movement. Each concentric square of color related to the next, whether they were harmonic or contrasting colors. In this lesson plan, students consider color relations and “paint” a Stella-style work with colored masking tape, |
4 – 12 |
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Making Elemental Drawing Materials Blick Art Materials was not around to provide art supplies 32,000 years ago, but, somehow, the earliest humans found a way to draw and paint on cave walls using materials made from basic elements all around them. Similar to the Paleolithic era, students will make their own drawing tools by transforming simple materials from the classroom, and then using them to communicate through images. |
K – 12 |
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Beginning in the early 1880s, the “Art Nouveau” style flourished in all forms of art. Beautiful pottery was mass-produced during this era, especially in the form of decorative tiles. Tube lining — a technique in which a design outline was created first and then filled in with color — is the definitive look of Art Nouveau. If kiln-glazed ceramics are not an option for your environment, this project is a way to produce glossy, hand-painted tiles that look like the real thing.
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K – 8 |
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Art 2 Infinity: Two projects incorporating Mirror Board Artists through the ages have used reflective surfaces to define and alter perspective, create symmetry and "bend" reality. Mirrors have been a tool for creating art, the subject matter and the art itself. Here are two project ideas for using metallic film to capture light and create intriguing illusions: “Kaleidoscope Paintings” and “Infinity Boxes”. |
K – 12 |
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A whimsical makeover for discarded dishes! Inexpensive, diverse and unmatched pieces from thrift stores, garage sales, etc. are recycled into contemporary sculptures in this project. Pieces of unprimed canvas are layered and glued to the surface, then painted with Blick Matte Acrylic color. Center the design around a theme, as Judy Chicago did in the 1970’s with “The Dinner Party” or design a place setting for a particular artist.
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5 – 12 |
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Students of all ages can mimic mosaic artisans throughout history with these easy tile-making and “grouting” techniques. Clay tiles are glued to a firm backboard and grouted with acrylic paint. This project is safe and simple enough for younger students and those with special needs.
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K – 12 |
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Geometric patterns occur in rich profusion throughout Islamic Cultures. This lesson is an invitation to look at the history and meaning behind patterns and view the work of a contemporary Iranian artist. Students design and assemble a reflective mosaic pattern using metallic papers on adhesive film. Easy and tidy...no glue! |
K – 12 |
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Around the 1920s, a movement in modern art began in Russia as a group of artists began constructing sculpture for an industrialized world. As new technology produced strong, shining surfaces of glass, steel and plastic, Constructivists pioneered the use of modern, mechanical materials in art. This project weaves a variety of classroom-friendly “metals” — papers, foils and wires — into relief and three-dimensional art. |
5 – 12 |
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When one hears the name of Alexander Calder, the picture of kinetic hanging mobiles immediately comes to mind. These were only a portion of Calder’s vast body of work — he also painted and created stationary pieces called “stabiles.” Often, they resembled his mobiles — but without moving parts. In this lesson, students will create a “stabile” using Taskboard — a new, natural, wood-based medium used by architects and 3-D designers to create models.
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5 – 12 |
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Model a Famous Painting in Friendly Plastic Students will use Amaco Friendly Plastic to create a likeness of a famous painting or work of art. |
7 – 10 |
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Modern Figure Sculpture in the style of Alberto Giacometti To create the gracefully haunting look of a Giacometti figure, this lesson plan introduces Paverpol™, a unique product that can be used with a variety of materials — textiles, paper, self-hardening clay, paper maché and more — to make sculptures so sturdy that they can be placed outdoors. It's non-toxic, safe for anyone to use and dries so quickly, you can make a sculpture in one day. |
7 – 12 |
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EZ Encaustic uses only small amounts of soft decorating wax that may be softened by hand or by using low temperature heat. Also included are instructions for a Painterly Encaustic process, using melted wax.
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5 – 12 |
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Where standard painting builds an image from the background forward, a reverse painting is created in a backward fashion — foreground first — with each phase applied so the background finishes the painting. A backing of metallic foil reflects light through the pastel in the same manner as gilding.
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3 – 12 |
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Based on the sculpture of Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz, students create a 3-dimensional figure study in fiber.
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7 – 12 |
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This lesson plan uses interactive floating layers and windows to create depth within the artwork.
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3 – 12 |
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The purpose of this lesson plan is not to make replicas of Egyptian jewelry but to design jewelry that is dramatic using Egyptian jewelry as a reference. |
K – 12 |
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One of the principles of the Modern style of architecture is that the materials and functional requirements determine the design of the structure. Keeping that in mind, students will build a model of a home to function within a chosen environment. |
7 – 12 |
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Claes Oldenburg popularized soft sculpture in the 1960's with flaccid everyday objects such as a fan, light switch and drum set.This lesson plan is an introduction to textile painting and fabric assemblage, as well as sculpture. |
9 – 12 |
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Introduce students to Pop-Art while creating fun, colorful ties. |
K – 12 |
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This Lichtenstein-inspired lesson looks at pop culture imagery today and describes it in comic book-style prints using slow-drying waterbased Akua Kolor inks. |
7 – 12 |
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A painted book in the style of Robert Indiana. This lesson plan challenges students to choose eight ideas that can be stated with one simple word, then assemble them into a painted book. |
5 – 12 |
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Impressionist-Style Painted Tile Through the study of Impressionist painters and their works students will select their own color palette and design an impressionistic scene reminiscent of those painted in the mid 1800s. |
5 – 12 |
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This project is a unique, fun lesson in establishing a hero and developing an Artists' Hall of Fame. |
9 – 12 |
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Martin Puryear-Inspired Basketry Students learn the importance of negative space while creating a non-traditional basket by focusing on it as a sculptural element rather than a functional object. Being a non-representational form, these abstract baskets draw attention to volume and space and redefine what a basket is intended for. |
3 – 12 |
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This project uses pastels; a favored medium of Impressionist artists – drawn onto matte surface Shrink Film. The chalk of the pastels doesn't actually shrink, it simply condenses along with the film to form rich, intense areas of color.
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3 – 10 |
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"Secco" is the term used for applying color to dry plaster, the manner Da Vinci used in his famed "The Last Supper." Using Plaster of Paris, students create drawings then purposefully add stress fractures.
|
1 – 12 |
|
|
Translated to “glass paste,” the French term Pate de Verre refers to a glass vessel kiln-fired in a mold. This lesson shows how to make a simple one-part mold and glass casting. |
5 – 12 |
|
|
The architectural style developed by the ancient Greeks has had such an influence on world civilization that it surrounds us still today. This block printing lesson introduces the three orders of Greek columns and challenges students to discover them in famous buildings and the surrounding community. |
6 – 12 |
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|
Special Education |
Grade Level |
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NEW! Decalcomania: Glue Paint Symmetry Prints “Decalcomania” was a techique was used by Surrealists to create impromptu paintings controlled largely by chance. Much like a Rorschach Ink-Blot test, they would search for hidden imagery and develop it into a finished painting. This tidy and highly interactive process uses Glue Paint in a finger painting-style of application — without actually touching it. Looking for hidden images and contour lines in the print will fuel the imagination of a young Surrealist! |
K – 12 |
|
|
Originating in ancient India, Mehndi is the artistic application of designs to the hands and feet. Students can enjoy the practice of Mehndi without staining their skin by creating radial designs in marker while wearing a glove. The sense of touch while creating the design is an important part of the process.
|
K – 12 |
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Spanish painter Joan Miró is known for his playful art. Although he was a world renowned artist, his work gives the impression it could have been created by a child. Miró was interested in reducing characters to their simplest forms and using very basic, bright colors. He felt some of the best ideas were inspired by the simplest things. In this project, students attach and weave Chenille Stems onto stitchery canvas to make simple shapes and designs. |
K – 6 |
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Beginning in the early 1880s, the “Art Nouveau” style flourished in all forms of art. Beautiful pottery was mass-produced during this era, especially in the form of decorative tiles. Tube lining — a technique in which a design outline was created first and then filled in with color — is the definitive look of Art Nouveau. If kiln-glazed ceramics are not an option for your environment, this project is a way to produce glossy, hand-painted tiles that look like the real thing.
|
K – 8 |
|
|
Students of all ages can mimic mosaic artisans throughout history with these easy tile-making and “grouting” techniques. Clay tiles are glued to a firm backboard and grouted with acrylic paint. This project is safe and simple enough for younger students and those with special needs.
|
K – 12 |
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