I have just added a new lesson with a template made by yours truly! Introducing the mandala color wheel lesson! I have seen this done on a larger scale with students measuring, but I wanted to take some of the headache out of the lesson to make it run a little smoother for my Art 1 students. Hence, the printable template! The template is intended for acrylic paint, but you could also use watercolor, colored pencils, chalk pastel, etc. This is an excellent project to introduce students to the concept of color & the kiddos love making an intricate and original design!

Included in the Teachers Pay Teachers product listing is also a 19-minute demo video showing me create a mandala from start to finish using the template below.

You can purchase the mandala color wheel template, video & powerpoint at my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

Even though this time of year is crazy busy, showing off my students hard work is so worth it! The kids exhibiting show such pride in their work and their friends are left in awe! I look forward to seeing what my future students make next year!

Keep scrolling to see examples from this year's art show . . .

I started my graphic design 1 students on Adobe Photoshop CS6 standard version first. Eventually we started to move into Adobe Illustrator and this is a fun lesson to teach students the basics of Illustrator. Since Photoshop and Illustrator are very different programs, I informed my students ahead of time that this would be a another learning curve-- that some students might catch on quickly, while others might need more practice.

Last year, I won a $4000 grant to purchase tech for our graphic design program from the Centurylink Grant award program. I purchased 36 small Wacom drawing tablets for students to use and I instructed my graphic design 2 students to use them for this illustrator sefie project.

First, students took a selfie using their phone or one of my classroom cameras. I instructed students that their face had to be showing, but the artistic style, color, line quality, was up to them. I also told students they could change their selfie to an "alter-ego" which made for some very interesting changes to their actual look.

​This tutorial below by RiceGum on Youtube is both entertaining and informative & we watched the video as a class and then I posted it to the graphic design 2 google classroom for students to reference.

When I first taught this lesson, I was worried that it would be too "tracey" and boring for my more advanced students, but it ended up being really okay! Since I allowed students much creative freedom, they were able to really have fun with it. I even had a girl turn herself into a werewolf! After everyone was finished, I created a simple google slides slideshow of each student's selfie to share with the class and I plan on sharing them with future graphic design classes. It was fun having the students guess who each person was! Check out additional examples of graphic design 2 students illustrator selfies below:

My graphic design 1 students just finished a collaborative animation project. I connected with an Elementary art teacher about this project a couple months ahead of time. I asked her if she could have a group of 5th grade students draw characters, write what they want their character to do, and then send me the drawings. I ended up getting about 80 drawings and scanned each one to my e-mail.

Then, I uploaded the drawings as .jpgs to my Google Drive and sent a drawing to each graphic design student. I instructed my students that they had to animate the drawing according to the directions provided by the 5th grader. My graphic design students animated these in Photoshop...some students touched up the drawings a little, while others left the drawings as they were. Some students added photos or other images.

When all students finished, I put together a (not so little) Google Slide presentation to send to the Elementary art teacher so she could show her students all of our hard work! This animated gif project was a great way to connect with the younger student and share our program. We even got featured on the Rochester Public Schools Facebook page for this project!

​This was just so much fun and a great challenge for my graphic design students!  I will definitely be doing it again in the future!

Art 2 students created reduction prints using a 6"x6" block of safety cut linoleum. Students had to create an original drawing and plan for 3 colors + the color of the paper (most often white). Feel free to use my basic instructions with examples below! Reduction prints always seem far more complicated in theory than when you actually make it. One of the best ways to help students understand this is to have them practice on a very small piece of linoleum. Something simple like a flower is a good subject matter. See the process below.

I had been looking for a fun and engaging lesson on packaging design for my graphic design 1 courses for some time. Most projects I found didnt really have a lesson plan or wasnt practical for our resources and facilities. I got the idea from my doodle cup project and from there it turned into one of my favorite graphic design projects of all time!

Each student was instructed to create a logo, background, mock up, and final print design. I had students do research on different drink and coffee logos. We discussed color schemes, rules of good design, etc. Students had to illustrate their logos in Photoshop with a transparent background. Students saved these as .png files.

Next, students created a background in Photoshop. It could be a solid colot, gradient, pattern, etc. but it had to be created by them...no photos!

​After this, students put their logo and background into a mock up file...this was super fun and kids really enjoyed seeing their work on a professional light!

When students finished their mock up, they were instructed to put their background and logo into a cup template .psd file. Studentd used their previously learned clipping mask skills to insert the background into the template.

Then students printed the template in color, cut it out, and glued it to a blank 12 oz coffee cup (pack of 50 was about $12). I also had students paint their lid with acrylic paints if they desired.

​Students presented their mock ups, final designs, and design process to the class at the end of the project. This project took about 3 weeks of class time from start to finish and I just loved the creativity!

Download the file templates below (first one is a .jpg & second one is a .zip file containing the .psd Photoshop template).

Art 1 created cardboard sculptures. Students had full choice in their subject matter, but the sculpture had to be mainly made of cardboard, had to be decorated in some way, and had to be 8 inches tall or wide. Students had to decide if their sculpture would be free standing or be able to hang on the wall. We used lots of scrap cardboard and random craft items for this project....but overall it was my least expensive project of the semester!

This was voted their favorite project thus far!

My Art 2 students just finished their packing tape sculptures and put them together as an installation in front of our school library. For this project, I had students research different sculptors throughout history and then use that research as inspiration for their own sculpture. I allowed students to work in partners or solo. They could choose their subject matter, as long as it was school appropriate. Requirements included:

• ​Must be at least 3 ft tall or wide
• Must stand on its own (not taped to the floor or wall)
• Can only use packing tape, cardboard, saran wrap, paper, masking tape, tissue paper, or scrap mat board. They strictly could not use glue or paint.
• Some students added lights to their projects provided by me. I got the cheap fairy lights online for around $2 each and just bought dollar tree batteries. Very budget friendly!
• Include an artist statement about your work

To get the different forms and shapes, students wrapped themselves, balls borrowed from the gym and weight room, foam heads I already had, skulls, and other objects found around the art classroom. I modeled to students on how to wrap the object with saran wrap first and then layer the tape. Once the object was covered, they carefully cut the saran wrap and tape away from the object. 2-3 layers of tape was strong enough for most of the projects. Many students reinforced their sculptures with cardboard or filled them with tissue paper.
​
A few students got a little frustrated with the limitations of the materials but most students really seemed to enjoy this project. It was enjoyable to see their plans change and critical thinking skills at work. Those that worked with a partner seemed extra successful. I used 36 rolls of packing tape, 18 rolls of saran wrap, and plenty of scrap cardboard and paper. It was a nice way to use up some scrap materials! We plan on keeping our installation up until winter break. After that, we will display some of them inside of our library, some kids want to take theirs home, and the rest will be recycled for next semesters sculptures.

Check out that eiffel tower! This student worked on her own and many extra hours than the other kiddos. She went for more of a cardboard route, and it worked out wonderfully for her.

What do you get when you hand over some blank paper coffee cups to a bunch of high school art students?

Some amazing art!

This was my Art 1 classes first major assignment. The Doodle cup project. Students could use markers, crayons, colored pencils, sharpies, etc. The goal for my students was to create a unique design that used the white space of the cup. They also had to do something to the lid. These took students about a week to complete...5 50 minute classes. We had a vote on the top 5 designs from each class to be included in the art show which was extra incentive to do high quality work!



Overall I will certainly be doing this project again. For those art teachers interested, I bought a set of 100 cups with lids from Solo on Amazon for around $20. You can find the cups I purchased by clicking the image below:

Make learning about art history more fun and engaging by having an art history of the week! Geared towards secondary level students such as high school and middle school, this download includes everything you need to teach a semester (or 18 weeks) worth of art history movements & styles. Each art history movement takes approximately 10-20 minutes to teach, depending on which video links you decide to use. Integrate art history mini lessons quickly and effectively without boring your students!

Use the Burrito book template so each student can make their own art history "sketchbook" and all you need are scissors! Not sure how to make a burrito book? The template comes with pre-marked dashed lines for cutting and instructions with images in the powerpoint slideshow. Each page of the burrito book is dedicated to a different art movement. Students must write down the time period, art movement name, a definition in their own words, how the elements/principles are used in the example artwork, 3 characteristics of that art movement, and 2 things they learned from the video. The image examples are glued to create interactive flaps that make studying the art movements even more fun. This entire product took over 30 hours of work to complete, so save yourself some time & use this one!
​

These cubes were made by my high school Art 1 students. Students signed up for a visual artist to research & create their own famous artist cube. I had students trace a cube template I made onto poster board and then encouraged them to "think outside the box" (Pun definitely intended). The results were pretty amazing! Each student then presented their creation to the class and we talked about our researched artists.

Just uploaded to my Teachers Pay Teachers store! Make learning about art history fun and engaging with your students! This coloring book includes 15 coloring pages that starts with Ancient Egyptian art and ends with Pop Art. Each coloring page has been recreated from the original master work of art. At the bottom of each coloring page, the title, artist, and date are included for reference. This 16 full page coloring book would also be an excellent enrichment or early-finisher activity. Print out the whole book or single pages depending on the unit and age level. These pages could also work as reference images for older students!

Click here to view the coloring book in my store

Which artists or cultures are included in this coloring book?
-“Anubis embalming Sennedjem” Wall Painting 1292 BC, Ancient Egypt
- “Achilles and Ajax engaged in a game” Amphora by Exekias, 540 BC, Ancient Greece
- “Mona Lisa” by Leonardo Da Vinci, 1503 AD, Italy
- “The Musicians” by Caravaggio, 1595 AD, Italy
-Detail of “The Grand Robe” by Great Plains Native Americans 1800-1830 AD
-“The Great Wave of Kanagawa” by Hokusai, 1830-1833 AD, Japan
-“Sunflowers” By Vincent Van Gogh, 1889 AD
-“The Basket of Apples” by Paul Cézanne, 1889 AD
-Advertisement for “Job” By Alphonse Mucha, 1898 AD
-“Red Poppy, No. VI” by Georgia O’Keeffe, 1928 AD
-“Persistence of Memory” By Salvador Dali, 1931 AD
-“Guernica” By Pablo Picasso, 1937 AD
-“Day and Night” By M.C. Escher, 1938 AD
-“Nighthawks” By Edward Hopper, 1942 AD
-“Campbell’s Tomato Soup” By Andy Warhol, 1962 AD

This 16 full page coloring book comes prepared with a title cover in .PDF format. All coloring pages are free of nudity.

I just had to share and brag a little bit :) One of my high school students won best of show in the drawing category at the massive Big 9 competition for visual arts in Minnesota. Her work titled "Russian Blue" was created using white charcoal on black paper. The assignment was to create a drawing using the chiaroscuro technique. She scored a 20/20 and has the opportunity to display her beautiful work at the Perpich Center in the Twin Cities. I am so so proud of her work and excited to see what she creates next.

Just had to share a photo of the crazy coil clay projects that are drying. These were made by 6th graders! I will post more details about the lesson when they are finished, but I just couldn't wait that long!

This semester, I got an idea from a fellow art teacher that I just love! The idea is that you take old hardcover books and upcycle them into sketchbooks! I had the library donate about 75 books to my classroom that had worn covers or torn pages. I asked each student to select a book and "upcycle" it in a way that they liked! I let my high school students use paint, oil pastels, markers, colored pencils-- pretty much any media of their choice. I got out my paper scrap and scrapbook paper buckets and let them go crazy...it has been so much fun!

The nice part about this project is that it is ongoing, allows students a range of creativity and choice in their creations, and eventually each student will have a full and interesting visual journal to keep. Many of my students are taking this project very seriously. I plan on taking photos of each student's visual journal at the end of the semester and I will post photos soon!

I created a set of prompts for each of my class. They have the entire semester to complete the prompts. I included the list of prompts below for your use. 

Since 3rd quarter is just about done, I decided to try something new with my art students. I just finished having what I call "Mini conferences" with my high school students, and I had to write a blog post to report my findings! Basically, I spent two days meeting with each of my high school students one on one during class. Half the class was on the first day, half the class was on the second day. I focused on talking about the following with each student:

• Grades, participation, & academic progress
• How they feel about the class & their art skills
• What I can do to improve as a teacher or the curriculum as a whole
  
  

Overall I spent only 3-5 minutes with each student, which doesn't seem like a huge amount of time, but the amount I learned during this process is more than worth it! There are a few reasons why I will do this again, and I outline them below:

1. Get Feedback from Your Students

This was something I was not expecting, but was beyond value to me! While talking with each student privately, they provided me with a ton of feedback to improve my teaching and curriculum. When I asked students how they felt about the class, most students said "Good". When I asked them about the pace of the class, I had several students say they felt that it was going too fast. Many students said they'd like to spend more time on their paintings. If I had never asked them this, I would have kept trucking along! I also asked students how they felt about the projects. Many students shared their own ideas for projects they would like to try. They gave me so many ideas, I just wish I had them for the entire year so we could do them all!

2. Identify Strengths and Weaknesses

While discussing grades, I also talked with students about their strengths and weaknesses. Even if a student has 100% in my class, I know they are not perfect. For example, I have a student who has exceptional skill and a high level of perfectionism. Her artwork is college-level work, but her artist statement writing is below average. When discussing this with her, I discovered that she has always struggled with writing and just doesn't know where to start when writing an artist statement. She said she really struggled with getting her thoughts onto paper. We talked about this for a bit, so I offered a piece of differentiated instruction: I would walk her through the questions for the artist statement verbally, then she would orally respond with her answers and I would take notes for her on her responses. Next, I had her re-write my notes as a 2-paragraph artist statement. This seemed to really help her through the process and she still demonstrated her learning (which is the goal, right?) Identifying strengths and weaknesses with students helps them understand where they need to improve and grow, but it also helps me understand where I need to start with a lesson. It helps me differentiate depending on student skill level and readiness.

3. Help them Stay on Track

I don't know about you, but I have a few students who would rather sit on their phones all day looking at themselves than work on their projects. For these students, I found the mini conferences to be extremely valuable. First, I showed them what work they were missing. One girl literally had no idea she was missing 3 assignments. Turns out, she forgot to turn 2 of them in. She immediately went to her drawer, got the 2 assignments out and turned them in. I didn't take points away. She had done the assignments and demonstrated her learning. Next, we talked about participation. I showed students the total number of points they had received and why they lost points (on their phones, not working during class, etc.). I think this was a real eye opener for some students. While the points don't negatively affect their grade, I keep track during class as a way to collect data. If a student is not doing what they are supposed to do, I take a point away, and attempt to redirect them. While I love my cell phone, I explained to students that when they're just on their phones the entire time, they are not able to focus and also miss important things like announcements, lessons, and the real world around them. I ended the conference by telling them that I care about their success in my class, whether they like art or not, and that my job was to help them succeed. I can't tell you how many of my struggling art students went right to work afterwards!