Top Ten Art Lessons Technology Can’t Teach
(But You Can!)
I’ve put together a list of projects that will hone fine motor skills and
capture the imagination of your students. Each link includes an in
depth lesson with step-by-step directions. If you have any questions
or thoughts, please feel free to email me cassieart75@gmail.com.
Enjoy!
1. CLAY!
For those of you lucky enough to have access to a kiln, the
following are some of my favorite lessons. No kiln? No problem!
Air-dry clay or oven-baked clay can be found easily with a flip
through your art supply catalog. However, if you want the real
deal, donorschoose.org is a great way to raise funds for your
dream kiln.
Clay Lessons for Kindergarten through 4th Grade:
Kindergarten Butterflies:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2014/05/in-art-roomkindergarten-clay.html
Kindergarten and 1st Grade Pinch Pot Pets:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2013/04/in-art-room-pinchpot-pets.html
Kindergarten Reindeer:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/12/in-art-roomkindergarten-reindeer.html
2nd Grade Monet’s Garden Waterlilies:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/04/in-artroommonets-waterlilies.html
2nd Grade Pinch Pot Animals:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2013/06/in-art-room-pinchpot-pets-take-2.html
3rd Grade Fabulous Frogs:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/04/in-artroomfabulous-frogs.html
4th Grade Painted Elephants of India:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2014/05/in-art-roomceramic-painted-elephants.html
4th Grade Dogs and Cats (a fundraiser for a local humane
society):
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2013/05/in-art-room-catsand-dogs.html
2. WEAVING!
Ya’ll, my students love weaving. I start them out in 1st grade
with simple paper weavings (that we morph into puppets,
houses, you name it) and each year, we build on that skill set.
Here are my favorite weaving lessons to date:
1st Grade Crocodile Puppet Weavings:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/03/croc-o-nilepuppetry.html
1st Grade Starry Night Landscape with Woven House:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2014/02/in-artroom.html
2nd Grade Circle Loom Weaving:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2014/04/in-art-room-circleloom-weaving-with.html
3rd Grade Landscape Weaving:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2013/04/in-art-room-treeweaving-with-third.html
4th Grade Pouch Weaving:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/06/in-art-roomweaving-part-1.html
3. PRINTMAKING!
1ST Grade Printmaking a Sushi Collage:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2014/03/in-art-room-letsmake-sushi.html
2nd Grade Leaf Printing:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/02/leafy-springprints.html
3rd Grade Eiffel Tower Prints:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-art-roomprinted-paris.html
4th Grade Egyptian Symbol Printing:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/01/egyptian-style.html
4. SEWING!
I’ve been fortunate enough to acquire several sewing machines
for my art room. I can’t wait to have the kids work on them more
this coming school year. You really don’t need sewing
machines to teach young children sewing. Here are a couple of
lessons I tried out this year:
2nd through 4th Grade Cross-Stitch and Sewing:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2014/04/in-art-roomsewing-and-embroidery.html
2nd through 4th Grade Stenciled Embroidery:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2014/05/diy-stenciledembroidery.html
5. PAPER TREATMENTS!
This year we tried out two very fun and easy paper treatments:
marbling and chalk marbling. Here are the details:
1st through 4th Paper Marbling:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2014/01/in-art-roommarbled-paper-stenciling.html
1st through 4th Chalk Marbling:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2014/01/in-art-roomfloating-chalk-prints.html
6./7. PAINTING! COLLAGE!
There are many painting projects on my blog that incorporate
painting and collage. It’s one of my favorite ways to layer
learning elements into one final project. Here are some of my
favorites:
Kindergarten Painting Intro:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2013/10/in-art-room-uniton-line-for.html
Kindergarten Winter Landscape:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2014/02/in-art-room-wintercollage-landscapes.html
1st Grade Egyptian Landscapes:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/02/hump-day.html
1st Grade Hot Air Balloon Landscape:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-art-room-hot-airballoons-over-paris.html
2nd Grade Parisian Landscapes:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-art-roomcollaged-paris.html
3rd Grade Viking Ship Collage:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2013/10/in-art-room-vikingship-collages.html
3rd Grade Sarcophagus:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/02/walk-likeegyptian.html
4th Grade Viking Ship Collage:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2013/11/in-artroom-4thgrade-viking-ships.html
8. MURALS!
The kids have loved creating murals over the years. Here are a
few of our favorites:
Winter Mural, All Grades:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/02/wishful-winterwonderland.html
Monet Mural, All Grades:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/03/mammoth-monetinspired-mural.html
3rd Grade Magritte Mural:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2013/11/in-art-roommagritte-project-one.html
4th Grade Warhol Mural:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2013/09/in-art-room-andywarhol-mural.html
9. MOSAICS!
I just attended a workshop where I learned the fine art of fakemosaic-making or faux-saic as I like to call it. No kiln required!
Fauxsaics:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2014/06/diy-clay-faux-saicfor-kiln-less.html
10. UPCYCLING!
My students are often under the impression that you have to
have special supplies to create. If you convince them otherwise,
there’s no stopping their upcycling creativity!
1st and 3rd Grade Toilet Paper Tube Gnomes:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2013/02/in-art-room-chillinwit-my-gnomies.html
4th Grade Toilet Paper Tube Castles:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2013/02/in-art-room-totallytubular-castles.html
Recycled Tin Foil Leaf Relief:
http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com/2012/03/leaf-relief.html