Blogs

Article

Inquiry-Based Self-Portraits

Tuesday, August 13, 2024 | Nikki Guerrini

No matter what grade you teach, you get a certain reaction when you tell students, “You are drawing faces today”—and typically, it’s not cheers of joy and excitement. Creating ...

Article

Form & Function

Friday, May 17, 2024 | Kate Gormley

This project allows students to think like problem-solvers and innovators. I encourage them to look around their world and see what small “problems” in their lives need solutions. For exam ...

Article

Tondo-Inspired Abstract Paintings

Monday, April 15, 2024 | Sunnylee Mowery

Anyone studying contemporary art will notice that many modern visual artists use adaptation in their work. Adaptation can be a difficult concept for young artists to grasp. It has become so ubiquitous ...

Article

Collaborative Learning through Design

Tuesday, March 12, 2024 | Janine Campbell

This collaboration was developed during the 2020–2021 school year, when the pandemic made working together a challenge. With the implementation of Google Docs and Google Drawings, the barriers t ...

Article

The Flower of Life

Monday, February 12, 2024 | Raine Dawn Valentine

The Flower of Life is a symbolic representation of life and the interconnectedness of all things. It is associated with the Sacred Geometry school of thought, an ancient science that studies the spiri ...

Article

Laser-Focused on Design

Thursday, December 14, 2023 | Janine Campbell

What happens when you combine digital creation with physical manufacturing? You get students who are engaged, ready to see themselves as designers, and excited to try something new! Getting a laser cu ...

Article

Sweet!

Thursday, November 9, 2023 | Debra Cline

Let’s be honest—donuts are delicious, and designing one is a fun way for students to express themselves artistically. There are many different approaches to creating donut designs, ranging ...

Article

Drafted Buildings

Wednesday, October 4, 2023 | Diane Hoff

After looking at different types of buildings—from religious and retail to commercial and residential—and discussing the characteristics of each, students were introduced to drafting and w ...

Article

3D-Printed Figures

Monday, September 11, 2023 | Annemarie Baldauf

The 3D printer is an exciting technology, adding to your art program possibilities of sculpture, jewelry design, pottery, and more. In recent years, these printers have become more affordable and user ...

Article

Finding One’s Strengths

Thursday, August 3, 2023 | Heather McCutcheon

The Strengths Assessment helps people become more self-aware, engaged, positive, and goal-focused. Studying my own strengths and having these discussions with students sparked an interest. After I ask ...

Article

Go Play with Your Toys!

Tuesday, May 9, 2023 | Michael Sacco

In the Spring of 2020, we were all working remotely with our students. I ditched any hope of following my usual curriculum and focused on finding imaginative and exciting assignments that would help s ...

Article

Masked Identities

Tuesday, April 11, 2023 | Aimee Fresia

I researched contemporary artists and discovered the work of African American painter Jeff Sonhouse (b. 1968, New York). Sonhouse creates large, realistic paintings using colorful patterns and burnt m ...

Article

Drawings in 3D

Thursday, March 9, 2023 | Annemarie Baldauf

If you want to engage students with an exciting hook, 3D printing will do the trick. They can create a two-dimensional drawing of an object and print it three-dimensionally. Today, companies use 3D pr ...

Article

Meeting in the Middle

Thursday, February 9, 2023 | Jen Rankey-Zona

Students are ready to think of themselves as artists when they are given choices, and once they understand that, the emergent curriculum, which is based on their strengths and interests, is allowed to ...

Article

Surf’s Up

Wednesday, December 14, 2022 | Jessica Provow

My school is located a few blocks from the coast, so naturally people in the area turn to the ocean for food, work, and play. The location also brings in tourism and events such as large-scale art sho ...

Article

Sustainable City Games

Thursday, November 10, 2022 | Melody Weintraub

Combinatory play was defined by Albert Einstein as “the act of opening up one mental channel by dabbling in another.” Considering the value of play in promoting productivity and creativity ...

Request
Catalog
or Planner

Blogs

Middle School

Topics

Most Popular

Tags

Inquiry-Based Self-Portraits

Form & Function

Tondo-Inspired Abstract Paintings

Collaborative Learning through Design

The Flower of Life

Laser-Focused on Design

Sweet!

Drafted Buildings

3D-Printed Figures

Finding One’s Strengths

Go Play with Your Toys!

Masked Identities

Drawings in 3D

Meeting in the Middle

Surf’s Up

Sustainable City Games

Topics

Share

Most Popular

Tags

Always Stay in the Loop