Spring Branch Independent School District
Elementary Art Curriculum Guide
Get crafting with hundreds of pages of art lessons! The plans are organized into topics, which include clay, drawing, composition and design, mixed media, painting, printmaking, and paper.
Dick Blick Art Materials
“Decalcomania” Glue Paint Symmetry Prints
Who knew you could paint with glue? After first adding liquid water color paints to bottles of white Elmer's glue and applying them to paper, young scholars of all ages are then challenged to use their imagination and creativity to draw...
Getting to Know
Shape and Form in Art
Introduce youngsters to the important role shape and form play in art with this extensive collection of activities and projects. From teaching first graders how to create mandalas to engaging third and fourth graders in the design of...
Dick Blick Art Materials
Glue Paint Symmetry Prints
Add watercolors to white glue, paint onto clear film paper, fold, open, and voila, a butterfly! This art project, designed for special education classes, but perfect for any classroom, is sure to engage your young artists.
Curated OER
Symmetry Butterflies
There is one creature that comes to mind every time I hear the words shape and symmetry, the butterfly. Young artists can explore these concepts as they create butterfly designs that use repeated shape patterns and bi-lateral symmetry....
Curated OER
Looking At French Decorative Arts: A Tapestry Fit For A King
Students create a tapestry based on the Chariot of Triumph tapestry. In this visual arts lesson, students examine images of the original tapestry, determine the meaning of symmetry, and discuss symbolism in this art form. They draw an...
Dick Blick Art Materials
Start with a Circle...
The Golden Ratio. The Divine Proportion. Yup. It's math and art blended into one colorful activity. Young artists combine colored tissue paper circles and parts of circles to create geometric patterns. As a bonus, kids get to figure out...
Curated OER
Middle-East Reflections
Practice symmetry and patterns with this Mid-Eastern art project. Your class will create beautiful, reflective mosaics that will brighten up the classroom! A list of necessary materials is included.
National Gallery of Canada
My Own Blanket
Invite your young artists to design blankets that express their own identities. Learners examine various pieces of art before brainstorming a few things that represent their identities. They use these ideas, in addition to symmetry and...
National Gallery of Canada
My Own Tree
Nature contains both symmetry and asymmetry. Have your young artists examine symmetry and asymmetry in their own surroundings. After viewing works of art, pupils find trees in their neighborhoods and determine if they are symmetrical or...
National Gallery of Canada
Build a Neighbourhood
What's special about your neighborhood? Build one with your class to find out. Individuals create their dream homes that, when completed, will be placed together around a green space in order to create a neighborhood. Learners also...
Curated OER
Labyrinths
Whether studying metaphors or Greek mythology, this labyrinth project is a fantastic lesson plan to add to your unit. It includes two versions of the labyrinth; making it with yarn or stone. If your materials are limited, you can even...
Curated OER
Making Puzzles
Students create their own puzzles. In this visual arts lesson, students follow the provided steps to create their jigsaw puzzles made from card stock.
Curated OER
Interpreting Lao Design Drawing
Young scholars identify symmetry as a word and concept using drawings. The instructional activity is cross-cultural using traditional Lao Art. The goal is to then apply the skills of symmetry to personal works of art that are produced.
Curated OER
Minimal Animals
Have fun creating imaginary creatures with this symmetry lesson plan! Your class will paint one half of their imaginary creature, fold their paper in half, which will result in a symmetrical figure. What a great art project to combine...
Curated OER
Tree of Life Mandala Print
Students create a Tree of Life. For this visual art lesson, students explore mandalas. Students investigate the concepts of balance and symmetry while designing their own unique Tree of Life.
Curated OER
Symmetrical Snowflakes
First graders, exploring lines of symmetry, follow directions to create a symmetrical snowflake from their own homemade icing. As a class, they discuss lines of symmetry and determine if specific shapes are symmetrical. After the lesson,...
Asian Art Museum
Create Your Own Samurai (Breastplate) Armor
Your class is going to love this activity. They get out their rulers, cardboard, and paints as they make Samurai breastplates. The simple art lesson lends itself to many different subjects such as, math/measurement, world history, and...
National Gallery of Canada
A Unity Wall Drawing
Build class community with an art project. Learners first examine and discuss works of art. They then contribute to a class mural by tracing their hands and decorating them in relation to their own cultures. The final mural incorporates...
Curated OER
Chariot of Triumph
Students examine the tapestry "Chariot of Triumph." In this symbolism lesson plan, students analyze the symbols in the tapestry and what they represent. Students create their own design for a tapestry by using various symbols that...
Curated OER
Creating Narrative Artwork
Students observe the Paneled Room (West Door) of the the Speed Art Museum gallery of the Kentucky Virtual Art Museum. They make "antique" panels for the classroom door and describe their work using art terminology.
Curated OER
Enjoying Puerto Rican Artistts
Students examine artwork done by artists from Puerto Rico. As a class, they discuss each piece of work based on the elements used. They use the internet to research the lives of the artists and develop their own opinions on the art...
Curated OER
Puck Meets Leonardo
Students create a puppet of Puck from the story read aloud. Then they identify how they can use the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci to help Puck complete his task. Students also observe the inventions of Leonardo from books and online...
Curated OER
Paper Strip Penguin
First graders discuss the habitats and lifestyle of penguins. Using paper, they create a paper strip penguin making sure to incorporate symmetry for both sides of the penguin. They attach eyes, beak, arms and feet and share them with the...