Ever seen a crockapeep or a giraffule? How about a catmel? Elementary school artists are encouraged to let their imaginations roam and create images of imaginary creatures by combining parts of two or more animals,

Students explore basic shapes in Monet's paintings Wheatstacks, Snow Effect and Morning. They study about light and shadows through reading and experimenting with three-dimensional models and flashlights.

High schoolers choose an interesting view for an art relief project. They outline their composition, and shade their relief using charcoal pencil. The results are fabulous! One nice thing about this art project is that the materials...

Do any of your budding readers have parents who work the night shift? Eileen Spinelli's book Night Shift Daddy, which can be found on YouTube if you don't have it, examines this family dynamic in a positive light and is an...

Students examine the role of shadow puppets. They create their own puppet and put on a play.

Students explore Chinese culture by performing a shadow puppet play. They create the puppets, develop a script, and rehearse and perform a play which illustrates an understanding of Chinese stories and traditions.

Fourth graders read a short story and then answer questions based on what they read. Learners are asked to support their answers with evidence from the text.

Students capture shadows for a shadow dance! They experiment with shadows created by people or items blocking light sources (sun, bright lamp) to draw their shadow pictures. Afterward, they cut out the shadows and arrange them on a large...

High schoolers complete a variety of discussion and writing activities that highlight the concepts of time and narrative voice of Benjy by iam Faulkner.

Students examine Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works of art, use watercolors to create effects of light, color, and shadow, consider what ideas are important and what ideas they want to visually communicate, and paint their own...

Students explore the challenges of creating a silhouette. In this silhouette lesson, students learn to produce a silhouette from a projected image. Students compare and contrast the making of a silhouette to a drawing or painting.

Everything old is new again. The Los Angeles J. Paul Getty Museum presents a lesson on how Greek black-figure painting influenced eighteenth century Neoclassical artists. After looking at a series of examples, class members create their...

Young scholars explore light, shade and shadow.

Students explore the art of shadow puppetry. In this performing arts lesson plan, students study the functions of lighting in the puppet theater as they examine the transmission, absorption, and reflection of light. As a culminating...

Socratic seminars are a great way to encourage the development of critical thinking, speaking, and listening skills. And Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is a perfect text for such a seminar. Use the questions in the packet to...

Students analyze narrative voice in William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury. In this novel analysis instructional activity, students analyze Faulkner's writing style and the narrative voice of Benjy. Students create a reading journal...

After posing their stuffed animals your young artists will sketch them in light colored chalk. After sketching, the second graders fill the animal with lines to show the fur, or texture of the animal. They put a shadow under their...

Students measure their shadows early in the morning, record direction of shadow, make marks in ground with chalk or tape, measure with ruler, and record results. Students repeat process at noon, and then later in afternoon. Students...

Young scholars examine sunspots. In this sunspot instructional activity, students use applets to investigate the movement of sunspots. Young scholars research sunspots and evaluate the rotation of the sun. Lesson references outside...

This outstanding lesson will encourage your students to combine their knowledge of rhythm, pitch, tone and color with their imaginations to create original compositions about animals. They create a music carnival to "Peter and the Wolf"...

Art and architecture go hand-in-hand. Kids watch clips from the Hayo Miyazaki film Spirited Away to better understand Japanese customs and architecture. The discussion questions included are very good, and will help you lead the class in...

Japanese architecture is rich in symbolism and culture. Critical thinkers engage in three activities intended to expose them to the beauty of Japan. They read through the book, Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki and watch the...

Students develop skills in shading and create eye movement through the use of lights and darks. They show five principles of shading while drawing shells and bones.

Students examine how humans perceive color. In this refracted light lesson, students explore the different ways color is seen by the human eye. Students will use colored lights and colored paper and solid objects to make additive color...