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...
American Institute of Architects
Architecture: It's Elementary!—First Grade
Build an interest and appreciation for architecture in your young learners with this fun 10-lesson art unit. Engaging children in using their five senses, the class first observes the environment around them, paying special attention to...
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...
Mt. San Antonio Collage
Elementary Geometry
Your class may believe that geometry is a trial, but they don't know how right they are. A thorough math lesson combines the laws of logic with the laws of geometry. As high schoolers review the work of historical mathematicians and the...
University of Minnesota
Beautiful Brain: Do You See What I See?
Can art play tricks on your eyes, and can a still painting really appear to vibrate? The second lesson in a four-part series discusses the way our beautiful brains translate visual images. It highlights the style of optical art and...
Curated OER
Geometric Houses
Students identify the parts and functions of a house by creating a house made of geometric shapes. They listen to the book "Houses and Homes," and use cues from the story to help them build their homes.
Curated OER
Bodies In Motion: Shapes and Gestures
Students use geometric shapes to describe body parts. In this geometry lesson, students use geometry vocabulary as they discuss body parts. They practice drawing bodies using shapes based on a wooden model that is poised to show specific...
Curated OER
Positive/Negative Bugs
Bugs can be creepy - and fun! Kids create a positive and negative design by repeatedly drawing a simple insect overlaid with a geometric shape. The outcome is really neat and will help build spacial reasoning, visual acuteness, and...
Curated OER
Math Quilts
Students examine geometric quilt patterns to identify how math may have been used to help slaves escape to freedom. They slide, flip and turn geometric shapes to create a map quilt.
Incredible Art Department
Notan Collages - "Expanding the Square"
Notan is a Japanese word that expresses the interaction between light and dark. Learners explore Notan while creating dimensional art pieces that examine positive and negative spaces. They'll discuss the art of Notan, create their...
San Diego Museum of Art
Tapa-Inspired Pattern Painting
Middle schoolers are encourage to try their hand at traditional Oceania tapa art by crafting their own cloth using brown paper bags. Included in the resource is background information about the cultures of Oceania and their art.Â
Curated OER
Abstract Art: Line, Shape And Color
Students create abstract works of art using techniques learned from the artwork of Piet Mondrian, construction paper, pre-cut shapes, and glue in this early-elementary Art lesson. A great lesson to introduce the concept of Abstract art.
Curated OER
Shapes and Patterns in Art and Oceans
First graders draw, cut out, and design their own fish shapes by cutting out shapes and putting them together. In this shapes and patterns worksheet, 1st graders also construct a stamp and print patterns with stamps to repeat a...
Curated OER
Quilting
Students use a monochromatic palate, select shades and tints for a selected hue, or select complimentary or analogous colors for a quilt design. They design quilt squares using basic geometric shapes, repetition, balance, and proportion.
Curated OER
Architecture is Elementary
Students learn the four orders of architecture: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and Composite. They create their own 3d structure and work together in groups. They create basic geometric shapes. # Have fun learning about art history,...
Curated OER
Architecture Is Elementary
Students learn the four orders of architecture: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and Composite and create their own 3D structures in this Art/Art History lesson for fourth through sixth grade. The lesson includes a book resource list for lesson...
Curated OER
Philippine Banig Weaving
Students create a Philippine banig mat. As part of designing and creating the mat, the class is introduced to the tropical rain forest of the Philippines and how the environment impacts the lives of the people. Individuals also discover...
PBS
Using Symmetry to Create Corporate Logos
Young mathematicians investigate the use of symmetry in graphic design. After first learning about reflection, translational, and rotational symmetry, children use this new knowledge to identify symmetry in letters of the alphabet and...
Curated OER
The Art of Description
Students apply descriptive language to identify the five elements of art and the basic lines, geometric shapes, and angles in Marie Hull's, Sharecropper. They explain how the elements of a piece of work contribute to the story it tells....
Curated OER
Art From Map-Abstract composition using map and primary colors
The students use a map to create a Mondrian-like artwork. They put to use his severe simplicity in line as well as in color (of course, no green, which was a color he reportedly hated). Shapes created were more organic rather than...
Curated OER
Math Quilts
Students examine geometric shapes. In this geometric shape lesson plan, students examine how geometric shapes flip, turn, and slide to create a pattern. Students analyze the role that quilts played in helping slaves escape to freedom. ...
Curated OER
Line Up! Shape Up! Color the World!
Students explore the Elements of Art. In this art lesson, students read the book Katie Meets the Impressionists and brainstorm the different things that artists create. Students observe various elements of art such as line and color and...
Curated OER
Art of the Inca
Students examine the early civilizations of Central and South America. After examining hand-crafted objects, they discuss the craftsmanship of the Inca and how they used geometric shapes and symbols in their art. They draft a design...