Tag: art lesson plans

2021-2022 School Year Art Challenges

With the challenges of last school year came some innovation. In past years I collected Extra Credit from my students by having them turn in “hard copies” of their drawings, but our district had implemented a “paper free” environment due to COVID last year which caused a need to digitize the extra credit.

My students still utilized art materials to draw their art challenges, but instead of turning in hard copies, students photographed and uploaded images into a Google Form (see example below).

I demonstrated how to photograph and upload art challenge drawings, and kept the format the same for each month for consistency. I created an “Extra Credit” section in Google Classroom where I posed a folder with directions, and each month’s art challenge and Google Form. To keep things simple, I posted the Extra Credit Collection Form (Google Form) on the Monday during the following month, and closed it before leaving that Friday. Students had all month to work on their drawings, but had to keep them safe until it was time to turn them in. I offer up to ten extra credit points for each art challenge (depending on how much effort was put into the drawing), so in theory, students could earn up to 310 points for the month of September. Students can choose to draw all, none, or pick and choose which challenges they want to draw. I do not offer any extra credit during the month of June since it is not a complete month.

I post the month’s challenge on the first of each month in both our Google Classroom and on our class Instagram page. You can find them all below!

I tried to keep things easy for my students by utilizing the same format each month, and only switching out the header, date and art challenges. Each art challenge is labeled where students can upload files. I made sure to “require” the sections where students will type in their name and class section, but left the file uploads optional, so that students can upload photos of the drawings they did.

International Children’s Book Day

International Children’s Book Day is celebrated annually on April 2. Although I no longer teach lower grades, I used to LOVE incorporating literature with my art lesson plans! I have two lists below, one of art-specific children’s books, and ones that I have used to accompany lesson plans. Keep posted to see what elementary lesson plans I have used them with as I update my lesson plan section over the next upcoming months!

Art Children’s (school-aged) Books:

  • The Color Monster: A Story About Emotions by Anna Llenas
  • Mixed: A Colorful Story by Arree Chung
  • The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art by Barb Rosenstock
  • Through the Window: Views of Marc Chagall’s Life and Art by Barb Rosenstock
  • Vincent Can’t Sleep: Van Gogh Paints the Night Sky by Barb Rosenstock
  • Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg
  • Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Christina Bjork
  • I am Marc Chagall: Text Loosely Inspired by My Life by Marc Chagall by Bimba Landmann
  • Dorothea Lange: The Photographer Who Found the Faces of the Depression by Carole Boston Weatherford
  • Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
  • Kid’s Artists: True Tales of Childhood from Creative Legends by David Stabler
  • Love from the Crayons by Drew Dewalt
  • The Crayon’s Book of Colors by Drew Dewalt
  • The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Dewalt
  • The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Dewalt
  • Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
  • Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh
  • Cassie’s Word Quilt by Faith Ringgold
  • Counting to Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
  • Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
  • The Green Fingers of Monsieur Monet by Giancarlo Ascari
  • Chagall: My Sad and Joyous Village by Jacqueline Loumaye
  • Katie and the Mona Lisa by James Mayhew
  • Action Jackson by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
  • Henri’s Scissors by Jeanette Winter
  • My Museum by Joanne Liu
  • Monet and The Waterlilly Friends by Judiee
  • Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson
  • Keith Haring: The Boy Who Just Kept Drawing by Kay A. Haring
  • Camille and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt
  • Tell Us a Story, Papa Chagall by Laurence Anholt
  • A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni
  • Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert
  • Dreamer from the Village: The Story of Marc Chagall by Michelle Markel
  • Frida Kahlo and Her Anamalitos by Monica Brown
  • How the Crayons Saved the Rainbow by Monica Sweeney
  • Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds
  • The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
  • El Punto (Spanish Edition) by Esther Rubio and Peter H. Reynolds
  • The Museum by Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds
  • Yayoi Kusama: From Here to Infinity by Sarah Suzuki
  • Artists and their Pets: True Stories of Famous Artists and their Animal Friends by Susie Hodge
  • The Art Lesson by Tomie DePaola

Books that go great with art lessons:

  • Chickadee’s Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
  • Any Eric Carle Book
  • Pete the Cat books by James Dean and Kimberly Dean
  • Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
  • If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff
  • Planting A Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
  • Wow! City! by Robert Neubecker
  • Parrots Over Puerto Rico by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore

Art Baby Books:

  • Goodnight, Starry Night by Amy Guglielmo
  • My First Book of Patterns by Bobby & June George
  • Art Baby: Hearts and Stars by Chez Picthall
  • Art Baby: Spots and Dots by Chez Picthall
  • The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse by Eric Carle
  • Blue and Other Colors: With Henri Matisse by Henri Matisse
  • Press Here by Herve Tullet
  • This Little Artist: An Art History Primer by Joan Holub
  • Mini French Masters by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
  • Mini Masters Boxed Set by Julie Merberg
  • Painting with Picasso by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober
  • 100 First Words for Little Artists by Kyle Kershner
  • Frida Kahlo (Little People, Big Dreams) by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vergara
  • Museum ABC by The NY Metropolitan Museum of Art
  • Andy Warhol So Many Stars by Mudpuppy and Andy Warhol
  • Keith Haring Pop Art 123! by Mudpuppy and Keith Haring
  • Little Artist Board Book Set by Mudpuppy and Emily Kleinman
  • My First Shapes with Frank Lloyd Wright by Mudpuppy
  • Pop Art Baby! My First Words with Keith Haring from Mudpuppy
  • Pantone: Colors by Pantone and Helen Dark
  • Counting with Frida by Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein
  • My First Art Book by Patricio
  • ABC’s of Art by Sabrina Hahn
  • Art For Baby from Templar

Do you have any books that you use that aren’t on this list? I’d love to hear from you: imperfectlypatricia@gmail.com

Art Lesson Sub Plan-Edward Hopper

I’m not sure if it is just isolated in our building, but it seems like THE ICK is spreading, and quickly! I am starting to become paranoid- washing my hands 24/7 and cleaning everything with my Norwex Envirocloth.

I figured with THE ICK spreading, it would be a perfect time to update all my attendance lists, seating charts, and sub binders. I am adding lessons to my TeachersPayTeachers account. Everything on there is free! (and editable)

I love using Biography.com for artist bios and creating vocab charts and questions to add to them. This week, I have been working one expanding my collection and adding a variety of simple, one-day activities to go along.

Here is my most recent add, artist Edward Hopper that I use with my 8th grade students.