Rock and Roll Line Early Childhood
The Art Problem
How can teachers use art to man-
age their classrooms in a fun and
engaging way?
Objective
Students will use their knowledge
of lines to prepare for their next
class in a quiet, organized manner.
Procedures
1. Inspired by an art project, this is
a great game for getting young stu-
dents in line in an quiet, organized
manner and ready to move onto
their next class. First, teach students
the “home base” command, which
is “straight line quick.” Say it fast
and with purpose. Each time it is
said, students should immediately
stand at attention, hands down to
their sides, like a soldier. Give this
home base command fairly often
throughout the game to calm stu-
dents down or get them back in a
uniform line.
2. Have some fun with the types of
lines you want students to form and
the speed with which you deliver
your commands. Some suggestions
include short line, tall line, curved
line (step out of line), wiggly line
(step back in line, but wiggle arms),
zig-zag line, tall-short line (team
work), turn around backwards line,
scratch a back line, ballerina line,
peace out line, karate line, butterfly
line, bird line, etc. The most fun is
when you say, “rock and roll line!”
Let students make some noise as
they play their guitars and drums.
3. After allowing students to have
some fun in line, quickly say the
home base command, “straight line
quick,” and follow by softly saying,
“quiet line.” Teachers will be sur-
prised at how quiet and straight the
line of students will be as they leave
to go to their next class. Students
will be happy and quiet.
By Trina Harlow, art teacher at
Folsom Elementary School in
Prosper, Texas.
Collage Self-Portraits Middle School
The Art Problem
How can students create a cohesive
portrait using multiple faces, textures, and images?
Objective
Students will compose self-portraits
using photographs of themselves
and pages from recycled magazines.
Materials
photographs of students, glue,
variety of magazines, scissors
Procedures
1. Discuss with students how collages are made. Show examples
from artists ranging from Pablo
Picasso to Noli Novak.
2. Have students begin by looking
through magazines and cutting
and tearing out a variety of facial
features and colors to create their
portrait.
3. Students should assemble their
collages by gluing the pieces on a
printed photograph of themselves
to help keep the proportion of elements in the face in mind.
4. Once completed, students should
compare their work in a group
critique and compare and contrast
using paper to create a collage with
other materials normally used in
class.
By Janine Campbell, visual arts
teacher at Byron Center West
Middle School in Byron Center,
Michigan.
Student work by Jessica Marsh.
Warm/Cool Collage Drawings Elementary
The Art Problem
How can young artists appreciate the effects of warm and cool
colors?
Objective
Students will create side-by-side
collages made from warm and cool
colors.
Materials
construction paper in warm and
cool colors, 8 x 10" ( 20 x 25 cm)
white sulphite construction paper,
découpage glue, scissors, brushes,
overhead transparencies, scrap
paper, permanent black markers,
9 x 12" ( 23 x 30 cm) white paper,
black construction paper
Procedures
1. Review warm and cool colors
and have students identify examples
around the room.
2. Give each student a sheet of
white sulphite construction paper.
Holding paper horizontally, instruct
students to fold the paper in half,
then open it.
3. Define “collage” and demon-
strate how to use découpage glue
to attach pieces of cut or torn col-
ored construction paper to white
construction paper. Remind stu-
dents to overlap, and to apply the
larger pieces first, then the smaller
pieces, making sure to completely
cover the white paper. When the
first side is complete, collage the
other side so that one side is warm
and the other cool.
4. Coat the entire collage with a
light coat of découpage glue.
5. Holding the transparency hori-
zontally, draw a line down the cen-
ter with black permanent marker,
dividing the sheet in half.
6. Fold a piece of scrap paper (the
same size as the overhead trans-
parency sheet) in half and open it.
Draw a picture on one side of the
scrap paper.
7. When pleased with the drawing,
lay the transparency on top of it
and use black permanent marker to
trace the design on both halves of
the transparency.
8. Lay the transparency on top of
the collage and staple both to a
sheet of 9 x12" white paper. Mat
the entire work onto black con-
struction paper.
By Laurie Bellet, art specialist at
Oakland Hebrew Day School in
Oakland, California, and creative
consultant for Torah Aura Productions.
Tool Time High School
Objective
Students will make a composition
using a non-drawing or painting
tool or object as both their composition tool and subject matter.
Materials
paper, cardboard, mat board, canvas, etc. for support; paint; India
ink; pencils, permanent markers,
china markers, etc.; various non-art
tools that can be dipped in paint or
ink and drawn with; they also need
to be interesting forms.
Procedures
1. Offer students a selection of
tools and objects from which to
choose. Encourage them to think
way outside the box: Create a rope
drawing using the frayed end of a
piece of rope; a pierced drawing
of pushpins using the tip of the
pin to make holes in corrugated
cardboard; or a relief drawing of a
stapler made by stapling into paper
or cardboard.
2. Students may create studies of
their tool or object, or create fin-
ished compositions, in which they
repeat all or parts of their tool or
object.
3. If creating compositions, encour-
age students to begin with thumb-
nail sketches, emphasizing effective
use of the elements and principles
of design, but stress that they
should be open to what happens
during the process.
4. Offer students time to practice
with their chosen tool in order to
achieve the effect they want.
5. If desired, allow students to com-
bine media to improve their finished
compositions.
By Betsy DiJulio, national board
certified art teacher at Princess
Anne High School in Virginia
Beach, Virginia.
