Saturday, April 9, 2016

Mandala Art Lesson as Art Sub Plan

Mandala Art Lesson as Elementary and Middle School Art Sub Plan



How do you draw a mandala? Here are photos of beautiful ones from Arts&Activities Magazine from 1983. When I originally wrote this blog post, they have the article that would accompany these, online. The blog post sharing how to create these, no longer exists, unfortunately. 

art student created mandala


The second best thing I can post here is another option for a mandala that an art sub can teach.


This lesson includes templates and examples that a sub could use to lead this lesson. Check it out at Cool Classroom Stuff's TPT Shop:  Create Insect Designs with Radial Symmetry

Thursday, March 31, 2016

Art Class for Special Needs

Art Class for Special Needs - Cardboard Sculpture


Last month, I took a long-term sub job for a friend of mine.  Twice a week, kindergarten and first grade age students who have autism, came to art for a half-hour each time.  When they arrived, we watched the video from YouTube to "Shake the Sillies Out."  After that, we went over to the demonstration table and I showed them how to glue a tower of cardboard shapes.

Early in my art teaching career, a special ed teacher requested that I do a lot of 3D lessons with her students.  She told me that this was something the kids rarely got to experience.  So, I've kept this in mind over my career and tried to incorporate more sculptural experiences in their art classes.
box of precut cardboard shapes for art class for special needs students

       


cardboard sculpture made by special needs studentBefore they arrived at the art room, I had chopped up a large corrugated box into a variety of shapes.  I had styrofoam trays full of glue.  I also had cut cardboard squares for sculpture bases.

The students dipped the surface of the cardboard shapes into the glue and stacked them upon each other.  They stacked them any way they liked.  Overnight the sculptures dried and the next day the students painted them.



cardboard sculpture created by student with autism in art class



Monday, March 14, 2016

Art Sub Plan - A Home with an Onion Dome

Art Sub Plan with Architecture Theme

This art sub-plan is one that I created and taught recently.




This art lesson focuses on the architecture of onion domes. It talks about the beauty and uniqueness of this architectural element and shows how architects from the past and present have used this element in a variety of ways. It includes such classical structures as the Taj Mahal and St. Basil's Cathedral as well as an avante guarde creation of Hundertwasser. Many other buildings that have onion domes are featured as well.

This lesson was created with an art sub in mind but could be taught by a classroom teacher or art teacher. As a retired art teacher who subs now for my friends, I want to be able to teach good lessons that engage the students. The lessons that I use when I sub are the ones that I sell here. They are proven to engage students and help them create a work of art that is satisfying and original.

This lesson may be shown in two ways. It may be projected or it may be printed out and shown up close. All the teacher needs to do to teach this lesson is to read the script and ask the questions. All instructions are included.

The materials needed for the student artwork are simple: paper, pen or pencil, ruler, and crayons or markers.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Art Sub Plan - Aliens Love Underpants

Kindergarten Art Sub Plan - Aliens Love Underpants

Here's a super cute idea from the kindergarten blog, The Very Busy Kindergarten.  It is based on the book with the same name by Claire Freedman.

As you can see from the pictures below, this lesson was done with cut paper, but it certainly can also be done with crayons or marker.                                                                                                



If you like this idea, you might like this lesson from my Art Sub Lesson shop on TeachersPayTeachers.  This art sub lesson is fun for elementary students and can easily be taught by substitute teachers with no prep. It would be perfect to keep in your art sub tub or emergency lesson plan folder. This drawing activity requires only simple materials to do: paper and crayons or markers.  Art Sub Lesson: Robot Roundup



Friday, February 12, 2016

Valentine Art Idea for Subs - Fractional Hearts

Valentine Art Lesson for Elementary 


This elementary lesson could make a really nice sub lesson with simple materials. Check it out and see where you can take it. Fractional Hearts

This one is at the Crayola site. They always have good lesson plans over there with plenty of directions. 
Student drawing of a Valentine heart

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Art Sub Lesson - James Rizzi

Art Sub Lesson - James Rizzi


This art history/visual art lesson is a perfect plan for those days you need an art sub lesson plan.   It is a PowerPoint based on the artwork of James Rizzi. It is written to inspire students to create their own pop art building, not to just copy Rizzi's work. Substitute teachers will love this because everything they need to teach the lesson is here, and your students will love it because it is fun.



The lesson is fully formed so that all you have to do is project it as a PowerPoint lesson or print it out and show it up close with the students seated nearby.  It can be taught by a sub, an art teacher or a classroom teacher.  No art skills are required in order to teach this.  All of the visuals and demonstrations are already in the PowerPoint. The teacher needs to read the script; ask the questions given; and monitor students. I have included all of the information that I use when I teach the lesson myself.



As a retired art teacher who subs for my friends, I have taught this in kindergarten through grade 5. The students have been enthusiastic and engaged for the entire class period. Everyone has left feeling successful with their work.

Kindergarten Rizzi House

The supplies are simple.  Paper, pencil and crayons.

Check it out at my TPT Shop: Art Sub Lessons: James Rizzi Lesson Plan

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Valentine Art Lesson - Special Needs

Valentine Art Sub Lesson for Autism and Special Needs







Today I taught a self contained class of first grade and kindergarten students who have autism.

When they first come into the classroom, we do a movement activity.  Today we danced to "Get Your Wiggles Out" that I downloaded from YouTube.

After that we went over to the work table.  Here are the supplies that I had ready.





I had prefolded and cut hearts out of 12 x 18 inch red paper.  There was a tray of torn colored tissue paper. I had folded acetate transparencies, but a cut open sandwich bag or wax paper would have worked.  We had glue sticks.


To prepare for the sub lesson, I prefolded  transparencies in half.  Then, to cut the heat shaped frames quickly, I folded each one in half then folded it in half again. That is when I cut the half heart shape that went through all four layers of the folded paper and ended up with two symmetrical heart shapes. 



The students rubbed the glue sticks one entire side of the transparency sheet.







They laid one piece of tissue paper at a time inside the folded transparency until they filled the entire sheet.

The transparency then got refolded and stapled inside the heart shaped construction paper.



After they were done, we took the "stained glass" valentines over to the window and enjoyed looking at their beauty.

Their art time is 30 minutes long and the activity took around 15.  With the remaining time we watched storybook videos and Disney song videos.

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Monday, February 1, 2016

Autism/Special Needs Art Sub Plan

Art Sub Plan for Special Needs Class


This is an idea I am going to try with the autism art class I will sub in tomorrow. I don't have the exact supplies but I think I can make it work.  When I retired, I just couldn't leave that pack of transparencies I have been hoarding for years.  So, I'll try using those with a glue stick and cut tissue paper.  If it works out decently, I'll post the results.

Now to go and look for videos to inspire the kids for the lesson.

Friday, January 29, 2016

Special Needs Art Sub Lesson with Balloons

Art Lesson for Students with Autism and Special Needs


Hi......As a retired art teacher, who subs for my art teacher friends, I come into the classroom with all my own plans.  I know my way around an art room and have no fear of paint.  When I was full time in the classroom, I rarely, if ever, left tempera for my own subs. However, I think there may be instances where it would be okay.

I have subbed for a friend's half hour elementary autism art class and this is the first lesson that I did.

Photos of balloons



Balloon Play and Print

I downloaded some short YouTube videos about balloons.  All told, the videos probably lasted 6 minutes.  I passed out a blown up balloon to each student and we all played with them for a while.  All of us, kids and teachers, had fun.  We tossed.  We caught. Someone happened to hold their balloon over the blowing heater and the balloon levitated.  Then, we all had to try it.  The kids would have continued playing for a long time, I think.

At some point I brought the kids over to the demonstration table and showed them how to bounce the balloon in the plate of tempera paint.  From there I bounced the balloon on the paper.  After a few bounces I rotated the paint color and bounced the same color in the new color.  In this way, they get a wee bit of color mixing.  They also get to observe the shape of the balloon printed on the paper.

After we finished balloon printing, the assistant lead the students, one by one, to the sink to wash hands.  Another teacher manned the balloon print table as I went back to the projector.  After the students dried their hands, they came back to the carpet and I showed the same balloon videos.

We hadn't even watched all of the videos again when it was time to go.  Having the time for videos during the handwashing though was a nice way to occupy students when the teachers needed to do other tasks.

It would be nice to leave your sub a clean paint shirt or apron for this lesson.


********************************************************************************
It didn't occur to me to take my own photos.
***** photo credits*****
licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/
photo by Marco
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mcx83/6482430163/in/photolist-aSQ9Di-gCRWtj-duGimr-a2yRMC-xascmT-4cdrns-22Hbrs-oGQCJh-tWfMe4-aatXqL-yMMLFu-aat4Qe-qEfFN-nn6Mwp-eivXWm-gCRpt2-9uGexz-eP5gzp-pwLPwk-583kwS-fzDc4k-anKjEx-fhCDqv-anKmjX-anKjti-anKkCi-anN9eC-ezpZi3-cFfBKA-fAim7j-xjXDNE-fAimgL-5ehEC2-fjrR8E-bQmRTF-kpBo3-pwbbuv-fjrP7A-3byGAD-oUrt6D-Arjnp-3y1bDA-2ZjWuY-pyPDMF-h1B9k4-6N1eJd-x9iikT-fhSUmu-dmFmVm-8mmqCu