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Within our Cornet chapter, it was stated that "we are profoundly visual beings." Looking at the way culture today has become so technology based, it has given visual arts a whole different meaning. Communication is done now through sight with visual arts holding brand new importance. Seventy percent of our sensory receptors are in our eyes! When thinking, we create images in our minds. Visuals are required for thinking just as thinking is required for learning!

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The national core arts standards can act as a great guide for many educators! Having these on hand can help support integration ideas and make sure students are able to meet these standards just as they are in their core subjects.

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As educators, if we are familiar with the MDE core teaching practices it makes it can help create more ideas for integration of things like the arts.

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By Patrick McDowell

Patrick McDowell has created a wonderful story about a boy named art creating...art! The book describes many different aspects of visual arts including the use of lines, color, balance, emphasis etc. within the illustrations. The story is simple and encourages readers to use their brains and create something that inspires them!

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Art book. Read 135 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. A rhyming tribute to a budding young artist.

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Date: Sept 16 - Oct 4

A great way to explore several different areas of Grand Rapids and enjoy different forms of art! Many different art forms are represented and scattered throughout west Michigan. Some are outside and some are inside local businesses.

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Le'Andra LeSeur wins $200k Juried Grand Prize for powerful performance about identity and race; Chelsea Nix & Mariano Cortez win $200k Public Vote Grand Prize for portrait series about humanity's connections.

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Date: Jun 7th - Jun 9th

Festival of the Arts is a great way to experience all of the Arts right here in Grand Rapids! The festival features artwork by some of the best Artists in West Michigan, as well as music and performances by many from the community. There are food booths everywhere, all run by non-profits, and many art activities for kids and adults alike.

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Grand Rapids, MI — June 2, 3, 4, 2023

There’s more to come.  See below.

Festival 2022 was a great success.  Thank you to our sponsors who supported us, our hundreds of volunteers who worked so hard making Festival happen again, and thank you to all of you who came together in downtown Grand Rapids to celebrate art, music, food, and community.

There’s more to come!  We are already planning Performance+ by Festival of the Arts.  Our new fall concert and workshop.  Read more below.

Festival 2023 is already underway.  Mark your calendars; June 2, 3,& 4, 2023.  Check back often for more updates and information.

Thank you to our 2022 Festival Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor

Calder Main Stage

Presenting Sponsor

Opening Day Ceremonies

Presenting Sponsor

Artisan Village

Presenting Sponsor

Grand River Arts Awards

Presenting Sponsor

Children’s Art Zone

Kevin Farhat and the staff from the Garage Bar

Are you an artist, performer, food booth or vendor?

Applications for Festival 2022 Performers, Food Booths,
and Artisan Village are open now.

Here's the latest —

Experience Festival

What is Festival
of the Arts?

Festival is the annual three-day celebration of the arts, held in downtown Grand Rapids. The first Festival in 1970 highlighted the 1969 installation of Alexander Calder’s La Grande Vitesse on what is now known as Calder Plaza. Today, Festival attracts thousands of families downtown, with the best area performers and artists, exhibits, activities for kids, and of course, great food.

Featured Performers

Saturday - 7pm - Calder Stage

The Diatribe

The Diatribe uses performing arts to empower young people. At Festival, The Diatribe presents the Love and Peace Jam hosted by the living party & artist Foster aka AutoPilot, alongside the beacon of peace & love, Grand Rapids Poet Laureate Ericka “Kyd Kane” Thompson.

Volunteers make
Festival happen

Festival is powered by volunteers – and we need YOU.

Work with your family, co-workers or friends, for a few hours, a few days, or throughout Festival weekend. We have fun jobs for all ages and abilities.

Sign up today, and see why so many people love to volunteer at Festival!

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Festival of the Arts - Home - Festival of the Arts

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Grand Rapids, MI - June 2, 3, 4, 2023 Festival of the Arts We're Back! Experience Festival Festival 2022 Program There's more to come. See below. Festival 2022 was a great success. Thank you to our sponsors who supported us, our hundreds of volunteers who worked so hard making Festival happen again, and thank you to all of you [...]

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Date: Jul 5 - Jul 6

Come, paint, and enjoy Muskegon! Lakeshore Art Festival takes place in downtown Muskegon and is filled with art stations where you can create, craft and fine art vendors, chalk art, children's activities  and much more!

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Lakeshore Art Festival - A Unique & Artful Experience - Muskegon, MI

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The Lakeshore Art Festival features a unique blend of fine art, crafts, music, food and fun in Downtown Muskegon, Michigan. Come experience over 300 juried fine art and specialty craft exhibitors, children's activities, specialty food items, street performers, interactive art stations and so much more!

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Date: Jun 15

Reeds Lake Art Festival is a place were you can take your family and view the workings of some of our local artists. There are paintings, pottery, and jewelry on display at the festival.

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reeds lake art festival art pottery wealthy grand valley artists association wood crafts

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Reeds Lake Art Festival | East Grand Rapids, MI - Official Website

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Saturday, June 15, 2019 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Gaslight Village on Wealthy St. East Grand Rapids, MI 49506 The Reeds Lake Art Festival is typically held the third weekend in June. The Grand Valley Artists Association does have a selection process for the show.

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Date: Sept 14

At the Fallasburg Arts Festival you will find a plethora of workings on exhibit. Hands on children and adult crafting stations are at the public's disposal during the art festival. The two day event hosts local musicians on their outdoor stage.

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This article gives a bit of scientific support as to why giving our students and/or children time to be creative (draw) and be truly beneficial.

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The Powerful Effects of Drawing on Learning

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The science is clear: Drawing beats out reading and writing to help students remember concepts.

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This is going to be another great resource that outlines and provides research and scientific based analysis as to how beneficial art can be for students.

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The Critical Importance of Visual Arts Education

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Great activities for kids to get them excited about art!

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Art is a true passion for me! And it's something I KNOW your kids are going to love. Here are the very best art projects for kids. This list is sure to get those creative juices flowing! Use this set of 28 Days of STEM Activities and STEAM Activities for Kids posts to excite the kids all year long. Whether you're in the mood for process art, arts integration projects, or recycled art, there's definitely something here for everyone.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Art Projects for Kids

I'm the daughter of an engineer and a painter and Left Brain Craft Brain was my own creative outlet after growing up in an amazingly creative household. I know how essential art is for development and creativity in kids. I hope you use this awesome list of all types of art projects to help your kids grow their art abilities beyond their imaginations!

What is Process Art? Process Art Projects

What in the world is process art? Process art is something kids will LOVE! Process art focuses on the how of art, not the end product. There are no right or wrong ways to experience process art, just the enjoyment of creating. It's a great way to integrate movement and creativity in your art lessons for kids.

Gelli Printing - An Easy Art Project You'll Want to Do || Left Brain Craft Brain - This is one of the those craft activities that takes a little investment, but you can use over and over again!

Bubble Painting with Dry Ice || The Science Kiddo - Have you tried this? It's a must for your next spring art activity!

String Art || Babble Dabble Do - Can you believe a little bit of string transformed this simple painting?

Collaborative Circle Painting to Build Community || Kids STEAM Lab - Add this amazing art lesson to your after school creative time.

Fizzy Drip Painting || Capri +3 - I love how easy it is to set this up! I know I have everything I need to make this happen today!

Tube Painting Gross Motor Art Project || Left Brain Craft Brain - Sometimes kids painting can be pretty messy. This is an awesome way to contain the mess.

Slime Drawings || Left Brain Craft Brain - This is one of the coolest drawing ideas I have ever made! The kids are going to love it!

Melted Crayon Stained Glass || The Artful Parent - Do you remember doing this as a kid? Melted crayon is always a classic.

Arts Integration Projects

Art integration projects are my favorite. Why should art be integrated into the curriculum? It's why we focus on STEAM so much on Left Brain Craft Brain instead of just STEM. Adding in art triggers another level of creativity in young minds. Get the kids' creative juices flowing with some amazing art projects that have some science, math, and engineering built right in.

Five Minute Crafts: Magnet Painting || Left Brain Craft Brain - We have done this activity MANY times and it's always a huge hit with the kids. Check out this video to see it in action.

Art Equals Science Paint Solubility Projects for Kids || Left Brain Craft Brain - Grab your box of paints for this simple science experiment.

Mystery Grid Art Challenge || Pink Stripey Socks - Such a fun idea for your STEAM lesson time.

Frog Life Cycle Pom Pom Craft for Nature Studies || Adventure in a Box - Looking for fun spring art ideas? Add this one to the list.

Glow in the Dark Moon Phases Mobile || Left Brain Craft Brain - This is one of those craft activities that will stay on the wall for months!

Chromatography Art Project || Buggy and Buddy - Teach kids about the cool science of chromatography when you make this weaving project.

Color Mixing with Coding for Preschool Kids || iGame Mom - I love the idea of adding in technology to your next art projects for kids.

More Arts Integration Projects!

Metal Art STEAM Project || STEAM Powered Family - Beautiful! This is one of those cool art projects the kids won't soon forget.

Geometric Math Art with Circles || Teach Beside Me - I can't believe what an easy math art activity this is! And totally relaxing, too.

Bird Art Sculptures || One Time Through - If you're planning some nature lessons for kids, don't forget to add in your own bird sculptures.

Math Coloring Book || Left Brain Craft Brain (coming soon!) - Learn about how math intertwines with nature with these beautiful coloring pages.

Recycled Art Projects

Do you have a recycle bin overflowing with materials? Before you put those items out for recycling, think about all the amazing recycled art projects you can do. This is an awesome budget-friendly way to add STEAM to your learning every week.

Recycled Plastic Flowers Are and Science Projects || Left Brain Craft Brain - This is pretty much the prettiest science experiment we've ever done.

Upcylced Toy Car Marker Bots || Left Brain Craft Brain - Don't throw away your old toy cars. There's still some fun left in them!

Recycled Water Bottle Garden Art || Happy Hooligans - Dig into your recycle bin to make amazing art to decorate your spring garden!

Paper Weaving || Babble Dabble Do - What cool recycled paper can you find for this fun weaving project?

Got some carboard to use up? You'll love these Cereal Box Crafts, too!

Five Minute Crafts (and Five Minute Art Too!)

I'm going to admit that I always have a couple five minute crafts ready to go anytime at home. It's a great away to set up a creative space quickly AND give some extra stimulation to your creative kids. All with little time invested.

Blind Contour Drawings || Art Bar - Challenge the kids to this fun drawing challenge!!

Painted Feathers || Figment Creative Labs - We did this activity in my daughter's class and the kids loved it!

Easy Fish Origami || Red Ted Art - This project is a great introduction into the art of origami!

Be sure to check out our whole Five Minutes Crafts category on Left Brain Craft Brain!

Holiday Art Projects

Here's just a quick selection of some fun holiday art projects for kids.

Rainbow Shamrock Art Project for St. Patrick's Day || Rhythms of Play - This project is perfect for your STEAM kids! Such a cool process.

Process Art Scrape Painting with Bunny Silhouettes || Projects with Kids - These are adorable and the perfect process art idea for your next spring art activity!

Valentine Process Art Projects || Left Brain Craft Brain - So many beautiful ideas to show others how much you care!

Five Minute Crafts: Tape Resist Glitter Forest || Left Brain Craft Brain - We have made several versions of this project over the year. It's so easy to set up and they always come out beautiful!

And check out this HUGE list of Valentine Process Art for Kids.

Science, Tech, Engineering, Art, and Math Fun for Kids

Looking for some more STEAM inspiration that you can use right now? Instant gratification style? Check out STEAM Explorers!! The coolest new creative experience for kids is here! Think digital magazine meets online project portal in a safe, kid-friendly environment. (No more worrying about what might be hidden in that YouTube vid!) All engineer, teacher, and mom approved. And most definitely KID APPROVED!⁣

What's included?⁣

Monthly digital magazine with cool themes that's fun to read

Hands-on, exciting projects the kids will love.⁣

Science, tech, engineering, art, and math learning YOU'LL love.⁣

Delicious recipes the kids can make.⁣

Fun printables and games⁣

Entertaining videos⁣

All packed up in an easy to do package, ready for kids ages 5-12 to have fun.

28 Days of STEM Activities and STEAM Activities for Kids

These projects are part of an amazing, month-long series of hands on STEM and STEAM projects for kids. Click on over to 28 Days of STEM Activities and STEAM Activities for Kids for 60+ FREE science, tech, engineering, art, and math projects from 30+ education writers. All ready to get your kids excited to learn.

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Your kids will love this collection of art projects for kids! You'll find everything you need for cool art projects and simple art lessons for kids. Process art, arts integration projects, recycled art, and more. Many using arts and crafts materials you already have at home.

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A great resource for both parents and educators. This book gives insight into the benefits, how best to utilize visual arts with children of different ages as well as the impacts that it can have on children.

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Defining Visual Arts book. Read reviews from world's largest community for readers. Defining Visual Arts is perfect for early childhood - elementary grad...

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This is a link to a definition of visual arts, on learn.org. Not only does this link give insight to how visual arts is defined, it breaks down all of the different aspects of visual arts and those meanings as well.

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Visual arts or studio art refers to art experienced primarily through the sense of sight. Read this article to learn more about visual arts and the topics you can expect to see in this area of study. Schools offering Acting degrees can also be found in these popular choices .

Overview of Visual Arts

The term visual arts encompasses several different art forms, including both fine arts, such as drawing, painting, photography, and sculpture, as well as handicrafts, such as basketry, ceramics, textiles, and jewelry. Many undergraduate visual arts programs at colleges, universities, and technical schools offer a basic overview of studio arts and encourage students to explore a variety of art forms before deciding on a specialty. Students then begin to focus on techniques that apply to the media of their choosing. Graduates often go on to become professional artists or teachers. The remainder of the article examines the various types of visual art topics covered in most visual arts programs.

Important Facts about This Area of Study

Common Courses

Visual development imaging, history of visual development, model and character design, visual elements of story, fundamentals of environment, visual styles

Programs

Undergraduate, graduate

Online Availability

Many select schools

Possible Careers

Artist, photographer, sculpture, programmer, teacher, font designer, digital lab technician, webmaster, exhibitions designer

2-D Art

Typical courses include drawing, illustration, sketching, painting, and collage. All are two-dimensional or 2-D forms of visual art, in which the final product is created on a flat surface. Printmaking and photography are considered 2-D arts even though the images they portray may appear to be 3-D. Most collages and many mosaics are also 2-D, although there is some overlap with 3-D art depending on the media the artist uses.

3-D Art

Three-dimensional or 3-D art courses include sculpture, metalworking, jewelry design, ceramics, pottery, woodworking, architecture, and landscape design. Students create 3-D visual art pieces by starting with 2-D tools, like graphite pencils or charcoal, to sketch their designs. They then use the media specific to the final 3-D product, such as clay, wood, metal, stones, precious gems, glass, and other materials.

Computer Art

Examples of computer art courses include digital photography, Web design, animation, video games, graphic design, sound design, and 3-D computer modeling. Tools include computer hardware, software, and capturing and storage media, such as CDs and DVDs. Courses also cover new ways of displaying visual arts, such as digital frames, plasma screens, and other hardware that reduce computer artists' dependence on traditional computer monitors.

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Visual arts or studio art refers to art experienced primarily through the sense of sight. Read this article to learn more about visual arts and the topics you can expect to see in this area of study. Schools offering Acting degrees can also be found in these popular choices .

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Schools seem to be incredibly literacy based today, and considered with literacy levels. This video does a great job of showing both how and why visual arts can be used to help bridge this gap and help boost literacy levels.

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Art as Text: Bridging Literacy and the Arts

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This video could be utilized as a great support tool for educators to understand, from a firsthand account, how visual arts can impact students growth.

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Growing through Visual Art (Power of Arts Education)

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This is a great online resource for educators. Especially for those that just don't know where to begin when attempting to integrate the arts into their teaching. This resource includes a visual arts section specifically, and also touches on all areas of art.

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When I first began teaching, the arts were part of elementary school students' daily curriculum. Tight budgets, high stakes testing, and a heavy focus on literacy, science, and math have brought an end to that. These days, teachers tend to incorporate the arts around the holidays or when there is "extra time."

But the abandoned arts can help students to master Common Core standards: enhancing creativity, increasing self-confidence, promoting collaboration, and offering alternative way to assess learning.

Here are a few simple ways I integrate the arts in my classroom:
VISUAL ARTS
Encourage speaking, listening, and vocabulary development skills. I start the year off by introducing elements of lines, color, and shape. Connecting spoken words (zigzag, sculpture, portrait, etc.) with a visual model helps students grasp new vocabulary. Students share their work and practice their presentation skills.
Clarify thoughts, ideas, and feelings by drawing and labeling.
Art is particularly powerful when it allows students to communicate learning when they cannot express it through writing. Examples below show my English Learners and students with special needs making connections to historical figures (Martin Luther King, Jr, & Cesar Chavez) and each other through drawings and spoken words. Their work provides evidence that they were able to effectively communicate with each other to understand and complete the assignment.

Go deeper in units of study. Students can integrate and retain what they are learning in all areas when they have opportunities to create relevant artifacts. For example, when studying the life of Cesar Chavez, my students illustrated different crops. In science, they made models of a flower to better understand each of its parts. Students painted the space shuttle Endeavour after we had studied and observed it flying over our school.
DRAMA
Encourage role playing. Students are able to better understand a story, character, or event if they are able to physically act it out. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing are part of the process, but all students can participate. For English learners, I use pictures and retell the story orally, while they act it out physically. Students can work collaboratively to write their own stories and act them out for friends.

Take turns in the "hot seat" to understand character.Students take on the role of a character (fictional or real) and sit in the " hot seat," where they answer the questions of a curious public. Students ask the wolf, "Why did you eat the little pigs?" They question Ruby Bridges, "Were you scared when people yelled at you when you walked to school each day?"

Create a tableau. Even young students can develop a still, silent performance from a scene in a story or representing an event in text, developing a fuller understanding about life and literature.
DANCE
Challenge students to create letter and number forms. Can you name the letters being represented below?

Movement and Freeze. This is a fun and simple way to incorporate dance movements (skip, twirl, gallop, etc.) as students learn about historical figures, characters, and events. At 1:32 of this video, my students dance and freeze in positions related to the life of Jackie Robinson. After reading about historical figures, students create shapes that represent them.
MUSIC, SONG, & PERFORMANCE
Sing the concepts. Want to teach students to clean up, learn grammar, or grasp math facts? Go for it. We sing for clean up, to learn grammar, and math facts too. There are songs for nearly every concept you want to teach. You can make up a song using a familiar tune, or find one online. Songs help students learn and retain information, develops listening skills, and teach tone, beat, and rhythm. Singing songs and rhymes teaches English learners how language is constructed and helps with acquisition of English.

Create opportunities for students to perform. Want magic? Bring students on stage. Students can make learning public by presenting to an audience, whether informal (another class) or formal (parents and community). Self-confidence and accomplishment tend to beat nerves during a performance. Occasionally, students who will not speak or participate in class will rise to the occasion on stage, surprising everyone with their ability to present what they have learned.

As a teacher of diverse learners and a parent of a child with special needs, I understand that we must provide different pathways for students to demonstrate what they know: reading, writing, speaking, singing, dancing, drawing, and other formats. Incorporating the arts helps ensure that the needs of different types of learners are met.

To see lots of wonderful examples of other teachers integrating the arts in their classrooms, check out the library of Teaching Channel Arts videos.

How do you integrate the arts in your classroom?

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What You Can Do When the Arts are Missing from Your Elementary School

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When I first began teaching, the arts were part of elementary school students' daily curriculum. Tight budgets, high stakes testing, and a heavy focus on literacy, science, and math have brought an end to that. These days, teachers tend to incorporate the arts around the holidays or when there is "extra time."

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This is a website that complies a "lesson plan library" full of art lessons and tips for integrating arts into already established lessons! The name is a bit deceiving, this website goes far beyond kindergarten, there are options for all different grade ranges!

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KinderArt is a free resource with hundreds of art activities for kids of all ages.

The KinderArt Club is a premium, time-saving, art lesson plan membership portal for teachers, parents, homeschoolers, art studio owners, librarians and anyone else who teaches art to children ages 5 to 12yrs. ALL of our Art Lesson Bundles are unlocked and ready for you to access as soon as you become a member. Relax, you've got this. Join us today.

Welcome to KinderArt And The KinderArt Club!

Try These

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POPULAR!

So much fun!

Our Books
What Can I Draw Today?
by Andrea Mulder-Slater

KINDERART NEWS

OUR STORY

I'm Andrea, that's me on the left! When my mother Jantje (to my right) and I created KinderArt in 1997, we were leading children's workshops at a local art gallery. One day we decided to look online see if there were any resources for art teachers and found that there were very few (hello Ken Rohrer and The Incredible Art Department!). Not long before, we had made the move into "cyberspace" by placing our Art Studio business online. So, along with that, we created what was at that time a modest resource for art teachers, with about 20 art lessons...

THE KINDERART CLUB

You are currently on the KinderArt.com site which features lots of free art activity ideas for kids (I hope you are enjoying them!) HOWEVER, if you are looking for more detailed art lesson plans, drawing lessons, printables, sketchbook starters (and more) provided monthly, you will LOVE The KinderArt Club - a membership portal designed for parents, homeschoolers, classroom art teachers and studio instructors.

Inside the club you will find hundreds of printable PDF art lessons designed to work in small or large group settings, with a range of ages (from 5 to 12 years). Get creative teaching kids at home, instructing students in a classroom, leading workshops in a studio, or sharing online, as you explore artists, art periods, science, nature, history, cultures and themes, with creativity and flexibility in mind.
Find out More at TheKinderArtClub.com

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KinderArt Elementary Art Lesson Plans Projects by Grade and Age

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Art lesson plans, projects, curriculum and crafts for kids in preschool elementary and middle school. For teachers and parents.

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This resources is yet another way to help support educators with integrating all sorts of arts into already established lessons and learning!

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As children, young children, everything meant playing and art. We saw the world as a playground and a canvass. It didn't matter whether or not we could actually draw. What mattered was the thrill of creating something beautiful.

We were all artists. We still are.

So reminding students that inspiration matters, that art lives and breathes inside every segment of education also means tweaking your lessons a bit. Switching your perspective to what's really important at the core of any lesson may mean the difference between losing your students' attention and actually getting your point across.

Albert Einstein wrote: The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. So the unknown, the mysterious, is where art and science meet.

Keeping his words in mind, educators everywhere are beginning to work art into education. Because we live in the 21 st century, we have all the tools right at our fingertips, quite literally. The Internet hosts site after site devoted to integrating art into education. Right here, you'll find some of the best websites and some interesting ideas that are easily altered to fit various lessons. Explore 50 ways to add artistic elements to the simplest and most complex lessons.

Math
1. Lego Engineers
Besides LegoLand embodying a living, breathing demonstration of how Legos inspire children, Lego is making a fortune off the coolest kits around. Lego building requires everything from patience to vision. To achieve that vision, the builder needs good strategy. Strategy relies on mathematical skills. Everything from basic addition and subtraction to engineering skills blossoms when Lego's pop into the picture. So, have students use Legos to demonstrate mathematical skills at each and every level. From robotics to engineering, Legos inspire learners. Visit www.legoeducation.us for more information.
2. Marshmallow Math
Stack them. Create shapes with them. Add, subtract, multiply and divide them.

Then eat them. If you take a bag of marshmallows and you tell a child, "I'll let you eat these if you get all the answers correct," then you let the child use the marshmallows to find the answer, that child will get all the answers correct.

That's the art of teaching math. I used to think that the older kids got, the less they cared about silly rewards like those marshmallows, but I was so wrong. They care even more. Life becomes a series of "pointless" classwork and homework assignments with quizzes and tests to follow if teachers don't force fun.
3. Design Parks
Mathematicians, whether they're engineers or architects or otherwise, know the importance of technology so teachers need to utilize it when helping students understand the value of every lesson. At mathbydesign.thinkport.org you can find interactive games where students can design a park in the center of town.
4. I Hart Math Doodles
Take note of a girl and a math mission. She blows the concept that math means repetition and rudimentary mechanics right out of the water. Her site provides plenty of innovative "techniques" for seeing math in a different light. In one very amusing video, she shows how the typical factoring lesson turns into doodling stars, which she turns into a lesson on factoring itself. Check her doodles out at vihart.com
5. Khan Academy
If doodling isn't quite enough, try the Khan Academy for more of Vi Hart and the basics as well as anything else your heart desires. Math, Science, Economics, Humanities, and even test prep fill the website. It's different because it doesn't condescend. It doesn't condescend because the site and it's master creator, Sal Khan, offer visuals on how to understand the basics of math and other educational subjects without the assumption that it's impossible to communicate. Start with the link on how to use it in the classroom. It will make all the difference. www.khanacademy.com
6. MArTH Tools
At Math Munch, they've even conjured up a witty name for their merging of art and math called MArTH Tools. Teachers can find resources for inspiration, but more importantly, there are links to interactive tools that teach difficult concepts as well as practical skills. mathmunch.wordpress.com
7. Colors Multiplied
Multiplication can be taught with simple yet beautiful colors and shapes. Check out some beautiful images at mathlesstraveled.com. Even teach prime numbers using some manipulation.
8. Math Journals
Teachers can vary assignments and difficulty levels by creating a math journal, which is ultimately a math adventure in the same vein as Indiana Jones. It gives importance and application to www.mathsquad.com
9. Bridges
Basic word problems require students to draw or write out how they came to their conclusion. So why shouldn't more complicated math be seen in the same way?

According to the Bridges Organization bridgesmathart.org, math needs art and vice versa. This organization plans an annual conference focusing on the connection between art and math. At their website, you can find a wealth of information on mathematics and art.
10. Cinderella
Cinderella.2 software offers users geometry, virtual laboratories, and university-level mathematics with analytical functions. Students will learn while creating.

Geometry
11. GeoGebra
GeoGebra gives students insight into planetary motion, exterior angles of polygons, rotating triangles, and more. The site also offers loads of information and worksheets. https://www.geogebratube.org/
12. Mosaics
Mosaics are a great way to introduce shapes to young minds so why not communicate the same way with older students. You can create them the traditional way, out of glass, or use cellophane paper or even just regular paper. Review basic shapes then piece them together and have students create patterns.
13. Patterns
Tessellations, infinite patterns with varying shapes, can help you teach about the polygon, plane, vertex, and adjacent. Students can put patterns together on paper or use basic computer programs to tile images. Just taking the time to show students something so simple gives them the basis they need to move on to more difficult problem solving lessons. www.teachervision.fen.com
14. Origami Art
Origami art will add dimension with texture and movement. While giving young students a fun way to see shapes come together and create all sorts of animals or three-dimensional geometric shapes to marvel at, the origami art can evolve into a sophisticated tool for using math and engineering skills. Robert Lang explains the transformation at the following video:
15. Three-Dimensional shapes
With some compass points, scissors, glue, construction paper and bobby pins, students can create Polyhedra. Learn more about that at www.ldlewis.com
16. Wheel of Theodorus
Students calculate, draw and create new images while learning the Pythagorean Theorem. Find details at www.ldlewis.com
17. Alice & Algebra
Teach multiplication of fractions using the story of Alice in Wonderland. Melanie Bayley, an Oxford scholar, wrote a dissertation on this very subject. Just the manipulation of size from small to large and back again becomes a starting point for calculations to begin. Find out more on the practical implementation in the classroom at www.newscientist.com
18. Triangle to Square
So many sites and blogs have great animation to teach all kinds of theories. Matt Henderson teaches signal processing with rotating circles and a digital square wave. He also creates some cool doodle animation showing how drawing lines starting with a simple triangle can turn into a square.

Science
19. Art in Labs
Students take a concept and turn it into art or even use the materials for art. Many artists do this anyway so why shouldn't this be a part of coursework? Visit

www.biology.emory.edu Working in labs themselves, students then create art out of bacteria and fungi.
20. The Art of Biology
Students create beautiful works of art with imaging technologies. Use that to introduce various lessons or a concept and the brain's eye will attach itself to the particulars much better than simply assigning homework and moving on to an exam. Visit www.cmu.edu to learn more.
21. Toothbrush Robots
If your goal hinges on recruiting girls into the scientific field then art helps. Try coolgirls-scienceart.org They gather the girls to shoot rockets, create art shows, and play with bugs. Just knowing that science is NOT a man in a white lab coat ready to slice open a dead animal might mean the difference between a career in fashion and a career in chemical engineering. You'll also find information on unique activities such as making toothbrush robots.
22. Chemistry
Through the Art Institute of Chicago, teachers can access lectures and lesson plans on the value of art in teaching chemistry and the chemistry of physics and light plus art and astronomy. www.artic.edu
23. Fresco Chemistry
Check out issuu.com's newsletter on various activities from green chemistry to music in chemistry. Several activities fill the newsletter with step-by-step processes followed by an explanation of how the chemistry works. One of those is making a fresco. issuu.com
24. The Golden Dream
Return to the beginnings of chemistry and art with alchemy at www.pbs.org

Follow the guide to turn metal into gold. The fascination with the process sparks curiosity if nothing else.
25. Unique Perspectives
Try www.cosmosmagazine.com for ideas and articles on the mixture of science and art. Article upon article covers current topics in relation to the importance of science past, present and future. Ready for students to read, bring reality into science fiction with articles such as "Earth-like Planets May Be Closer than Thought."

Computer Science
26. Alice.org
Alice teaches students how to program through dragging and dropping graphics. They're taking 3-D objects inside a virtual world and animating them. They ultimately learn to build stories, create interactive games or video's for sharing. alice.org
27. Polynomiography
Dr. Bahman Kalantari, professor of computer science at Rutgers University, introduced the idea of polynomiography. It literally means the visualization of polynomials. "Polynomials are so important that all students need to know about them no matter what scientific field they would want to follow.

But because the foundation of solving equations can be identified with points in the plane, visually it is very appealing to all ages," Dr. Kalantari explains. Visit www.polynomiography.com to explore.
28. Scratch
Scratch is a site hailing from MIT. Students gain access to software that teaches them to create and share interactive stories, games, music, and art.
scratch.mit.edu
Movies used across curricula
29. BrainPop
There is nothing that BrainPop can't teach. The films are silly yet humorous and by far, they're educational. The mini movies run the gamut from Language Arts to Math to Science to Social Studies. Kids like it because it's not in a textbook. Adults like it because it's not in a textbook. www.brainpop.com
30. Bitesize
In the same vein as BrainPop, Bitesize delivers the basics in short movies or sound bites. Teachers can use this to help students practice or even begin their journey into standardized essays and Spanish basics. The visuals and set up make it a great place to return to in order to build upon different lessons within any subject. www.bbc.co.uk
31. Sheppard Software
Like Brainpop and Bitesize, Sheppard has mini movies and games. Choosing one over the other depends on the difficulty of the lesson and the extent of the film. www.sheppardsoftware.com
32. VideoLab
If you can't actually demonstrate in the lab, the next best thing is video. At video.sciencemag.org teachers can show short videos to begin a lesson, transition from one to another, or just explain the facts and information with the necessary visuals.

Writing & Grammar
33. Art in a Word
Inspired by Doodle for Google, the annual competition giving students a chance to draw a new Google theme, the idea of Art in a Word challenges students to take the vocabulary word and turn each letter into the representation of its meaning. On the back of the page, teachers should have students use the word within context, writing it in a sentence, identifying the part of speech, then defining it.
34. Advertising
Have students create a full-page ad for their favorite product. Make up the criteria for them so that they have to use sentences with adjectives and strong verbs. Then have them edit their work. Meanwhile, teach them all types of grammar lessons in the process.
35. Bare Books
A book of their own means more to students than an ipod. They just don't know it until they've created it. Depending on the assignment, teachers can buy books in bulk for as little as a dollar each. These books can be used for poetry or stories, leaving the rest of the blank space for art. www.barebooks.com If your students are more electronically inclined check out a new site that's making it even easier to create e-books at www.holartbooks.com
36. Paint the Strawberry
For writing teachers who need to emphasize the idea of "show don't tell," have students describe the strawberry or another type of food commonly eaten. They need to reconstruct the image including taste and sensations in the reader's mind.

This means they have to come up with 10 to 20 descriptive words (depends on difficulty level) and use them in a paragraph describing the strawberry. The strawberry should be on display on a stool as the subject of their work of art. It sometimes draws a comedic response for an even better lesson.

Reading

Some students thrive in any reading environment. Others crumble. Over the years, I've noticed the basic difference between an engaged reader and one who struggles is the ability to visualize.
37. LiteracyHead
Whether students are struggling with basic reading awareness or writing skills, this site helps teachers use art as an inspiration to bridge the gap in communication. For comprehension, an image opens on the screen and asks the question, "In what ways does this picture connect to others?" www.literacyhead.com
38. Graphic Novels
Greek Myths can confuse even the most interested reader, but turn it into a graphic novel or a booklet with illustrations and you've got an active, engaged reader. There's a reason why there's a comic culture out there in which people become obsessed with superheroes.
39. Comic Creator
When reading Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe with students, I rely on an amazing website full of free lesson plans and links to everything you need. www.readwritethink.org For this one, I read the story in a scary voice, the room dark, only the words projected while the students predict the next twist. Then they have the option of creating a comic strip about it. They can use the comic creator if they don't want to draw it themselves.
40. Poetry Café
This can be used as monthly or even weekly motivation for students to work on poetry. Decorate the room with poems and artwork inspired by those poems. Then let the students enjoy readings from other students. At the end of a lesson or as a reward for long, tough assignments, students can organize a coffee and cake session where they read their works or the works of poets around the world.

Social Studies
41. Map Art
Old maps hanging on a wall build an atmosphere of art and history combined with adventure. But, understanding them can be a difficult task. So having students create maps ignites the learning process and forces them to work through those difficulties. Visit historymatters.gmu.edu for simple explanations on the creation process.
42. Divide and Conquer
Teaching about different cultures means making them come alive. The Inuit people should live on a canvass, dancing, singing, hunting, and building. So, have students make a brochure from a poster cut in half. Bend it into threes. Divide into sections such as origins, tradition, geography, food and accomplishments.
43. Forget-Me-Not Dioramas
I haven't met a history teacher who hasn't had a diorama project quick on hand. However, requiring an artistic approach changes the dynamics of the criteria with which the student learns. Give the students an assignment they will never forget. Isn't that the idea?

For example, war isn't about guns and death as much as it's about lost love. If World War I must be represented, let it be told with love. Start with the love letters of Harriet Johnson to her boyfriend and continue from there. This not only teaches the emotional loss at Wartime but adds value and meaning to a lesson.
44. Folk Art
It's as simple as having students recreate folk art from a certain time period and a culture and presenting it with facts and information. The inspiration matches the assignment giving each student a firm grasp of the value of an individual within a larger segment of society. Visit www.folkartmuseum.org or www.mexican-folk-art-guide.com for more ideas and information.
45. Transformation
Change the entire classroom into a diorama. It's been done many times in my own classroom. Entire walls become pyramids. Others become waterfalls. And, the great part isn't even the fact that students will work 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. to build a pyramid, but they will learn everything about that time period while they're doing it. It takes a lot of patience, planning, and very considerate faculty, but it's worth it because of the pride and energy students earn from this lesson.
46. Film Recreations
Students, especially older ones, love filming anything. So have them recreate a historical event, film it, and present it to the class. Sure you could have them act it out but using video and technology will allow them to edit and start over if necessary.
47. Documentaries
In order to get students' attention, tell them they need to mimic documentaries. Show them several types and then let them choose one to duplicate or even come up with a current event of their own to document. The student presentations not only reteach the subject matter to each other but give them control over their learning.
48. Write History
Have students recreate a time in history and include themselves. They can take on characteristics of certain people who lived at that time or they can create their own person from pieces of different types of people during that time period.
49. Hero History
Twist the concept of a hero into the ordinary citizen as a leader, innovator, and survivor of that time. Students can choose an actual "hero" or famous character to dress as and give a speech about or they can piece together a hero from the famous leaders of the time.
50. Twisted Timeline
There's nothing better than a timeline to teach important dates in history. But, no one ever teaches that stories, which are what history is about, never quite move in a straight line. The timeline still flows in the same direction, students just twist it a little, take side routes and learn about details they might never have paid attention to when cramming for a test.

For example, if the time period focuses on the American Revolution then use the dates to carry students through to the next date but wind around to the left or right, take a detour, find out some interesting cultural facts within those two dates and add that to the timeline.

Visit timelines.com for detailed timelines with great images that students can add to their own.

As a final note, if the art warrants it, always make sure there's a wall or a table for display. Displaying finished pieces gives artists a sense of satisfaction. Children who don't see their work rewarded lose motivation, the same is true of young adults, and even more so of adults.

If yours is a virtual classroom, build a blog around your students' creations. Creating one is simple enough nowadays. You don't even have to know how to code. It doesn't matter if the entire world knows about it. All that matters is that they know about it, that they can say they're work "hangs" there.

Lastly, introducing art into any classroom means thoughtful planning but also a very real understanding that there will be loss of control. Knowing this can be very liberating for a teacher, but it can also be uncomfortable. However, once you allow yourself to be comfortable with it, students will master the lesson and, more often than not, surpass it.

A former Publications Specialist at Florida International University where she also received a bachelor's degree in English, Lisa Chesser left the publishing field to pursue a career in education.

In her first three years of teaching Language Arts, she won an Excellence in Teaching Award for helping students achieve 50 percent learning gains. Because she's also a writer, an editor, and an artist by trade, students often take more interest in their learning environment because she teaches them the value of it in the workplace.

You can find her on Google+.

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50 Ways To Integrate Art Into Any Lesson | InformED

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As children, young children, everything meant playing and art. We saw the world as a playground and a canvass. It didn't matter whether or not we could actually draw. What mattered was the thrill of creating something beautiful. We were all artists. We still are. So reminding students that inspiration matters, that art lives and...

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A resource, through the Kennedy Center, that provides lessons for teachers with art integration. It gives you the option to choose a grade band, then an arts area, then a subject! It allows a finely tuned search in order to efficiently find what you may be in search for.

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Chelsea is a local Grand Rapids native who creates stunning artwork! She comes from a family of artists but she specifically loves to create from paint! Many of her pieces are radiant with contrasting, abstract colors and sometimes, her paint pallets, become just as beautiful as her artwork! One of her most recent works was on the wall of Rise Authentic Bakery here in Grand Rapids! I know her personally and it has been amazing to watch how visual arts influences the lives of those around us. It's also inspiring to see people we know chase after their joys and passions. I've uploaded some of her work below and a link to her website, check her out!

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Chelsea Michal Garter | Artist | Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Chelsea Michal Garter is an American artist in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her work portrays abstract (often vibrant) depictions of animals, people and landscape.

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This could occur in place of free writing. Challenge the students to doodle about favorite words, new learning, or anything that they would have chosen to write about.

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Utilize the entire school, if possible, and going a a walk to find art and beauty. Provide tools like magnifiers, sketch books etc. Going outdoors if desired and continually revisit these same areas during different seasons throughout the school year.

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Before actually making the art squeeze out some ideas! This can be done by asking questions, and gearing them towards art. "What are things we look for in art?" Create a list or word cluster to organize ideas.

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Expose the students to famous statues, discuss things like the emotions of the statues, and why they exist. Then challenge the students to create their own pose, become a statue, and when they're tapped tell them to explain what they're thinking or feeling, in one line.

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Compose songs with the class for art concepts and elements. Mixing colors for example, what colors create new colors when mixed together.

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By Eric Carle

All of Eric Carle's books are great tie in's to visual arts, especially in the classroom. Carla utilizes a unique technique to create his art and his books could be used to show students that creating visual arts is not just drawing or painting! In this particular book is show students that anyone can be an artist, and ends with a question "are you an artist?" This would be a great way to start a discussion in the classroom about whether or not students believe they're artists.

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The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse book. Read 253 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. A brilliant new Eric Carle picture book for th...

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By Isabel Campoy, Theresa Howell
Illustrations by Rafael Lopez

This would be another great way to show students different ways of visual arts, as well as the impact they can have on feelings and emotions! Following the reading of this book, as a class, a discussion could occur about different ways to make neighborhoods beautiful. In this book they painted, but what else could be used? Chalk? Posters? etc. How could we make our classroom brighter with art?

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What good can a splash of color do in a community of gray? As Mira and her neighbors discover, more than you might ever imagine! Based on...

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This website includes several resources for integrating art into the classroom. This is a Chicago school that uses collaboration to integrate art into their classrooms. The website has videos, testimonials, images etc to lend advice and ideas to other schools and educators.

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HOW CAPE DOES ARTS INTEGRATION

Arts Integration can be challenging! Done well, it requires time, commitment, thoughtfulness, creativity, and flexibility from students, teachers, and artists alike. Watch this video for a quick explanation of how we approach arts integration in our classrooms.

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Arts Integration in the Classroom | CAPE

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HOW CAPE DOES ARTS INTEGRATION Arts Integration can be challenging! Done well, it requires time, commitment, thoughtfulness, creativity, and flexibility from students, teachers, and artists alike. Watch this video for a quick explanation of how we approach arts integration in our classrooms.

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This website is FILLED with several resources. This is not only ways and ideas to integrate visual arts, but all areas of how art. Some links will take you to tips and ways to integrate and some will lead to actual lesson plans!

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Using arts integration strategies is an easy and fast way to begin integrating the arts into your classroom. Explore new teaching methods at EducationCloset.

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Visual arts both brightens my mood and my level of happiness on a daily basis! Creating different forms of visual arts can be an outlet for de-stress and relaxation. Visual arts also helps me take a space and make it fill 100% my own by utilizing color, fabrics, paint etc. This project has been so great because it helps you realize how much art truly does impact our daily lives, even when we do not realize it!

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By Katherine Howard, J.P. Miller

This book presents a parrot with a palette of paint and paintbrushes explaining and discussing different art techniques and colors throughout the story. This is a fun way to get students interested in painting and even messing around with mixing colors to create new colors!

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Do You Know Colors? book. Read 3 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Illus. in full color. A parrot with a palette flies through this...

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By Herve Tullet

This book is a wonderful way to introduce colors to children and explore what happens when you mix them together. Herve Tullet does a wonderful job of creating an interactive story for the child and shows them all of the ways you can mix up colors and paints while creating art!

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Mix It Up! has 2,661 ratings and 326 reviews. Renee said: I read Press Here a couple of years ago to the kids, but they didn't like it as much as I did. ...

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Here's Chelsea with some of her work! (Retrieved from her website linked above)

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Chelsea's Work at Rise Authentic Bakery 

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Chelsea's Work at Rise Authentic Bakery 

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View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Abstract Artist // Paintings for Interior Designs (@chelseamichalart)

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I live in Holt, MI with my husband and our 8 year old dog Cabella. We love to boat, spend time with our families, nephew, and friends. I enjoy running, cooking, and working with young kids. Art is always something I have enjoyed as a fun hobby and I'm excited to dive in and learn more specifically about visual arts.

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Reb is a local folk artist in Grand Rapids who has orchestrated live painting events and children's arts activities annual in the city! His work decorates corners of the city, on walls, on street poles, everywhere! His artwork is very distinct, with bright, vivid colors and whimsical creatures. He is the owner of Sanctuary Folk Art Gallery on Division Ave here in the city. He paints murals in run down neighborhoods in the city to bring hope and color to the lives of the people living there. Keep your eye out for some of his work around the city!

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"As much as it's important to give, I remembered it's also important to know how to receive."

This was Reb Roberts' response after receiving the 2018 Guy Bazzani Local Legacy Award. Local First honored Roberts during the organization's 8th Annual Meeting at the Goei Center on Jan. 25.

Elissa Hillary, president of Local First, said, "Reb is a living example of our mission and what it means to support local. On behalf of the Local First board of directors, we are honored to recognize Reb and to celebrate everything he has done to use art as a force for good in our community."

While Roberts, a local folk artist, had put together children's art activities and live painting events for years at the annual Local First street party, he never thought about being recognized for his efforts. "I always feel as if my work gives to me," he says. "It's wonderful and surprising when people acknowledge what your efforts are giving to them."

Roberts is a long-time supporter of Local First efforts, which challenge the community to support local businesses, as he owned Sanctuary Folk Art Gallery on Division Ave. for 18 years. While the gallery was a strong presence amid downtown development, it closed gracefully in October 2017. Roberts credits much of his successes as a business owner and artist to what he calls the "hugely benevolent community" of Grand Rapids.

Roberts' humble and unassuming nature belies the huge impact he has had on the city, particularly in the realm of what he calls "tactical street art." He recounts how in the mid-'90s, driving down Wealthy Street from Eastown to downtown meant traveling an expanse of boarded-up buildings.

That's when he decided to create the fish mural that still stands between Charles and Henry Streets along Wealthy Street that had an attached sign reading "Developing Soon." Even though nothing specific was developing at the time, Roberts wanted to give hope to those living near closed buildings and to "put a question mark in people's heads."

This was the beginning of Roberts' painting career, which in part involved creating murals and art in many blighted city neighborhoods. He knew that the art would most likely be temporary, and preferred to work hand in hand with people in the community to give it life, especially neighbors living in construction zones who looked at abandoned buildings on a daily basis.

Today, he's widely recognized as an important artist and community activist. "Reb has created some of the most iconic murals and street art in Grand Rapids," says Rosalynn Bliss, mayor of the City of Grand Rapids. "More than that, he has become a pillar by serving our community and bringing out the best in us for decades."

What life experiences gave Roberts the insight and perspective to seek to improve the lives of urban residents? Prior to his start as an artist, for twenty years Roberts served as an early education teacher and coordinator of Head Start programs. As he worked closely with families, he explains that he got acquainted with a sort of "richness."

Even though many families didn't have a lot of money, Roberts explains that they found ways to beautify their businesses and homes, whether it was through hand-painted signs or tires painted purple and planted with flowers.

Roberts became enchanted with the "vernacular of the city," which he describes as very beautiful and at risk of being lost. He saw art as a means for "people to stay connected to their lives when things are messy." Throughout developing parts of the city, Roberts began asking himself "how can we make this place shine before we have the means and money?"

Since closing his gallery, Roberts is taking his time to look through old notebooks for old ideas and also to "reintroduce himself to the city." He's driven through developing areas, including Bridge Street, Creston, Alger Heights, Boston Square, and Eastern Avenue just south of Wealthy. He says he senses a little void in each neighborhood, as some buildings still stand vacant.

"What does it feel like to live on a street where something sits empty?" he asks. Roberts quickly answers: "I feel that creates a stigma. It leaves people wishing and hoping."

As he surveys the many possible sites for his next project, he remembers a time when he found himself standing in a pocket of rain in a parking lot.

"I can't rain everywhere at once, but I can do something small."

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Reb Roberts Gives Communities Hope Through His Art

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"As much as it's important to give, I remembered it's also important to know how to receive." This was Reb Roberts' response after receiving the 2018 Guy Bazzani Local Legacy Award. Local First honored Roberts during the organization's 8th Annual Meeting at the Goei Center on Jan. 25.

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Hi! I'm currently living in Comstock Park MI with my family and our little pup named Molly. I love going up north to the lake in the summer with my new fiance! I am extremely close with my family and love spending time with them. The arts, specifically music, theater and dance, have always been an important component in my life. I've always loved creating things and have found the visual arts to be very relaxing. I have loved learning about it more while creating our padlet!

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It has been so fun to learn about how visual arts can be used in a classroom and all of the benefits that come alongside of integrating it within core subjects. I hadn't ever stopped to think about how visual our culture has turned and how much visual arts impacts my everyday. I love Instagram and photography, especially when the people I know are creative with their pictures! I also love how just changing colors can change your mood, whether it's involving the clothes I'm wearing or the decorations around me. I love creating things that have a certain look to them when I crochet and find it so relaxing to be able to express my self through colors and visual aspects! I've attached a couple of my recent crochet pieces and love the way the final products (and half finished product) looks. I love too that art is something you can try again and again at. Your never tied down to one right or wrong answer. In fact, I feel like the more risk you take, the greater your art becomes!

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Some students aren't able to communicate orally yet and art allows these students to overcome this boundary. Art stimulates understanding through seeing and allows students to fully process their ideas and feelings. Through art, they are able to generate ideas instead of imitate them, creating something completely unique and individual. Art makes the thoughts of students visual and can be such a wonderful way to integrate into formative and summative assessments.

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It is important to know about art content in order to use it as a tool within the classroom. Art is similar to writing as artists have to organize their thoughts and figure out how to tell their story. Just as a student would examine all different forms of literature, it's important that they are given the opportunity to explore all different art styles. Just as free time is given for reading, it should be given for art as well. Students can also use art to decode meaning and understanding, similar to the way students comprehend within language arts.

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12 Ideas for Art Integration Across Subjects

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12 Ideas for Art Integration Across Subjects

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This article is filled with great ideas on how to integrate art in different subjects through meaningful context. Mixing art with context produces greater understanding among students as they are given multiple ways to process information.

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Below are the national standards in regards visual arts! We have these placed in two different columns within this padlet!

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CREATION!!!

Printmaking, drawing, sculpting, ceramics, photography, video, filming, design, crafting, architecture, and painting! If you're physically creating it is most likely considered visual arts. All applied arts fall under the visual arts definition as well. Fashion, interior design, graphic design etc. While other art disciplines have their own definitions, many of them encompass characteristics that overlap and include visual arts components.

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This link does not directly focus on visual arts or even art for that matter! We've included it as an extra resources for teaching strategies, because all of them listed here are followed by instruction for utilizing them in the classroom and all of them can be easily utilized for any and all art activities!

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ThingLink is an amazing resources/strategy/activity for essentially ANY subject! We've included it because I think it is a great resources to explore for many different activities, especially when considering visual arts. Visual arts encompasses photography, filmmaking, graphic design etc. All of which can be created and presented through ThingLink!

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This is a great site that has articles giving insight as to WHY our ELL students need art, and how it can help them tremendously. Through this link there are many other links to explore ways to assist with integration that will benefit these students.

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Arts integration can help lower kids' affective filters and boost their confidence.

During my tenure as a teacher, I had the privilege of teaching English to non-native speakers -- both young people and adults. Those of you with English learners in your classroom (I'm guessing that's nearly everyone) are well aware of the challenges these students face. Beyond struggles with language and communication, many are grappling with their own identities as they learn to navigate two cultures.

A fantastic way to support English language learners both academically and emotionally is to integrate creativity and arts-based projects into your teaching. Art projects can help lower kids' affective filters, giving them more confidence to break out of their shells and get talking. From the classic arts such as painting and dance to newer forms like remix and digital storytelling, every classroom across the content areas should make room for creative expression. Here are three reasons why arts integration is essential for English language learners:

1. Art is a universal language.

Because we develop receptive language more quickly than expressive language, students often understand more than we realize. Project options that require less language production give English learners opportunities to show what they know. Provide students with limited English a chance to be successful and demonstrate learning through visual media projects -- drawing, animation, video, photography, collage, and more.

2. Art expresses culture.

Immigrant students can often feel pressured to assimilate into the dominant culture. Whether it's food, clothing, music, or language, kids sometimes get the message that their family's traditions are something to be ashamed of. Celebrate the diversity of your students' backgrounds, and give them opportunities to share their family's culture through arts-based projects.

3. Art experiments with identity.

Music, acting, visual arts, dance, and other art forms are terrific avenues for reflection and experimentation. Tweens and teens are hungry to try on different personas and often step in and out of various communities. Remember that your English language learners are figuring out how to become both bilingual and bicultural. Create a safe space for students to figure out who they are by encouraging creative expression in your classroom.

The Top Picks lists below can help you find the right tools for integrating the arts into your classroom today.

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3 Reasons Why Your ELLs Need Arts Integration | Common Sense Education

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During my tenure as a teacher, I had the privilege of teaching English to non-native speakers -- both young people and adults. Those of you with English learners in your classroom (I'm guessing that's nearly everyone) are well aware of the challenges these students face.

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This website has several different links for incorporating art into the classroom! Videos, articles, links, and even tips and suggestions.

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Student Portfolio Development Webinar

The portfolio is the most important piece of the process when applying to specialized art and design schools. Help your students prepare! Watch this 20 minute webinar led by AICAD and Admissions Counselors from four AICAD member institutions (Otis College of Art & Design; Minneapolis College of Art & Design; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; and Memphis College of Art) to learn about the college admissions process, focusing on student portfolio development.

This webinar offers four varying school perspectives on what makes a successful portfolio. Watch as AICAD admissions representatives critique several real portfolio examples and break down the components of a successful (and unsuccessful) portfolio. Each of the 42 leading AICAD schools of art and design is looking for something slightly different in the portfolio - but you'll quickly see that there are universal tips and techniques that can be applied to composing a strong submission.

Lesson Plans

Faculty from AICAD schools led hands-on design workshops for art educators at the annual NAEA Convention as part of the 2015 AICAD Live Learning Lab. Take these lesson plans from Maine College of Art (MECA) back to your classroom.

Mapping Our Designed Environment - Meredith Leoni, elementary school art educator and MECA alum, outlines a twenty minute warm-up activity which highlights the complexity of the world around us through an examination of the placement of everyday objects.

Build Your Own Paintbrush - Meredith Leoni, takes a frequently used art lesson and redesigns it to show how student interests and inquiry can shift a lesson from replication to invention.

From Air To Where - Shaun Aylward, MECA MAT alum, establishes an art and science investigation for kindergarteners to explore the winter ecology of moths and butterflies.

Street Art Graffiti Self-Portraits - Aimee Carmella, MECA MAT Alum, uses student interests to design a high school unit that focuses on how visual artists use images, symbols, and words to convey meaning.

ArtProf High School Art Lesson Plans
Ask the Art Prof Art Prof Youtube channel: video critiques & tutorials Art Prof Crit Quickies
Search and download hundreds of lesson plans, explore online classes and events, and view videos featuring practical ideas for the classroom.

A high quality video series produced by PBS for the high school art classroom audience (students & teachers), featuring DIY tutorials from well known artists.

KQED Art School features a YouTube channel called Elements of Art - a series of videos clearly explaining the basic foundations of art.

Cooper Hewitt K-12 Design Outreach is a FREE program that brings Cooper Hewitt's celebrated design workshops to New York City schools.
Over 400 K-12 Lesson Plans Focused on Design
A UK-based organization that facilitates visual arts workshops and provides an online collection of teaching ideas and learning resources.

The ACE Mentor Program of America, Inc. (ACE) helps mentor high school students and inspires them to pursue careers in design and construction.

Edutopia is a comprehensive website and online community that aims to increases knowledge, sharing, and adoption of best practices in K-12 education. It emphasizes project-based learning as a core strategy.

The Big List of Educational Grants and Resources at Edutopia - get a roundup of educational grants, contests, awards, free toolkits, and classroom guides aimed at helping students, classrooms, schools, and communities.

Kadenze brings together educators, artists, and engineers from leading universities (including many AICAD faculty members) to provide world-class education in the fields of art and creative technology.

Image provided by Cleveland Institute of Art

Recommended Reading

BOOKS
Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming, published by Princeton Architectural Press and edited by Ellen Lupton, MICA faculty member, is an excellent introductory text with dozens of techniques and sample student work.

Exploring Materials: Creative Design for Everyday Objects, published by Princeton Architectural Press and written by MICA graduate Inna Alesina and Ellen Lupton, is an action-oriented, accessible guide to design thinking through physical materials like clay, paper, and fiber.

Starting Your Career as an Artist: A Guide To Launching a Creative Life, (Allworth Press/SVA), written by Angie Wojak, Director of SVA Career Development, and Stacy Miller, Ed. D., faculty at Parsons School of Design, is a comprehensive manual to guide aspiring artists on how to create a plan of action to advance their professional careers and build productive lives in the art world.

ARTICLES
Why Art Teachers Are The Most Important Teachers In The School, Posted on August 14, 2014 on TheVirtualInstuctor.com by Matt Fussell

Why The Arts Are As Important As Science or Math, The Huffington Post, Posted on February 19, 2016 by Dipin Damodharan

More Than Half of Art Teachers Consider Quitting As Subject Becomes 'Devalued', Helen Ward, Posted February 9, 2016 on TES

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The portfolio is the most important piece of the process when applying to specialized art and design schools. Help your students prepare! Watch this 20 minute webinar led by AICAD and Admissions Counselors from four AICAD member institutions (Otis College of Art & Design; Minneapolis College of Art & Design; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts; and Memphis College of Art) to learn about the college admissions process, focusing on student portfolio development.

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The impact of visual arts in my life is subtle yet not limited for me. The visual arts have acted as a calming agent when I was a child.  As a young adult the visual arts have instilled lessons of patience onto me.  Lastly the visual arts has helped nurture an unwarranted perspective on life.

As a child I can remember watching Bob Ross on Sunday Afternoons.   His soothing voice and the "pitter patter" when he cleaned his brushes lulled me to sleep.  I can recollect guffawing at the screen stating "silly Bob Ross you can't put a tree there; you've just ruined your 30 minute show!"  In the next 10 minutes I was utterly amazed at how he transformed his lonely misplaced tree into a masterpiece.

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I live in Croton, MI with my dog Bagheera.  He's a mongrel but I love him dearly.  I have two sisters a baby nephew and a baby niece in which I am the Godfather of.  I enjoy hunting, fishing, and golfing.  As of late I haven't had much time to enjoy these activities which is ok because I'm pretty terrible at all three.   My family is a huge part of my life we usually have a get together every weekend.
The arts have always been on the back burner of my mind. I have always had the dream of becoming a voice actor. I have also had the goal of doing stand-up comedy. My shyness has hindered the completion of these goals.

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New evidence of the benefits of arts education

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New evidence of the benefits of arts education

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In this article it explains the benefits of visual arts(and other art forms) in the classroom setting. The research gives evidence that students' writing scores increased when they were enrolled in a visual arts program (math and science scores were inconclusive).

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New evidence of the benefits of arts education | Brookings

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New findings provide strong evidence that arts educational experiences can produce significant positive impacts on academic and social development for students.

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Hello! I have been married to my husband, Brandon, for 17 years and we have 3 kids Aidan (13), Abby (10), and Annie (7). We are currently living in a fifth wheel camper while we search for a new house and hoping to find one soon! I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, and playing volleyball.

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Before I started doing research on the visual arts, I would have said that I do not really have much experience with them and they have not really had an impact on me. But reading through all these articles about what visual art is, I realize that it has impacted me more than I thought. For one, I am a doodler, I am constantly doodling on my notes for class. It helps me to pay attention and keep focused. I would not have considered that an example of visual arts before we started working on this padlet. I also love to cross stitch and have cross stitched all my kids a Christmas stocking. It helps to calm me, while still keeping my brain engaged. I love that art is not just about being able to draw good, but that there are so many different kinds!

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In many elementary classrooms, art is given with instructions and an example to follow. Rather than creating artwork that is all the same, inspire students with an idea and let them generate art! Give them the freedom to be creative and trust they will remain engaged in the activity.

Kay's Deadly Dozen (seen below) is an example of many different doodles that have been stereotyped to be the only way to draw that image. Try not to give students generic ideas of how to draw certain things.

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Rick Beerhorst is a painter who tends to paint the current things that he has on his mind.

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The Studio Beerhorst blog is a place where I can share the thoughts and questions that float to the surface of the forever stewing pot that is my creative life. It is also the place where my community can respond with their insight that makes this journey less lonely and more fun.

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Kathleen Kalinowski is a painter known for her poetic interpretations of the Michigan landscape. Her paintings explore the nuances of nature inspired by working outside on location, en plein air in all seasons.

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Cornett, C. E. (2015). Creating meaning through literature and the arts: Arts integration for classroom teachers. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon/Pearson.

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Seven Categories For Incorporating Visual Arts Into The Classroom 

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Seven Categories For Incorporating Visual Arts Into The Classroom 

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Link to our slideshow presentation

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This lesson plan was utilized in a second grade classroom. This is a multiplication lesson that included a visual arts component that was an aid for the students to help guide them through the concepts being taught.