
Are you an art teacher searching for new and innovative lesson plans for your students? Well, good news if you are! This list compiles the 10 best FREE lesson plans available on Dickblick.com. Of course, Blick recommends their own high-quality materials in each of these plans, but if you already possess some of these materials, the whole lesson could be executed absolutely free.
The Blick activities are often based on landmark artists, visual culture traditions, or famous pieces of art. This will allow you to develop an intercultural art historical perspective in your classroom and get your students thinking.
The Blick lesson plans often encourage students to explore personal themes and content. This fosters a deeper bond between a student and the arts, and makes the execution of these lessons something to remember.
Have you ever wished that your face could be immortalized in Chia planter form? Then this is the activity for you! Teach your students about self-portraits and the science of life with this DIY planter. After cutting out and drawing their face on a miracle sponge, seeds are planted where hair is drawn. As the chia plants grow, students learn about photosynthesis and the life cycle of a plant. Rekindle a bit of that 1980s nostalgia, and show your students some of the original Chia Pets. This lesson plan marries creativity and science for some truly interdisciplinary learning.
This fun art project incorporates more than just creativity. Try flexing your physics muscles at the same time with this suspended mobile. Based on the art of Alexander Calder, this lesson plan outlines the steps to making your very own, perfectly balanced mobile. Perfect balance and opposition are key here. This activity can incorporate the art of Calder as well as the broader concept of balance. What does balance mean for your students, and how can they learn to seek it out? Brainstorm ideas before diving into creating these works of art.
This fun and spunky lesson plan offers all of the fixings for a truly spectacular dinner party! Up-cycle flea market or thrift store dishes with paper mache and paint to create uniquely larger than life vessels for a dreamy dinner. The inspiration for this lesson plan stems from Judy Chicago’s Dinner Party, and asks each student to invite one of their own heroes to dinner. What kind of dish would they want to serve them? How would they set the table? This lesson plan is highly personal and facilitates a synthesis between the student, art history, and the work of their idols.
Gawu African-Inspired Tapestry
This gawu tapestry project comes from the world-famous Ghanian artist El Anatsui. His recycled tapestries woven together from metal scraps and bits of trash are luxurious and often monumental. El Anatsui draws inspiration from kente cloth traditionally worn by African royalty. This mish mash of the new and the traditional is inspiring and generative for young artists. Asking students to create their own gawu tapestries is an exercise in rhythm and pattern. This is also a great opportunity to utilize planning sketches for pattern layouts. Familiarize your students with a small taste of the wide world of African art, and expand their cultural knowledge.
Arpilleras Featuring Paper Clip Faux-Felting
Arpilleras are Chilean tapestries created by groups of women under a very oppressive government regime in the 1970s. These arpilleras survive as enduring records of Chilean suffering and perseverance. Sewing and textile art has often been a voice for the oppressed or the silenced, and can be a great way to communicate things that may be hard to say outright. In this faux felting project using paper clips, students can communicate difficult or personal messages. They learn how to create dimension and shapes with textiles, and how to tell a visual story. This unique process is hands-on and very accessible. Time to get felting!
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