A Story on a Vase

The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, CA has a fantastic website that offers numerous resources for educators.  Even if you can't get out to L.A. to visit the museum their Education page offers tons of information about their collection and exhibitions.  A Story on a Vase is a full lesson plan that combines Greek Mythology, illustration, and vase painting with images from their own collection.  Be sure to take advantage of this fabulous website!

Papermaking Video

Need a little help with the Papermaking Process?  Check out this video How to Make Paper with Lisa Jo Rudy
Below the video is a "transcript" that includes the instructions and supplies needed!

Another helpful resource is B_Zedan Flickr Step-by-step photos .  It has many detailed photos of the papermaking process!

Plantable Paper

Spring will soon be upon us!  And this lesson plan is perfect for the warmer weather that is on the way!  It's Plantable Paper! by Martha Starke.  Once you've created the amazing plantable paper you can plant some in the classroom and watch it bloom! 

Be sure to check out Martha Starke's Etsy shop!  It is full of Beautiful "Pulp Art".

Nature Print Paper Lessons

Nature Print Paper is a really neat product that can produce photographic images without the use of a camera or toxic chemicals!  All you need is sunlight and a basin of water to "expose" the images.  We've used it here at the Art Center plenty of times with lots of great results.

The link below is an in depth lesson plan for using Nature Print Paper to learn about Atmospheric and Space Physics!

PDF File: University of Colorado at Boulder: Space Weather Education

Batik Lesson Plans II

Here is another great lesson plan from http://blogs.scholastic.com/arts/ that teaches about the art of Batik without using hot wax!  This lesson plan uses a different resist mixture.  Strategies for Arts Integration: Handmade Batik Pillows

Check out their website for more great "Strategies for Arts Integration"!

Journaling and Book Making

We love making our own sketchbooks here at the Art Center and we always love finding out more about Bookmaking and Journaling.  Booklyn Artists Alliance is a fantastic resource for traditional book binding techniques both complex and simple.  The accordian book is almost as simple as it gets!  As for journaling, it doesn't get any better than Carol Zika's Artful Journaling!  Be sure to check out her website! http://artfuljournalingzikastudios.blogspot.com/

Journaling/Bookmaking Resources:
The Kennedy Center: Arts Edge; Lewis and Clarck: Artful Recordings
Jamie Butler - The Basic Binding of Books: A Tutorial
readwritethink - Rebecca Manery, Chicago IL. "Cosmic Oranges"
Bright Hub: The Hub for Bright Minds - Creating a Bond with Nature: Making a Nature Journal
Smithsonian Education: Introduction to the Nature Journal (PDF)

Graphic Design Lesson Plan

Design a Community Flag is a fantastic lesson plan provided by Education World: The Educator's Best Friend .  The website is full of great ideas, lessons, and resources.  The flag lesson plan is one of our favorites here at the Art Center!

Drawing Lesson Plans

Sometimes a basic drawing lesson is all you need to come up with some great projects!  The website Drawing With Children by Harmony Art Mom provides printable lesson plans and ideas from "Drawing with Children" by Mona Brookes. 

" This lens will help you gather the supplies needed to use this book with your children. I will also share some easy to use lessons to go along with the book that will help you and your children practice your skills in your nature journal. I have made all the lessons printable so see the end of each lesson for a button to print the information out to use with your children.

Even if you are not going to use the lessons for your nature journal, you will find lots of great ideas and videos to get you started drawing anything you want with this book's help."

Be sure to check it out!

Adinkra Textiles

To supplement the previous post about Batik Lesson Plans, I thought I'd add some information about African Adinkra Symbols.  Traditionally Adinkra patterns are created with a resist method, similar to Batik, but a simple stamp-making exercise can easily replace the typical resist methods!  Photos of the stamp-making process can be seen on our flickr!

Adinkra Resources:
Adinkra Symbols
Adinkra Cloth Lesson Plan
Adinkra Cloth Powerpoint

Batik Lesson Plans

Batik is an ancient wax-resist dying technique used to create gorgeous intricate patterns on fabrics.  Although the use of hot wax may not be an option for children there are some great alternative Batik methods that can bring this exciting technique into the classroom!  The following instructions are from the "Watercolor Batik" lesson from Paint! Art & Activities for Kids by Kim Solga.

Batik Mixture: 1/2 cup flour + 1/2 cup water + 2 teaspoons alum (found where spices or medicines are sold)
In a blender pour the 1/2 cup water and slowly sprinkle in the flour and alum.  Once fully mixed, put the mixture into a squirt bottle (such as a ketchup bottle) and use it to create patterns and designs on your fabric.  Let it fully dry before adding watercolor.  After watercolor has dried the batik mixture can be peeled off and Voila!  Beautiful Batik Fabric! (In the example shown the watercolor was done first.  The patterns were made with the Batik mixture and once dry the entire fabric was sprayed with black india ink.  When the mixture was removed the watercolor that was added first shows through!)

Batik Resources:
Batik Lesson Plan PDF - Karen Siler, Glen Allen Elementary School
Batik Lesson Plan PPT with Images - Karen Siler, Glen Allen Elementary School
Towards Classifying Classical Batik Images - Dr. Veronica S. Moertini

Benefits of Paper Making in the Classroom

Paper Making: Custom Hand-Made Paper is a website that offers some great paper making resources and ideas.   

"Whether homeschooling or teaching in a classroom setting, teachers can get a lot of mileage out of a single paper making lesson. Making our own paper teaches us things from nearly every subject and helps us make sense of our world. Imagine if math teachers could have their students make rulers, or music teachers could make instruments in class–what a gateway to knowledge!" 

Check out their 10 Benefits of paper-making in the classroom for more.

Arts Integration Workshops

Arts Integration uses fine and performing arts to enrich the studies of all disciplines.  In engaging students both physically and mentally one can increase student motivation, improve problem solving skills, and help to build broader multicultural understanding.  To bring this kind of enhancement to your own classrooms the Columbia Art Center is the perfect setting for introducing educators to the Arts Integration approach to teaching. 

An Arts Integration Workshop at the Columbia Art Center includes instruction in four foundations: papermaking, watercolor, artful journaling, and printmaking.  Each technique will be demonstrated by experienced artists and teachers and can be applied to any curriculum to enhance the learning experience.  Also included are refreshments and lunch. 

For more information please contact:

Monica Herber - Daytime Program Coordinator and Art Camp Director

Telephone: 410-730-0075

Fax: 410-997-2902

monica.herber@columbiaassociation.com

Columbia Art Center

6100 Foreland Garth, Columbia, MD 21045

http://www.columbiaartcenter.org/
http://www.columbiaassociation.com/

Pictures!

Images from two different Columbia Art Center Arts Integration Workshops have been posted to Flickr!  Check out the different "Sets" to see each different workshop offered.  Any Set with LINKS as a preface contains photos from our Second Arts Integration Workshop.  Post questions here if you have any! 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artconnectionhoco

A work of art is a world in itself, reflecting senses and emotions of the artist's world. 
- Hans Hoffman

What is Arts Integration?

Arts Integration uses creativity and artistic endeavors to enrich the studies of all disciplines.  In approaching a lesson from multiple angles and engaging students both physically and mentally one can increase student motivation, improve problem solving skills, and help to build broader multicultural understanding.  Incorporating Dance, Music, Theater, and/or Visual Arts into other academic studies has been shown to improve student engagement, encourage better attendance and increase graduation rates.  In the pursuit of bringing this kind of enhancement to classrooms throughout Howard County and beyond this blog will be frequently uploading lesson plans, images, articles, and workshop dates and information.  The following links provide more in depth information about the advantages of Arts Integation. 

Arts Education Partnership

Arts Integration: The International Organization on Arts and Disability

Arts Every Day

Arts Connection

Please stay tuned for up-to-date information, ideas, and inspiration!

Everything in the universe has rhythm.  Everything dances. 

- Maya Angelou