Classroom Quickies
Exploring effective short art projects for upper elementary to high school classes.
Hands-on session, example creation, material suggestions for quick, engaging lessons using charcoal to teach drawing skills.
Basic Gist
Limited materials
Limited time (early finishers!)
Competitive and seasonal ideas
Worthy prize
Snack Salad!
Critique Prompt
Vote for your 3 favorite ______________. You must give a description of why you chose that drawing! Give specific feedback about how the drawing was effective. (2-3 sentences each) Use relevant vocabulary. (Ex: composition, craftsmanship, color, texture, value, space, line, pattern, contrast, subject matter, design, mood, theme, etc)
4 Style Characters
--Colored pencil in 1 square, the other 3 are open ended (marker, watercolor, posca, etc. )
--Great for spring--recap mediums
--This one takes 2-3 classes
Numbered clothespins or sticky notes for anonymous judging and critiquing
Laffy Taffy Joke cards
-Good sub plan and for early finishers. Could be used for halloween or Valentine’s day, we did Christmas cards.
We made almost 200 cards and my friend donated them to places where people don’t get many visitors at holidays
-Gave a laffy taffy for each card made (after passing my inspection)
Kids wrote really sweet messages inside!
Optical illusion collage
Printable images of people and animals - I made like 3 copies per class of these slides
Printable background templates
--I also had a couple of collage books, a slideshow about optical illusions, exacto knives and glue sticks
--1 class period--good sub plan!
School Spirit Project
My Slideshow you could find images related to your own school, mascot, etc.
You could make it competitive
Use for a specific season/sport
--Great for end of year--save art for beginning of year!
Ghost Painting
--Do this with acrylic and posca markers, old calendars and old art prints, old art books, etc.
Hand Turkey Contest
Slideshow of examples I show to introduce the challenge
1 day/Early finishers, short week before thanksgiving!
Ugly Christmas Sweater
Water Drop
I can’t share this packet but I can share the link
I also provide the videos on canvas that they can use
Takes about 1 class period
Great skill builder to introduce charcoal and blending. Use black and white charcoal and do this on gray paper
Creepy Snowmen
Students used charcoal---compressed, vine and willow charcoal and blending tortillions
I like charcoal because it is FAST!
One day challenge with voting at the end of block!
Charcoal Creatures with Cabochon Eyes
My kids went crazy for this one:
BONUS Project Idea