My Favorite Integrated Art Lessons

One of my goals for the next school year is to team up with classroom teachers more frequently and create art lessons that tie into their curriculum. I have done this before in the past and it's such a great opportunity for students to further explore a topic they are learning about in their classroom.

Below are some of my favorite integrated art lessons that I plan on teaching again in the future.

Found Poetry

This is one of my favorite lessons that I do every year with my 8th graders. We start by learning about blackout and found poetry through this Prezi presentation. Students then read through old books and choose a page to use for their found poetry. New poems are made by circling or highlighting words on the page. Students then attach their page to a larger sheet of paper and cover the entire paper with an illustration to go along with their poem. 

Kindergarten Planet Collage 

I have done this lesson with PreK and Kindergarten when they are learning about planets. Students create their own planet by coloring on a coffee filter with markers (no more than 3 colors). The filter is then sprayed with water and kosher salt is sprinkled on top. This creates a tie dye effect on the filter. During the next class, when filters are dry, students create stars with paper, foil, gems, and/or glitter. 

Gees Bend Quilt Collages

For the past few years, when fourth graders are studying Alabama history, we create our own Gees Bend Quilts. We start out learning about Gees Bend Quilts and the artists who create them through this Prezi presentation. The students then look through a variety of construction paper, painted paper, and scrapbook paper and create their own collage inspired by the quilts. 

 Recycled Marine Habitats 

A few years ago, my 6th graders created these recycled marine habitats. This was a great lesson that taught about the importance of recycling and also gave students a chance to further explore marine habitats. We started out learning more about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and discussed ways to help make our seas trash free. This Prezi presentation was created to help guide the conversation for this project which was displayed at a local art gallery. Students then created marine habitats with paint, cardbaord, and a variety of recycled materials.