Playdough Art Based Station

To give the students more opportunity to make sculptures, we have a Playdough Station. In this Art Based Station, students can make any sculpture they want. Below are some examples of students who practiced making masks with the dough.

Radial Patterns Station

Kinder through Second Grade students practice creating radial patterns using wooden pattern blocks. Below are some examples of their work:

Art Critique Station

As we study different artists, students have been taught to give verbal and written art critiques using appropriate vocabulary. In one of the stations, students use postcard size copies of various artworks to write art critiques. As a part of their art critiques, the students are required to include the Elements of Art and Principles of Design.

Art Career Station

Another station that the students may choose to work in is an Art Career Station. In this Art Based Station, the Kindergarten and First Graders choose a Bubble Map to record various art careers on. As they take notes, they discuss the jobs with their tablemates. For second through fifth graders, they choose one specific art career and record it in the middle of their Thinking Map. They then brainstorm various tasks that job must do. They record their thoughts about that career on the Thinking Map.

Artist Quotes Stations

One of the Art Based Stations that third through fifth grade may choose to work on when they finish work early or on Fridays is an Artist Quotes Station. In this station, the students choose a quote by a historically famous artist. On a template provided, they write the artist name followed by the quote. Once they have completed their notes section, they discuss with their table group and write down what they think the quote means. This station was created to get the students talking about artists and to promote critical thinking. The cards that I use can be found here and here from Teachers Pay Teachers. I printed them two per page to minimize the size.

Artist Research Station

On most Fridays, the students work in Art Based Learning Stations. One of the stations is Artist Research Writing. In this station, the students choose an artist to read about. The artist cards that I provide are from Teachers Pay Teachers and can be found here. There are several sets of these available. After reading, the students write key facts about their artist on a Thinking Map, typically a Circle Map. They then use the Circle Map to help them write sentences to summarize the information read about the artist.

Read, Write, and Sketch The Art Room

Before teaching Visual Arts, I taught First Grade. With that background, I believe that "Word Walls" are a good reference for students when learning new content related vocabulary words. In one of our Art Based Learning Stations, students "Read, Write, and Sketch" the art room including the Visual Arts Word Wall (located on our cabinets due to lack of wall space). The word wall cards that I use came for Teachers Pay Teachers and can be located here and here. In this station, students may use clipboards or the counter to choose four words to read about. They then take notes on the definition provided on the word wall. They then sketch an example of that word.