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To ArtKathy1 (or anyone else on a cart) who is teaching each grade 1/2 hour
classes twice a week on a cart: I emphathize with you, as up to a couple of
years ago, I taught for 8 years in a school with 4 floors, 1 cart, no sinks
in rooms, unheated closet was my station . Can you get the classes at each
grade level grouped back to back? This helped me, as I would prepare the
supplies for the whole grade and would teach the same lesson per grade. If
this is not possible, I suggest that you try to plan at least some lessons
around using the same supplies. Tempera paint, would be the medium, for
example, but the lessons using the tempera paint would vary according to
grade and/or goal.

Another approach you can use is doing a lesson school-wide with different
criteria or variation on a theme for each grade level. I've had success
teaching this way with a lesson based on Rousseau and a jungle theme. Each
grade discusses Rousseau and his art. Both the content of these discussions
and the actual activities based around Rousseau's art as an inspiration, vary
according to grade level. I say don't give up class discussions about famous
art, or the elements of art, or whatever your lesson's goals happen to be.
To begin the lesson, this might mean a 15-20 min. class discussion with a
10-15 min. study drawing. Then, in subsequent classes you could begin with
simple animal drawings and leaves at the lower levels, add collage,
overlapping, analogous colors, etc. as the age levels allow.

Matisse and Picasso are also two artists that can easily be studied by K-8,
with variations on the theme. For example, a doable lesson from a cart is a
lesson based around Matisse's idea of "drawing with a scissors". The weeks
you are doing Matisse-like cut-outs require on your cart construction paper,
scissors, glue, and of course, examples of his famous cut paper art (I often
use calendar pics). According to the grade level, discuss "drawing with a
scissor", what is a shape, representational and non-representational shapes,
composition, etc. The final masterpieces can be created individually on a
12"x18" background paper, or I have had the kids combine their cut-outs on
long mural paper for a "Matisse Mural".

 Picasso portraits can be taught with his cubistic portraits and your
craypas, crayons, or whatever medium you have on your cart. The 1st class is
a discussion of the father of Cubism. Get a picture of Mona Lisa and Dora
Maar, by Picasso, and at any grade level have the class discuss the
differences. Included in the first class might be a warm-up exercise pencil
drawing of a cubistic portrait. The next two 1/2 hour classes would involve
creating cubistic portraits.

For a really-easy-for-you but substantial lesson on symmetry, did you see the
napkin
 design lesson I posted last week, or a couple of weeks ago? You just need
1/2 hour, colored markers, and napkins. The kids love it! Hope this helped
a little, good luck.... Susan on Long Island

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