Hands-On Art Activities for the Elementary Classroom - (Jossey-Bass Teacher) by Jude Cataldo (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Whether you have the luxury of teaching in your own art room or must carry your materials from classroom to classroom, Hands-On Art Activities for the Elementary Classroom is the resource for you. It offers a great collection of 80 fun and simple projects, which teach basic art concepts and don't need a lot of special materials, that are appropriate for any elementary school art class. The book is divided into four major sections: Fall, Winter, Spring/Summer, and Design Activities and includes a year's supply of seasonal projects, holiday activities, and activities that teach specific art techniques. All the projects contain a designation for the appropriate grade level, directions for both teachers and students, a detailed description and illustration of the activity, a list of the materials required, an explanation of how to prepare to teach the activity, and information about how the project connects to other disciplines.

From the Back Cover

Whether you have the luxury of teaching in your own art room or must carry your materials from classroom to classroom, Hands-On Art Activities for the Elementary Classroom is the resource for you. It offers a great collection of 80 fun and simple projects, which teach basic art concepts and don't need a lot of special materials. The book is divided into four major sections: Fall, Winter, Spring/Summer, and Design Activities and includes a year's supply of seasonal projects, holiday activities, and activities that teach specific art techniques. All the projects contain a grade level designation, directions for both teachers and students, a detailed description and illustration of the activity, a list of the materials required, an explanation of preparation required, and information about how the project connects to other disciplines.

Hands-On Art Activities for the Elementary Classroom is filled with imaginative art projects your students can make for holidays, such as a Columbus Day mural, a Day of the Dead skull made with string, and a Chinese New Year paper lantern. There are also lots of great seasonal activities, such as making a pointillist autumn landscape, designing a marshmallow snowman, and decorating a flower piñata. Students will also enjoy learning to make crafts from many cultures, create original puppets, use different drawing and painting techniques, fold paper, and use found objects and recycled materials to make art, and much more.

"Jude Cataldo's new book punctuates classroom practice with lively, seasonal, and engaging art activities. Her ready-made art lessons are easily applied to on-going subject areas to increase student learning--and to add a special art sparkle!"
--Susan Rodriguez, artist and author of Art Smart! Culture Smart! and other art resource books

About the Author

Jude Cataldo is an elementary art teacher at Union City, New Jersey. She has taught art to special education students for the Mount Carmel Guild Schools and elementary, middle, and secondary art in Union City, New Jersey schools. Cataldo is also an artist, a graphic designer, and a book illustrator.