Back to School Art Lessons First Week Of Art Class Worksheets Ice Breakers
This First Week of Art Class pack helps you introduce expectations, build classroom community and spark creativity from day one. Students ease into the art room while learning about the creative process, art proposals, theme development, artist identity and art classroom expectations.
It is made for teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers, and is especially useful for intermediate and secondary learners. Matching lesson plans and handouts make it a flexible start to the year, term or semester.
WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING
★★★★★ “While I did not use all of these, there were many of these resources that were very creative and were an excellent ice-breaker for my first week art students. I appreciate the time that went into making them. Thank you for sharing!” Brandi C.
WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE PDF)
- Cover page and teacher overview and how-to-use pages
- Lesson plan: The Creative Process and Art Project Proposal
- Handout: The Creative Process, a double-sided reference (research/visual references, brainstorm, proposal, create it)
- Handout: Art Project Proposal (research, brainstorming, main issue/rough copy/thumbnail sketches, statement of intent/artist's statement)
- Handout: Theme Ideas for art research, projects or portfolios, with ideas such as Family, Illusion, Dreams, Animals, Secrets, Leadership, Reflection, Emotion, Nature, Pop Art, Surrealism, Selfie and Art History
- Full-page art rubric and Art Marking Sheet/Evaluation of Project
- Lesson plan: Student Introductions and Ice Breakers (Art Themed) with 2 artist-themed introduction handouts, A Look at an Artist and a WANTED-style artist page
- Lesson plan: What Is Art and To Me Creativity Is... with What Is Art? and To Me Creativity Is... brainstorm and drawing handouts, plus a full-page good copy drawing page
- Lesson plan and handout: Design Your Artist Logo
- Lesson plan and handout: Welcome to Creativity, Creativity Challenge
- Classroom posters, including Art Classroom Rules and Bring Your Sketchbook and Mark Makers
- Classroom management self-reflection form for students who are struggling to follow the rules
WHAT STUDENTS LEARN
Students learn that art involves research, brainstorming, proposal writing, process and thoughtful decisions, not only a final piece. The artist-themed introduction pages help them share about themselves and connect with classmates, while What Is Art?, To Me Creativity Is... and the Creativity Challenge invite them to brainstorm and respond visually.
The Theme Ideas and Design Your Artist Logo pages get students thinking about voice, identity and direction for later projects. The posters and self-reflection form, tied to the rules Be Peaceful, Be a part of the Community and Work Hard, help you set art room expectations from the start.
FAQ
Who is this for?
Teachers, art teachers and homeschoolers, especially in intermediate and secondary grades.
Is it editable?
No. The resource is non-editable.
Does it include lesson plans?
Yes. It includes multiple lesson plans with matching student handouts, an art rubric, an evaluation sheet, classroom posters and a self-reflection form.
Is it only for the first week of school?
It is made for the first week of art class, but many pages also work at the start of a new term or semester, or when resetting art room expectations and routines.
ALL TEACHER REVIEWS (12)
★★★★★ “Absolutely fantastic! I used every item in this package for Grade 7 and 8 art - awesome kick off to the year, thank you!” Heart To Teach
★★★★★ “I am a new Art teacher and I love this set of lessons. Thank you for giving me a starting point !” susan B.
★★★★★ “Great projects to get a new class over the creativity hump. Thanks!” Secondary S.
★★★★★ “So many great ideas, I couldn't fit them all into the first week of school!” Laura M.
★★★★★ “Great activities for beginning of the year and possible use for idea starters later in the year. Good for upper elementary and middle levels. Easy to use. Clear format!” Sarah B.
★★★★★ “Great resource to get the ball rolling on thinking creatively like an artist. This helped me get into the right frame of mind for teaching art, which is new to me.” Meagan C.
★★★★★ “My students really enjoyed designing their own artist logo.” Alysha D.
★★★★★ “Thank you, good resource for middle & high school.” Barbara M.
★★★★★ “This was helpful getting students off to a successful start!” Katie K.
★★★★★ “These really helped me to get through the first week of school craziness, thank you!” Kristin V.
★★★★★ “Great ideas to get students thinking about art at the beginning of the year.” Nadia D.
★★★★★ “very to the point - quick, thorough, and simplified for quick use! Thank you!” ECArt
Get free, classroom-ready art lessons and printables in my Free Art Lesson Library.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) is an artist who has been featured on NBC LX News and designs art lessons for kids and educational resources for teachers. She was the featured cover educator in OCO Magazine for October 2025. She is the founder of Ms Artastic and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast.
TERMS OF USE
Images and lessons are copyright products.
YOU MAY: use this resource as a single educator. Please purchase additional licenses if more than one teacher will be using it.
YOU MAY NOT: share, copy, upload, post online, distribute or resell this resource in any form.
Sincerely,
Ms Artastic