Back to School Activities First Week Art Lessons Back to School Art Activities

This Back to School ARTivity Book is a print-and-go workbook of first week of school art activities for elementary students (K to 5). It combines get to know you art projects with a skill-building introduction to the Elements of Art and Principles of Design.

Students build confidence, learn art vocabulary and create meaningful artwork while you set expectations, establish routines and get to know your class. The focus is on helping students think like artists, not only follow steps.

WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING

★★★★ “Simple but covers all the elements of art at a primary level.” Carolyn D.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE PDF)

• Back to School ARTivity Book cover
• Teacher prep guide for booklet assembly or individual page use
• National Art Standards alignment page (VA:Cr1, VA:Cr2, VA:Cr3)
• Lesson plan overview with Big Ideas, Learning Outcomes and Competencies
• Step-by-step "Teacher Does" guide
• Student rubric assessing creative thinking, craftsmanship, effort and meeting criteria
• Warm-up creative thinking drawing page
• Elements of Art lessons: directed drawing of a school-themed character or object, Color (color theory introduction), complementary color practice, Line with Zen Doodle samples, Zen Doodle artwork page, pattern mosaic name or design, Value (monochromatic shading study), Space (overlapping school-themed composition) and Texture (line texture design)
• Drawing and creative thinking activities: Roll and Draw icebreaker dice game, Roll and Draw silly portrait, get to know you design page, symmetry drawing, radial symmetry mandala, Build-an-Artwork prompt generator, Movement lesson and artwork page, Repetition lesson and artwork page, Pick-a-Prompt drawing page, Emphasis lesson and grid drawing replication page
• Reflection: student reflection page with guided artist statement questions and a "Color Me Artastic" page

HOW TO USE IT

Print it as a complete first week art booklet, or use individual pages through the first month of school. It also works for back to school sub plans, sketchbook glue-ins, homeschool art, whole-group instruction, art centers and early finishers.

Students can use colored pencils, markers, watercolor, tempera paint, oil pastels, soft pastels or crayons.

FAQ

Who can use this resource?

Elementary art teachers, classroom teachers, homeschool educators and substitute teachers. It is designed for K to 5 classrooms and can be adjusted for different skill levels and mediums.

What does it teach?

The Elements of Art (color, line, value, space, texture), the Principles of Design (movement, repetition, emphasis), symmetry and radial symmetry, pattern, composition, grid drawing, and reflection through artist statements.

How long will this take?

Each lesson usually takes 2 to 3 class periods, depending on age, skill level, behavior, pacing and class length. As a full workbook, it can support 4 to 6 weeks of beginning-of-year art.

ALL TEACHER REVIEWS (2)

★★★★ “I used this resource with my high school art students, they loved this! Thank you!” Mary J.

★★★★ “I have always used your resources. I was happy to find these Artivities. They look good and a great resource for students to expand on their skills.” Passionate P.

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 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 in creative ways and have as much fun with it as you like. For clip art, you may use the images as clip art, website graphics, binder covers or bulletin board decorations. Additional licenses are available for school use.

YOU MAY NOT: use this on OutSchool, put it on your blog, share it with other teachers, administration or districts (admin can buy additional licenses), sell it, give it out for free or photocopy it for others.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic