Art Tips

• If possible, have students bring in old shirts or other old clothes that can be worn over their clothes to protect them from paint, glue, or any other messy art materials being used.
• If students are working with messy materials, try to cover and protect the surfaces students will be working on (desks, tables, and floor) with old newspapers or scrap (recycled) papers. By covering students’ workspace, the furniture in the classroom will not only be protected but clean-up will also be faster and easier.
• Old baking supplies such as muffin tins or metal baking sheets make good paint mixing trays or palettes.
• Recycled materials such as magazines, papers, cardboard, plastic containers, and glass jars are utilized in many art activities throughout this book. If possible, collect these items for use in the classroom or ask students and other teachers to collect such recycled materials to donate for art activities.
• Each chapter includes a materials list. The lists provided are broad suggestions of common materials used in art activities. They are intended to give the teacher an idea of possible materials that can be used with the art medium. Not all of the materials listed are needed to complete an activity. Feel free to adapt, modify, or add additional materials to any activity to best suit the resources available and the needs of the students.
• There is a glossary provided at the end of the book with definitions and images for art processes and materials that may be unfamiliar.