Suggests that educational reform efforts, such as the back-to-basics movement, leave art educators wondering whether visual arts instruction will survive the reforms. Argues that the three Rs are insufficient for a balanced education. Asserts that the arts foster both affective and cognitive development. (KM)

Describes a motivating activity for drawing still-life. States that students did contour drawings with markers and then layers of color tissue were used for enhancement. Students learned to appreciate the accidental variations caused by the materials. Concludes that this lesson increased students' motivation for contour drawing. Identifies…

Aims to show that children have a "functional use of drawing" which contrasts with the mechanistic stages model of drawing development. Observes that young children's images often show extended time sequences. Argues that, when considered from this viewpoint, children's drawing abilities develop gradually from a high to a low variety of…

Summarizes the conclusions reached by art educators who discussed the kinds of computer knowledge and skills required by preservice teachers. Identifies two categories: fine arts (visual expression, graphic design, and aesthetics) and art education (knowledge about hardware and software, applications, management, and interdisciplinary…

Argues for a critical study of the arts to promote historical and sociological understanding. Reviews recent work in the sociology of education and culture, exposing the ideological nature and function of art and education in relation to the inequalities of class, gender, race, and ethnicity in society. (KM)

Argues that curriculum reform efforts related to the America 2000 program have ignored art education, particularly in the elementary schools. Describes the CREATES program, a field-based instructional project with visual arts, teaching/learning experiences for preservice teachers, inservice teachers, and elementary students. (CFR)

Asserts that traditional age-stage theory of visual art education is simplistic and misleading. Suggests that neoteny, the retention of juvenile-like traits in adults, may provide another means of linking human development to the visual arts. Concludes that the inherent neotenous aspects of art can make a contribution to successful aging. (CFR)

Relates the story of the creation of an exploratory art technology class at Hadley Junior High School (Illinois) and its development over the past decade. Describes the equipment required to conduct the course, resources available for teachers creating similar courses, and student projects. Suggests ways to make the course multidisciplinary. (DSK)

Asserts that the arts offer students in developmental education new ways to acquire creative and critical skills that are essential for becoming self-directed learners. States that the arts offer alternative forms of literacy and ways to construct meaning and sensitize students to other cultures. Contains 19 references. (VWC)

Presents a unit for elementary students that focuses on the music of the ancient culture of China during the Tang dynasty. Provides background information on Chinese society, music in ancient China, the relationship between music and poetry and other related arts. Offers two lesson plans with accompanying music and a list of resources. (CMK)

Uses the biography and work of M. C. Escher to introduce a unit on art history. Tells about Escher's influence not only on artists, but also on mathematicians and physicists. Outlines a student project in which students employed one of these themes: impossible geometry, rotating symmetry, or geometry. (DSK)

Examines why a sixth-grade teacher in a Waldorf classroom selected the particular forms of representation for the lessons in a thematic unit. States that the teacher represented the lessons in ways that would bring about experiences, feelings, and imagination (such as story telling, visual arts, and singing.) (CMK)

Explores the life of Eloise Richards Payne in order to address becoming a professional teacher around 1800. Describes the type of child interested in becoming an art teacher, the role of art in Payne's early education, where she received ideas about art after schooling, and what she needed to become a teacher. (CMK)

Presents a lesson where students interact with the art of the Gilded Age and learn about various artists from the time period as a means to review the major themes of the Gilded Age. Explains that this lesson addresses the National Standards for U.S. History. Provides teacher notes, extension activities, and additional sources. (CMK)

This article presents a model of an effective unit of study in which music played a vital role. The unit of study was created and implemented in a New York City middle school, and students examined an African American community in the borough of Brooklyn. The unit enabled students to explore the history, heritage, and culture of a local community…