Art teachers share a variety of meaningful and engaging interdisciplinary lessons. Students create space suit helmets and souvenir photos of their imaginary journeys through the solar system, use architectural principles in a cardboard construction project inspired by abstract artist Elizabeth Murray, make STEM connections to origami and use unfolded paper figures to create geometric paintings, and more.
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As an elementary art teacher, I was always curious about what interdisciplinary connections I could make in the art room. An art-centered interdisciplinary focus provides students with opportunities to solve problems and make meaningful connections within the arts and across disciplines. These critical thinking skills naturally cross curricular borders and positively impact learning between and among content areas.
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One of the pre-K classes at my school was learning about Black contributions to space exploration, which led to this lesson. Their classroom teacher, El, said students were excited to learn about Katherine Johnson, Mae C. Jemison, and Neil deGrasse Tyson. “We combined books, charts, and videos to gather information about their contributions to space travel. Students were particularly stoked to learn that all three of these people are real people who were once kids like them!”
Reflecting on the scope of my fifth-grade art curriculum, I realized that, aside from clay projects, students were mainly creating watercolor paintings and construction paper collages—primarily 2D assignments. So, I researched artists and came across the amazing “wall sculptures” of American abstract artist Elizabeth Murray (1940–2007). I developed a cardboard construction project that includes layering cardboard and painting with acrylic paint. The results are unique and showcase a wide variety of solutions to layering cardboard.
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Nature is always a hot topic for students at any age. All aspects of nature—from plant life to wildlife—touch people’s hearts in a way that other things don’t. As a class, we reflected on the types of environments in our community here in Virginia, from the vast mountain landscapes to the beaches, which are literally in students’ backyards. We discussed the importance of protecting our environment and building a world of nature advocates. Students then wrote in their sketchbooks about their experiences with nature.
The word mandala comes from the Sanskrit meaning “circle,” and in Hindu and Buddhist traditions, it is a sacred symbol that is used for meditation and as a representation of the universe. After noticing the ubiquity of adult coloring books featuring mandalas, I began to question my own teaching of these designs and how I could alter the lesson to be more inclusive of cultures and to avoid misrepresenting or appropriating them.
After looking at different types of buildings—from religious and retail to commercial and residential—and discussing the characteristics of each, students were introduced to drafting and what it’s like to work for an architectural firm. We discussed plan view (the view of a building from above) and elevation view (the view of a building from one side).
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This lesson was inspired by contemporary artist Sarah Morris and her colorful, unfolded origami series. It’s easy to see how a square divided into geometric shapes can be colored in with primary colors and their mixes. Because a square has four corners, I have students add black or white to their palettes so we can talk about tints or shades as well.
Tasks that may have become routine can always be refreshed, and using black light is a fantastic way to do that. Begin by sharing visual examples and the prompt for students to choose a subject for an artwork that will be rendered in both regular light and black light. Since my classroom can’t be made dark enough to achieve the full effect of the black light, I first share a presentation with side-by-side exemplars. Then I take students into a smaller closet space where they can turn the lights on and off to view the artwork and see how everything in the vicinity of the black light glows—from the lint on their clothes to the paint on the canvas.
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The doodle has an important role in the visual art room. Daily doodles offer students a place to connect with their creativity, calm their minds, and engage in the present moment without judgment or expectations. It is a creative way to explore mark-making and line as a form of expression while experimenting and learning to draw.
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Sculptor and painter En Iwamura connects centuries, cultures, and people with his large-scale ceramic sculptures. His artwork merges art history with the present, embracing the idea of fluency in Japanese ceramic traditions, while challenging stereotypes about the rigidity of Japanese “craft” history.
