How to Teach Art History to Elementary Students

Art is a wonderful way for elementary school students to learn to express themselves. In addition to creating art of their own, students often learn about artists and the history of art through stories and classroom projects. To effectively teach art history at the elementary level, teachers can incorporate it into the curriculum in a fun and exciting way.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Children's books about art
• Reproductions of paintings
• Roll of white paper, colored markers and other timeline supplies

1. Search the children's section of the library for books about art that are appropriate for elementary level readers. Stories that use child-friendly language and simple explanations will be easy for your students to understand. Choose books about particular artists and paintings or about art in general.

2. Read the story to your class as part of a shared reading exercise. Create a homework assignment for your students to complete after your art history lesson. Ask the children to tell you their favorite parts of the book or ask each of them to draw a picture about what you have read.

3. Incorporate art history into a unit you teach every year. If your class is learning about Christopher Columbus, you could introduce them to Leonardo da Vinci's work, which occurred during the same time period. Pointing out that these two historical figures lived at the same time gives students a broader picture of the world.

4. Involve your elementary school class in a project making an art history timeline. Ask each student to gather information about a certain artist and put the timeline together in class. A timeline is an excellent way to visualize what the world was like at a given period in time.

5. Make art history into a game for elementary school students. Create game show questions about different artists and styles of art. The kids will be excited to play a game in class, and you will know they are learning at the same time.

6. Take your class on a field trip to an art museum. Contact the museum's education department to find out if there is a docent or guide who can lead a tour for the students. This type of field trip is also an excellent way to teach the children about what a museum collects.

Tips & Warnings

• If you need ideas for fun ways to teach art history to your elementary school class, discuss the matter with the school's art teacher. Most likely, he has taken some art history classes and will be able to assist you.