Presidents Day Art Lessons

Art immortalizes a president.

Honor the office of president on Presidents Day by incorporating the holiday into your art lesson plan. Although this holiday was originally about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, it has evolved to include all the great individuals who have held the office. Choose the type of medium for the project and allow the students to explore their creativity as they put it together.

Patriotic Rock

Show your American spirit as you paint a patriotic rock. Find a smooth rock that fits comfortably in your hand and sand down any rough edges. Clean the rock and mark off one-quarter on the upper left side of the rock for the star section. Paint alternating red and white stripes on the rock, 13 if they will fit. Paint the blocked area blue. Drop star confetti onto the wet blue paint and press down. Allow the rock to dry, then cover it with varnish to seal in the paint and stars.

Collage

Cut out pictures of past presidents and the White House from old magazines and newspapers. Arrange them into a pleasing display as you apply them in a random manner, overlapping pictures of the president with ones of presidential objects, such as Air Force One, the motorcars and the Oval Office. Apply glue to a large navy blue poster board and begin adding the images. Press them into the glue and build the collage, ensuring that all corners and areas are filled except for a 2-inch section at the bottom. Give your artwork a name and sign it.

Presidential Silhouette

Enlarge photographs of several U.S. presidents and cut them out. Place them on top of black construction paper and trace the outline with white chalk. Cut the shape out of the construction paper. Add paste to the back of the paper and center it on a piece of white paper, leaving 3 inches at the bottom of the page. Use a black magic marker and stencil the name of the president underneath the picture with the date of his term of office.

Photo Puzzle

Enlarge photographs of several presidents to 8 by 11 inches and copy them. Cut cardboard to the same dimensions. Apply glue to the cardboard and place the pictures on top, smoothing the edges to remove any air bubbles. Personalize the pictures by coloring in sections or outlining them with crayons or magic marker. Add sparkles or confetti to your picture. Turn the cardboard over and create a random design on the back with squares, circles or rectangular shapes drawn in black magic marker. Cut the shapes out with a sharp pair of scissors and put them into a small box. Trade boxes with another student and put the puzzle back together.

References

• Enchanted Learning: Patriotic Pebble Craft
• Enchanted Learning: Stand-Alone Star Craft
• Teacher Vision: George Washington Silhouette