Illuminating Islamic Stained Glass with Sacred Geometry & Parallel Circuits

One of my most popular posts is the Islamic Stained Glass Project. I love, love, love that project because not only do students deeply enjoy it, the project integrates Visual Art, Math, and Social Studies. I've been going back and reworking "good" ideas to see if I can make them even better by turning them…

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Mandalas and Sacred Geometry for Middle and High Schoolers

Mandalas are an art form made by pretty much every culture. I like to integrate mandalas alongside sacred geometry into middle (and even high school) curriculum, as the Social Studies standards almost always highlight societies, cultures, and/or religions that feature mandalas and sacred geometry (Buddhism, Hinduism, medieval Christianity, and Islam).Here is one of the ways…

More Tips for Sewing Plush(ies) in the Classroom!

Mahi-Mahi PlushI've taught hand-sewing (and sometimes hand-embroidery) in the Art classroom for over five years. Eek. That’s a scary number because it means I’m getting old. Yuck.Anyway.I written about plush (or plushies as the cool kids say) previously here, here, and here. The more I teach this (incredibly valuable) skill the more tips and tricks…

Snowflake Collage Villages and Bringing Joy into the Art Room

My darling sixth graders are just bereft that there are no holiday-themed projects in middle school Art. They are still young enough that, to them, this time of year means tons of holiday-themed craft making at school. . .Only, that is no longer their truth.And, isn’t that kind of sad?  We spend so much time…

Lesson Plan: Islamic Stained Glass Windows

EDIT 02/10/18:  The original online application I recommended to design a mandala is no longer available for free. I found an excellent free substitute called "Mandala Maker Online." In some ways, I like it better. It's simple. The default colors are black and white (easier for printing). Students can choose how many sections for their…