Elementary School Arts & Music Unit Plans

Looking for a way to have some fun while learning music? Look no further. This Graphic Scores Unit will have your students exploring how to represent sound using graphics and composing in no time! There are 3 main lessons included in this unit, however, the last lesson will likely take 6-8 lessons to put together and perform. This unit is one I have used with my own students so I know how much fun they have with it! The great thing with graphic scores is you don't really need any instruments to compose which makes this unit even better if you're teaching music on a cart or have limited resources available.

Overview:

This graphic score short unit exposes students to what a graphic score is. They get to represent sound using graphics and compose their own graphic score using found sounds. Students will learn how sound and music can be represented using graphics. They will practice representing a short piece of music through graphics. After, they will represent common soundscapes using their own graphics and will then create their own graphic score to perform. I created this in Google Docs/Slides so that you can customize this unit to your own unique needs.

Learning Goals:

• We are learning how to represent sounds and music using non-traditional notation.
• We are learning to compose a piece of music using found sounds and represent our sound using graphics.

Success Criteria:

• I can represent sound using graphics.
• I can compose a piece of music with a group and perform it using my score.

What’s Included:

• Lesson Plans and Ideas
• Google Slides Lesson on Graphic Scores (including original composition to practice creating graphic scores)
• Graphic organizer for students with fill in the blanks about graphic scores
• Graphic organizer for students to represent original composition as a graphic score
• Graphic organizer for students to represent soundscapes using graphics
• Graphic score for students to create their own graphic scores
• Rubrics to mark graphic score assignments
• 3 Stars and a Wish for peer feedback

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This creative It’s just a Circle! Or is it? : Art Unit was designed to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on the big screen.

For this assignment, I asked students to make an awesome artwork out of a simple “circle”. Students start with a brainstorming circle paper. After brainstorming different circle designs, students choose their favorite for a Final Copy Paper. Art materials could be colored pencils, crayons, watercolor paint, and/or color sharpies. *CONTRAST, PATTERN, REPETITION, MOVEMENT, ETC. This is a 2-3-day assignment.

I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy!

This creative Cool Sunshades Self Portraits: Art Unit was designed to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on the big screen.

For this assignment, I asked students to make a Cool Sunshades Self Portrait, celebrating the joy of themselves. Students create a self-portrait of themselves, but they don’t need to worry about drawing their eyes-we will have cool sunshades covering them. The sunshades will have designs and details that also help describe themselves to others. Materials will be mainly colored pencils and crayons. This is a 4–5-day assignment. I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy!

Need an awesome Art Unit? I have just the thing for you! This creative Piet Mondrian Circle artwork was designed to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on a large screen. For this assignment, I did a demo and taught the class how to trace lids/containers and how to use a ruler/yardstick. Measurement was a strong focus of the lesson. Students traced a large lid/container on Final Copy paper. Students used a ruler/yardstick to make straight lines: vertical, horizontal, and diagonal. Students made some lines thin and some lines very thick. Students traced everything with a black sharpie marker. Students used crayons, colored pencils, or colored sharpies to color their Piet Mondrian Design. I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy.

Need an awesome Art Unit? I have just the thing for you! This creative Warm & Cool Hand Paintings Design was created to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on a large screen. For this assignment, I used large 18 x 24-inch paper. Students traced their arm/hands, traced large lids, and used rulers and yardsticks to create a unique design. Students were asked to use either warm colors in their arm/hand, and cool colors in the background, OR vice versa. Students used watercolor paints to color their entire artwork. I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy.

This creative Winter Concert Decorations: Art Unit was designed to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on the big screen. For this assignment, I asked students to get with a partner or into small groups and brainstorm subject matter, orientation, and theme of the overall composition. Plus, decide which group member(s) will be in charge of what to draw and where to draw it. Students will need to sketch out ideas first inside a sketchbook, transfer the sketches to Final Copy Paper, outline the large image, and start coloring in everything with crayon. Sadly, most other art materials will ruin the roll paper. I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy!

This creative Autumn Tree Collage: Art Unit was designed to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on the big screen. For this assignment, I asked students to make an Autumn Tree Collage celebrating the joy of the Fall season. Students get to choose three of their favorite leaf colors to work with. Students choose where the leaves will be on the branches, falling, blowing around, etc. Students learned cutting, gluing, and placing (overlapping) skills during this 2-to-3-Day Art Unit. Students shared their artworks on display inside the Art Gallery. I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy!

Need an awesome Art Unit? I have just the thing for you! This creative Mandala Design artwork was designed to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on a large screen. For this assignment, I did a demo and taught the class how to use a ruler and a yardstick. Measurements and Math was a strong focus of the lesson. Next, students spent the rest of the first lesson brainstorming an idea for a stencil (¼ of their full Mandala Design. I taught the students how to rotate their stencil to get a Radial Design. Students started on their Final Copy paper and outlined their drawing in sharpie marker. We used large windows to trace our stencils on the final. Students used colored pencils, colored sharpies, or watercolor paint to color their Mandala Design. I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy.

This creative Watercolor Boat Scene was designed to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on a large screen. For this assignment, I asked students to brainstorm a boat/vessel that they wanted to have in the water, and water kind of body of water they wanted in their artwork. We discussed Winslow Homer, and his style of art. Students sketched their drawing and painted the larger areas first. Students painted the boat, smaller details and reflections last. I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy.

This creative Pizza Collage: Art Unit was designed to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on the big screen. For this assignment, I asked students to make a Pizza Collage of their favorite type of pizza. Lots of students love just a Cheese Pizza, but when they see all the types of delicious paper toppings they can add to their special pizza, they can’t wait. Students learned tracing, cutting, gluing, and placing (overlapping) skills during this 2-Day Art Unit. Students shared who they were making the special pizza for and their favorite pizza toppings. I love hanging these out on the gallery ceilings. I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy!

Need an awesome Art Unit? I have just the thing for you! This creative Flowerpot Collage Scene was designed to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on a large screen. For this assignment, I asked the students to create two separate artworks: a drawing (colored in), and a collage artwork. Students spent two days drawing and coloring a flowerpot artwork. Students spent another two days creating a flowerpot collage artwork that showed similarities in color and patterns used to their drawing artwork. We were able to hang both artworks in the art gallery side-by-side each other to show the comparisons. I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy.

Need an awesome Art Unit? I have just the thing for you! This creative Insect Jar Scene was designed to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on a large screen. For this assignment, I asked the students to create a couple sketches of what their insect jar would look like. Next, I asked the students to re-draw their sketch on a Final Copy paper and outline it with a black sharpie marker. Students spent 1-2 class periods coloring (w/colored pencils) the insects and other objects inside their jar, plus, the background around the jar. Students used a transparent blue watercolor to paint the inside of their insect jar. All finished! I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy.

This creative Picasso Self Portraits Unit was designed to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on a large screen. For this assignment, I asked students to sketch themselves in a Picasso-inspired style-abstract. Students exaggerated their facial features and placed them in different areas on their face. Students were asked to outline their artwork with a black sharpie marker. Students used watercolor paint to add vibrant, bold colors to their beautiful artwork. Contrast was a focus. I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy.

This creative Monumental Symmetrical Insects Unit was designed to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on a large screen. For this assignment, I asked students to practice drawing insects. Next, I taught students how to draw insects symmetrically on scrap paper. I demonstrated how to draw a beetle symmetrically while students surrounding me. Students created their own symmetrical insect drawing on Final Copy Paper. Students outlined, colored, and cut their Monumental Symmetrical Insect out. I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy.

This creative Stained-Glass Tree Painting Unit was designed to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on a large screen. For this assignment, I asked students to practice drawing different trees. Next, I taught students how to draw a tree that has branches extending to the edge of the paper. I demonstrated how to outline and fill in the tree. Students created their own stained-glass tree artwork on Final Copy Paper. Students outlined and colored their artwork. Students used mostly watercolor paints for their artwork. I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy.

This creative Salvador Dali Melting Clock Unit was designed to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on a large screen. For this assignment, I asked students to practice drawing melting clocks. Next, I taught students how to draw a Dali-melting clock. I demonstrated how to draw a melting clock with numbers, step-by-step. Students created their own melting clock drawing on Final Copy Paper. Students outlined and colored their artwork. Younger grades used crayons. Older grades used oil pastels. I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy.

This creative Dragons & Castles Scene was designed to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on a large screen. For this assignment, I asked students to brainstorm a dragons & castle drawing inside their sketchbook. Foreground, middle ground, and background were emphasized throughout the 4–5-day unit. I asked students to lightly redraw the composition onto watercolor paper. I asked students to paint the larger areas first and paint the dragon and details last. I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy.

This creative Aztec Sun & Moon Painting Unit was designed to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on a large screen. For this assignment, I asked students to draw a creative Aztec Sun & Moon Design. Students would start with a large circle and split the circle near the middle to separate the sun and moon. Students can create almost any look for their overall design-keep it unique! Students have options with art materials for their design: watercolor paints, crayons, color pencils, and/or markers. Mixed media welcomed! I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy.

Need an awesome Art Unit? I have just the thing for you! This is the condensed version: step-by-step only! This creative 2-Point Perspective City artwork was designed to be printed and displayed as examples while you teach. Use this Google Slide file to display these beautiful images one-by-one on a large screen. For this assignment, I did a demo and taught the class how to use a ruler and a yardstick. Measurements and Math were a strong focus of the lesson. Next, students spent the rest of the first lesson practicing the use of a ruler and a yardstick. I taught the students how to do 2-point perspective with step-by-step slides. More information continued on the extended version. I hope you and your kiddos love this! Enjoy.