I run an after school program. It only runs about an hour to an hour and a half, a project should be one that is going to be completed in about two sessions (three hours)

what is a project that my students could do?

materials need to be less than a dollar a student– there are about 30 students, about 7 of them are autistic.

since more than half the costs are coming from my own pocket, i can’t spend too much.

i would also like my students to learn a project that is inspired from a famous artist. ex- picasso style self portraits, etc.

thanks for your help!
the autistic students have one on one help–so they are able to do more elaborate projects.

i would try a project that lets the kids be really creative and focus on painting what they feel. try cubism. anyone can do it and its fun for the kids to see what they can find in others students work. some basic crayola paint, markers, and crayons plus paper is all u need, besides maybe cubism pictures from the internet.

5 Responses

1. Soodesuka. Says:
   February 26th, 2010 at 3:51 am

   You could always just try laying out materials and have the kids try to come up with something creative. Don’t show any examples. The kids will copy.
   References :

2. dawn_myhamsters Says:
   February 26th, 2010 at 4:16 am

   how about putting together a flip art book that they could create do not put in tons of paper make it short then they can put in what ever they want to draw in it.
   References :

3. patois Says:
   February 26th, 2010 at 4:39 am

   This is an idea I’ve been wanting to do for awhile. It’s not really an idea related to a known-artist topic. But, I like to cross-age-teach, that is, have older children create something that teaches younger children. I’ve been wanting to pick a large statue of a human, or use a real person. and then sketch or photograph twelve pictures of it from twenty feet away from different angles, just like the twelve positions of a clock. Then, I want to laminate the 8X10 pictures (on printer paper) and package them up as an activity for Kinders to do in a classroom. I would put something non-descript in the center of a large open area, such as a ball, to mark the center or, where the statue or person would have been standing. Then, have the children arrange the twelve pictures in a circle around the ball in the correct sequence of perspective. See what I mean? Gosh, children would gain so much with that activity that would help their artistic eye.
   References :

4. captjaneway Says:
   February 26th, 2010 at 5:15 am

   For the students who are not autistic, please read Betty Edwards’ book, "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain". With only a plain piece of coupon bond paper in front of your middle school students, a piece of pencil and nothing else, they can start learning how to draw really well. There are exercises like:

   1. Upside-Down Drawing
   2. Using Pure Contour Drawing
   3. The Positive Aspects of Negative Space

   A very generous teacher taught me how to draw using the exercises from this book, and the lessons I learned from this book is priceless.

   I worked with autistic children for one summer, and I’m afraid they need more one-on-one supervision, and drawing might be too taxing for them. An art medium that might work for them is clay. They can create and manipulate the material to their heart’s content.
   References :
   "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain", by Betty Edwards

5. peacekarma7 Says:
   February 26th, 2010 at 5:24 am

   i would try a project that lets the kids be really creative and focus on painting what they feel. try cubism. anyone can do it and its fun for the kids to see what they can find in others students work. some basic crayola paint, markers, and crayons plus paper is all u need, besides maybe cubism pictures from the internet.
   References :

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