Art Teachers: Planning for the Year

Planning yearly projects and sometimes around special days or holidays can be like a roller coaster ride; or like looking over the mountains to an unseen future.  I've been there.  Made plans only to start and never finish some projects, never get to the projects because of school schedules, and simply can think of anything for a certain grade that I haven't done before.  

I came across this in my art yearly plan folder.  When I read the list, I remembered using these in my YCAT (Youth Creating Art Together) afterschool program.  And I plan on using these ideas in my art classes--possibly as a little corner in my room to highlight these special days and/or students will do an art project. 

Here's the partial list:  (I don't know where I got the information, but it certainly helped me plan for the year.)

September
National School Success month
National Chicken month
16th-H.A. Rey Birthday (author of Curious George books)

October
Vegetarian month
12th-Scream Day 
Halloween

November
International Creative Child month
National Diabetes month
No TV (television) month
20th-William Cole (nonsense poet)
Thanksgiving

December
Read a New Book month
21st-Winter Solstice
Christmas

January
Hobby Month
15th-Elementary School Teacher Day
Martin Luther King Jr Birthday

February
African American History month
Valentine's Day
15th-Student Volunteer Day

March
Youth Art month
17th-Saint Patrick's Day
Easter?

April
Recycling month
22nd-Earth Day
3rd full week-Ocean Week
Easter? 

So, how will I integrate these special days/months?

Primary color and pattern ice cream cones; create a medal (Curious George),  Scream portraits ala Munch, pos/neg Valentine cards for nursing homes;  Vegetable person/drawing comic; Graphic organizer, plus a drawing about Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? poems using William Cole and other nonsense poems/artist; Martin Luther King Jr birthday cakes and other African American artists for African American History; Celebrate in March with Youth Art Month projects; and create with recycled materials and oil pastel drawings of Deep Sea Discoveries in April.  

Hope this helps you, too.  Not too soon to start planning!  

IF you are interested in learning more about these art projects, you can always email me: lydiagates90@yahoo.com.