This lesson plan is suitable for students of all ages. Simply change out the materials to accommodate the children’s age, and you are ready to go. In the case of homeschooling families, there is a lot of flexibility in terms of how these journals are used. For example, if your homeschooling family makes frequent trips to the library or other educational facilities, it is an excellent opportunity to collect items for art journals to create page spreads from later in the day or week.
When encouraging students to choose their art journals, guide them toward simpler books such as:
- Single subject notebooks
- Dollar store blank books
- Discount blank books found in craft stores
- Inexpensive sketchbooks
- Booklets of drawing paper stapled together
The main reason for this is because, if the book is too pretty students will feel too intimidated about using it or making mistakes. One of the beauties of an art journal is the creative process, which includes making messes. Mixed media art is, after all, often coined as messy art.
Materials:
- Art journal
- Waxed paper
- Glue sticks
- Magazines
- Junk mail
- Clip art
- Catalogs
- Pamphlets
- Brochures
- Scissors
- Assortment of stickers
- Markers
- Crayons
- Colored pencils
- Watercolor paint
- Paint or sponge brushes
- Small containers of water
- Newspaper or cardboard
Instructions:
- Prior to the start of class, ask each student to bring in their art journal choice, at least one magazine, some junk mail, and any of the other paper elements listed in the materials list from home. The entire class, so the more that can be brought in the better, will share these materials. Reserve all extra paper materials, or ephemera, in a box for later use.
- Cover work surfaces with newspaper or cardboard, and set each work area up with scissors, glue sticks, markers, crayons, colored pencils, watercolor paint, paint or sponge brushes, and small containers of water.
- Tear off two pieces of waxed paper from the roll for each student, and be sure it is just slightly larger than their art journal. Ask each student to open their art journals to the first page spread, and place the pieces of waxed paper underneath each page in the spread.
- Show the class where the shared paper ephemera supply is going to be (in front of the class, in the middle of the workspace, etc.), and ensure they have plenty of time to sift through for what they want to use.
- Provide the class with at least five themes to create an art journal page spread about, or ask them to come up with their own independent ideas. Encourage them to use all the media they have been provided with, including the shared paper materials.
- Allow students to spend more than one class period on this art journal project, or assign the unfinished pages as homework.
Theme suggestions:
- What did you do this past summer?
- What is your favorite color?
- What is your favorite season?
- What is your favorite food?
- What do you want to be when you grow up?
- What is your favorite subject in school?
- What is your favorite song?
- What is your favorite movie?
- What do you like doing on the weekends?
- What is your favorite holiday?
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