A fun art ‘colour’ word search PDF with more unusual names of colours to find - azure, chartreuse, coral, crimson etc.). These print well at A5 (two to an A4 sheet) so are an economical, fun way to embed student learning on literacy, extending vocabulary on any colour-related scheme of work. Quotes from Joseph Albers, Sonia Delaunay and Georges Braque also encourage critical thinking on colour.

Designed as an A3 printable, this literacy mat has all the vocabulary and tips to get students’ writing about art confidently. Aimed at KS3 and KS4, there is guidance about producing high quality writing as well as art-specific vocabulary. Also works at A4 size, and can be laminated back-to-back. Visually engaging and highly effective for supporting students!

Develop literacy in the Art room with a one-page handout to support students’ vocabulary. 80+ descriptive words for writing about their own work or the work of other artists on one engaging worksheet/poster. Easy to follow, the sheet gives hints and tips to advise students on writing about art. Designed with GCSE and A level students in mind, but could also be used with more independent-minded KS3 students. Printable at either A3 as a poster, or A4 as a handout.

A fun clay vocabulary word search PDF with 12 vocabulary terms to find relating to ceramics. These print well at A5 (two to an A4 sheet) so are an economical, fun way to embed student learning, building on literacy, extending vocabulary with any clay scheme of work.

Make a personalised mini home from a reused carton or box (like the ones tea comes in). Take inspiration from Ndebele art from sothern Africa to create bright and colourful designs. A great one-off lesson or can be developed into a longer project: see my unit of work with 12 lessons (fully resources with Powerpoint presentations and worksheets in my TES shop - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ndebele-modroc-houses-colour-and-geometry-3d-painting-scheme-of-work-11415036) A project which kids love!

This page can be printed at A3 size then folded down into a small booklet which gives page by page instructions for an exam project on the Beginning and/or End theme. The sheet is designed for students who struggle to work completely independently and need more guidance on how to structure their project. The theme is narrowed to Seasons and then Spring and then takes natural forms such as flowers and seedpods as the focus. This enables students to produce high quality observational drawing and photography. Two artists researches are specified: Angie Lewin and Beatriz Milhazes with a choice of the third (suggestions are given: William Morris, Margaret Mee, Catherine Bertola and Karl Blossfeldt). Students are instructed to work in a range of media and then need to develop their own outcome from their investigations. If they have followed the steps they will end up with a coherent project, covering all of the assessment objectives. I have found that students like the balance of independence and structure that the book gives them and helps avoid wasted time where they are looking at random ideas without a strong thread. Instructions for folding the zine from the printed page are also given.

4 pages to kick the exam off in the right way: set expectations and focus on students’ own responsibility for planning their project from the outset. Pages on: timeline, assessment objectives and evaluation, which can be supplemented with your own sheets if desired, and photocopied into a booklet to handout. Two versions are included: one for AQA A level assessment, one for Edexcel A level assessment. You may also be interested in this quick reference student-speak Assessment Objectives bookmark for KS5. Set the right tone from the start!

A useful poster to point students in the right direction with web research. The PDF file is interactive - you click on the text to link to websites. Or you can print and display next to departmental computers.

A one-off lesson with full powerpoint and instructions for creating fantastic bottle flowers from waste plastic bottles. The lesson is designed with limited materials (scissors, POSCA marker pens and waste plastic bottles which the students bring in) so that it is not necessary to be in a specialist classroom. Full context to Earth Day and the environmental background to reducing plastic waste is included in the lesson, with a quick quiz and link to a video. A template for designing is included as well as 2 slides of source material to inspire students. In addition there is an extension task for any early-finishers and a differentiated version of the written plenary. A great lesson which students really enjoy, with an important message. A bonus is that the resulting 'bottle blooms' make a brilliant display!

A three page resource on Hilma af Klint (can be photocopied back to back and laminated for repeated use). Vilma af Klint is a fantastic early abstract artist who produced inspiring geometric paintings. Can be used as a cover lesson during a relevant project (abstraction, colour, natural forms, geometry, shape…), an extension activity, home or independent learning, or as a whole class task. Students are asked to read the information about the artist then answer questions, then show their visual understanding by producing a composition of their own. A fantastic resource an inspirational female artist!

This A3 PDF page is an interactive mind-map designed to be a starting point for students' exploration of the theme. There are over 50 artists on the mind-map, organised in to sub-themes. Can be used in a digital form and you can click on the artist names to link to examples of relevant work on the internet, or printed out and annotated by individual students to develop their ideas. This is a fun way to get students exploring a wide range of artists and designers from different time periods, working in different media...

A fun Pop Art word search PDF with key terms relevant to this art movement. These print well at A5 (two to an A4 sheet) so are an economical, fun way to embed student learning on Pop Art.

An A4 PDF file with key questions for student evaluations. Presented in an accessible and engaging way, this is a handy reminder to art students of the areas they should cover in a meaningful project evaluation. Tried and tested - I have found students respond very well and think carefully about their answers which has a positive impact on the next project!

An A4 printable word search featuring 15 women artists to celebrate International Women's Day: March 8th 2017. A quick and easy way to make IWD a feature in your classroom this year!

A final reminder to students preparing for their GCSE or A level art exam: what to do and how to do it... Good for the last push to help them get it right in the controlled assessment... Can be printed for display or handout at either A3 or A4 size.

A two page resource (can be photocopied back to back and laminated for repeated use) on Rembrandt van Rijn. This worksheet is focused on his self-portraits and in particular the graphic examples. Can be used as a cover lesson during a relevant project (self portraiture, tone, mark-making…), an extension activity, or as a whole class task. Students are asked to read the information about the artist then answer questions, try mark-making and creating a tonal ladder, then transcribing a detailed copy of one of Rembrandt’s graphic self-portraits. This could be continued into a biro self-portrait lesson or project, or be used as a stand alone resource. Designed to be easy to deploy and requires no additional resources (only black biros and paper). A fantastic resource to have on hand!

This A3 PDF page is an interactive mind-map designed to be a starting point for students’ exploration of the theme. I have used some of the key words from the ESA paper as a starting point. Click on the artist names to link to examples of relevant work on the internet. This is a fun way to get students exploring a wide range of artists and designers from different time periods, working in different media…

A student friendly infographic to guide students through producing an exam or coursework project that meets the assessment objective criteria. A pdf file which can be printed as a bookmark or larger for display in the classroom. A successful way to break down the GCSE assessment objectives for students and get them taking responsibility for making sure their project covers all aspects.

A colour wheel lesson which has the theory with examples and instructions for a practical task (creating a colour wheel with coloured pencil and oil pastels). This is a great straight forward lesson to cover the basics of colour theory with your art and design classes. A template for the colour wheel is included (students can trace this through into their books). Monet is the contextual link and examples are given of how colour theory is applied in his work. A plenary looks at how packaging design uses complimentary colours too.