A two page resource (can be photocopied back to back and laminated for repeated use) on the German scientist and artist Ernst Haeckel. Can be used as a cover lesson during a relevant project (science in art, natural forms, zooming-in, symmetry, abstraction…), an extension activity, or as a whole class task. Students are asked to read the information about the artist then answer questions, create a mind-map of their ideas of what Haeckel’s forms remind them of, then create their own response based on his ‘Art Forms in Nature’ prints. Designed to be easy to deploy and requires no additional resources. A fantastic resource to have on hand and relevant to so many projects!

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.

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!

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!

An A3 printable poster celebrating women artists for International Women’s Day 2017. Thought-provoking and inspiring quotes from seven women artists: Bridget Riley, Shirin Neshat, Vanessa Bell, Kara Walker, Frida Kahlo, Eva Hesse, Paula Modersohn-Becker. I’ve also produced an IWD women artists word search: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/international-women-s-day-artist-word-search-11525006 And you can check out my artist research and analysis worksheet bundle on three women artists here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/women-artists-worksheets-11519299

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...

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!

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!

Two powerpoint slides with an example of a GCSE student’s evaluation of an exam project. Useful to give students an idea of what to include and a simple format to summarise key parts of the project and evaluate.

Want to improve the quality of your students artist research? This PDF poster aims to guide students guidance and inspiration to produce excellent artist research pages. Primary targets are KS4, but can be used equally with KS3 and KS5. Two versions are included: A3 and A4 printables - stick them up as display for constant reference or photocopy for sketchbooks or focused research lesson. Soon enough they’ll be in the habit of producing great research!

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.

Photographs of an A grade GCSE Art & Design sketchbook put together in a Powerpoint presentation. Students find it useful as an exemplar and can be used to refer to specific pages at different moments in a project (e.g. mind mapping, planning, recording, evaluating…). I chose this book as it is quite a clear example and not too long. It is not a perfect sketchbook, but shows an achievable standard and some interesting ideas.

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.

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.

An A3 pdf poster for artroom display to support students’ understanding of the Assessment Objectives. This version uses the ‘new specification’ wording (for year 10 students now) - a version with the ‘old spec’ wording is also available in my shop, though there is not too much difference between them! The poster aims to keep it simple and provides short ‘student speak’ explanations of what each assessment objective is looking for. The idea of the poster is to present the process of the project from the perspective of an explorer: developing ideas (using a compass to set a course for the investigation), refining skills with appropriate tools (penknife illustration), recording ideas by observing carefully (binoculars) and documenting, and finally shining a light on the culmination of the adventure! A timely piece of classroom display to remind students how they are assessed for both coursework and exam projects. The pdf can be printed at A3 size or reduced down to A4.

An A3 pdf poster for artroom display to support students' understanding of the Assessment Objectives. This version uses the 'old specification' wording for this years' GCSE (year 11) students - a 'new spec' version is also available for year 10s. The poster aims to keep it simple and provides short 'student speak' explanations of what each assessment objective is looking for. The idea of the poster is to present the process of the project from the perspective of an explorer: developing ideas (using a compass to set a course for the investigation), refining skills with appropriate tools (penknife illustration), recording ideas by observing carefully (binoculars) and documenting, and finally shining a light on the culmination of the adventure! A timely piece of classroom display to remind students what they need for both coursework and exam projects. The pdf can be printed at A3 size or reduced down to A4.

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!