New Direction

Some of you noticed a little change in the banner and profile pic on my Facebook page and a new name on TES. I'm happy to announce that rebranding and expansion into creative literacy resources as well as art resources is well underway and that Tick the Art Box is now found as The Pen Licence on TES.com, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest and a new website is another work-in-progress. Thank you to all customers and followers of Tick the Art Box, especially those who asked (some might say harassed ;) ) for more writing and writing resources. Thank you also for your understanding during this unforeseen extended break.

Please visit https://thepenlicence.com.au and join my email list for new featured resources , updates, sales, events and freebies.

Tangle your page, untangle your mind.

Author:Simon Peters

Licence: Free for commercial use

from http://all-free-download.com/

It's not December yet, but it's ok to admit, here, just between us, if you're already feeling a wee bit Grinch-y round the edges.

What do you do need a little brain-break but need something to do with your hands?
Try tangle patterns. (Maybe you know them as Zentangles®. It's a registered trademark, use it respectfully!) Almost as addictive as coffee or chocolate, but way better for you. And NO, you don't need to be an artist and you don't even need to be able to draw a straight line. TANGLE patterns, for a reason. So that's the lame excuses binned!

Start small, doodle some lines and swirls and see where they take you. There are no mistakes, just variations in pattern. If you really need some ideas, knock yourself out with Google Images, Pinterest and YouTube. Type in "Christmas Zentangles" and lose yourself for a while. But don't just look, pick up a pen (OK, a pencil, if you've lost too many points on your Pen License) and have a go. Search "Zentangle for Beginners" and start to fill a small shape. (Sticky notes are great. I love sticky notes! Carry them everywhere. With a nice smooth pen, they are the ultimate multi-tasking organisational and de-stressing accessory!)

My most recent tangle, 

see it doesn't need to be perfect. 

And my sticky note stash (well, some of it!)

Kids love tangle patterns too. You can almost see the creative neurones sparking as they become engaged with them. Our students (and families) also need some de-stressing, mind-quietening opportunities at this time of year, just as much as we do. So start your Christmas art activities with this Elements of (Christmas) Art: Line lesson and you'll set your class up for a peaceful, creative December. Not an year-end time filler, a Visual Arts which lesson reviews and explores the artistic element of Line before engaging the students in the tangle pattern activity. A suggested learning intention, success criteria and assessment rubric is included in the lesson pack, as well as suggestions for adaptation and extension.  The possibilities are endless. Have fun with it!

EDITED TO ADD: Buy this weekend, (November 24-26) for a 10% discount from TES and the opportunity to enter win 27 top teaching gadgets! Santa might come early! Yes, there ARE sticky notes! (and some nice higher tech jobbies too, so do yourself a favour!)

Cracker Christmas Bundle

Save time, save money, enjoy and extra Christmas coffee catch-up with friends. You know you deserve it!

Enjoy a creative Christmas in your classroom, with this comprehensive collection of Advent and Christmas resources. These resources are for real learning in Visual Arts, Literacy and RE as you countdown to Christmas. Adaptable for a range of ages and grades and anchored to the elements of art, imaginative and persuasive texts and religious traditions and themes, these resources include many suggestions for adaptation and extension. Time-saving for class and subject teachers. Excellent resources for casual relief (substitute) teachers, and student teachers to have in their "bag of tricks" as the festive season approaches. Also suitable for out-of-school groups and programs. 

Bundle purchase saves 80% Why wait? 

Merry Creative Christmas!

(Coffee photo from pixabay.com)

In which I reveal I'm a Word Search Grinch....

So, the reports are under control (or they will be soon)  and we're ready for some fun. So are our students. More than ready! But, of course, we're 21st Century educators and we're all on board with making the most of the valuable learning time remaining until Christmas.  And so the cry goes out - "Break out the Find-A-Words!"

Sigh.

I think this is one Christmas tradition that we can quietly retire.  A find-a-word is a fun way to while away a long train journey - well, it was before we had mobile phones. (Oops showing my age again! ) Does that make word-searches the new retro hipster thing now? Hmmm.....maybe there's a market..... but not for school! At this time of year, the Christmas word search book should be a stocking filler not a classroom time filler.

'Tis the Season to Imagine! What better time to spark some imaginative writing integrated with art and design? Choose just one of these these tasks for a class brainstorm and watch the creative ideas fly. Even reluctant writers will be inspired by these Christmas Writing and Design prompts which are a little bit different to the traditional letter to Santa. Use as task cards for individual choice extension or develop a whole lesson sequence around them. Each task which can be scaffolded to address a variety of needs and abilities as students develop their skills with imaginative and persuasive texts. Students will be able to work individually or collaboratively in small groups or on a class-wide project.

This collection of eight creative Christmas prompts includes something for a variety of interests, from the future automotive (or aeronautic) designers, to the fashion-conscious, to the foodies. A range of texts are suggested, including personal narratives, plays, poetry, comic strip, and screen and paper-based advertising.

Check out  "Tis the Season to Imagine!" writing and design prompts for your class and retire the find-a-words. Give the photocopier a rest. Save them for your next long trip and save on phone data and battery too!

"When the bloom on the jacaranda tree is here..."

Altogether now, Australian primary teachers, sing up: "When the bloom on the jacaranda tree is here, Chris Mouse time is near" What, you haven't heard of Chris Mouse? He must be related to Stuart Little. It's one of my favourite five-year old mondegreens (misheard lyrics).  I can't sing that song any other way. (That five year old is a high school teacher now; not sure if entertains his students at this time with songs about Chris Mouse.) 

Actually, when the bloom on the jacaranda tree his here (in Australia) Advent is near - and the colour is perfect, how cool is that?  The first Sunday of Advent this year is December 3, time to break out the purple media and get the art activities ready. For something new this year, try my Advent Stained Glass Window Activity, exploring the artistic elements of Colour and Shape, and the concept of symbol, as well as Hope, Love, Joy and Peace, the themes of the Four Sundays of Advent.

Advent Stained Glass Windows: Exploring Colour and Shape is a versatile and engaging Visual Arts resource for a range of grades and ages, which works both as a collaborative or individual task and lends itself to differentiation for a range of abilities. Students can work with a variety of media from markers, oil pastels or paint to collage or cellophane construction. With a focus on each Sunday's theme, the activities can be developed from a single lesson into an ongoing project linked to your Advent RE unit.

Advent Stained Glass Windows is available as a single resource or as part of a bargain Advent Arts bundle designed to engage your students in a creative countdown and a meaningful preparation Christmas this year through learning in Visual Arts, Religious Education and Literacy.

How Soon is Too Soon?

Three days into November and social media is abuzz with the annual dilemma. How soon is too soon for all things Christmas? Memes abound, family and friends are divided: putting up the tree, Christmas music, watching cheesy Christmas movies - should we delay until December or have at it now?

What about your workplace? Your classroom? Does your school have a "No-Christmas Until..." policy? Do you have one for your classes?

There's nothing like being prepared in advance when your calendar turns to that magical date. Even better when your forward planning sings from the songsheet of clear learning goals, specific success criteria and curriculum alignment and assessment. Not the most Christmas-y words, perhaps, but as much music to the ears of your educational leaders as choirs of angels (or wanna-be angels!).

Get your Christmas lesson planning underway with the Elements of Christmas bundle (at a very merry bargain price, discounted even further this weekend with tes.com Fireworks Flash Sale - see previous post). No shut-up sheets, no random time-fillers (and no find-a-words). Five lesson packs, with real learning plans based on the Elements of Art, flexible and adaptable, with opportunities for variation and differentiation. Thoroughly resourced and including editable class assessment record and editable rubric for your formative/summative assessment. Detailed lesson plans to leave with casual relief (substitute) teachers, if required. Ideal for casuals to have in their bag of tricks. Fun for out-of-school hours programs. For parents, too, something to help those long hours of the pre-Christmas countdown pass at home.

Click on the text link above or the pic below. Merry Christmas Planning. Have fun with your art!

Friday Fireworks!

20% off all my TES resources.

Comprehensive, flexible and adaptable lesson packs for Picasso and Christmas. More Christmas lessons coming soon! Can be used as stand-alone lessons or bundled for units of work. Games and activities for the Elements of Art. All your assessment requirements in lesson packs as well as assessment planning resources, incorporating self and peer assessment.

All the hard work is done so you can relax and enjoy some art with your students.

Click on the pic! Happy Friday! (New TES purchasers, also look for the NOVEMBERNEWBIE code)

Jump on the Picasso Express

Need an art lesson in a hurry? Addled by assessment requirements? Perplexed by Picasso?

Problems solved!

This Picasso Artist Study for Primary (Elementary) / Middle School years has everything a time-poor teacher needs to introduce the great artistic innovator, inspiring creativity and confidence in students, while ticking all the planning and assessment boxes, and maintaining and demonstrating curriculum and syllabus alignment.

Each comprehensive, flexible and adaptable lesson can stand alone, but for great value, pick up the bundled Picasso Artist Study Unit.

Each lesson pack includes resources for the lesson, a detailed and fully editable lesson plan, including a Learning Intention and Success Criteria, as well as an editable rubric and assessment recording sheet for implementing and recording the formative and/or summative assessment of your choice.  All the hard work is done so you can relax and enjoy some art with your students.

Follow the text link above or click on the picture. Have fun with it!

Freebie Monday

Yep, Freebie Monday. Not Freebie Friday. Alliteration is fun, but so is starting the week with something different.

Encourage your to students start their week well, taking responsibility for their own learning with the "Aim for Five Star Work" Self-Assessment Rubric which works across a range of ages and grades.

Designed for self-monitoring in Visual Arts,  this rubric recognises that students can contribute to each other's success and encourages great learning habits across the curriculum.

Follow the text link above or click on the picture.

Thanks for visiting. Hope your Monday goes well. Have a great week.

Get Moving in Art!

With terrific timing, the good people at tes.com have scheduled a Bundle Bonanza with 20% off all resource bundles this weekend, October 28-31. Good of them to coordinate their sale with the kick-off of the Tick the Art Box Shop!

Get your art students moving (and talking and writing) with the  Use Your Art Words bundle. Games, activities and challenges for teaching about Line, Shape and Form as Elements of Art include engaging physical movement games, as well as Quick Draw and Quick Sculpt challenges and activities integrating technology. So with links to PE, Maths and ICT these games work across the curriculum while reinforcing Visual Art and Literacy concepts. Each set of challenges include suggestions for variation and differentiation, and can be implemented as individual, small group or whole class activities. They can be used as "station" activities, warm-ups, brain breaks or form the basis for entire lessons. Use them to spark your students' creativity or your own. Make some art, or make some more games!

An extensive set of Vocabulary Cards for all Seven Elements of Art is included, as well as an editable template for creating more. 

Selections from the Line Games and Activities pack (included in the Use Your Art Words bundle) can work as warm-ups for the Get in Line with Picasso lesson, looking at Picasso's animal line drawings.

Get in Line with Picasso can be taught as a stand-alone lesson or as part of the  comprehensive Picasso Artist Study  (Bundle also on sale this weekend). 

Slip over to Tick the Art Box to save yourself some planning time this weekend.