Dr. Michael Kester-Haynes

Paid-members only

Grade 6 Art Units

Unit Plan 12 (Grade 6 Art): Art & Culture Study

Grade 6 art unit exploring how artworks reflect cultural traditions and historical context, and how knowing who, where, when, and why shapes meaning.

Paid-members only

Grade 6 Art Units

Unit Plan 11 (Grade 6 Art): Introduction to Symbolism

Grade 6 art unit exploring symbols and visual metaphors as students interpret subject matter, symbolism, and message to understand deeper meaning in artwork.

Parent Tips

Parent Tips: Big Projects Without Meltdowns—Essays, Presentations, and Science Fairs

Turn school projects into calm, on-time success with a simple backward planner, weekly checkpoints, and clear parent–student roles—plus email scripts, dashboards, and routines that reduce procrastination and last-minute meltdowns.

Paid-members only

Grade 6 Art Units

Unit Plan 10 (Grade 6 Art): Mood Through Color & Design

Grade 6 art unit analyzing how color, contrast, balance, and emphasis shape emotional tone and mood through intentional design choices in artwork.

Paid-members only

Grade 6 Art Units

Unit Plan 9 (Grade 6 Art): Finalize & Reflect — Project I

Grade 6 art unit where students finalize a studio project, evaluate artistic decisions, and reflect on planning, technique, critique, and growth.

Paid-members only

Grade 6 Art Units

Unit Plan 8 (Grade 6 Art): Peer Critique & Revision

Revise Studio Project I through peer critique and criteria-based feedback to improve composition, craftsmanship, and clarity of artistic intent in Grade 6 art.

Paid-members only

Grade 6 Art Units

Unit Plan 7 (Grade 6 Art): Studio Project I — Planning & Production

Grade 6 studio art project where students plan with thumbnails, refine composition and media choices, and create a focused artwork showing clear intent.

Paid-members only

Grade 6 Art Units

Unit Plan 6 (Grade 6 Art): Media Exploration Lab

Grade 6 art unit where students experiment with drawing, painting, and collage media to explore mark-making, texture, layering, and expressive mixed-media techniques.

Paid-members only

Grade 6 Art Units

Unit Plan 5 (Grade 6 Art): Principles of Design Practice

Grade 6 art unit exploring contrast, balance, emphasis, and rhythm to organize compositions, create focal points, and design clearer, engaging visual artwork.

Paid-members only

Grade 6 Art Units

Unit Plan 4 (Grade 6 Art): Elements of Art in Action

Grade 6 art unit where students intentionally use line, shape, color, texture, and value to organize compositions, analyze how elements create mood, and produce an “Elements in Action” artwork with a short reflection.

Paid-members only

Grade 6 Art Units

Unit Plan 3 (Grade 6 Art): Multiple Design Solutions

Grade 6 art unit where students create multiple design solutions to a visual prompt, evaluate ideas using criteria, and refine the strongest concept.

Paid-members only

Grade 6 Art Units

Unit Plan 2 (Grade 6 Art): Brainstorming & Sketch Development

Grade 6 art unit where students brainstorm prompts, create thumbnail sketches, compare visual options, and refine ideas into a strong planned composition.

Grade 6 Art Units

Unit Plan 1 (Grade 6 Art): Artistic Identity & Goal Setting

Grade 6 art unit where students explore identity, brainstorm visual ideas, and set personal artistic growth goals through sketching and reflection.

Paid-members only

6-8 Lesson Plans

Lesson Plan (Grades 6-8): Math in Motion—Kinematics Relay

Hands-on kinematics relay where students test ramp slopes, measure motion, graph speed and acceleration, and apply math to real-world physics experiments.

Grade 7 Art Units

Unit Plan 36 (Grade 7 Art): Reflection & Artistic Growth Analysis

Grade 7 art portfolio reflection unit where students analyze growth, define artistic identity, evaluate work with evidence, and set goals for Grade 8 success.

Paid-members only

Grade 7 Art Units

Unit Plan 35 (Grade 7 Art): Final Exhibition Presentation

Grade 7 exhibition design unit where students curate and present artwork, explaining how placement, grouping, and labels shape viewer interpretation and overall impact.

Paid-members only

Grade 7 Art Units

Unit Plan 34 (Grade 7 Art): Craftsmanship Mastery Workshop

Grade 7 art technique unit focused on craftsmanship—students use targeted drills and feedback to refine line quality, shading, edges, and details, showing clear before/after improvements through revision.

Paid-members only

Grade 7 Art Units

Unit Plan 33 (Grade 7 Art): Creative Constraint Challenge

Grade 7 art unit where students use creative constraints to generate multiple solutions, experiment with materials, and explain how limitations shape artistic choices.

Paid-members only

Grade 7 Art Units

Unit Plan 32 (Grade 7 Art): Formal Exhibition Critique

Grade 7 art critique unit where students evaluate exhibition works using rubric-based criteria and visual evidence to provide constructive, respectful feedback.

Paid-members only

Grade 7 Art Units

Unit Plan 31 (Grade 7 Art): Artist Statement Writing

Grade 7 artist statement unit where students explain artistic decisions by connecting personal experiences, interests, and viewpoints to specific choices in their artwork.

Paid-members only

Grade 7 Art Units

Unit Plan 30 (Grade 7 Art): Presentation & Audience Impact

Grade 7 students analyze how display choices—placement, grouping, spacing, sequence, and labels—shape audience interpretation, mood, and overall impact, using feedback to make intentional exhibition decisions.

Paid-members only

Grade 7 Art Units

Unit Plan 29 (Grade 7 Art): Mounting & Labeling

Grade 7 art presentation unit where students mount and label artwork using professional display techniques that protect work and support clear viewer understanding.

Paid-members only

Grade 7 Art Units

Unit Plan 28 (Grade 7 Art): Curating Artwork

Grade 7 art curation unit where students select and organize artwork showing growth, effort, and clear visual communication to build a focused portfolio collection.

Paid-members only

Grade 7 Art Units

Unit Plan 27 (Grade 7 Art): Exhibition Reflection Discussion

Grade 7 exhibition reflection unit where students analyze how presentation, placement, and context shape audience experience and influence artwork interpretation.

Paid-members only

Grade 7 Art Units

Unit Plan 26 (Grade 7 Art): Personal Narrative Studio Project

Create a Grade 7 personal narrative studio unit where students produce a finished identity-focused artwork from their plan, using symbols and intentional composition while demonstrating technical growth and clear visual intent.