Dr. Michael Kester-Haynes

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Kindergarten Art Units

Unit Plan 12 (Grade K Art): Celebrations in Art

Kindergarten Art: Students explore how art represents holidays, traditions, and community celebrations, then create drawings that show a special event from their own lives.

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Kindergarten Art Units

Unit Plan 11 (Grade K Art): My Family Drawing

Kindergarten Art: Students create artwork based on personal experiences by drawing family members or pets and sharing who is in the picture and what they are doing.

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Kindergarten Art Units

Unit Plan 10 (Grade K Art): What Is Happening?

Kindergarten Art: Students observe artwork and describe actions or simple stories in pictures, using sentence starters to explain what characters are doing.

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Kindergarten Art Units

Unit Plan 9 (Grade K Art): What Do You See?

Kindergarten Art: Students observe artwork and describe colors and shapes using simple language, building confidence in noticing and talking about visual details.

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Kindergarten Art Units

Unit Plan 8 (Grade K Art): Adding Details

Kindergarten Art: Students revise artwork by adding missing details and backgrounds after discussion, learning how changes can improve and clarify their pictures.

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Kindergarten Art Units

Unit Plan 7 (Grade K Art): Studio Project I — Line & Color Art

Kindergarten Art: Students create a finished artwork using intentional lines and color, showing effort, care, and readiness to share their completed studio project.

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Kindergarten Art Units

Unit Plan 6 (Grade K Art): Color Play Lab

Kindergarten Art: Students experiment with colors by mixing, layering, and exploring primary and secondary colors to create playful artwork and discover new color combinations.

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Kindergarten Art Units

Unit Plan 5 (Grade K Art): Shapes in Our World

Kindergarten Art: Students explore circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles through drawing, shape hunts, and collages to build pictures and recognize shapes in the world.

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Kindergarten Art Units

Unit Plan 4 (Grade K Art): Lines Everywhere

Kindergarten Art: Students explore straight, curved, zigzag, and wavy lines through body movement, tools, and hands-on experimentation to create playful line art.

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9-12 Lesson Plans Featured

Lesson Plan (Grades 9-12): Financial Modeling & Simulation

High school finance & computer science lesson where students build spreadsheet financial models, run Monte Carlo simulations, and analyze investment risk vs. return.

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Kindergarten Art Units

Unit Plan 3 (Grade K Art): Talking Before Drawing

Kindergarten Art: Students plan artwork before drawing by thinking and talking about who, where, and actions, using a simple Think → Talk → Draw routine.

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Kindergarten Art Units

Unit Plan 2 (Grade K Art): Drawing from Imagination

Kindergarten Art: Students use imagination, stories, play, and observation to generate creative drawing ideas and create unique imaginative artworks.

Kindergarten Art Units

Unit Plan 1 (Grade K Art): My First Art Studio

Kindergarten Art studio routines unit: Students explore basic tools safely (crayons, markers, scissors, glue, brushes), learn cleanup/share routines, and create simple art while practicing studio rules.

Grade 1 Art Units

Unit Plan 36 (Grade 1 Art): Year-End Reflection & Celebration

Grade 1 Art: Students reflect on artistic growth, share favorite projects, use simple criteria like neatness and color, and connect artwork to personal experiences.

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Grade 1 Art Units

Unit Plan 35 (Grade 1 Art): Exhibition Showcase

Grade 1 Art: Students present artwork in a class exhibition and describe how display choices—like height, location, and background—affect how it looks to viewers.

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Grade 1 Art Units

Unit Plan 34 (Grade 1 Art): Final Artwork Selection

Grade 1 Art: Students choose exhibition artwork based on effort, pride, or favorite pieces and explain why their selected work deserves to be displayed.

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Grade 1 Art Units

Unit Plan 33 (Grade 1 Art): Personal Growth Reflection

Grade 1 Art: Students reflect on their artistic growth by comparing early and recent work, noting improved details, neatness, and color, while connecting artwork to personal experiences and memories.

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Grade 1 Art Units

Unit Plan 32 (Grade 1 Art): Material Exploration Day

Grade 1 Art: Students explore new art materials and tools through hands-on stations, building control, confidence, and creative decision-making for future projects.

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Grade 1 Art Units

Unit Plan 31 (Grade 1 Art): Art Critique of Displayed Work

Grade 1 Art: Students use simple criteria like neatness, use of color, and clear subject to give kind, specific feedback on displayed artwork during a classroom critique.

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Grade 1 Art Units

Unit Plan 30 (Grade 1 Art): Artist Talk Practice

Grade 1 Art: Students practice giving a simple artist talk, explaining what their artwork shows and how it connects to personal experiences, memories, or feelings.

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Grade 1 Art Units

Unit Plan 29 (Grade 1 Art): Display & Viewer Impact

Grade 1 Art: Students describe how the same artwork looks different in various spaces (wall, board, hallway, table) and explain how display choices like height, background, and spacing affect what viewers notice and feel.

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Grade 1 Art Units

Unit Plan 28 (Grade 1 Art): Exhibition Planning

Grade 1 Art: Students collaborate to plan and organize a classroom or hallway exhibition, grouping artwork and designing a clear, welcoming display path for viewers.

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Grade 1 Art Units

Unit Plan 27 (Grade 1 Art): Preparing Artwork for Display

Grade 1 Art: Students prepare artwork for display by neatly mounting, organizing, and labeling pieces with their name and title to create a polished classroom gallery.

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Grade 1 Art Units

Unit Plan 26 (Grade 1 Art): Studio Project III — Creative Choice

Grade 1 Art: Students complete a creative-choice artwork from start to finish, demonstrating effort, care, neatness, and organized composition using planning and self-check strategies.

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Grade 1 Art Units

Unit Plan 25 (Grade 1 Art): Planning a New Idea

Grade 1 Art: Students create simple sketch plans before final artwork, using quick drawings to plan placement, details, and ideas with intention.