Arts Attack
Arts Attack by Marcia L. Osterink, Arts Attack Publications, Del Mar CA: 1996. www.artsattack.com.
Panorama Theme by 
Themocracy
Arts Attack by Marcia L. Osterink, Arts Attack Publications, Del Mar CA: 1996. www.artsattack.com.
Panorama Theme by Themocracy
Have You Had an Art Attack Lately?
If you believe that you need some support to teach meaningful art lessons in your classroom then check out the “Arts Attack” series created by Marcia L. Osterink. An art teacher herself who found a need to create this program for the love of learning, created this collection of art lessons. The program consists of three components to support its goals of having every child to learn how to express him or herself through art by: learning how to draw, learning a variety of techniques, and working with a variety of media.
There are 24 lessons per grade level presented in a video format and supported by an easy to use teacher’s manual. The manual includes an historical overview, art concepts taught, artists studied, lesson objectives with supply lists, and a scope and sequence chart highlighting the elements of art and areas of emphasis. The levels begin from grade one to six, a multi-level version was introduced to support the needs of multi-level teachers, and a grade 7 and 8 edition were introduced in 2003.
I have not seen the multi-level program, but have used the grade 7 component in a grade 7-8 multi-level classroom as an entry point, and have great success with it. The structure of the guide is easy to follow, and I previewed the tape making quick notes as I watched and assessed how I was going to use it in class. The first time I used it I introduced the highlights of the lesson, listed materials needed, had them set up and assigned a group of four students to be helpers to pass out the supplies. The tape was set up and ready to roll. The instructor on the video takes over the teaching role as the lesson is introduced.
Once you try it you’ll be hooked on it because it works! Arts Attack will contribute to make teaching an exciting and rewarding activity. There is a time to pause the tape and to distribute the materials to the participants. Each tape is about sixty minutes long and is divided into sections of specified times. This makes it very manageable to use, depending upon the amount of time that you have for your class. The greatest reward of using this program is observing how each student moves into being engaged, actively participating, and directing one’s self-expression.
Submitted by Angela Tascona, Morris School