Tie it up.

In preparation for Youth Art Month, I decided that a fun way to build school spirit and promote art would be to create tagboard neckties. Many celebrities are now coming out with their own tie lines. Why not have our students design ties? What if our principal, Steve Robertson, wore the students' ties to school? He was thrilled and honored to be involved with the project. He agreed to wear a different student's tie each day for the month of March.

We didn't stop there. We went to work developing lists and letters to send to administrators, public officials, and other art teachers. The faculty and staff could sign up to wear ties too. We set aside a specific day for participants to wear their ties.

Teaching with Ties

In order to include curriculum objectives, I had the fifth grade students develop patterns. Students needed to develop three to five areas of patterns. I also gave lessons in complementary and contrasting colors. A one-point perspective section was optional. Students used colored pencils to fill in the patterns. They worked the pencil to build up the color to create bold patterns with a nice contrast. Outstanding craftsmanship was a must.

Trying in Art History

Sixth grade students needed to cover an art appreciation unit. They were given several samples of famous artists' work. They selected an artwork, then created a tie in the likeness of that work. At the beginning of each lesson I would review a different artist. We would discuss their style, time period, and little tidbits about the artist's life. The students looked forward to hearing about the artists each day. They created their ties with oil pastels. As they finished, I had them seal their ties with an acrylic sealer to prevent smudging or soiling someone's clothes. A safety pin back was attached to the ties.

Trying in Youth Art Month

I was astounded by the beauty and richness of the ties. I felt they learned a great deal from the project and they put forth their best effort knowing that the principal might select their tie to wear. Other ties were also going to be sent out for participants in the community to wear.

Students who finished early helped with the envelopes. The envelopes were just as important as the ties because they prepare the recipient for what is inside them. Students painted the envelopes in the style of Jackson Pollack. Once they were dry they wrote statements about art and youth on the envelopes.

The Tie of the Day

The students listened intently during morning announcements to find out whose tie would be the "Tie of the Day." The principal was a good sport by wearing the "tie of the day" off campus to whatever activities he had. This drew a lot of attention and gave him the opportunity to exhibit our students' talent.

The students were excited to see their ties being worn by the faculty and staff on "Tie Day." The participation was phenomenal. In fact the students were amazed that adults could get so excited about wearing tagboard ties. The District Offices, Community leaders, school police, and our Houston Early Morning Newscasters wore their ties. Some students received thank you notes from the people who received their ties, which gave them a vision for what their art could do for others.

The project built a sense of school spirit and pride. When the month was over I knew we had brought the excitement of art into our school and throughout the community. The students gained a vision about their own art and the impact it can have on a community. Best of all, we had fun!