Weeding through art catalogs and the web to find quality media for your classroom is a daunting task. That’s why we’ve done it for you! We asked our helpful FB fans along with the AOE staff to tell us which DVDs, video clips, and websites they use to bring visual media into their classrooms. We ended up with 21 fantastic resources for you to consider.
NOTE: ALWAYS preview anything you’re going to use with students in its entirety before class. Depending on your comfort level, the maturity of your students, and your school’s policies, some of the listed media may not be appropriate for your classroom.
Click the links below to explore each item.
Series About Artists
DVDs
- Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists
A long-time favorite of art teachers everywhere, this video series incorporates humor that even middle schoolers will appreciate. - Dropping in On
Join Puffer the bird as he meets various famous artists. Some videos feature single artists while others feature a group of artists. - Behind the Scenes
Famous duo Penn and Teller explore contemporary artists and art concepts in this engaging series.
Web
- Art with Mati & Dada
Join characters Mati and Dada on animated adventures as they explore famous artists. Each episode is about 7 minutes long. - Artrageous with Nate
Art Educator Nate Heck has created a series that your students will love. Join Nate as he teaches your students about art history, current artists, and cross-curricular connections. - Off Book from PBS Arts
Off Book features dozens of episodes about cutting edge artists which are more appropriate for your middle schoolers.
How-To Videos
- Muffalo Potato
These videos teach your students to draw using letters and numbers. - Art for Kids!
A dad and his three kids lead your students through super simple art tutorials featuring subjects from pop culture. - Drawing Now
Think of this resource as an online how-to-draw book. - KQED Art School
Follow along with contemporary artists in short how-to videos. These are best suited for older students.
Art Concepts/Elements and Principles
- Brain Pop Junior
Subscribe to access short videos on artistic concepts for students grades K-3. - BrainPop
Subscribe to access short videos on artistic concepts for students 4th grade and up. - Goodbye-Art Academy
This site features a collection of short videos describing art vocabulary words. - All About Art Series
From the makers of Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists series comes this series about art concepts.
Animated
- Ponyo or other Studio Ghibli films
These beautiful films will give your students a different take on animation. See which may be appropriate for your classroom here. - Pixar Shorts
Pixar provides stunning shorts on a variety of topics - Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
This is a claymation favorite for all ages. - Linnea in Monet’s Garden
This slower-paced video about Monet is a good classroom resource.
Other
- OK Go Music Videos
These music videos incorporate art concepts from color to perspective. - The Kids Should See This
Search an extensive collection of interesting videos that are perfect for students. - Chuck Close: Close Up
This 30-minute film provides a look at the life and work of Chuck Close.
Additional Resources
- Pinterest
Many art educators have collected fantastic clips to show students. Try searching “art videos.” - YouTube
Sesame Street and Reading Rainbow have some fun art-related clips in their archives.
Although we’ve categorized this for elementary and middle school students, if you teach high school, you should take a peek too! Many of the resources listed in the Art Concepts/Elements and Principles section would be great for older students as well. In addition, if you’re looking for some High School specific media, be sure to check out the AOE List 24 Movies to Show in Your High School Art Room.
What would you add to the list?
What visual media do you use in your classroom?
Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.
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