Unleash Your Inner Artist Teacher Guide
Unleash Your Inner Artist
Career Exploration Lesson Plan • 3rd Grade
60 Minutes
Tier 1
Classroom
Learning Objective
Students will identify at least three different careers artists pursue and describe how artists contribute to society.
Why This Matters
"Understanding diverse art careers helps students connect their creativity to future possibilities, fostering self-expression and appreciation for the arts in the world around them."
Preparation & Materials
Steps to Prep (15 mins)
- Review Artist Career Slides and practice the presentation.
- Print copies of Art Career Exploration Worksheet for each student.
- Gather drawing paper, crayons, colored pencils, and markers.
- Setup projector/whiteboard for the slide deck.
Included Resources
- Artist Career Slides
- Art Career Exploration Worksheet
- My Art Career Activity Guide
Instructional Flow
10
Minutes
Introduction & Hook
- Engage: Begin by asking the class: "What comes to mind when you hear the word 'artist'?" and "What kind of art do artists make?"
- Record student answers on the whiteboard.
- Explain that today, they will explore the diverse jobs artists hold and how their work impacts our world.
15
Minutes
Exploring Artist Careers
- Present: Use the Artist Career Slides to introduce various roles: painter, sculptor, illustrator, graphic designer, animator, fashion designer, architect, game designer, and chef.
- For each career, briefly explain the role and discuss the visual examples shown on the slides.
- Discuss: Ask students to identify where they've seen these types of art in their daily lives (clothes, games, buildings, etc.).
15
Minutes
Worksheet Exploration
- Distribute: Hand out the Art Career Exploration Worksheet.
- Instruct: Students choose 2-3 careers from the presentation and record what those artists create and where we see their work.
- Facilitate: Circulate to provide support and encourage creative thinking. Ask prompting questions about their choices.
15
Minutes
My Art Career Activity
- Imagine: Tell students they are now professional artists. They must pick a career and imagine their future work.
- Draw: Provide blank paper and supplies. Students draw themselves in their career, showing their creations.
- Write: Using the My Art Career Activity Guide as a prompt, students write a sentence or two describing their impact.
- Atmosphere: Play light, inspiring music to set a creative tone.
5
Minutes
Share & Reflect
- Gallery Walk: Invite students to briefly share their drawings or one thing they learned.
- Conclusion: Reinforce that art is everywhere and everyone has a unique creative spark.
Artist Career Slides
Who Are Artists?
What comes to mind when you hear the word 'artist'?
What kind of art do artists make?
Teacher: Invite class discussion & record on board
Meet the Artists!
Painters
Create images with brushes and colors.
Sculptors
Shape clay, stone, or metal into 3D art.
Illustrators
Draw for books, magazines, and websites.
Graphic Designers
Make logos, posters, and layouts.
Animators
Bring stories to life in movies and cartoons.
Art is Everywhere!
Look around you!
Where do you see art?
- The designs on your clothes
- Pictures in your books
- Your favorite cartoon characters
- Buildings in your town
- The way food is arranged!
Spot the Art!
More Than Just Drawing!
Fashion Designers
They design the clothes you wear!
Architects
They design buildings and cities!
Game Designers
They create game worlds and characters!
Chefs
They make food look like a masterpiece!
Your Art Career
Exploration!
Get ready to explore! You'll be thinking about:
Types of Artists
What they Create
Where we see it
Imagine YOUR Art Career!
Now it's YOUR turn to be the artist!
Imagine it
Draw it
Describe it
Artists Change the World!
Artists make our world more colorful, exciting, and beautiful!
Every time you create, you're being an artist!
Art Career Exploration Worksheet
Art Career Exploration
Career Discoveries
Name:
Date:
Instructions
Think about the different types of artists we talked about today. Choose two or three artist careers that sound interesting to you! For each artist, write or draw what they create and where you might see their art in the world.
1
Artist Career:
What do they create?
Where do we see their art?
2
Artist Career:
What do they create?
Where do we see their art?
3
Artist Career (Optional):
What do they create?
Where do we see their art?
My Art Career Activity Guide
My Art Career
Future Artist Project
Name:
Date:
Imagine Your Future!
It's your turn to be a professional artist! Imagine what kind of artist you would be when you grow up. What amazing things would you create?
1
Draw a picture of yourself as an artist on your drawing paper. Show what you are making!
2
Think about your career name and how your art makes people feel or helps the world.
3
Write a description of your career in the space below.
My Art Career is Called:
About My Art:
Write 1-2 sentences describing what you make and how it helps others.
Example Response
"I am a Storybook Illustrator! I draw pictures that help children imagine exciting worlds and happy characters in their favorite books."
