WEB EXCLUSIVE Using materials such as yarn and spray paint, students in Advanced Art Portfolio and Advanced Placement 2-Dimensional Design explore lesson plans for their fellow peers.

“I will be presenting a tutorial on how to edit pictures using different applications,” senior Caroline Phillipps said. “From this assignment, I have been able to look more closely at the way I do things. I really had to practice more with editing to be able to create a lesson.”

Students will present over the next two months on areas of art they are passionate about. The lesson plans also offer students a chance to further their own final projects, according to art teacher David Nyquist.

“I think that teaching is one of the best ways to develop mastery over something because you really have to understand the project inside and out and be able to explain it to someone else,” Nyquist said. “I like the idea of individuals taking a deep dive into their chosen project and then exposing others to their excitement.”

The student-led lesson plans offer unique and helpful alternatives to regular class time while still engaging with art, according to Phillipps.

“Having to come up with a lesson plan helped me figure out what my strengths and weaknesses are as an artist,” senior Elizabeth Worthington said.

With a limited amount of time and final projects, the lesson plans allow students to learn different techniques and possibly implement them into their final projects, according to Phillipps.

“Art is a subject where learning new and different skills is imperative,” Phillipps said. “The things I have learned in these lesson plans have given me new insights into the way my classmates work and have allowed me to explore beyond what I normally do in and out of the classroom. It is also fun to experiment during class time yet with some instruction.”