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Reasons to Teach Marc Chagall to Students

When we think of spring, we often think of blooming flowers and buzzing bees. During the spring, I like to highlight artists who use these symbols in their artwork. Marc Chagall is one of those artists. Chagall was an incredible artist and made masterpieces out of stained glass and other mediums. Additionally, his work included a lot of animals and florals. Chagall inspired some spring art ideas in my classroom, and I want to share them with you.

Why Teach About Marc Chagall 

#1 His Legacy - Marc Chagall is a highly regarded and influential artist. His work was often a metaphor for things happening in the world or events that took place in his life. He completed many works for synagogues, churches, opera houses, and more. These sometimes include images of animals, nature, and flowers (hence why Chagall inspired my spring art idea).

#2 Styles and Techniques - Chagall’s work was very diverse. Chagall’s art spans quite the range of mediums and styles, from paintings to tapestries to stained glass windows. Featuring Chagall’s range of work can be a great opportunity for students to explore different artistic styles and techniques. He also shows how different spring art ideas, like flowers, can be created using various mediums.

#3 Individual Style - Chagall’s work is accessible to students of all ages. While his work can be full of meaning and complexities, it is also playful and fun. This can help inspire younger students who are beginning to experiment with their creativity and individual style. 

#4 Important Themes - Chagall had a challenging life as a Jewish artist in the early 20th century, and his work touches on important themes like community, family, and love. Students can make connections between Chagall’s work and their own lives, like reflecting on their own family and things they love.

Spring Art Idea Inspired by Marc Chagall

As I mentioned, Marc Chagall used many spring-themed elements in his art, which inspired this spring art idea. This Dream Scene Art Game includes a game sheet, coloring sheet, detailed instruction, examples, and more. I always hand-drawn my art games, so students can see realistic standards, not computer generated images to compare themselves to.

Plus, I love making my art lessons cross-curricular. Students will flex their literacy skills with a reading comprehension passage about Marc Chagall, plus practice summarization, sequencing, analysis, and more.

This resource can be used for sub plans, homeschool, art lessons, and more! The resource is low-prep and simple to set up, but packs lots of artistic opportunities for students. Get students interested in art with this spring art idea.

I’m Amanda, and I align standards and integrate content to help teachers meet the needs of the Whole Child in art class! I have yet to find a standard that I couldn’t teach through art, and I want to share it all with you.

Not sure where to start with bringing art and content together? This freebie guide is packed with 25 ideas to align your art lessons with math and ELA standards. Your students will be crafting art and practicing algebraic thinking. Win-win!

I want all students to feel successful in the art room, so I created a standards-based Daffodil Collage lesson to do just that! The lesson includes an artist study, student reflection, and more, so push your artists to their full potential.

Follow along on my Instagram page for more tips on teaching the Whole Child in the art room!

Connecting art and content together doesn’t have to be mind-boggling. I’ve made it simple with 25 math and ELA art lesson starters - for free! Plus, I included 15 worksheets for students to reflect on their art-making journey.