Heritage Arts Build-A-Picture Activities
Teacher's Portal

Welcome to the teacher's portal for Heritage Arts Build-A-Picture Activities!

These activities are designed to:

• help students learn about and value traditional arts and artists
• broaden literacy skills
• develop basic research instincts
• nurture writing skills

What is the basic premise?

Each Heritage Arts Build-A-Picture activity allows a student to put together a picture puzzle based on an image of a traditional art form; expand what they have learned by exploring some some basic resource links, write a poem, and print out the completed project. The picture puzzles are based on original artwork created especially for this project by New Hampshire artists. Learn more about the artists.

How do the activities work?

From the Learning Center home page, students can select Heritage Arts Build-A-Picture Activities. From there, they can select the student portal – Kids Start Here. Students can read a short introduction to the activities and then choose from a list of topics.

Each activity begins with a blank picture box and a series of buttons along the bottom. As each button is selected, a small picture symbolizing a puzzle piece displays with some text explaining what it is. Using the computer mouse, a student can "grab" the small picture and bring it over to the picture box. When the small picture nears the correct place, the real puzzle piece pops into place. It goes together almost like a jig saw puzzle.

After the picture is completely assembled, the student is congratulated and encouraged to move on to the next step – which is to write a short poem. A page will appear with the fully assembled picture and a writing box below it. Before writing, the student is prompted to click on a "kid friendly" link that explains how to go about writing a quick poem. From the writing page, students can do some research and get ideas for their writing by exploring resource links.

Once the poem is completed, the student can fill in their name and date. If there is access to a printer, the finished poem and picture can be printed out. The print out will include the name of the artist who originally created the image, the student's name and date. Print outs can be kept by the student as a keepsake or turned in as a homework assignment. Another option is to have the student complete a full set of activities and then assemble the print outs into a booklet.

How long does each activity take to complete?

Each activity is expected to take 10 to 20 minutes, depending upon how many of the resource links the student explores and how long he or she takes to write a short poem. Poems often take much longer than a single sitting to refine, so we encourage teachers to work with students to create a draft and go back and repeat the activity with a more finished version of the poem.

Can the student save the picture puzzle and poem and come back to it at another time?

Sorry, no. The software limitations of this program do not allow for it to be saved. It is best to have the student start and complete an activity in one sitting.

Try it yourself!

We encourage teachers to try one or two of the activities before assigning them to students. Visit the Kids Start Here portal to explore the activities. More topics will be added to Heritage Arts Build-a-Picture Activities from time to time, so keep checking back.

Expand on the activities in the classroom and in the community!

Here are some ideas for expanding upon the Heritage Arts Build-A-Picture Activities.

• Read Essays
  For teachers or older students (grades 6 to adult). Links to essays will provide more information on each of the traditions in the Heritage Arts series
• Make a Booklet
  Ideas for helping students turn their Heritage Arts Build-a-Picture print outs into a special hand made booklet.
• Sketching and More
  Ideas for helping students explore art in the classroom and at home.
• Interview a Family or Community Member
  Ideas for helping students learn more about traditions by talking to family or community members.