Impressionist Painting

• After showing students a sampling of paintings by Claude Monet and other Impressionist artists, start a discussion about the paintings. Ask the students questions about brush strokes, colors and subject matters. Then provide them with paints and canvas or heavy paper and allow them to create their own version of an Impressionist painting.
  
  

Blindfold Music Painting

• In a clear, safe environment, blindfold students and place a paint brush in their hands. Direct each student to a canvas or piece of paper. Play Impressionist style music and ask the students to paint to the music. Take off the blindfolds to show them their masterpieces. Try this activity with different styles of music and compare the works created while listening to fast- or slow-paced songs.
  
  

Impressionist Story

• Have students select their favorite Impressionist painting or musical piece. Ask them to study the piece very carefully. Ask them what the artist or composer might have been thinking and feeling. Ask what the piece makes them think of or feel. Then allow them to write a story based on the piece they have chosen. Allow them to choose whether they write an entirely fictional story or if they study the artist and the piece to write a non-fiction story. Share the stories with the class.
  
  

Brush Techniques

• Impressionism is all about the brush stroke. Supply students with various paint brushes and let them experiment with how to use them. Ask them to emulate how the Impressionist painters used their brushes to create the brush strokes that are so evident in their works.