Megan Reynolds

Megan Reynolds

I am a teacher & designer. Connecting with students & seeing them enjoy learning is my favorite feeling on earth! I hope you enjoy this article!

5th Grade Art Choice Board Tutorial for Teachers

Build your own Art Choice Board for 5th Grade in minutes! Keep kids engaged & learning using these tactics & templates
To use a choice board in your 5th Grade Classroom during Art you will need to create the Artchoices (there are lots of examples), organize the classroom, and have a goal;

Time-saving, differentiation, and dynamic classroom management are my favorite reasons to use a choice board!

Integrating choices every day you will need to hone in on the best way to apply 5th Grade Art choice boards to your classroom style!

Here are a few ideas and instructions on choices, classroom management and getting buy-in from your5th Graders

Ideas & Examples of Great 5th Grade Art Choices

Create Your Dream Landscape with Crayons
Draw your dream place using crayons! Think of mountains, beaches, or even space. Color with bright, bold shades. Blend colors by layering for cool effects!
Design a Comic Strip with Pencil and Paper
Create a comic strip! Draw 4-6 boxes on paper. In each, sketch a scene with characters and speech bubbles. Tell a short, funny story. Add details!
Fashion a Clay Pinch Pot
Roll clay into a ball. Press your thumb in the center. Pinch around the edges to make a pot. Smooth the surface. Let it dry. Decorate your unique pinch pot!
Craft a Paper Mosaic Masterpiece
Cut colorful paper into small squares. Arrange them on a sheet like a puzzle to make a picture. Glue pieces down to create your mosaic artwork!
Sketch Your Favorite Animal with Pencil
Choose an animal you love. With a pencil, draw its shape lightly. Add details like eyes, fur, or scales. Erase mistakes gently. Make it look real and have fun!
Make a Collage from Magazine Cutouts
Cut out cool pics & words from magazines. Glue them on paper to create a fun picture or scene. Mix colors & shapes. Be creative!
Draw a Self-Portrait with Markers
Grab markers & paper. Look in a mirror. Draw your face shape, eyes, nose, mouth & hair. Add colors you see. Be creative, it’s your unique self-portrait!
Invent Your Own Superhero Mask with Construction Paper
Create a superhero mask! Pick colors, cut shapes, glue together. Add cool details with markers or stickers. Wear it and show your superpowers! 🦸‍♂️🎨
Create a Fantasy Creature with Mixed Media
Mix & match animal parts to design a unique fantasy creature. Use colored paper, fabric, & markers. Glue pieces on cardboard. Be wild & creative!

Using a Choice Board to Differentiate Art in a 5th Grade Classroom

Keep It Simple

Everyone “teacher & student” should know exactly what they are doing. If you don’t make it even easier! 

Differential Instruction vs Saving time?

There is nothing more irritating than “Saving Time” with a Choice Board & ending up with “More work!”.  Are you using this to hit standards or save time or both? 

"Self Guided" or "instruction-based"?

If you giving out work, should they do it on their own or are these more instructions for each choice?

General rule, if the grade is > 3 there is more work per choice.

FREE Blank Fillable & Custom Choice Board

All ages, all grades where you need 9 grid choice board. Start loving learning again! 

How To Manage Your 5th Grade Classroom During Art (With a Choice Board)

I find its easiest to use a big board at the front of the classroom where all students can see the choices  then decide what they want to do

This often will be coming in from a break or transition between subjects. 

If you can get all students to know whats expected during a choice activity it becomes one-hundred times easier to manage the class & have everyone know what choices they have!  

There are three core steps you have to hit when using a Choice Board; 

1) The Set Up
2) 
The Instruction 
3) The Q+A 

1) The Set Up

Select your choices, decide on how you are going to use this time in your classroom. Build the choice board

1) The Instruction

Tell the students what they are going to be doing (this becomes easier over time) Simply start with 3 options & move from there. 

1) The Q & A

Does anyone have questions? This will help you or the next time. Remember the goal is to make this easier each time! 

Why Use A Choice Board?

So, let’s chat about choiceboards and why they’re like the coolest thing ever in your classroom. 

Picture this: kiddos bouncing into the room, eyes lighting up because they get to pick their own adventure in learning new words.

 It’s like a mini vocab party, and everyone’s invited!

We all have our own jam, right? Some of us are little artists, others are born performers, and some love to get lost in stories. Choice boards are like a buffet of fun learning snacks, so every munchkin finds something tasty that helps the vocab stick!

And here’s the kicker – when the little ones get to steer the ship, they turn into these mini captains of learning. They’re making the calls, and with every choice, they puff up a bit more with confidence. It’s a win-win – they’re learning and feeling like the boss at the same time.

Plus, for us teachers, it’s like having a secret helper in the room. We get to sprinkle in all sorts of activities that match our students’ levels and what makes their hearts tick. It’s like custom-making a learning playlist that gets every kid grooving to the vocab beat. How cool is that?