50 Class Starters: Creative Thinking Routines for Middle & High School

Start your art classes with meaningful thinking, discussion, and visual analysis—no prep required!

This resource includes 50 short (5–8 minute) artful thinking routines designed for middle and high school visual art classrooms. These routines help students build strong observation, interpretation, and reasoning skills while using appropriate art vocabulary.

Perfect for bell ringers, warm-ups, critiques, art history lessons, and sketchbooks, each routine makes student thinking visible through writing, discussion, and drawing.

What’s Included:

50 ready-to-use visual thinking routines
Clear student-friendly prompts
Real student work examples (Grades 6–11)
Art vocabulary support
Flexible use across art history and studio practice
Featured Routines:

I See, I Think, I Wonder
Claim, Support, Question
Connect, Extend, Challenge
Step-by-Step Analysis
Compare & Contrast
Visual Inventory
Perfect For: Middle & High School Visual Art • IB MYP/DP • Art History • Critiques • Substitute Plans
Low prep. High engagement. Big thinking.