I am teaching my second year of art at a local elementary school, where they hire non-certified technicians to teach during the teachers prep time. I bought this book over the summer, and I have loved it so much for what I do.Many of the simple lessons we do contain important state core requirements, and it is a matter of the proper vocabulary and presentation to the students. This book helps you keep what you are teaching in order, from art history, to criticism and comparison, and even hands on projects or still life sketching..... this book has hundreds of lesson ideas, and I have found them easy to adapt to all age levels. ( I work with 1-5th grades)One note- I had read in a description that the book contained colored pictures, which is not the case, therefore the art presented in the book is not really a possibility to use in class unless you can get a reproduction somewhere else- which I am limited to do. But I love the age appropriate guide in the beginning, and refer to it often.I went to a district meeting and had many other techs asking about my resources, and I was happy to refer this book to them. Whether for school, home school, or just personal art education this is book that is well rounded and well stocked. More lesson ideas then you will ever be able to use, and for us with a limited budget, it is still full of tried and true lesson plans and discussion starters.