I use the zentangle unit as a confidence booster. My Studio Art classes are primarily filled with students who HAVE to be there for the credit to get the Regents Diploma. Aside from the few music students who ask to take my Studio Art classes, most of them think they have no artistic ability, nor do they really want to be there. I'm happy to say that I'm already changing some of their minds about art!
Anyways, we begin the unit by looking at Kerby Rosanes and his doodle art. We talk about how he turned something he enjoyed doing as a hobby into his job, how his creative process works, and how he organizes his artwork. I use this unit as a way to review the elements and principles of art and to talk about composition. Then, the students learn about zentangling. I have tons of books about zentangling, as well as daily brain activity cards that teach a new zentangle pattern, step-by-step. They really enjoyed using those cards. These are a few of the zentangle tiles the students completed at the beginning of the unit. (Mind you, at this point we have not dove into value, so anything you see here is what they remember from 7th grade.)