Visual Arts Curriculum Overview
According to the California Content Standards, the Visual Arts Content Standards are categorized as part of the Visual and Performing Arts Program. Students, ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade, will learn about visual arts through artistic perception, creative expression, historical and cultural context, aesthetic valuing, and connections, relationships/application. The main goal for all the grade levels is to develop their creativity and self-expression through hands-on activities that will develop their appreciation for visual art.
Kindergarten
Kindergarteners will develop an understanding about artistic perception by learning to recognize and describe simple patterns, naming art materials (clay, paint, and crayons), and identifying the elements of art (line, color, shape/form, value, and space). Their creative expressions will be learned through making patterns, using tools, such as scissors, glue, and paper and making collages with cut or torn paper shapes and forms. They will also be able to paint pictures expressing ideas about family and neighborhood, use lines in drawing and painting to express emotions, and create three-dimensional forms with geometric shapes and forms. To understand about historical and cultural context, students will discuss about various works of art. As for aesthetic valuing in visual art, students will be able to discuss and describe their own art work, how and why certain art works are created, and give reason as to why they like a particular work of art. Once students have gained this understanding, they will be able to apply their visual art experience in their daily lives.
First Grade
First grade students will develop an understanding about artistic perception by learning to describe and replicate repeated patterns, distinguish among various media, such as clay, paint, or drawing materials, and identify the elements of art (color, lines, shape/form, and texture). Their creative expressions will be learned through using texture, mixing of primary and secondary colors, and demonstrate the beginning skill of using sculptural materials (clay, paper, and paper mache). They will also be able to use variations in lines, shape/form, color, and texture to express feelings in the art work, and create art work based on observation. To understand about historical and cultural context, students will identify and describe various subject matters in art. As for aesthetic valuing in visual art, students will be able to discuss about their own art work based on the elements of art and make informed judgments. Once students have gained this understanding, they will be able to apply their visual art experience in their daily life by being able to identify and sort pictures into categories, according to the elements of art that are emphasized in the art works.
Second Grade
In the second grade, students will develop an understanding about artistic perception by learning to perceive and describe repetition, mood, and balance and to identify the elements of art in object, emphasizing line, color, shape/form, texture, and space. Their creative expressions will be demonstrated through the use of basic tools, art media, and art making processes. Students will learn how to depict the illusion of depth and use bilateral and radial symmetry to create visual balance in various painting and drawing. To understand about historical and cultural context, students will explain how artists use their art work to share experiences or to communicate ideas. As for aesthetic valuing in visual art, students will compare ideas expressed through their own works of art, and be able to use appropriate vocabulary of art to describe about their own and others art work. Students will be able to select colors to express mood and personality, and learn about artists in the community who create different kinds of art.
Third Grade
Students in the third grade program will develop an understanding about artistic perception by learning about tints and shades, illusion of space, and rhythm and movement. They can compare and contrast between two art works, and describe the elements of art by emphasizing on lines, colors, shape/form, texture, space, and value. Their creative expressions will be demonstrated through the use of their ability to mix colors, create original art work through observation, and create imaginative clay sculpture. To understand about historical and cultural context, students will be able have a clearer understanding about art works created within their community. Students write about a work of art that reflects their own cultural background. As for aesthetic valuing in visual art, students will be able to identify various successful and less successful art works. They make informed judgments. By the end of the program, students will be able to describe how an artist has affected lives, and students will learn to write poems and stories inspired by their own art works.
Fourth Grade
At this level, fourth graders will develop an understanding about artistic perception by perceiving and describing how negative shapes/forms and positive shapes/forms are used, identifying pairs of complementary colors, and describing the concept of proportion. Their creative expressions will be demonstrated through the use of shading, weaving, and light and dark contrasting. Students learn to use additive and subtractive processes to make simple sculptural forms and use accurate proportions to create expressive portraits or figure drawing or painting. To understand about historical and cultural context, students will describe how art plays a role in reflecting life and discuss about content of works in the past and present. As for aesthetic valuing in visual art, students can describe how individual experiences of an artist may influence the development of their specific works of art or identify how a person’s own cultural context influence individual’s responses to works of art. Students will read biographies and summarize reports about the artist.
Fifth Grade
In the fifth grade program, students will develop an understanding about artistic perception by identifying the principles of design in visual compositions, describing the characteristics of representational, abstract, and nonrepresentational works of art, and using their knowledge to describe similarities and differences in works of art. Their creative expressions will be demonstrated through the manipulation of digital imagery, creation of gesture and contour observational drawings, and usage of perspective in an original work of art to create real or imaginary scene. To understand about historical and cultural context, students will describe how local or national art galleries and museums contribute to the conservation of art, identify various fine, traditional, and folk art, and compare works of art from various regions of the United States. As for aesthetic valuing in visual art, students can identify how selected principles of design are used, compare the different purposes of a specific culture for creating art, and assess their own works of art. Once students have gained an understanding about visual arts, they will be able to apply what they learn through their ability to compare and contrast works of art into categories and describe objects designed by artists.
Sixth Grade
At this level, sixth graders will develop an understanding about artistic perception by describing how balance is effectively used, discuss works of art as theme, genre, style, idea, and differences in media, and identify all the elements of art found in selected works of art. Students will build their creative expressions by creating drawing, using varying tints, shades, and intensities. They will also use technology to create original works of art. To understand about historical and cultural context, students will research and discuss the role of the visual arts in selected period of history and compare, in oral and written form, representative images or designs from at least two selected cultures. As for aesthetic valuing in visual art, students can construct and describe plausible interpretations of what they perceive in works of art and identify/describe ways in which their culture is being reflected in current works of art. Students will learn to change, edit, or revise their works of art after a critique. Once students have gained the understanding about visual arts, they are able to apply what they learn through creating artworks that contain visual metaphors and establishing criteria to be used in selecting works of art for a specific type of art exhibition.
Seventh Grade
In the seventh grade level, students learn about artistic perception by the way they perceive and respond to the works of art, objects in nature, events, and the environment. They will be using their visual art vocabulary to express their observations and analysis of the art elements. As for creative expression, student will learn to apply their artistic processes and skills through the usage of various media to communicate meaning and intent of the original art work. They will learn to create, perform, and participate in various creative expressions. Through expressions, students will develop an understanding for the historical contributions and cultural dimensions of the visual arts. In doing this, they analyze the role and development of the visual arts in the past and the present cultures throughout the world. They will be noting the human diversity as it relates to the visual arts and artists. As for the aesthetic valuing of visual art, students will learn to respond, analyze, and making judgments about various works in the visual arts. They will be assessing and deriving meaning from works of art, including their own in accordance to the elements of art, principles of design, and aesthetic qualities. As they build on each other, students will apply what they learn in the visual arts across the subject areas. They start developing competencies and creative skills in problem solving, communication, and management of time and resources that contribute to lifelong learning and career skills. They also learn about careers in and related to the visual arts.
