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Lessons and Projects
Transitional Kindergarten - Art through the Seasons
Throughout the four seasons, students learn how to use the basic elements of line and shapes, color, and texture in their art, while using crayons, paints, oil pastels, and crafting items. Students are introduced to seasonal paintings from around the world including the U.S., Italy, Mexico and Japan.
Students draw, collage, and sculpt in clay to make some favorite things, including trains, animals, houses and self-portraits. They work with crayons, pastels, clay, and paints on paper and fabric. Prints from artists who have painted favorite themes are studied to learn about elements of art, including color, shapes, lines, and texture.
1st grade - Building Blocks of Art
Students learn more about the elements of art including lines, shapes, colors, textures, and values and incorporate these into their own art through various techniques of paper dyeing, rubbings, printing, texture collage, monochromatic painting, and drawing. Students study many artists to explore these themes, with a special focus on Vincent van Gogh.
2nd grade - ‘Scapes’, Portraits, and Still Life
Students learn the concepts of distance, balance, contrast, and rhythm in art and master identifying “scapes” - seascapes, landscapes, and cityscapes - as well as portraits and still-life paintings through the work of many artists. They will dedicate special attention to the works of Pierre-August Renoir. Students will apply their learnings to create their masterpieces with tissue paper, watercolor, clay, pencil, scissors, and tempera paint.
3rd grade - People in Art From Around the World
Students dig deeper into the concepts of distance, rhythm, and balance by discussing how artists incorporated these elements into their works that portray: people and feelings, people and movement, people and music, and people and animals. Students practice incorporating these concepts by creating expressive portraits with oil pastels, compositions to show distance, foil sculptures, painting to music, drawing with imagination, and printing on cloth.
4th grade - Schools of Art
Students study different schools of art including: Realism, Primitivism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Pointillism, Cubism, Surrealism, Expressionism, Fauvism, and Abstract Art. They practice pointillistic painting, cubist portraits, surrealistic drawing, and creating 3-D masks.
5th grade - American Art
Students start the year learning about the art of the first indigenous Americans by making custom totem designs. They move on to study art of Colonial and Revolutionary times, as well as the movement West, touching on Romanticism and Realism in American paintings. Finally, they will discuss how artists bring awareness to social issues and become vessels for social change. Students work with oil pastels, watercolor, and other mediums.
6th grade
Throughout the four seasons, students learn how to use the basic elements of line and shapes, color, and texture in their art, while using crayons, paints, oil pastels, and crafting items. Students are introduced to seasonal paintings from around the world including the U.S., Italy, Mexico and Japan.
- Set A - Lesson: Fall / Project: Fall Leaf Crayon Rubbing
Objective: To introduce the students to fine art prints on the subject of Fall/Autumn. To teach the basic elements of color and texture in art. - Set B - Lesson: Winter / Project: Winter Painting
Objective: To explore how artists painted the winter season and to teach the basic elements of color,
line and shape in art. - Set C - Lesson: Spring / Project: Flower Finger Painting
Objective: To explore how plants and flowers have been portrayed in art and to teach the basic elements of
color and shape in art. - Set D - Lesson: Summer / Project: Watermelon Painted Paper Plate
Objective: To explore how some fun summer activities are portrayed in art and to teach the basic elements
of line and texture in art. - (Optional) Set E - Lesson: Animals / Project: Symmetrical Drip Creatures
Objective: To introduce the students to fine art prints on the subject of animals. To teach the basic elements
of line and texture in art.
Students draw, collage, and sculpt in clay to make some favorite things, including trains, animals, houses and self-portraits. They work with crayons, pastels, clay, and paints on paper and fabric. Prints from artists who have painted favorite themes are studied to learn about elements of art, including color, shapes, lines, and texture.
- Set A - Lesson: Trains / Project: Train Collages
Objective: To introduce the students to fine art prints on the subject of trains. To teach the basic elements of
color, line and shape in art. - Set B - Lesson: Horses / Project: Crayon Resist Horses
Objective: To introduce the students to fine art prints on the subject of horses. To discuss more about the
basic elements of art, such as color, line and shape, and introduce the elements of texture and value. - Set C - Lesson: Animals / Project: Clay Animals
Objective: To introduce the students to fine art prints on the subject of animals. To discuss more about
texture and introduce the concept of distance/space by discussing foreground, middle
ground and background. - Set D - Lesson: Houses / Project: Imaginary Houses
Objective: To introduce the students to fine art prints on the subject of houses. To discuss primary, secondary and neutral colors. - Set E - Lesson: Portraits / Project: Self Portraits
Objective: To introduce the students to portraiture as a subject for painting. To discuss the different styles of portraits. - Set F - Boats / Fish Prints
Objective: To introduce the students to fine art prints on the subject of boats. To discuss more about the meanings of vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines.
1st grade - Building Blocks of Art
Students learn more about the elements of art including lines, shapes, colors, textures, and values and incorporate these into their own art through various techniques of paper dyeing, rubbings, printing, texture collage, monochromatic painting, and drawing. Students study many artists to explore these themes, with a special focus on Vincent van Gogh.
- Set A: Lesson: Line / Project: Line Printing
Objective: To teach the concept of lines. The students will identify various kinds of lines: natural, man-made, vertical, horizontal, diagonal, curved, and imaginary. - Set B: Lesson: Shape / Project: Creative Rubbings
Objective: To teach the concept of shape. Students will identify various shapes in art: natural, mad-made, geometric, and free-form. - Set C: Lesson: Color / Project: Color Wheel & Fold 'N Dye
Objective: To teach the different groups of color, including primary, secondary, complementary, warm and cool colors in selected prints. - Set D: Lesson: Texture / Project: Texture Collage
Objective: To teach the concept of texture as one of the elements of art and to learn about collage as an art form. Students will increase their awareness of textures in their environment and identify visual texture in selected paintings, and they will learn how art can be created with different materials assembled together in a collage. - Set E: Lesson: Value / Project: Monochromatic Painting
Objective:To teach the concept of value as one of the elements of art. Students will learn the meaning of value in art and identify tints and shades in selected art prints. - Set F: Lesson: Review (Vincent van Gogh) / Project: van Gogh Style Drawing
Objective: To review the elements of art by studying the paintings of Vincent van Gogh. Students will expand their understanding of the elements we have studied this year and learn to recognize van Gogh’s style.
2nd grade - ‘Scapes’, Portraits, and Still Life
Students learn the concepts of distance, balance, contrast, and rhythm in art and master identifying “scapes” - seascapes, landscapes, and cityscapes - as well as portraits and still-life paintings through the work of many artists. They will dedicate special attention to the works of Pierre-August Renoir. Students will apply their learnings to create their masterpieces with tissue paper, watercolor, clay, pencil, scissors, and tempera paint.
- Set A: Lesson: Landscapes / Project: Tissue Paper Landscapes
Objective: To introduce the concept of distance in selected landscapes, The students will be able to recognize a landscape painting and begin to understand how an artist creates a feeling of distance. - Set B: Lesson: Seascapes / Project: Watercolor Seascapes
Objective: To review the five elements of art and the concept of distance in selected seascapes. The students will be able to recognize a seascape painting and discuss contrast, reflection and rhythm. - Set C: Lesson: Cityscapes / Project: Reflective Cityscapes
Objective: To review contrast, reflection and rhythm in selected cityscapes and to introduce the concept of balance, including symmetrical and asymmetrical. The students will be able to recognize a cityscape painting. - Set D: Lesson: Still Life / Project: Still Life Sketching
Objective: To introduce still life painting and to review contrast and balance in art. The students will be able to identify a still life painting and discuss contrast, highlight, overlapping, emphasis and variety. - Set E: Lesson: Portraits / Project: Clay Bust
Objective: To introduce the students to portrait painting as one of the five types of paintings studied this year: landscape, seascape, cityscape, still life, and portrait. The students will be able to identify a portrait and the use of positive and negative space in artworks. - Set F: Lesson: Review (Pierre-Auguste Renoir) / Project: Impressionistic Painting
Objective: To review various types of painting (landscape, seascape, cityscape, portrait and still life) by studying the paintings of Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The students will identify various types of painting in selected paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and will learn to recognize Renoir’s style.
3rd grade - People in Art From Around the World
Students dig deeper into the concepts of distance, rhythm, and balance by discussing how artists incorporated these elements into their works that portray: people and feelings, people and movement, people and music, and people and animals. Students practice incorporating these concepts by creating expressive portraits with oil pastels, compositions to show distance, foil sculptures, painting to music, drawing with imagination, and printing on cloth.
- Set A: Lesson: People and Their Feelings / Project: Expressive Lines and Portraits
Objective: To review the basic elements and principles of art learned in previous years. Students will be able to discuss techniques used by artists to express feelings. - Set B: Lesson: People at Work / Project: Composition to Show Distance
Objective: To present a varied and interesting selection of paintings by several artists whose subject matter is people working. Students will demonstrate their appreciation and understanding of the paintings by discussing the concept of distance such as overlapping, aerial perspective, and linear perspective. - Set C: Lesson: People at Play / Project: Foil Sculpture of "People in Action"
Objective: To review the elements and principles of art as they relate to techniques used by artists to show movement and people at play. - Set D: Lesson: People and Music / Project: Painting to Music
Objective: To explore the connection between rhythm in art and rhythm in music by discussing selected paintings while listening to recordings of music that have a connection to the art piece. Students will be able to recognize different kinds of rhythm in art as created by the repetition of line, shape, and color. Students will also explore additional principles of art including contrast, movement, pattern, unity, and variety within the pieces. - Set E: Lesson: People and Animals / Project: Drawing Imaginary Animals
Objective: To review the principles of art already learned in previous lessons: aerial perspective, balance, harmony, highlight, and rhythm. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the principles of art by discussing selected paintings which depict people and animals. - Set F: Lesson: People Around the World / Project: Adinkra Print
Objective: To review the elements of art by studying selected paintings from around the world. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the elements of art by discussing distance, rhythm, balance and other related concepts in selected paintings from around the world.
4th grade - Schools of Art
Students study different schools of art including: Realism, Primitivism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Pointillism, Cubism, Surrealism, Expressionism, Fauvism, and Abstract Art. They practice pointillistic painting, cubist portraits, surrealistic drawing, and creating 3-D masks.
- Set A: Lesson: Romanticism to Realism / Project: Realism Painting
Objective: To learn about the movement in art history from Romanticism to Realism, and to review elements and principles of art in the context of these movements. The study of Realism will prepare the students to study the different modern art movements that followed Realism, as covered in later sets. - Set B: Lesson: Impressionism and Post-Impressionism / Project: Pointillistic Painting
Objective: To introduce Impressionism, Post-Impressionism and Pointillism as styles of painting and to examine the development of these artistic movements. Students will be able to identify Impressionism and Post-Impressionism in selected paintings. - Set C: Lesson: Cubism / Project: Cubist Portraits
Objective: To introduce Cubism through the works of selected artists and to gain an understanding of the meaning of Cubism. - Set D: Lesson: Surrealism / Project: Surrealistic Eye Painting
Objective: To introduce Surrealism through the works of selected artists and to gain an understanding of the meaning of Surrealism. - Set E: Lesson: Expressionism and Fauvism / Project: Mask Project Part 1
Objective: To continue exploring modern art by examining two significant movements: Expressionism and Fauvism. Students will discuss how these two styles uniquely express emotions and utilize color. - Set F: Lesson: Abstract Art / Project: Mask Project Part 2
Objective: To introduce abstract art and explore how it moves between realistic art with recognizable objects and completely nonobjective art with no recognizable objects. Students will learn that while abstract art can take many forms, it still uses the same elements of art including shape, color and texture. Prints are shown starting with ones that have recognizable elements of realistic art and moving to art that is completely abstract.
5th grade - American Art
Students start the year learning about the art of the first indigenous Americans by making custom totem designs. They move on to study art of Colonial and Revolutionary times, as well as the movement West, touching on Romanticism and Realism in American paintings. Finally, they will discuss how artists bring awareness to social issues and become vessels for social change. Students work with oil pastels, watercolor, and other mediums.
- Set A: Lesson: Art of the First Americans / Project: Native American Totem Designs
Objective: To introduce the students to two groups of Native Americans whose cultures flourished prior to the arrival of Columbus. The students will be able to understand the history and meaning of different artifacts from the Iroquois and the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest. - Set B: Lesson: Colonization, the Revolution and the New Nation / Project: Limner Portraits
Objective: To introduce the students to American art during the Colonial and Revolutionary periods, exploring early Limner and Realism to Neoclassical art, as well as art from after the Revolution that glorified American heroes and ideals in the Romantic style. The students will see that art can be used to learn history. - Set C: Lesson: American Folk Art / Project: Story Quilt
Objective: To introduce students to American Folk Art through paintings from colonial America into the
early 20th century. The students will learn to recognize important features of folk art and see
how it expresses the unique stories, experiences, and traditions of different communities. - Set D: Lesson: Westward Expansion / Project: Ink and Watercolor Landscapes
Objective: To introduce the students to two main art movements that emerged during the Westward Expansion period in American history: the Hudson River School and Western Genre Painting. Students will explore how these movements reflected American life of the time and some of the impacts the art had on American culture. - Set E: Lesson: American Realism, Art and Social Change / Project: Grant Wood Parody Painting
Objective: Students will study prints of American Realism, a modernist style of art that reflects everyday life and important changes in American society. They will explore how artists used their work to tell stories about urbanization, rural life, and social justice, connecting these themes to historical events like the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement. - Set F: Lesson: Modern and Pop Art / Project: Modern Art and Pop Art
Objective: Students will explore Modern Art and Pop Art, learning how artists used different styles, materials, and inspirations to challenge traditional ideas of art. They will discuss how art can be inspired by everyday life and popular culture, leading to a broader discussion about what art is and what it can represent.
6th grade
- Set A: Lesson: Cave Art / Project: Cave Painting
Objective: To introduce the students to the early beginnings of art history. The students will see examples of prehistoric art and understand that art has existed for thousands of years. They will examine some of the theories of why the cave paintings were created. - Set B: Lesson: The Treasures of Tutankhamen / Project: Egyptian Cartouche
Objective: To introduce students to The Treasures of Tutankhamen. The students will learn that Egyptian art was not a separate entity. It was part of their way of life. Their art was part of the magic that surrounded their lives and their afterlife. - Set C: Lesson: Greek and Roman Architecture / Project: Drawing Greek Temple using Perspective
Objective: To introduce the students to the subject of Greek and Roman Architecture. The students will learn about the tremendous impact that the ancient Greeks and Romans had on the field of architecture.
- Set A: Lesson: African Art / Project: Weaving
Objective: To give students an overview of African art as it relates to the ceremonies, traditions, tribal customs, and everyday life of the African people. The students will gain some understanding of how African art is different from the art of the Western tradition. African art is generally functional and not created to hang in a museum, although it is highly collectible and has influenced modern art. - Set B: Lesson: Chinese Brush Painting / Project: Chinese Brush Painting
Objective: To introduce students that, to the Chinese brush painter, art is an expression of one’s philosophy of life. A little background knowledge of their philosophy can help us to better understand their paintings. Brush painting reflects the combination of two main schools of thought, Taoism and Confucianism. - Set C: Lesson: Renaissance Art / Project: Drawing the Hand
Objective: To provide the students with an understanding of the characteristics of Renaissance art and what distinguishes Renaissance art from the art of the Middle Ages.
- Set A: Lesson: American Quilts / Project: Quilting
Objective: To teach the concept of quilting as it relates to the westward movement in American history. The students will be able to relate quilting as an art form, as a historical record, and as a woman’s means of self-expression. - Set B: Lesson: Editorial Cartoons of The United States / Project: Editorial Cartooning
Objective: The students will be more aware of the influence of political cartoons on the social and political climate in America, and how the social and political climate influenced the artists of the time.