Art K

In Art K, students are introduced to the ways in which they can express ideas and demonstrate their creativity through art. Throughout this course, students are encouraged to use their imagination to create art. They use a wide variety of materials to make their artwork, and they learn safe methods for using those materials. They explore the importance of working with others by collaborating both to create art and to solve artistic problems. Students use multiple techniques while working with the same artistic medium, and they create various scenes, including a nature scene, a construction scene, and an underwater scene. This course will teach students to develop and carry out a plan to create and revise their work, and it guides them through the process of creating a personal art portfolio. In addition, Art K encourages students to begin thinking about the artwork of others. They learn about well-known artists and the common tools those artists used. They also learn about art museums and consider how pieces of artwork make them feel. Finally, students create works of art that are of a more personal nature, including art depicting their own community, a self-portrait, and an illustration of their favorite book. Throughout Art K, students learn art terminology so that they are able to connect ideas and demonstrate the beginnings of a strong artistic foundation.

COURSE TOPICS

  • Media Magic

  • New Ways to Create

  • Planning Art

  • Art Show

  • The World in Pictures

  • Art About Me

Art 1

In Art 1, students explore the roles of both groups of people. Students learn how daily life can be used as inspiration and how it can be depicted through artwork. They categorize artworks according to the subject matter each is portraying. Additionally, students learn to recognize the elements of art and the principles of design, and they rate artwork. Students explore the ways in which artwork is created outside of the school setting, and they discover that art is made for different reasons. As practicing artists, students will develop their art vocabulary, art understanding, and artistic skills as they work through prompts supplied in the course. 

COURSE TOPICS

  • Using Art Vocabulary

  • Everyday Objects in Art

  • Art Outside of School

  • Making Art for Different Reasons

  • Value of Art

Art 2

In Art 2, students explore artistic expression of their own personal interests. They learn to organize art into categories and to identify the various methods and materials used to create art. Throughout this course, students expand their artistic vocabulary, using it to describe the works they are studying. They explore the ways in which color can represent mood in artworks and create their own works to express their mood. While learning safe procedures for working with artistic materials, students experiment with mixing colors. In addition to creating artworks that depicts family, school, and community life, students also gain familiarity with works from European and Asian cultures.

COURSE TOPICS

  • Artist Choices

  • Art Themes

  • Preparing Portfolios

  • Archival Art

  • Subject and Mood

Art 3

In Art 3, students create, experiment, revise, present, analyze, and respond to artwork. Students learn the importance of presenting their art and the necessary components to consider when doing so, such as the display space, artwork preparation, and display limitations. Students revise and enhance their art in order to tell a better visual story. They also learn how to ask important questions regarding the imagery and materials an artist uses to better understand the message of the work. Art 3 gives students the observation tools they need to perceive their world and create art based on what they see and how they feel.

COURSE TOPICS

  • Making Art to Learn

  • Recording Stories and Life

  • Influence of Time and Place

  • Making Your Art Better

Art 4

In Art 4, students begin thinking about the meaning behind works of art. They work both independently and collaboratively to brainstorm ideas for visual art, set artistic goals, and create meaningful artistic pieces. Students experiment with oil pastels and nontraditional art-making approaches and materials. They explore how regional influences can inspire an artist and create their own art based on regional inspirations. Students observe the various ways in which art can be displayed, where it can be displayed, and how its placement can impact the artist’s message. Students compare and contrast works from different cultures and create art to reflect their own cultural traditions. They also learn to use context to interpret artwork and infer information about the time, place, and culture in which works were created.

COURSE TOPICS

  • Creative Process

  • Solving Problems

  • Art Safety

  • Mistakes are Okay

  • Digital Art

  • Preserving Art

  • Viewing Art

Art 5

Art 5 gives students opportunities to work with a wide range of materials, from metal to watercolors, all while further developing their techniques and skills as artists through repeated practice. Students learn to analyze, interpret, and talk about art with their peers as well as other admirers of art. They are introduced to the idea of cultural associations and perceptions and are asked to look at imagery critically. In doing so, students learn to decide how the details of their own work could be interpreted by others. Throughout this course, students create artwork that will bring attention to topics they find important. Their work will illustrate their awareness of their surroundings and will show their developing artistic abilities.

COURSE TOPICS

  • Place of Significance

  • Interpretation Comparison

  • Becoming Aware

  • Quality Craftsmanship

  • Art Can Change Lives

Art 6

Art 6 encourages students to collaborate to create art. Students investigate how art can be personally significant while learning to be open to new artistic ideas, materials, methods, and creative approaches. In this course, students also explore the ways in which art equipment and materials can affect the environment. They study why and how artistic design can influence people, and they design art for a diverse population. Students also determine whether works of art successfully communicate their intended message. This course introduces three-dimensional art, and students compare two-dimensional and three-dimensional pieces before creating their own 3-D artwork. They will view art from around the world and determine what the works reveal about the values and lifestyles of the people depicted in the works. Finally, students learn the importance of preserving art and the ways in which to critique art. 

COURSE TOPICS

  • Artistic Investigation

  • Collaborative Combination

  • Upcycle Design

  • Revising Work

  • Time and Place

  • Art Critique

Art 7

In Art 7, students transition from exploratory art discovery to a more discipline-based approach. This new approach focuses on developing students’ skills and techniques as well as content knowledge, while still allowing for exploration and individuality. Students have the opportunity to act as real artists through repeated sketching, concept development, and continued research and observation activities while they work with a variety of media. Art 7 includes a strong focus on independent, creative thinking and problem solving through project-based learning. This course is designed to cover a half year of instruction, but it can be completed at each student's own pace. The project-based activities have dedicated, multi-day lessons to allow students time to sufficiently and successfully develop their ideas and artwork.

COURSE TOPICS

  • Identity Explosion

  • Grass-Growing Clay Pets

  • Thief in the Night

  • Unconventional Garment

  • Figures of Inspiration

  • Two-sided Landscape Art

  • Daily Food Structure

Art 8

In Art 8, students will be introduced to design elements and principles, as well as contemporary art-making processes and the act of conceptual thinking. The Art 8 curriculum is designed to cover a half-year of instruction but can be completed at each student's own pace.

COURSE TOPICS

  • Art Journaling

  • Social Justice Graphic Novel

  • Hockney Photographic Collage

  • Museum Curation and Narration

  • Identifying Group Triptych

  • Assemblage

  • Masking Tape Murals