The Visual Arts

Title:Fundamentals of Art

Instructional Time or Credit:1 credit

Academic Content Area:Visual Arts

Grade Level(s):9

Graduation or Promotion Requirement: ___no Xyes

Course/Instruction Description:

Students will developbasic visual arts and technological skills by gaining knowledge of art history, criticism, production and aesthetics. Through a basic understanding of design elements and principles, the students will be able to express original ideas using a variety of visual arts techniques. They will explore a variety of problem solving activities and materials. Design elements and principles will provide a vehicle for self expression in two-dimensional and three-dimensional media. Students will focus on design concepts and thought processes utilized when describing relationships between designs in natural and machine-made art. A knowledge and appreciation of human kind’s visual arts heritage will be gained as works of major fine and applied artists, designers, craftsman and photographers of multicultural backgrounds are introduced and discussed. Students will be encouraged to observe and write about the many art forms in their environment. They will use creative problem solving strategies to create artworks based on direct observation and imagination. Commercial/applied art and environmental design projects will be discussed.

District Standards/Benchmarks/Grade Level Concepts & Skills Addressed:

This course is based on the Maryland State Department of Education’s Essential Learner Outcomes and the National Visual Arts Standards. The Fundamentals of ArtCourse will provide students opportunities to:

  • Develop, through the study of the fundamentals of art and technology, the ability to perceive and respond to ideas, experiences, and the environment.
  • Develop an understanding of the visual arts as a basic aspect of history and

human experience.

  • Expand skills in: (a) identifying subject matter, (b) describing art elements,

(c)Analyzing design principles as processes leading to the discovery of art.

  • Organize knowledge and ideas for expression through the

fundamentals of art and technology.

  • Research a topic of interest in art and write a paper that meets preset standards.
  • Explore career possibilities and needed art skills.
  • Discuss how particular works of art highlight an event in history.
  • Demonstrate craftsmanship in the use of a variety of tools and materials.
  • Develop the ability to identify, analyze, and apply criteria for making

aesthetic judgments.

Content (essential learnings/units):

I: Review of the elements and principles of Design

II:Introduction to design

III:Introduction to drawing and pictorial composition

IV: Introduction to art history

Materials/Activities/Instructional Strategies:

This course incorporates essential learner outcomes by MSDE as well as technology related exploratory experiences that allow students to gain an understanding of

contemporary visual design and art history. Fundamentals of Art incorporates the use contemporary technology for the purpose of creating original and personal expressions.

Materials:

A variety of tow and three dimensional art media, tools and equipment (i.e.; drawing, painting, printmaking, design, computers, digital cameras, scanners, etc.)

Activities:

  • Contour drawing
/
  • Comparing styles in art

  • Identifying art careers
/
  • Researching and writing about art.

  • Discovering fine artists
/
  • Analyzing a work of art.

  • Learning to compose a picture.
/
  • Introduction to a variety of art media.

  • Identifying art elements and principles.
/
  • Identifying emotionalist, imita-tionalist and formalist aesthetic styles.

  • Drawing a still life.
/
  • Researching and art terminology.

  • Comparing and contrasting the styles of two illustrators.
/
  • Discussing how color and repetition are used symbolically in the American Flag.

  • Learning about perspective and vanishing points.
/
  • Creating a scale of graduated color values.

Recommended Instructional Materials:

Exploring Visual Design

Davis Publications, Inc.

Teacher’s Edition

Assessment Masters

Set of 12 Elements of Design Fine Art Reproductions

Set of 12 Elements of Principles of Design

Studio Resource Binder

Foundations of Graphic Design

Davis Publications, Inc

New Technologies in the Classroom

By Deborah Greh

Davis Publications, Inc

Software:

Photoshop

Publisher

Quark Express

Digital Imagery

On-going Assessment Strategies (e.g., portfolios, journals):

Formative: Reports, hand made,authentic,student art work portfolios,

electronic portfolios, research papers, tests, quizzes, unit-specific constructed

response questions, co-operative activities and projects, home assignments, class and exhibit participation

Summative:Exploring Visual Design Assessments; Fundamentals of Art Assessment

Prerequisites (if applicable):None