Class Name: 8th Grade Art / Required 9 week course Teacher: Mary Miller
Week # / Content / Skills / Assessment / Standards and BenchmarksWeek #1 /
- Introduce and Review the Elements of Art
- Contour Drawing/Gesture Drawing assignments of fruit, plants, or other still life objects
- Sketchbook/Journal: Create a watercolor sketchbook
- Example of a writing assignment: You are a space explorer flying to a newly discovered planet. You will need to establish a space station. Draw what you imagine you will find there, and also design your space station where you will be living while on this planet doing research. Then describe some of the problems you may encounter on this planet and tell what you might do as a solution to the problems. You must have complete sentences and two paragraphs (one to describe the problems and another to explain the solution, including a summary sentence.)
- Identify and use all elements: Line, Shape, Form, Space, Texture, Color, Value
- Students will use a minimum of 4 watercolor techniques and 4 embellishing techniques.
- Sketchbook includes 4 drawings and 4 writing assignments and due in 8th week of class, with peer evaluation of it at 4th week.
- Chapter 5 on Principles of Design, of Glencoe "Exploring Art" text and chapter review questions
- Describe and analyze their own drawings
2 (a, b, & c)
3 (a)
6 (b)
- Six Traits Writing Rubrics for Conventions, Idea and Voice
Week #2 /
- Introduce enlargements in perspective (poster size)
Quality of drawing in perspective
Quality color application / 1 (a & b)
2 (a, b, & c)
5 (a & c)
6 (a&b)
Week #3 /
- Continue enlarged perspective drawing with emphasis on correct placement of objects in foreground, middle ground, and background
- Identify, define and use all of the following ways of creating the appearance of perspective: overlapping, size, position, color and detail when enlarging in a grid system
2 (a, b, & c)
3 (a & b)
4 (a & c)
5 (a & c)
6 (a & b)
Week #4 /
- Introduce African and Northwest Indian mask designs
- Discussion following showing of several masks from posters by African and Indian artists
- Other clay project: Architectural structures with review of the styles they learned about in 7th grade.
- Also in this week: Artist Research project creating a postcard extension in the style of the artist or an advertisement poster about the artist in that style
- Demonstrate how to use Microsoft Publisher for creating brochures, flyers, etc. to be used on their artist posters.
- Using artistic and creative expression in historical and cultural context
- Create either a clay mask in the style of African or Northwest Indian art
- Using a subtractive clay method, students will create an architectural structure in clay based upon their preliminary drawings that include both front elevations and aerial view.
- Use artist book library in class or computer to research and find information for Artist Information Sheet and Art Criticism Sheet
- Computer lab sign up for two days after demonstration in classroom on how to use Publisher, then print all color creations in classroom on color printers.
Use of abstraction, simplification, or exaggeration and incising, appliqué, scoring and stamping techniques
+ Clay architectural structure must have a minimum of two architectural styles, landscaping, various textures and color applications. Students will critique each others work stating the techniques that were used correctly.
Fill out Artist Information and Art Criticism sheets in their entirety
Create or design an advertisement or brief report to share with the class orally / 1 (a & b)
2 (a, b, & c)
4 (a, b, & c)
5 ( b & c)
1 (a & b)
2 (a,b,&c)
4 (a,b,&c)
5 (a, b & c)
Week #5 /
- Introduce Aboriginal Art from Australia, using video by Crystal Productions, real bark paintings purchased in Australia, painted boomerang and Didgeridoo
- Play Aboriginal music
Identify and define characteristics of a different culture by viewing several different artists’ works from that period and painting with sticks in the same manner as Aboriginines /
- Demonstrate knowledge of characteristics of Aboriginal work and use a minimum of three Aboriginal terms in a story about the painting
- Present the painting and story to the class
2 (a, b, & c)
3 (a & b)
4 (a, b, & c)
5 (a, b, & c)
6 (a & b)
Week #6 /
- Continue Aboriginal paintings and presentations of the stories and paintings to classmates
- Also glaze clay masks from week #4
- Discuss terms and use of Aboriginal dictionary, use of symbols in a Dreamtime painting, discuss pigment and ochres and provide analogies to different type U.S. ochres
- Use of Aboriginal symbols
- rubric
2 (a, b, & c)
3 (a & b)
4 (a, b, & c)
5 (a, b, & c)
6 (a & b)
Week #7 /
- Watercolor Painting
- Demonstrate techniques
- Demonstrate Sculptural bookmaking techniques
- Show videos
- Begin bookmaking process from the watercolor paintings
- Embellish paintings and add cut-out or pop-up areas, stamped areas, photos, etc
Discuss principles of art: Balance, Variety, Harmony, Emphasis, Proportion, Movement, Rhythm, Unity and use them to create a sculptural book made from watercolor paper /
- Chapter 10 of Glencoeís "Exploring Art" text, pages 177-183 and chapter review questions
- Describe and analyze their own paintings
- Quality of folds and gluing of book making process
- Degree of embellishment
- Theme of book
- Degree and placement of cut-outs or pop-ups
2 (a, b, &c)
3 (a &b)
4 (c)
5 (a)
6 (b)
Week #8 & 9 /
- Southwest Indian coil basketry
- Show Fiber-Coiled Basketry video by Crystal productions
- Using artistic and creative expression in historical and cultural context
- Learn different weaving stitches and techniques to create a flat weaving or a basket with a pattern using yarn or raffia
- Discuss ornamental and decorative versus functional art
- Rubric that includes criteria as to tightness of stitching, degree of difficulty for pattern, quality of beginning and ending
- Present baskets to class with a description of how pattern was accomplished and whether or not it is functional or decorative
2 (a, b & c)
4 (a, b, & c)
5 (a, b, & c)
6 (a)