Moneystown National School
Visual Arts Plan
Introduction:
This Visual Arts plan was drawn up in collaboration with staff members and has been ratified by our Board of Management in 2003/2004. The purpose of this plan is to provide an overview of visual arts education in our school, to provide frameworks for classroom planning and to set out our general aims and goals for visual arts education in our school. It provides information about the practice of visual arts in our school for our teachers, classroom assistants, our Board of Management and our parents. The plan was revised in 2007/2008
Rationale:
Visual Art education in our school will help to promote thinking, imagination and sensitivity. The Visual Arts programme can be a focus for social and cultural development and enjoyment
Vision Statement:
In accordance with our school’s mission statement and with the principles of the primary curriculum we believe that Visual Art Education provides for creative and aesthetic experiences through exploring, investigating, experimenting, inventing, designing and making in a range of media. It promotes observation and ways of seeing and helps channels the child’s natural curiosity for educational ends. It plays an important role in helping our pupils achieve their full potential as unique individuals. Creative achievements in art contribute to a sense of personal identity and self- esteem and help create cultural awareness and empathy.
Aims
We endorse the aims of the Primary School Curriculum for visual arts
· To help the child develop sensitivity to the visual, spatial and tactile world, and to provide for aesthetic experience
· To help the child express ideas, feelings and experiences in visual and tactile forms
· To enable the child to have enjoyable and purposeful experiences of different art media and to have opportunities to explore, experiment, imagine, design and communicate with different art materials
· To promote the child’s understanding of and personal response to creative processes involved in making two and three-dimensional art
· To enable the child to develop the skills and techniques necessary for expression, inventiveness and individuality
· To enable the child to experience the excitement and fulfilment of creativity and the achievement of potential through art activities
· To foster sensitivity towards and enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts
· To provide opportunities for the child to explore how the work of artists and craftspeople might relate to his/her own work
Drawing
· Explore and experiment with age appropriate drawing materials and tools on a variety of surfaces
· make drawings based on their own experiences
· make drawings based on observation
· make drawings based on their imaginations
· look at and respond to their own drawings, the drawings of other children and drawings by artists
Paint and Colour
· explore and experiment with paint and colour materials and tools on a range of surfaces
· explore a variety of painting techniques
· make art in colour based on their own experiences
· make art in colour based on observation
· make art in colour based on their imaginations
· look at and respond to their own work, the work of other children and artists’ work in colour
· explore and experiment with a variety of printing tools and materials
· explore a variety of age-appropriate print-making techniques
· make prints based on their own experiences
· make prints based on observations
· make prints based on their imaginations
· look at and respond to their own prints, the prints of other children, artists’ prints and print in everyday use in the environment
Clay
· explore and experiment with clay and clay tools
· explore age appropriate pottery techniques
· use clay to represent experiences
· use clay to represent observations
· use clay to represent their imagination
· Explore other materials to show forms e.g. play dough, papier mache.
· look at and respond to their own work, the work of the other children and pottery and ceramic art by other artists
Construction
· explore and experiment with a variety of construction materials
· play with construction games and toys
· make structures based on their experiences
· make structures based on observation
· make imaginary structures
· look at and respond to their own work, the work of other children, to other artists’ sculpture and to natural and man-made constructions
Fabric and Fibre
· explore and experiment with a wide variety of fabrics and fibres
· change the surface of a piece of fabric e.g. hession
· create new fabrics e.g. knitting and weaving
· construct with fabrics and fibres e.g. a wall hanging, invent costumes
· represent their experiences in work with fabric and fibre
· represent their observations in work in fabric and fibre
· represent their imagination in work in fabric and fibre
· look at and respond to their own work, the work of other children and work created in fabric and fibre by artists and to fashion
Suggested Programme of WorkJunior & Senior Infants / 1st & 2nd Class / 3rd & 4th Class / 5th & 6th Class
TERM 1.1 / Strand Drawing
Seasonal Themes
Harvest
Autumn
Halloween / Strand Drawing
Seasonal Themes
Harvest
Autumn
Halloween / Strand Drawing
Seasonal Themes
Harvest
Autumn
Halloween / Strand Drawing
Seasonal Themes
Harvest
Autumn
Halloween
TERM1.2 / Strand Paint and Colour
Seasonal Themes
Winter
Christmas / Strand Paint and Colour
Seasonal Themes
Winter
Christmas / Strand Paint and Colour
Seasonal Themes
Winter
Christmas / Strand Paint and Colour
Seasonal Themes
Winter
Christmas
TERM 2.1 / Strand Print
Seasonal Themes
St. Brigid’s Day
St. Valentine’s Day
Spring / Strand Print
Seasonal Themes
St. Brigid’s Day
St. Valentine’s Day
Spring / Strand Print
Seasonal Themes
St. Brigid’s Day
St. Valentine’s Day
Spring / Strand Print
Seasonal Themes
St. Brigid’s Day
St. Valentine’s Day
Spring
TERM 2.2 / Strand Clay
Seasonal Themes
St. Patrick’s Day
Mother’s Day
Easter / Strand Clay
Seasonal Themes
St. Patrick’s Day
Mother’s Day
Easter / Strand Clay
Seasonal Themes
St. Patrick’s Day
Mother’s Day
Easter / Strand Clay
Seasonal Themes
St. Patrick’s Day
Mother’s Day
Easter
TERM 3.1 / Strand Construction
Seasonal Themes
Summer / Strand Construction
Seasonal Themes
Summer / Strand Construction
Seasonal Themes
Summer / Strand Construction
Seasonal Themes
Summer
TERM 3.2 / Strand Fabric and Fibre
Seasonal Themes
Father’s Day
Holidays / Strand Fabric and Fibre
Seasonal Themes
Father’s Day
Holidays / Strand Fabric and Fibre
Seasonal Themes
Father’s Day
Holidays / Strand Fabric and Fibre
Seasonal Themes
Father’s Day
Holidays
Strands and Strand Units
The Visual Arts Curriculum is divided into six strands:
- Drawing
- Paint and colour
- Clay
- Construction
- Fabric and fibre.
· Each strand’s activities are interrelated and involve perceiving and exploring the visual world and making art and looking and responding to the visual world and works of Art. This results in the Making Art and Looking and Responding structure in each strand.
· All strands involve:
- Working from experience and imagination
- Focusing on materials and tools
- Working from observation and curiosity
· Children engage thoroughly in each of the six strands each year ensuring there is a balance therefore between 2D work and 3D work.
· Continuity and progression from class to class are ensured by following the strands and strand units of the curriculum for the relative classes.
· At each class level the development of the following concepts is expected to be incorporated into strand work
- Line
- Shape
- Form
- Colour and Tone
- Texture
- Pattern, Rhythm and Space (spatial relationships)
· In choosing thematic content, it is advised to draw on children’s experience, imagination and observation and curiosity.
Methodologies and Approaches
Guided Discovery is considered the appropriate teaching method for The Visual Arts.
- It allows the pupils to explore the expressive potential of various media and experiment with them
- assess their suitability for a given task
- to cultivate their own artistic interpretation of their world
- to observe their visual environment
- To appraise other artists’ works.
§ It is important that the teacher understands children’s varying stages of development in Art and can gauge their ability and can challenge them accordingly.
§ An awareness of a broad range of imagery in children’s work and in Art in general is very necessary.
§ Exposure to work from different eras, traditions and cultures as well as the Western Classical Tradition is needed.
§ Emphasis on process rather than product and on practice and progression will encourage creativity.
§ It will result in sequentially structured activities increasing in complexity and developing from previous experience.
§ There will also be a need to use activities from different levels with a class in order to allow for its range of ability and experience.
§ In senior classes following the stimulus for the lesson children are allowed to select a medium through which to work
§ Children will experience a variety of organisational structures working individually, in pairs, groups and whole class setting.
Children with Different Needs
· This Visual Arts programme aims to meet the needs of all the children in the school.
· This will be achieved by teachers varying the pace, content and methodologies to insure a positive learning experience for all pupils. This will be recorded in the teacher’s yearly notes.
· The requirements of children with special needs will be taken into account when planning art lessons and related activities
· Children with Special needs may function at a younger stage to their peers.
· Children with coordination problems may have particular difficulties with grip and control of certain media. Alternate media should be considered to maximise the pupil’s experience
· The S.N.A. supports particular children and groups as directed by the class teacher.
· Support teachers work with class teachers in order to facilitate children with special needs in a whole class and group situation.
· Children of exceptional ability are encouraged to access additional information through the school art books, the library, the internet and working on individual art projects
Linkage and Integration
· There are ample opportunities for integration of visual arts with other subject areas and we encourage this at all class levels.
- Oral language, creative writing, responding to literature
- Instructions as Gaeilge
- Maths, Shape and Space, Pattern
- SPHE
- SESE
- Music
- Drama
· Teachers identify the objectives that can be acquired through cross curricular work and are recorded in the teacher’s short term planning
· Equally we encourage linkage of the strands through the use of themes. Themes may be seasonal, based on culture, based on another curricular area or on current interests of the children
· The use of the correct artistic language by the teacher when introducing and discussing art forms/skills/styles/methods will help to develop and enrich children’s language.
· At the end of each art lesson or a unit of art children are encouraged to discuss and talk about their own and others’ work, the challenges they met, the materials used and the qualities they see in their own work using the correct language.
Assessment and Record Keeping
Children’s progress in Art regarding
- Perceptual awareness
- Expressive Ability
- Critical Skills
- Disposition towards art
will be assessed using the following tools and will help the teacher to plan the next step in the child’s learning and may suggest modifications necessary to the visual arts programme.
Teacher Observation
This informal method of assessment involves assessing
- The child’s response to art tasks
- Ability to look objectively at one’s own work and the work of others
- The level of the child’s commitment and personal involvement in a task
- Use of an appropriate vocabulary when responding to art
Teacher Designed Tasks
This may be used to assess:
- The pupil’s ability in handling various media
- The pupil’s use of skills
- How he/she is able to express oneself when working on a given theme
- How he/she works with other
Work Samples
· Records of progress will be kept by the teacher and discussed with
- parents during parent teacher meetings
- children in teacher pupil conferencing
- and as part of the end of year report.
· Ability and progress is indicated on the end of year report.
Equality of Participation and Access
· We view the Visual Arts programme as playing a key role in ensuring equality of opportunity for all children.
· The programme at each class level will be flexible so that the learning requirements of all children may be addressed.
· We provide an equal educational experience for both boys and girls as we recognise that stereotyped expectations of gender roles can inhibit children’s educational achievements.
· Children with special needs will be included in all activities at an appropriate level.
· Children will not be excluded from art activities for non payment of art and craft money
· Visual Arts is used as an opportunity to integrate the culture of all pupils and introduce authentic materials from such cultures
Organisational Planning
Timetable
· As per curriculum guidelines, Art is given 1 hours/ 1st – 6th Class and 2 hours 50 minutes/ Junior – Senior Infants
· Teachers can decide to allocate time for art on a weekly basis or they can block time over each month
· Time may be blocked for project work, e.g. preparation for Christmas; school involved in whole school dramatic production, sacramental art.
· This should be indicated in each teacher’s timetable
· Children attending supplementary teaching should be included in as much of the art programme as is possible.
· Teachers are encouraged to spend allocate 5 hrs to each strand with 7 hours at their discretion
Display
§ Each class have access to display areas in their classroom and in the greater school area, e.g. along the corridors, in shared areas