Art 06-07
Art Curriculum for 2006-2007 Academic Year
Grades 6-12
I’m brand new at this. I built an art curriculum last year for an independent study charter school. This year I am building an art curriculum for a traditional school. I’m sure there are many flaws, but I have endeavored to meet the California state content standards. I also wanted to make it enjoyable for all of my students.
The first semester features lessons which focus mainly on the art elements (line, shape, space, form, value, color and texture.) The second semester focuses on large projects and design principles (balance, unity, contrast, emphasis, proportion, pattern, and rhythm.)
There may be other art teachers out there looking for art curriculum ideas, so I’ve compiled a calendar of the academic year to date. It includes links to blog posts here that give further description of the lessons, and links to outside resources.
Unfortunately, since I’ve had to create brand new classes for both drama grades 9-12 and art grades 6-12, and only 24 hours in a day, I have the same curriculum for the middle school and high school. Next year I plan to have distinct curricula for art grades 6-8, grades 9-12 proficient, and grades 9-12 advanced.
I’ve done the same for my drama curriculum.
I’ve borrowed many ideas from several wonderful drawing books. They are referenced with superscript notation to footnotes at the bottom of the page.
| WEEK No. | MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI |
| 1 Aug 14 Line |
Intro Syllabus About Me Student surveys |
Pre-instruction drawings1: -hand -stack of books |
Pre-instruction drawings1: - portrait of student across table |
Upside-down drawing1 | Free Draw |
| 2 Aug 21 Line |
Duplication exercise2 | Differentiation exercise2 | Mirror-imaging exercise2 | Object-recognition exercise2 | Free Draw |
| 3 Aug 28 Line |
Gridding exercise | Gridding exercise (cont.) | Doodles with templates and french curves2 | Unstructured doodles: pattern and color2 | Free Draw |
| 4 Sep 4 Space, Shape |
HOLIDAY | Negative space exercises2 | Negative space exercises2 (cont.) | Negative space exercises: photos of athletes in motion | Free Draw |
| 5 Sep 11 Form |
Introduction to “Art History Reading“ | Art History Reading | One-point perspective: demonstration | One-point perspective: worksheets | Free Draw |
| 6 Sep 18 Form |
Art History Reading | One-point perspective: worksheets | Two-point perspective: demonstration | Two-point perspective: worksheets | Free Draw |
| 7 Sep 25 Form |
Art History Reading | Sighting – drawing outdoors | Human head in profile1 (worksheet) | Human head in full face1(worksheet) | Free Draw |
| 8 Oct 2 Value |
Art History Reading | Value: shading3 | Value: shadow3 | Shading techniques worksheet | Free Draw |
| 9 Oct 9 Value |
Art History Reading | Value: draw a sphere | Value: draw a figure in crosshatch1 | Value: draw a human skull in profile | Free Draw |
| 10 Oct 16 Value |
Art History Reading | Value project: draw another student with an imaginary background | Value project (cont.) | Value project (cont.) | Free Draw |
| 11 Oct 23 Value |
Art History Reading | Value project (cont.) | Value project (cont.) | Value project (cont.) | Free Draw |
| 12 Oct 30 Color, Texture |
Masks: tempera and tag board | Masks: tempera and tag board | Paper mosaic: individual work | Paper mosaic: group work | Free Draw |
| 13 Nov 6 Color, Texture |
Art History Reading | Decorative paper painting | Decorative paper painting (cont.) | Free Draw | HOLIDAY |
| 14 Nov 13 Color, Texture |
Art History Reading | Color wheel collage | Color wheel collage (cont.) | Painting with colored paper collage | Free Draw |
| 15 Nov 27 Color, Texture |
Painting with colored paper collage (cont.) | Self-portrait collage | Self-portrait collage (cont.) | Self-portrait collage (cont.) | Free Draw |
| 16 Dec 4 Color, Texture |
Self-portrait collage (cont.) | Self-portrait collage (cont.) | Self-portrait collage (cont.) | Self-portrait collage (cont.) | Free Draw |
| 17 Dec 11 Color, Texture |
Self-portrait collage (cont.) | Self-portrait collage (cont.) | Self-portrait collage (cont.) | Self-portrait collage – critique | Free Draw |
| 18 Dec 18 Review |
Line and shape game | Manikin models (form and value) | Woven paper (color and texture) | Draw an imaginary person | Free Draw |
| 19 Jan 8 |
Make an art storage box | Make an art storage box (cont.) | Make an art storage box (cont.) | Make an art storage box (cont.) | Free Draw |
| 20 Jan 15 |
HOLIDAY | Art History Reading | Character nichos | Character nichos (cont.) | Free Draw |
| 21 Jan 22 |
Art History Reading | Character nichos (cont.) | Character nichos (cont.) | Character nichos (cont.) | Free Draw |
| 22 Jan 29 |
Art History Reading | Character nichos (cont.) | Character nichos (cont.) | Character nichos (cont.) | Free Draw |
| 23 Feb 5 |
Art History Reading | Character nichos (cont.) | Character nichos (cont.) | Character nichos (cont.) | Free Draw |
| 24 Feb 12 |
HOLIDAY | Art History Reading | Character nichos – last details | Nicho critique | Free Draw |
| 25 Feb 19 |
HOLIDAY | Personal symbols – research | Personal symbols – thumbnails | Personal symbols – final design | Free Draw |
| 26 Feb 26 | Accordion Book – paint cover backgrounds | Accordion Book – paint symbol on front cover | Accordion Book – paint symbol on front cover | Accordion Book – assemble book | Free Draw |
| 27 March 5 | Posters for school play – thumbnails | Posters for school play – thumbnails | Posters for school play – refined draft | Posters for school play – refined draft | Free Draw |
| 28 March 12 | Posters for school play – 18" x 24" in pencil | Posters for school play – 18" x 24" in pencil | Posters for school play – 18" x 24" in color | Posters for school play – 18" x 24" in color | Free Draw |
| 28 March 19 | Origami4 | Origami4 | Origami4 | Origami4 | Free Draw |
| 29 March 26 | Origami4 | Origami4 | Origami4 | Origami4 | Free Draw |
1) Source: “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain” by Betty Edwards
2) Source: “Drawing with Older Children and Teens” by Mona Brooks
3) Source: “Mark Kistler’s Draw Squad” by Mark Kistler (lessons 3 and 4)
4) Source: “Essential Origami: How to Build Dozens of Models from Just 10 Easy Bases” by Steve and Megumi Biddle
4 Comments to “Art 06-07”
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Hi, I saw your post about what you teach on teachers.net. this page is so helpful as I haven’t taught high school a whole lot. I think I’m more an elementary art teacher, but this page is so organized and packed with ideas. Thanks for allowing a peak in your brain
Thanks so much for generously sharing your work. I had my high school student do the perspective worksheets and add furniture, tv’s,
lights, etc. to the room sheet. They came out great and the students had alot of fun.
Hi Dawn,
I really like your curriculum ideas.
Dear Dawn,
I can’t believe you are a new teacher. You have great ideas. I bet your students love you. I’m sure your district loves having profesional teachers like you.
Thanks for sharing your tallent and efforts.
Sincerely
Troy