Pencil & Pastel (Ages 5-8)

This program is designed for arts learners ages 5-8 taking non-formal classes at a regiona
arts center. The unit will be presented over 7-weeks in 1-hour workshops. Each workshop
will feature a hands-on visual arts project that explores dry media with an emphasis on
graphite, charcoal, oil pastel and chalk pastel. Students will experiment with materials in
relation to art historical examples as inspiration.
STAGE 1- STANDARDS/GOALS
Content Standards
Content Standards

Primary Expected Performances

Students will observe, select and utilize

the elements of art in original art
compositions.

Through hands-on visual arts projects, students

will follow prompts that require the integration
the elements of art. Students will need to
manipulate them in different ways based on
personal self-expression to generate artwork.

Students will produce artwork based on

refined observational skills when
drawing both from life and imagination.

Students will apply basic, relational

measurements in planning compositions based
on visual arts practices while also making
observations based on what they know about t
world. They will strive for a more realistic scale
depth and proportion through measuring,
placement and value.

Students will develop and apply skills

related to dry media materials to
communicate meaning.

Students will discover multiple means of makin

marks with each material introduced in the clas
and will make active choices in projects to use
marks that convey their intended meaning or
idea combining multiple mark making and
shading techniques where appropriate.

Students will describe how different

materials, symbols and compositions
cause different responses

Students will experiment with different types of

compositions and different observations both
through their own work and through formal
analysis of existing artwork using Visual Thinkin

Strategies (VTS) to discover the way relationsh

between materials and symbols impact viewers
Enduring Understandings

Essential Questions

Overarching Enduring Understandings:

1) Artists use visual cues to suggest
meaning and create connections.
2) We use visual evidence present in
artworks to understand an artists
meaning.
3) Materials and techniques can be
combined so that we can create art
that reflects observation of the
world.
Unit Specific Enduring Understanding
1) Dry media is those materials that do
not require water, gel or other
liquids to be used.

1) What is artistic intention?

2) How do we show our own artistic intentio

in our original compositions?
3) How do we evaluate visual work?

4) What qualities can we use to compare an

contrast materials when choosing what to
work with?

5) How do we decide the types of marks and

material we should use in an artwork bas
on the meaning we wish to convey?

2) Each material can be used in

multiple ways to create different
textures and values.

Knowledge and Skills

Knowledge
The students will know
Artists make choices about materials and elements of art to build meaning through
relationships
Vocabulary words related to dry media including those related to mark making, the
elements of art and artist intention
Types of dry media and their properties including ways in which each material diffe
from each other.

Skills
The students will be able to
Create an artistic composition that uses visual relationships, the elements of art an
appropriate materials to convey a personal intention.

Draw compositions in dry media using measurements and sound visual observation
Create different types of marks in each type of media to suggest depth and texture
through blending and shading.