CLASS: Intro to Visual Arts GRADE/LEVEL: 9th or 10th Grade High School Curriculum Units

TIMELINE: 9-month course STANDARDS SOURCE: National Core Art Anchor Standards

Unit 1: Graffiti-Inspired Design

Standards: Creating: Students will generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. Art History & Contemporary Art Connections:
Students will organize and develop artistic ideas and work. • History of graffiti • Shepard Fairey
Connecting: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art. • Banksy • Swoon

Materials: Vocabulary: Scaffolding Assignments: Summative Assessment:

• Paper • Elements of Art Dry-erase board lettering experiments Code Name Design
• Pencils • Principles of Students will practice different kinds of graffiti lettering and font styles on dry-erase Students will invent and design
• Colored Design boards. The low-pressure materials allow for lots of practice and encourage student a name that represents some
Pencils • Abstract experimentation. aspect of their identity. Along
• Markers • Color Schemes with the design of that name,
• Composition Graffiti Alphabet
students should implement a
• Focal Point Students will design each letter using a different technique or artistic concept being
symbolic image and a visual
• Perspective studied (warm/cool/neutral colors, complementary colors, one-point perspective,
metaphor to reflect who they
• Gradation overlapping, and gradation).
are. The artist statement that
• Symbolism One Word and One Image Design follows engages students to
• Metaphor Students will choose one word that reflects some aspect of identity. They design that explain the meaning behind
word and combine it with a drawn and colored image, using artistic conventions studied. their name and artistic choices.

Unit 2: Acrylic Painting

Standards: Creating: Students will generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. Art History & Contemporary Art Connections:
Students will organize and develop artistic ideas and work. • Paul Cézanne • Georgia O’Keeffe
Presenting: Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work. • Frida Kahlo • Janet Fish

Materials: Vocabulary: Scaffolding Assignments: Summative Assessment:

• Acrylic Paint • Elements of Art Value Scales Using white on one side and a formula of 4 parts blue, 2 parts red, and one part Painting with a Purpose
• Brushes • Principles of yellow to make the darkest value on the other, students must paint a value scale. Students will create a painting
• Cups for Design Analogous Color Value Scales After choosing three analogous colors, students create value on a piece of cardboard that
Water • Abstract scales of between 5 and 9 values for each color in their analogous scheme. expresses some sort of message.
• Palette • Color Schemes The message can be of any
Painting an Orange Students draw and paint an orange noticing the light and shadow and
building upon their value scale lessons. Photocopies work best for reference materials so kind, such as personal, serious,
Knives • Composition
students can use them from class to class. humorous, or political. Students
• Palettes • Focal Point
are required to implement a
• Rags • Perspective Painting an Orange II This assignment is the same as the previous except students are
painted frame of some kind into
• Paper • Gradation asked to paint the background first and move into the foreground last.
their piece, as well as symbolic
• Cardboard • Symbolism Painting an Apple Students draw an apple and paint it in, including the background. imagery. Words are optional.
or Other • Metaphor Photocopies work best for reference materials so students can use them from class to class. Students must also apply at least
Painting • Pigment Painting a Flower Students draw and paint a flower. Photocopies work best for reference three artistic conventions studied
Surface • Wash materials so students can use them from class to class. over the year.

Curriculum designed by Matt Christenson

www.theartofed.com
 High School Curriculum Units (continued)

Unit 3: Create a Cartoon Character

Standards: Creating: Students will generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. Art History & Contemporary Art Connections:
Students will organize and develop artistic ideas and work. • Hergé • Jackie Ormes
Connecting: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to • Charlie M. Schulz • Cathy Guisewite
deepen understanding. • Walt Disney

Materials: Vocabulary: Scaffolding Assignments: Summative Assessment:

• Acrylic Paint • Elements of Art Cartoon Character Mash-Up Create a Character
(and supplies) • Principles of Using a cartoon characteristic face guide, students practice drawing various characters Students will create a new
• Markers Design using different styles of facial features. cartoon character. The
• Colored • Contour character can be based off
Pencils • Gesture existing characters, but must
• Paper • Scale be altered significantly to be
• Placement an original creation. Students
• Animation must use paint for at least half
• Tonal Range of the piece and can choose
to use colored pencils and
markers for the other half.

Unit 4: Portraiture
Standards: Creating: Students will generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. Art History & Contemporary Art Connections:
Students will organize and develop artistic ideas and work. • France Bacon • Gustave Courbet
Connecting: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to • Vincent Van Gogh • Egon Schiele
deepen understanding. • Louise Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun

Materials: Vocabulary: Scaffolding Assignments: Summative Assessment:

• Acrylic Paint • Elements of Art Face Drawing Challenge Portrait Piece
(and supplies) • Principles of Students will choose between drawing lessons from instructor or practice drawing various Students draw and paint
• Markers Design photocopies of faces on their own during class. a portrait of their choice.
• Colored • Contour Students must paint at least
Pencils • Gesture half of the composition with
• Paper • Scale the option to use colored
• Placement pencils or markers if needed.
• Tonal Range Application of two or more
• Profile artistic conventions studied is
• 3/4 View also required.
• Highlights/
Shadow
• Foreshortening

Curriculum designed by Matt Christenson

www.theartofed.com
 High School Curriculum Units (continued)

Unit 5: Sculpture-Paper Mache

Standards: Creating: Students will generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. Art History & Contemporary Art Connections:
Students will organize and develop artistic ideas and work. • Henry Moore • Niki de Saint Phalle
Responding: Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work. • Alberto Giacometti

Materials: Vocabulary: Scaffolding Assignments: Summative Assessment:

• Small Paper • Elements of Art Previous course assignments will build knowledge and techniques for Paper Mache Mask
Plates • Principles of successful completion of this unit. Students engage in the process of three-
• Tin Foil Design dimensional work through a mask. Facial
• Hot Glue • Armature features are created using tinfoil including
Guns/Sticks • Relief eyebrow ridges, a nose, and lips. Using
• Newspaper • Mood hot glue, students apply the features to
• Flour/Water • Depth their plates. Papier-mâché is then used to
• Painting • Modeling cover the facial forms and create a mask.
Supplies • Assemble Students draw and paint the face however
• Carve they like incorporating artistic conventions
• Cast studied throughout the year.

Unit 6: Independent Final Project

Standards: Creating: Students will generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Refine and complete artistic work.
Performing: Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.
Responding: Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.

Materials: Vocabulary: Scaffolding Assignments: Summative Assessment:

• Acrylic Paint • Elements of Art Previous course assignments will build knowledge and techniques for Independent Final Art Piece
(and supplies) • Principles of successful completion of this unit. Students will submit a proposal sketch
• Markers Design to get approved by instructor, and then
• Colored • Meaning generate their best piece of art. There
Pencils • Mood are three requirements to this project:
• Pastels • Statement 20 or more hours of work, completion
• Various Base • Context of at least one art piece, and a final
Materials: • Perceive/ presentation to the class. Students can
Paper, Analyze choose to work individually or in groups
cardboard,
of 2 or 3, and the media they use is their
canvas board,
own choice.
wood, plaster

Curriculum designed by Matt Christenson

www.theartofed.com