• 7th Grade Art 

    An art survey course that allows for exploration of materials and technique across a variety of artistic media that builds upon the work from 6th Grade Art, garners experience, and helps to inform choices beyond this course.

    Unit 1: Exploring and Applying Media

    In this unit, students will explore drawing techniques, composition, and a variety of drawing-based media that will help them better understand and integrate past skills with new technical knowledge.

    Visual Art Practices in Unit 1: 

    Developing a respect for tools and materials:

    In developing an understanding of the classroom environment and rules and through better understanding technique and process, students learn to better respect and care for the tools and materials allowing them to better work collaboratively, take risks, and assess their process of working. Care for tools and materials transfers to care for student work and craftsmanship.

    Developing Craftsmanship:

    In developing an understanding for material and tools and working over time, students will be able to better develop craftsmanship in their work and working habits. Through working to critique their work, the work of others, and that of master artists, students will better understand what well crafted objects look like. Self reflective exercises and student-teacher conferences will help this skill to develop throughout the course.

    Utilizing Choice

    Students will have choice in many aspects of the projects of this unit and beyond. While choice opens doorways in the artistic process it can sometimes be paralyzing. This unit is designed to allow for prescribed choices to help students better attune to their own artistic inclinations and aesthetic so that in future projects and units, more freedom can be given. This will prepare students for more open ended work and the possibility for more risk taking.

    Understanding and critiquing artists work:

    Using art history as an inroad into lessons, students will work to better understand and critique the work of other artists, which will act not only as a way to give inspiration and help students to better understand the projects at hand and open the doorway to inspiration.

    Unit 2: Exploring and Applying Media

    In this unit, students will explore color theory, mixed media techniques, and craft artistic choices of their own based on sketches and rough drafts.

    Visual Art Practices in Unit 2: 

    Experimenting with materials:

    Experimenting with materials and tools is an important step in the process of making art. Through working and practicing with media, more skill can be built and therefore more confidence when it comes to working with materials, some new and some tried and true.

    Mixing media to create artwork:

    The creation of mixed media or multimedia artworks allows for a greater range of expression and visual complexity. A mixed media artwork will allow students to incorporate texture and balance into their work and give them an opportunity to more succinctly plan and justify their motives. 

    Understanding Composition:

    Composition and compositional tools help to make a work of art more dynamic for the viewer. Balance, emphasis, pattern, and movement are all helpful principles of design that can help make the composition of artworks more interesting. A better understanding of these principles can help to develop successful, eye-catching artworks. 

    Utilizing visual resources and artistic license:

    Utilizing reference and visual resources is a part of being an artist, however not directly copying from imagery that isn’t yours or “free use” is problematic. Finding reference is important as an artist but working to change or alter it in a way that is yours, utilizing your artistic license, is an important ethical skill to develop.

    Developing critique methodologies:

    Students will begin to utilize critique methodologies for the work of master artists which will help them to better understand critique as it relates to their work and the work of their peers.  Self reflection exercises, teacher conference check ins, and peer to peer and class discussion will develop this skill.

    Unit 3: Craft Arts and Craftsmanship

    In this unit, students will work within craft arts and work to develop a better sense of craftsmanship, precision, and time management through their working methodologies.

    Visual Art Practices in Unit 3: 

    Exploring new materials and mediums:

    Exploration of new tools and mediums that may not be commonplace, or commonplace in the student’s art practice helps to expand horizons when it comes to making. While tools and mediums might differ, artistic practice and the elements and principles of art remain the same, allowing for a level of comfort as new working methodologies take hold. 

    Honing Craftsmanship:

    Students will continue to work to develop their craftsmanship as they work throughout the course. Through experiments, small practice projects and larger projects, students will gain an appreciation of craftsmanship throughout a variety of artistic mediums as their projects advance and change. 

    Working with precision:

    Overtime, artists' ability to work more precisely and with a more detail oriented eye can be developed to allow for finer, more intricate works of art. In exploring the craft arts mediums, students will find that there is a greater opportunity to hone their skill and work with more precision through a variety of projects and exploratory assignments.

    Justify Artistic Choices:

    While students have worked to craft objects and justify choices prior to this unit, here, students will need to not only justify but also defend the choices they have made as they work to craft their artworks and in their artist statements, reflections, and critiques.

    Unit 4: Exploring Dimension

    In this unit, students will work to move into three-dimensional exploration with projects that are more sculptural.

    Visual Art Practices in Unit 4: 

    Building with dimension

    While dimension can be created on two dimensional surfaces through shading and value, working dimensionally by physically building with material is another journey. Utilizing the additive process, students will explore how to build form through a variety of techniques and mediums that will require experimentation and attention to detail. 

    Transferring Information from two- to three-dimensions:

    Students will work to combine the skills that they have learned while learning to work with sculptural materials and while working to craft more dimensional creations based off of reference and taken from life. Students will work to transfer information from two- to three- dimensions, crafting artwork that will require an attention to detail and an experimentation to mimic and portray dimension accurately. 

    Synthesizing process start to finish

    As a culminating unit, students will work to synthesize and actualize their project on multiple fronts. From initial sketches and questions, to building, to check in mid-process, to artist statements and final reflections, students will utilize their robust experience to both cerebrally and creatively express themselves.