Some of the earliest records of humanity exist as markings on rocks and cave walls. Art works throughout history have recorded and interpreted events from various perspectives – cultural, economic, political, gender, and aesthetic, to name just a few. Visual depictions offer many unique viewpoints and serve as “windows” to the past.
However, visual art is not valuable only for the sake of history. Visual art experiences involve artist and viewer in a process of thinking about art, human nature, and the artist's unique way of expressing his or her understanding.
It is important for students to experience visual art both as artists and as audience. As artists, they can use the processes and materials of visual art to explore their own ideas, feelings, cultural identities, observations, and imaginations. As audience, they can see how other artists have expressed their ideas about the world and their place in the world we all share. In contemporary art (including such forms as painting, printmaking, architecture, sculpture, craft, commercial art, film, video, multimedia, and gallery installations), we see artists' reflections on the world in our own lifetimes. Through visual art, we come to see and know ourselves.
The visual art strand provides students with opportunities to:
The curriculum is organized into four required units:
The three components of the Arts Education Curriculum (creative/productive, cultural/historical, and critical/responsive) are to be integrated within these units. Making art works, solving problems, exploring the visual environment, looking at works of art, and learning about the role of artists in cultures and societies can all be undertaken within each unit.
The following describes what teachers will find in the visual art section of the curriculum guide:
There are four unit overviews per grade. Each unit overview includes suggestions for two mini-units. Both mini-units are required; however, the activities provided within the mini-units are suggestions only. The chart on the next page displays the four units, the corresponding mini-units, and the sample topics for Grades 1 to 5.
Music Unit Overviews and Sample Topics for Grades 1-5 Chart
There are eight broad foundational objectives for the Elementary Level. These objectives are to be developed throughout the Elementary Level and can be achieved through the specific learning objectives. The foundational objectives cover the scope of the visual art program and embody the three components of arts education.
The eight foundational objectives are listed below and are followed by an explanation of each objective.
The students will:
1. Understand the elements of art and develop concepts that lead to an understanding of order in the visual environment.
The elements of line, colour, texture, shape, form, and space comprise the basic language of visual art. The elements occur naturally in the environment; all human constructions incorporate the elements. From the time young children make marks with a pencil or crayon, they are using the elements of art. See Appendix A at the end of each grade level for activities related to the elements of art. See the glossary on page 232 for descriptions of the elements.
The principles of design include emphasis, balance, movement, repetition (pattern), variety, contrast, and unity. Teachers should note that different resources describe the principles of design somewhat differently. Although kindergarten to grade 5 students will not study the principles of design in depth, they should be introduced to concepts that will lead to further study in later years. Repetition (pattern), contrast, and balance are appropriate concepts to introduce at the Elementary Level.
Pattern is created through repetition of shapes, colours, lines, textures, and forms. There are formal patterns (with obvious rhythm, like the pattern on a chessboard) and informal patterns (with no obvious rhythm, like the pattern formed by pebbles on a beach).
Contrast refers to the range of difference between elements. For example, there is a lot of contrast between black and white; there is less contrast between two shades of grey. Artists and designers use contrast to emphasize or de-emphasize images, shapes, and/or textures in their work.
Balance in visual art is achieved through manipulation of “visual weight”. The simplest form of balance is symmetrical balance, where one half of a work is identical to the other. Balance can also be achieved in a less formal manner through placement and emphasis of elements and images.
It is important that teachers encourage students to identify and describe examples of pattern, contrast, and balance in the natural and constructed environments, in art works, and in their own work.
2. Begin to develop skills that help them depict people and objects accurately.
In part, the visual art program is concerned with educating the sense of sight. Although we all take in information through our senses, we do not automatically take in and process all the information that is available to us. Learning to “see” helps students become astute observers of their visual environment and contributes greatly to their ability to draw. Students' observation of visual detail contributes to their understanding of the whole.
At the Elementary Level, students should be encouraged to recognize subtle differences in the appearance of people, animals, plants, and the various objects evident in their surroundings. An understanding of proportion, perspective, point of view, and spatial relationships is crucial to a student's developing skills in image-making, both two- and three-dimensional. Appendix B at the end of each grade level suggests age-appropriate activities for developing drawing skills.
3. Begin to understand the variety of sources for visual art ideas.
This is the first of three foundational objectives related to the creative process. This objective focuses on ideas for art works; the next two focus on decision making and reflection.
This foundational objective encourages students to become aware of the fact that ideas come from many sources and that whenever they create something, there is a purpose related to their idea. Purposes will vary. At the Elementary Level, students might depict an event or people from memory, observation, or imagination. They might wish to express feelings, or experiment with art materials or concepts. At the grade 3 level, students should begin to keep a journal of visual art ideas, a practice they will continue throughout their years of studying visual art.
4. Begin to develop own ideas into visual art expressions, using the processes and materials of visual art.
An idea in visual art is simply a starting point. The idea is developed through the process of creating the work. Development of an idea involves decision making about subject matter, the elements of art, composition, materials, and tools. Development often involves experimentation.
This foundational objective is aimed at developing students' awareness of the many decisions they make, and encouraging them to think more deeply about their decisions. (For further information on creative decision making, see Guiding Students in Their Creations on page 217.)
5. Begin to think and talk about their own visual art ideas and expressions.
Reflection is essential to the creative process. Creating art works is not as simple as having an idea and then executing it. The result may not express the original idea to the student's satisfaction, and this provides an opportunity to reassess and try again. The student may have learned something that can be applied to the next work, and the original idea may lead to another idea, or a more refined one.
It is important that students learn to reflect on the meaning they communicate through each work, and whether or not that meaning truly portrays their ideas.
6. Develop understanding of the work of a variety of visual artists.
The arts are expressions of people. Sometimes the expressions are those of an individual; sometimes they are cultural in nature and express the traditions or perspectives of groups of people. An understanding of this can help students see the role of the arts in people's daily lives, throughout history and in the present.
Students can study the work of artists in a thematic context or through in-depth studies of the work of one artist. The artists studied will depend on the students' interests and the teacher's access to art works, reproductions, and other visual images.
7. Begin to talk about, interpret, and respond to works of art.
Generally speaking, people do not know how to approach works of art, especially difficult ones. Viewers tend to make quick judgements without giving a work much thought. This foundational objective encourages students to withhold their judgements, and to give themselves time to observe and interact with a work more fully before coming to any conclusions.
Whenever art works are presented to students, the teacher should guide the students through a process from Responding to Arts Expressions, included in this curriculum guide.
8. Become aware of the visual environment and visual art in the daily life of own community.
The visual environment affects people enormously. The visual art strand aims to empower students to interpret and make decisions about visual messages received daily through advertising, public messages, popular culture, and the mass media. Through study of their own visual environment, students become aware of how artists affect and are affected by the visual environment, the influence of visual information in daily life, and the many areas in which people work in the visual arts.
While there appears to be similarity in the activities in which students are involved within the representing and viewing strands of English language arts (ELA) curricula and those found within arts education curricula, the purpose and emphasis for each activity is different. For example, as an activity, students may be drawing images, viewing, and discussing art works in both subject areas. The activity appears to be the same; however, the learning objectives and the concepts that are taught within that activity are different.
In both subject areas, for example, students may be creating a visual image to convey an idea. While students might be drawing a picture in both an English language arts class and a visual art class, the objectives, the concepts, and skills learned in each class will be different. In visual art, the objectives might be for students to develop drawing skills, manipulate art materials to achieve specific effects, incorporate visual symbols for personal expression, or work in a particular artistic style from a period of art history. In ELA, the students may also be drawing a visual image, however, the objective might be to teach students how to clarify written text with a visual illustration. Other ELA objectives might include, for example, using appropriate visual aids to enhance spoken and written communication. Another ELA objective may be to choose words, sounds, and images for a particular audience, purpose, and situation. Although the students are drawing a visual image in visual art and English language arts, the learning objectives, skill development, and the concepts discussed are different.
As another example, students in both subject areas may be viewing and responding to a book illustration. The activity appears to be the same, however, in visual art the students may be studying different styles of book illustrations, learning about a specific artist, or comparing the illustrations to other styles in fine art or popular culture. In ELA, students might be viewing the illustration to determine how the image enriches the text of the story. Other ELA objectives might include determining the usefulness of visual information for particular purpose(s) using criteria, or using various visual texts to find information.
Although students may be drawing or viewing in both ELA and visual art, the concepts, understandings, and skill development will be different for each area of study. Each subject area will use distinct strategies or processes to achieve its specific objectives. For example, the LAPS (listen, ask, picture, summarize) strategy in ELA is intended to support achievement of specific listening objectives. The learning objectives and, therefore, the criteria for assessment would also be different. In visual art, the visual composition or drawing skills may be the focus of assessment, and in ELA the appropriateness of the visual aids that the students selected for a specific audience may be the focus of assessment. It is essential, therefore, that teachers select appropriate learning objectives from each area of study when planning such activities.
K-5 Developmental Continuum Chart
The following guidelines are general instructions to the teacher for visual art instruction throughout the year.
1. Use visual images throughout the year to illustrate concepts and to help students understand the visual environment.
These images should include art works or reproductions of art works, visual images from the community (e.g., signs, billboards, buildings, designed objects), and images from the media (e.g., advertisements, videos, films, and book illustrations). All Saskatchewan schools have been provided with a copy of Saskatchewan Art Works , which includes text and slides. In addition, several good reproduction kits are listed in the Arts Education: A Bibliography for the Elementary Level (2003).
To make the best use of these images, the teacher will:
2. Introduce the students to a variety of materials.
The exact materials used depend on what is available in the school, but it is important to provide experiences with as many media as possible during the elementary years. As creating is a decision-making process, it is important that students are eventually able to make decisions about which materials will best solve the particular problem they have set for themselves. Be sure that materials are both two- and three-dimensional.
Some of the materials and media that are appropriate for Elementary Level students are:
3. Establish practices in the classroom to encourage ongoing, spontaneous image making.
Perhaps one of the best ways of doing this is to provide a supply of scrap paper that students can use independently. Beginning in Grade 3, encourage students to keep a visual art journal. They can draw in their journal, or perhaps glue in images from magazines. They can ask questions in their journal using visual images. They can draw their dreams, events that have meaning to them, people, or made-up stories. The idea is to get students used to expressing themselves in and responding to visual language. When teaching other subject areas, give students the option of using visual language rather than written language to record personal thoughts.
By the time students are in Grade 4 or 5, many of them want to draw realistically. Students often try to draw realistically from memory, and then become frustrated with the results. Point out to them that artists who draw very realistically use models, photographs, and often real objects. They do “studies” to learn to draw something they will need in an art work. Encourage students to do the same. If, for example, a student is trying to draw a horse, encourage the students to study pictures of horses; do “studies” of the head, the legs, and the body. Encourage the student to use observation rather than memory if they want to draw realistically.
Appendix B at the end of each grade level contains ideas for helping students learn to draw.
4. Guide the students in their art making.
The process of creating is often misunderstood. Teachers are afraid to guide the students too much in case they stifle creativity. However, the creative process is really a problem-solving process, and teachers should guide students through their creative problem solving. In many cases, this is simply a matter of asking the individual student thought provoking questions, and encouraging him or her to consider various solutions to problems encountered during visual art experiences.
This curriculum provides a model for guiding students through creative problem solving.
5. Provide time for individual reflection and group discussion about the students' visual art expressions and the processes they used when creating them.
Reflection is essential in order for students to see the relevance of arts activities and to develop a personal commitment to their arts explorations. Reflection time can be used in a variety of ways:
6. Explore the elements of visual art within meaningful contexts.
It is essential for students to learn the language of visual art; however, this language has little relevance to students if it is taught in isolation rather than within a meaningful context.
Appendix A at the end of the each grade level provides introductory activities for the elements of art. Teachers are encouraged to turn to Appendix A whenever they see the opportunity for students to learn about the elements within a unit of study.
Not all students have the same knowledge of the elements. Refer to Appendix A at various grade levels if the necessity arises.
7. Have each student keep a portfolio of his or her work.
The portfolio is a way of establishing with students that their work in visual art is valuable; that they can be discerning in their decision making about what to keep and what to discard; and that they are progressing in their learning about art.
It is important that the maintenance of a portfolio be connected to various aspects of the creative process (i.e., exploration of ideas, decision making about methods and materials, and reflection). Students need not keep only their finished projects. They can also keep their experiments and the evidence of their exploration of ideas (e.g., sketches, webs, or notes and comments).
The teacher can use the portfolio as an assessment tool. For example, the student might be asked to select three pieces from his or her portfolio: one idea, one piece that was not so successful, and one piece with which he or she is satisfied. The selections can then be discussed in a conference with the teacher. The portfolio can also be discussed in three-way meetings with student, parent(s)/caregiver, and teacher.
The focus in this curriculum is on the development and expression of ideas, rather than on “one shot” activities that emphasize only the final product. Visual art, including the student's art work, has meaning beyond the final product. The process of creating is the means by which students explore and learn. Art making, therefore, must be seen as a creative problem-solving process.
There may be times when a teacher wants the students to practise a skill or technique (e.g., cleaning a brush or using a printmaking roller), but meaningful art projects are far more than opportunities to practise skills and techniques. Whenever students use techniques, express ideas, or solve design problems, they need to engage in creative problem solving.
It is important that the teacher guide students through the steps below, keeping in mind that they do not exclude strategies such as brainstorming, research, journal writing, or watching videos at any point in the process. It must also be noted that the process of creating is an organic one that takes shape as it progresses. The steps described below are spiralling rather than linear and do not necessarily occur in order. Encourage students to work at their own pace and to make as many of their own decisions as possible throughout the process.
Guide individual students through the following steps:
1. Define the problem to be solved.
Have the student state what he or she is trying to do, or articulate the idea to be developed; for example, “I want to do a picture of my dog.” Remember, even though all students are working in the same unit, these are usually individual problems. Each student or each group of students defines the problem in a unique way.
2. Make a plan.
The student might say, “I need a piece of paper and brown and white paint and a brush.”
3. Begin working.
4. Stop and reflect on how the plan is working .
Upon reflection, the student might decide, “The white and brown paint are running together. The dog's legs won't fit on the page. It doesn't look like my dog.”
5. Propose solutions through guided discussions.
The student might propose solutions such as the following:
6. Go back to the original intention.
The teacher can ask, “Do you want to change your intention, or do you want to stick with your original idea?” Both are valid. The student may or may not reply by saying, “I still want to do a picture of my dog.”
7. Make a decision about which proposed solutions are most appropriate for the situation.
There are many solutions to the problem; a student might decide, for example:
8. Try the solutions.
9. Repeat steps four to seven if necessary.
Through teacher and student interaction during the process, the student learns that:
The teacher's role is to:
