The visual art section of the curriculum encourages teachers to plan their art programs in units – that is, in a series of connected lessons. For many elementary teachers, this is a change from past classroom practice in arts education.
The curriculum outlines four required units. Each unit is presented in two mini-units which are simply shorter units. The mini-unit topics have been designed so that during the elementary years students experience a varied range of contexts for their learning in visual art.
The time allotment for visual art is 50 minutes per week. It follows, then, that roughly three to five weeks could be spent on each mini-unit. However, it is not required that the two mini-units be given equal time.
The activities provided for each mini-unit are intended to be a starter list only. As teachers become more experienced in using the guide, they will certainly want to add other activities or adapt the ones provided for different topics. The activities are listed in three categories: introductory, main, and concluding activities. These three categories have the following purposes:
Introductory Activities
Main Activities
Concluding Activities
Refer to the sample planning form for a visual art lesson. Remember that lessons can include research, discussion, or reflection as visual art experiences. Students need not, indeed should not, be expected to complete a visual art product in every art period.
The following are steps to consider when planning visual art units.
Step One
Familiarize yourself with the information provided for your grade. Become familiar with the scope of learning objectives. Study the four unit overviews. Become familiar with the units and mini-units. Read the sample unit for your grade. This provides a model for unit planning. Read the sample units for other grades to get a sense of how other units and themes or topics are addressed.
Step Two
Select a unit. Most teachers begin with Unit 1: Learning to See; however, the units may be taught in any order. Choose a mini-unit theme and topic. You may use the topic suggested in the guide, or select one of more relevance to your students and community.
Teacher Note:
You may wish to begin by using the sample unit for your grade. The sample unit includes detailed
lesson plans and can be found on the CD-ROM and Saskatchewan Learning website.
Step Three
Outline a sequence of lessons. At this point, be brief – a sentence or two describing each lesson. Refer to the Starter Lists of Activities in the guide, or develop your own activities. Lessons are probably 25-minute lessons (two per week) or 50-minute lessons (one per week), although teachers could plan for any combination totalling 50 minutes per week.
Step Four
Plan the lessons in detail. You may wish to use the sample planning form. The following are important aspects of lesson planning:
• Select appropriate learning objectives for each lesson. A checklist is provided at the beginning of each grade. Remember that some learning objectives may need to be taught only once during the year, while others may need to be taught and/or reinforced several times, depending on the students' progress and the nature of the objective. For example, in Grade 1, “understand size comparisons” may be the focus of only one or two lessons, while “view art works with curiosity” may be the focus of several lessons. Some learning objectives will, in all likelihood, be selected for all four units. Be sure to include Common Essential Learnings objectives. A checklist is provided.
• Select resources to which you have access and that apply to the theme of your mini-unit. Check the Saskatchewan Art Works kit, which was provided to each school, for any reproductions that may fit in your mini-unit.
• Determine the means of assessing achievement of the objectives. Remember to plan for ongoing assessment rather than for assessment only at the end of a mini-unit. Sample assessment forms are included in this curriculum guide.
• Outline procedures for each lesson in the mini-unit. Be as detailed as you feel you need to be.
Step Five
Refer to the Sample Checklist for Planning a Visual Art Mini-unit. This checklist is a means of ensuring that Core Curriculum Components and Initiatives are included in every unit. It also acts as a reminder of the importance of including a variety of teaching strategies in visual art.