Visual Art 10, 20, 30 Curriculum Requirements

This guide was written to support teachers in planning and teaching Visual Art 10, 20 and 30 courses. Teachers are required to plan courses at each grade level that will facilitate student achievement of the foundational objectives. In so doing, all Visual Art 10, 20, 30 courses offered across the province will share important commonalities that will ensure recognition of the credits gained by completion of the courses and will provide consistency for students who transfer from one school to another. The foundational objectives established for Visual Art 10, 20, 30 courses are the culmination of a continuum of learning that began in the visual art strand of Elementary Level Arts Education curricula.

The Curriculum Structure

Foundational Objectives

Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives Inventory Part 1

Learning Objectives Inventory Part 2

Learning Objectives Inventory Part 3

The Curriculum Structure

This curriculum is structured in modules to encourage teachers to plan their arts programs in a series of connected lessons. This practice ensures a larger context for each lesson and enables students and teachers to build upon their previous ideas, knowledge and experience. It also provides opportunities for students to make meaningful connections between arts activities, other curricula and their daily lives.

Teachers should familiarize themselves with the foundational objectives and the module overview charts. These outline the required content for the year. Planning involves designing appropriate activities to meet these objectives.

The "Suggested Activities" are included in the modules to suggest ways of achieving the foundational objectives. Within each module in the curriculum, there are many more suggested activities than can be completed in the allotted time. Remember that the activities are suggestions only and are provided as examples for teachers to use when planning their modules of instruction.

Credits

Credit for Visual Art 10, 20, 30 courses is based on a minimum of 100 hours of instruction per course. One credit is granted for each of Visual Art 10, 20 and 30. Students may earn credits in visual art to fulfil graduation requirements in Arts Education or to use as elective credits.

Combined Grade Classes

While single grade classes are recommended for Visual Art 10, 20 and 30, it may be necessary in some circumstances to combine two or three grade levels in one class. Combined grade classes provide opportunities for the senior students in the group to function in leadership roles. Within the processes of creating art works they may act as resource people and give aid and inspiration to younger students. In discussions and debates they may offer insights and opinions which will extend other students' perceptions. As well, these students may wish to extend their visual art experience through guided independent research projects in the media and topics of their choice.

Visual Art 10, 20, 30 Curriculum Overview Chart

Students in Visual Art 10, 20, 30 will complete the three required modules and two optional modules from those listed for each grade. Each module will contain 20 hours of instruction.

Visual Art 10		Visual Art 20		Visual Art 30
Visual Art and Ways of Thinking		Ideas and Inspiration		Change
International Visual Art		Popular Culture and Mass Media		Visual Art in Canada
Local and Regional Culture		Cultural Communities of Canada		Global Cultural Explorations

Visual Art 10		Visual Art 20		Visual Art 30
Work, Class and Power		Spiritual Images and Visual Art		Social Issues and Visual Art
Technology and Visual Art		Good Design is Good Business		Film and Video Studies
Functional Objects		Sculptural Form		Innovations in Visual Art
Interpersonal Themes		Differing Perspectives		Personal Identity and Independent Study

Foundational Objectives

The foundational objectives describe the required content of Visual Art 10, 20 and 30. They describe the knowledge, abilities and attitudes that students will acquire as they progress through the program. The foundational objectives outline the critical learnings to be achieved; therefore, they must be used to guide instructional planning on all levels (yearly, module, lesson) and form the basis for program and student evaluation. The section on "Learning Objectives", which follows immediately, describes more specific detailed objectives for each foundational objective.

Although each foundational objective focuses on one of the three components of Arts Education, this curriculum encourages integration of the components within the modules.

Following are the foundational objectives for Visual Art 10, 20 and 30.

The students will:

1. Analyze forms of art from a variety of cultures and societies, historical and contemporary; interpret meanings within appropriate contexts; and relate their understanding to their own expressions and life experiences.
   (Focus: Cultural/Historical Component)

   Visual art has always been a reflection of human activity. Art gives insights into the individuals, cultures and societies that produce it. To achieve this foundational objective, students will research, discuss and share information about the visual art (past and present) in their regional, national and global communities. They will determine the historical, social and environmental factors that may have influenced the production of art works and interpret their own understanding of the works. Students will begin to see the common threads that exist in the art works of all people and identify how specific societies have used visual art in a unique way to express or challenge ideas, traditions and beliefs. Students will compare traditional and contemporary art works from a variety of places and cultures, to understand how ideas, values or beliefs develop and change over time. They will make connections among literal meanings, design and expressive qualities displayed in the works, and the time and place in which they were produced. Based on research, discussion and analysis students will determine whether works are successful and important and will be able to apply this understanding to their own visual art expressions.

   In the students' study of visual art works, they should be able to describe styles, techniques, themes, media, subjects and motifs which have become the trademarks of groups of artists, historical periods and cultures. Through research and discussions, students will discover how artistic trends develop in relation to the events of the times, audience, function, role of the artist in society, geographic location, available resources, etc. Students will discover how artists', critics' and societies' views about art have changed over time and will continue to change. They will examine the concerns of artists, including fine artists, traditional artists, craftspeople and commercial artists. In their attempts to make distinctions between artists or various forms of art, students will understand that attempts to classify are often arbitrary.

   Students in secondary visual art classes will develop an understanding and knowledge of visual art of their own cultures and societies. They will begin to understand mandates of art institutions and how they function. They will analyze how their lives and societies as a whole are affected by artists and their work and become cognizant of the influences of the media and the world around them. They will become aware of the visual expressions and materials they experience in their daily lives, and understand and interpret significant visual messages which may influence their thinking and actions.

   View the Learning Objectives Inventory Part 1

2. Use analytical and critical thought to respond to art works and infer meanings based on the many contexts of visual art and global issues. (Focus: Critical/Responsive Component)

   Students have been looking at art works in their Arts Education classes from grades one to grade nine. By the time they elect to specialize in visual art, they should be able to demonstrate a contemplative attitude toward works of art. They should demonstrate flexibility in thinking and the ability to suspend judgement while they describe, analyze, interpret and further investigate in the visual arts. Students should be willing to support their opinions as they interpret images, ideas, symbols and moods in visual art images, and should use research in order to understand the contexts in which the works were created. Senior level students should advance their understanding by reading critical analyzes of art works and by writing their own interpretations. The "Viewing Art Works" section in this curriculum provides guidance for analysis, discussion and more insightful viewing of art works.

   Students should be able to defend design characteristics, qualities of expression, and their own personal and cultural perspectives. When students have difficulty understanding a particular type of art, they should be encouraged to undertake research in order to place the work in a cultural context, analyze the artist's intentions, and understand their own reaction to the work. They should be open to ideas, respect informed opinions that differ from their own, and make connections between the art produced and the thoughts and behaviours that may have inspired it. The more experience students have with various art forms, the more they will be able to appreciate some of the more difficult concepts involved.

   Students studying visual art should be aware that art is everywhere around them. They should be encouraged to observe the art works in their homes and communities. Teachers should bring works of art (originals, slides or reproductions) into the classroom or arrange links with galleries, museums or other teaching establishments. Every effort should be made for students to have first-hand experiences with a variety of art works. The works chosen for study should include a broad range of styles and art forms, time periods, cultures and countries.

   View the Learning Objectives Inventory Part 2

3. Initiate and develop ideas for art-making, transpose these ideas into art forms using a variety of media, and reflect upon their processes and their completed works within the contexts of visual art.
   (Focus: Creative/Productive Component)

   This objective is concerned with the actual process of making art works. Within a creative problem-solving process, students will be encouraged to brainstorm, refine, research, observe, identify focus, explore, experiment, solve problems, plan, create, reflect, pose alternative suggestions, adapt, revise the plan and, if necessary, start again (see "Transforming Ideas Into Visual Form" found in the Planning Guide of this document). Lessons should be designed to allow the students flexibility in their approaches to visual problem solving and to encourage them to consider many points of view when attempting to develop a concept.

   This objective is divided into three areas:

   • Getting Started: Ideas
   • Developing Ideas Into Visual Art Works
   • Personal Reflection Upon Process and Product

   In a sense, it is artificial to divide the creative process into these sections. Teachers should see these divisions as part of a continuum and understand that there is cross-over among them.

   • Getting Started: Ideas

   Visual artists get ideas from many sources. They might draw upon their personal experiences and feelings, the environment, their own writing, observation, their imagination, memories, current affairs, mass media, research, the other arts, or any combination of the above. Just as importantly, ideas for their works might merge from the elements of art and the principles of design, or their art materials and the processes used in creating the work. Many artists use journals to collect and incubate ideas that could inspire the development of future works. See the "Instructional Guidelines" section of this document for information on journals.

   • Developing Ideas into Visual Art Works

   This stage of the process focuses on the interaction of meaning (ideas) and media (art materials). To this end, students will be manipulating and experimenting with a variety of media, objects and concepts to express personal ideas through visual images. They should cover a wide variety of subject matter, topics, themes, etc. and should be exposed to artists' works which deal with current events, global problems, ethical or controversial issues, etc. Students should begin to make connections between the works they are making and other areas of study, for example, social studies, science, etc.

   The production of art works should challenge the student to solve problems, make choices and take risks. Students should begin to develop confidence in the use of different aspects of the creative process when developing works of art -- exploring an idea or topic, brainstorming, identifying focus, thinking divergently, adapting, reflecting, extending, refining, etc. Students should begin to work for a variety of purposes (to clarify or extend thinking, to express understanding, to express oneself, to create, etc.).

   Students should explore ways that they and other artists are able to manipulate visual elements and images to achieve a desired effect or result, whether the goal is to sell a product, create an environment, or express an idea or experience. Students should understand how artists use symbol and metaphor to communicate meaning, as well as other techniques related to the elements and the principles of art. As students are continually barraged with visual images in the mass media, the everyday environment and the art works they are seeing and studying, they need to be able to read the messages that are being sent on many levels.

   Students should develop a variety of skills and techniques and should study the processes, styles and techniques used by artists, past and present. They should explore modern technology and media in the creation of art works in order to learn to adapt to the future and change. The visual arts studied should include graphic, fine, functional, popular and traditional arts. Media and techniques studied should include varied forms of art, such as architecture, animation, ceramics, fashion design, film and video, graphic design, industrial design, installation, interior design, illustration, painting, photography, performance art, print-making, sculpture, textiles, etc.

   Students should understand health and safety rules and procedures in the art classroom. Whenever students are handling potentially dangerous media and materials, they must be aware of dangers and precautions. In general, hazardous media and materials should be removed from the high school visual art classroom.

   • Personal Reflection Upon the Process and Product

   Personal reflection is an on-going process and should not be thought of as strictly a summative activity. While students are working, they will be reflecting on what they are doing and questioning the direction in which they will proceed following each new addition or deletion. They will be applying new information to their works and reflecting on the works they have seen in the past. This process is continuous and essential to the students' development and their ability to communicate clearly their intentions.

   During reflection activities, students will demonstrate the connections they have made between their environment, cultural backgrounds and their own work, both in the form and content of the work itself and also in oral and written comments. They will demonstrate their understanding of the role of visual art in various cultures by their critical analysis of visual art works and their ability to share with their classmates their knowledge of the various forms and styles that visual expressions may take.

View the Learning Objectives Inventory Part 3

Learning Objectives

The learning objectives presented on the following pages define the desired outcomes of learning experiences and outline the steps involved in achieving the broader foundational objectives. Individual teachers will need to incorporate additional learning objectives appropriate to the media, techniques and resources they select for their programs.

The learning objectives for Visual Art 10, 20, 30 are presented as one pool of objectives rather than by specific grade. This allows teachers to select appropriate objectives at any given time during the three years and incorporate them into meaningful contexts. The teacher should remember that some learning objectives will be addressed many times during the three years within differing contexts and to greater degrees of sophistication. An inventory or catalogue of learning objectives should be kept by each teacher in order to monitor which objectives have been addressed in a particular year. If there is more than one art teacher in a school, teachers can share these inventories in order to know what is being addressed in each teacher's class.

Back to the corresponding Foundational Objectives

Click here to print Learning Objective Inventory Part 1

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Learning Objectives Inventory Part 1

Back to the corresponding Foundational Objectives

Click here to print Learning Objective Inventory Part 2

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Learning Objectives Inventory Part 2

Back to the corresponding Foundational Objectives

Click here to print Learning Objective Inventory Part 3

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Learning Objectives Inventory Part 3