21st Century Skills for the Arts
The 21st century skills integration with visual arts curriculum illustrates how the
arts promote work habits that cultivate curiosity, imagination, and creativity
and evaluation skills necessary for developing lifelong learning. Students who
possess these skills are better able to manage ambiguity, explore new realms of
possibility, express their own thoughts and feelings and understanding the
perspectives of others. Furthermore, these examples developed by the Dublin
City Schools visual arts teachers suggest ways that the arts can help promote
globally aware, collaborative and responsible citizens. While each discipline has
its own unique set of knowledge, skills, and processes, the arts share common
characteristics that make arts education powerful preparation for success in
college, career, and a fulfilling life.
1. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving• Students will use various types of reasoning to think and reflect critically and solve
problems in both conventional and innovative ways.
o 4th Grade: • Design open-­‐ended artworks, students problem solve through the process
o 8th Grade: Students will interpret big ideas that address identified issues and propose possible solutions and use technology to create an artwork. An example might be to create a thought-­‐provoking sculpture that is the focus of school-­‐wide discussion.
o 12th Grade: Students engage in peer critiques using the computer and address
what criteria will be for the focus of the critique. (Design and composition,
meaning, how well they interpreted the theme/Big Idea, etc.)
Students develop questions about the project to share with the creator of the
piece of art (peer). The questions could be decided upon prior to the
collaboration. Students will talk in pairs and then in a class discussion.
2. Communication
• Students will communicate in a variety of contexts through a variety of artistic media,
including technologies, to convey their own ideas and to interpret the ideas of others.
o 4th Grade: Giving students choice in the art studio, letting them find their voice through their art. Using technology to share their work through a blog, digital portfolio, etc.
o 8th Grade: Students will examine how artists use the arts to communicate particular ideas, themes, or concepts (such as, relationships, over coming obstacles, optimism vs. pessimism) and to evoke particular emotions or feelings (joy, sadness, tension, relaxation) in the viewer. An example might be to analyze and critically compare selected works of art from Art History or from Visual Culture.
o 12th Grade: •Students will do research on an artist’s style using available
technology. They will journal about their ideas of how to describe what the
artist’s style “looks like”. They will communicate their understanding by creating
apiece that is related to the style. Students will post their work on the web with
and artist statement. Students use available technology and research an artist
whose work embodies a social issue. Students will journal about their
interpretation of the artist’s Big Idea. Students will create a piece of work that
interprets the same theme but in their own voice/style.
3. Collaboration• Students will work together effectively to share and accept responsibility,
compromise respectfully to reconcile diverse ideas, and accomplish a common goal.
o 4th Grade: Providing opportunities for the students to work together. Sharing artwork with teachers and peers and parent. Working together across curriculum. Working with community o 8th Grade: Students will work collaboratively in both large and small groups. They will complete self and peer assessments that include evaluations of the quality of their teamwork. An example might be working in small teams to produce Andy Goldsworthy inspired ceramic pieces that are placed in the environment or working as a class to produce a painted mural based upon an idea arrived at by the whole class. o 12th Grade: Students will work together on a piece of art in groups. Students will
divide up the process of creation by determining how and who will research,
plan and create what part of the overall project. Students will work together
and hang an art show together. They will decide on what is grouped together. It
could be a mock exhibit with art reproductions or student work. The instructor
could introduce the career of curator to students and have a guest curator
evaluate their “show” and make suggestions. Thus making it collaboration with
the community as well.
4. Creativity
• Students will draw on a variety of sources to generate, evaluate, and select creative
ideas to turn into personally meaningful products.
o 4th Grade: Exposing students to a variety of theme, media, culture, etc. o 8th Grade: Students will work through the creative process (identify a topic, research, explore options, select and develop ideas, get feedback, revise, refine, produce) and create an original work of art. Seeking opinions and being open to new ideas will aid in the creative process. The choice of ideas, materials, tools, or methods may also aid in how they approach creating a personally inspired work of art. An example might be after working through the creative process, choosing a method for hand-­‐building an object in clay that best demonstrates originality and inventiveness. o 12th Grade: Students create an original piece of art after brainstorming ideas.
They will engage in a class critique in a round robin or musical chairs style
fashion. Students will write about each students work and eventually will arrive
back at their work. Students can see if their work is truly creative or if there are
many versions that are similar to theirs.
5. Innovation
• Students will investigate new processes, implement creative ideas, and revisit traditional
ideas to create new and reinterpret existing works of visual and performing arts.
o
4th Grade: A culmination of the above skills working together to engage thinking skills and practices
o
8th
Grade: Students will work independently and in small groups to develop, implement and communicate new ideas or to utilize old ideas seen in a new way. An example might be changing a traditional painting into a contemporary artwork; such as, creating a personal version of a “Starry Night” or a modern day “Mona Lisa”.
o 12th Grade: Students select a 2D piece of art and work in a small group to crate
a 3D piece that interprets or paraphrases the original. Students discuss what
materials to use and work together. Students select a famous work of Art and
reinterpret it in a different medium.
6. Information Literacy
• Students will access and evaluate information from a variety of sources accurately and
creatively with an understanding of ethical and legal issues.
o 4th Grade: Create Personal Art WebPages’, General Pages All about Me and Art
Pages to serve as a digital portfolio of art work for the year, Cover ethical and
legal use of images C and CC (creative Commons).
o 8th Grade: Appropriation of images, Pop Art and Visual Culture Images, Select a
contemporary image and issue to use in the creation of a drawing, painting or
sculpture that demonstrates their ability to employ the concept of appropriation.
o 12th Grade: Censorship/ Controversial Images in Art, Research and create
PowerPoint presentations to class then create a work of art then includes TEXT
that changes the meaning of the image.
7. Media Literacy
• Students will analyze and use media to understand how and why messages are created
and interpreted and how media influences culture, beliefs, and behaviors.
o 4th Grade: Media has Power! Analyze why was Cookie Monster changed to
Veggie Monster? Product Design: Create your own shoe, car, toy, household
object and advertise it. (Art shoes website)
o 8th Grade: Propaganda- Holocaust Study integrated with Social studies
Washington D.C. Trip; collaborate with English Teachers and persuasive writing.
Group Project- Create a Propaganda Poster based on contemporary visual
culture.
o 12th Grade: Using Adbusters and Imrov Everywhere websites deconstruct
current Ads and either creates a new ad or reconstruct to change meaning.
8. Information, Communication, and Technology Literacy
• Students will use technology effectively to research, access, create, and communicate
creative ideas and information with an understanding of ethical and legal issues.
o 4th Grade:
o 8th Grade Across all levels: Personal Web Pages/ Art Portfolios on iweb,
linked to Progress Book
th
o 12 Grade:
9. Flexibility And Adaptability
• Students will be flexible and adapt to change in a variety of artistic contexts.
o 4th Grade: Mid project Critique, break into groups of 2 or work as a whole class
to critique each other’s work. Answer, "What is working well?" What are do
you have an idea for improvement?
o 8th Grade: Self Assessment of Attitude, Effort, Creativity, and Effort.
o 12th Grade: Self Reflection 150 words at midpoint of project and then and revision
of art work, demonstrate use of the Art creation web.
10. Initiatives and Self-direction
• Students will be motivated, self-directed, and reflective learners, who independently
manage their goals and time to continuously improve as artists.
o 4th Grade: Independent study clay project- student submit a proposal that
demonstrates the ability to plan materials, steps to complete the project, and
daily work goals within a designated time period for completion, students
monitor progress and see project to completion; 2. Create a large group
project first to model steps and how to plan a project first (possibly group
project for DEF Art Auction) then have students create their own independent
project. #Index Card/Journal daily goals;
o 8th Grade: Select and Research Artists- Rubric and self directed, monitor
personal progress, then create a piece of art inspired in some way (tools,
techniques, style, subject matter, issue, theme) by the artist
o 12th Grade: Advanced Classes self-directed and proposal based.
11. Social and Cross-cultural Skills
• Students work respectfully and effectively with socially and culturally diverse teams or
content to increase innovation and quality in their work.
o 4th Grade: Develop an understanding that each and every person has “culture”
and that ones ethnicity may be one of many social influences of culture. One
example to explore may include social skills such as: hand shake, hugs, proximity
o 8th Grade: online communications: exploration of blogs and face book Pages,
emailing digital artwork with sister schools for analysis and comparisons of
cultural symbols embedded
o 12th Grade: Research a culture other than your own and design a work that
expresses meaningful reflection of the cultures for example similarities and
differences, conflicting beliefs, resolution of conflicts, negotiation.
12. Productivity and Accountability
• Students will set goals, accept responsibility, and refine their work to meet high
standards of excellence and accountability
o 4th Grade: Independent project based on a “Big Idea”,
Assessment/expectations/goals developed collaboratively by class, then students
produce independent project goals and daily goals, develop materials and
procedures, set conference with teacher and track progress of goals
o 8th Grade: Keep a daily log of accomplishments and develop digital portfolio
including artist statement
o 12th Grade: peer generated rubrics; presentation of projects and ideas to class
13. Leadership and Responsibility
• Students will use the arts to inspire others, optimizing the skills of team members
through their interpersonal awareness, integrity, and ethical leadership to solve
problems that benefit the larger community.
o 4th Grade: Students modeling of safe usage of materials to younger students
(partners0
o 8th Grade Peer teaching, making Political Posters or Cartoons
o 12th Grade: Discussing and assessing the value of art in general and the value of
your personal art; set up a school art show.
14: Interdisciplinary Themes
• Service Learning Projects- utilizing integrated curriculum in a collaboration with a
community group that serves to benefit both groups mutually
o Working with seniors groups
o Serving our Community though art: Tunnel project,
• Reuse, recycle & Reduce
• Health literacy (safe and sound use of materials, material safety, use and cleaning of art
tools and materials)
• Environmental Literacy- Pollution, sustainability, environmental stewardship, ecosystems,
interconnectedness, food chains, life cycles, Ecology, Water,
• Citizenship
• Character Traits
• Civil Literacy
• Economic Literacy• Entrepreneurial Literacy
• Identity
• School Community
• Going Green
• Fitness-nutrition, sports
• Culture
• Family
• 7 wonders of the world
• Folk Tales & Fantasy
• Local History
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Super Hero’s
Local Traditions
Censorship
Transformation
Measurement- how does society Measure Up?
Personal Issues
o Acceptance
o Ambition
o Obsession
o Desire
o Self-discovery
o Gratitude
o Spirituality
o Courage
o Nonconformity
o Identity
o Anger
o Envy
o Fear
o Commitment
o Failure
o Rejection
o Vulnerability
o Esteem
o Self-destruction
o Responsibility
o Trust
o Honesty
o Integrity
o Discipline