Art Major I
Unit: Geometric Drawing
Suggested Duration: Each assignment takes approximately 2-3 weeks
Standards, Big Ideas, and
Essential Questions
Big Idea: Geometric drawing
is an important drawing skill
that allows students to use
flat images to create
interesting compositions.
Standards (list numbers):
9.1.12.A, 9.1.12.B, 9.1.12.C,
9.1.12.E; 9.3.12.A, 9.3.12.C;
9.4.12.D.
Essential Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Which artists employ
geometric designs in
their work?
What makes geometric
designs different from
observational drawing?
What elements are
essential in geometric
drawing?
What makes a good
composition?
How does value play a
role in geometric
drawing?
How is geometric
Concepts
Competencies and Art
Core Skills
Students should know:
Students will be able to:

 Identify the
components of a good
composition.
 Use measuring tools to
aid in straight lines.
 Create a design that
locks into itself, thereby
creating a tessellation.
 Use flat value to create
a visually balanced
project.
 Incorporate measuring,
cutting, and tracing
skills to create a
project.
 Participate in teacherled in-process and
completed critique.
 Self-evaluate the visual
quality of the project
through written and/or
verbal expression.






The development of
geometric drawing.
How geometric
drawing evolved and
why.
What tools are
needed to create
geometric drawings.
What differentiates
geometric drawing
from observational
drawing.
How tessellations are
created.
What makes a good
and bad composition.
How to arrange
elements on a page
so that they are
visually correct.
Vocabulary/Content (list)
Composition: The way the principles
of art are used to organize the
elements of art. The way an artwork
is put together.
Contour Line: A line that defines the
edges and surface ridges of an
object.
Contrast: The use of opposing
elements, such as colors, forms, or
lines, in proximity to produce an
intensified effect in a work of art.
Geometric Shapes: Precise shapes
that can be described using
mathematical formulas. Opposite of
free-form shapes.
Gradation: the passing of one tint or
shade of color to another, or one
surface to another, by very small
degrees, as in painting or sculpture.
Line: An element of art that is the
path of a moving point through
space.
Negative Space: Empty spaces
surrounding shapes and forms. Also
Instructional
Materials
(list)
Suggested
Activities
including but not
limited to:
Various drawing
papers
Tessellation
Drawing: M.C.
Esher inspired.
Drawing made up
of student
created
tessellation.
Pencils, erasers,
sketchbook,
markers- fine and
broad tip, rulers,
protractors
Display boards,
PowerPoint,
artist examples,
teacher/student
examples for
project(s)
Assignment text:
assignment
sheet(s), articles
on specific artists
used, posted
vocabulary,
questions about
reading topics
Grade sheet to be
completed by
student once
assignment is
complete
Composition 1:
Drawing using
the tessellation
shape as a
jumping off point
Composition 2:
Drawing using
compositional
aids, using the
same tessellation
that is enlarged,
stretched,
turned, distorted,
etc.
Geometric
Shapes: Pencil
drawing using
overlapping
geometric
shapes- flat value
7.
drawing used in today’s
society?
Where is geometric
drawing primarily seen
today?
called ground.
Outline: A line that shows or creates
the outer edges of a shape.
Positive Space: Shapes or forms in
two- and three- dimensional art.
Repetition: Technique for creating
rhythm and unity in which a motif or
single element appears again and
again.
Tessellations: any repeating pattern
of interlocking shapes.
Value: Relative darkness or lightness
of a color
Geometric
Shapes 2: Pencil
drawing using
overlapping
geometric
shapesgradation,
shading
Art Major I
Unit: Observational Drawing (Black and white)
Suggested Duration: Each assignment takes approximately 2-3 weeks
Standards, Big Ideas, and
Essential Questions
Big Idea: Observational
drawing will teach the
student to transfer an image
in front of him/her to a
drawing surface as accurately
as possible.
Concepts
Students should know:
Students will be able to:

 Draw from direct
observation.
 Create a quick sketch
that will aid them in
drawing from
observation.
 Identify placement
based on proper
perspective.
 Draw the objects that
they see in front of
them.
 Shade their final piece
with a full range of
values
 Participate in teacherled in-process and
completed critique.
 Self-evaluate the visual
quality of the project
through written and/or
verbal expression.
 Complete a selfassessment prior to
teacher assessment.

Standards (list numbers):
PA 9.1.12.A, 9.1.12.B,
9.1.12.C, 9.1.12.G, 9.1.12.H;
9.2.12.B, 9.2.12.E ; 9.3.12.A,
9.3.12.B


Essential Questions:
8.
Which artists are best
known for their
observational drawing
skills (realism)?
9. How does
observational drawing
differ from geometric
drawing?
10. What is the connection
between the brain and
Competencies and Art
Core Skills


How to create a well
balanced
composition.
How to transfer an
image from
observation to paper
using quick
measurement guides.
What tools are
necessary for creating
an observational
drawing.
Object placement
based on perspective
of artist.
Different heights
create different
perspectives.
Where value belongs
based on lighting.
Instructional
Materials
(list)
Suggested
Activities
including but not
limited to
Balance: Principle of art concerned
with equalizing visual forces, or
elements, in a work of art.
Various drawing
papers, Bristol
board
Chiaroscuro: The technique of using
light and shade in pictorial
representation.
pencils, erasers,
tortillions,
sketchbook,
viewfinder,
Value Scale:
Three 9-step
value scales using
hatching,
crosshatching,
and shading
techniques.
Vocabulary/Content (list)
Composition: The way the principles
of art are used to organize the
elements of art.
Contrast: The use of opposing
elements, such as colors, forms, or
lines, in proximity to produce an
intensified effect in a work of art.
Crosshatching: The technique of
using crossed lines for shading.
Hatching: The technique of shading
with a series of fine parallel lines.
Highlights: Small areas of white used
to show the very brightest spots.
Observational Drawing: Drawing
from direct observation.
Perspective: A graphic system that
Display boards,
PowerPoint,
artist examples,
teacher/student
examples for
project(s)
Assignment text:
assignment
sheet(s), articles
on specific artists
used, posted
vocabulary,
questions about
reading topics
Grade sheet to be
completed by
student once
assignment is
complete
Single Object
Drawing: Study
of one object
with direct light
source.
Still Life: Still life
drawing of white
objects and
direct light
sources,
completed in
pencil.
Home Still Life:
Student set up
still life at home,
completed in
pencil.
Hatching Shoes:
Students
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
the eye in
observational drawing?
What techniques are
employed with
observational drawing?
What makes a good
observational drawing?
How do we transfer
from observation to
paper?
How does shading
affect observational
drawing?
How do we make
things look realistic?
creates the illusion of depth and
volume on a two-dimensional
surface.
Point of view: Angle from which the
viewer sees an object.
Realism: Mid–nineteenth-century
artistic style in which familiar scenes
are presented as they actually
appeared.
Shading: The use of light and dark
lines to give the illusion of form.
Sighting: Technique for determining
the proportional relationship of one
part of an object to another.
Still Life: A painting, picture, or
photograph of inanimate objects.
Texture: The element of art that
refers to how things feel, or look as if
they might feel if touched.
Value: The element of art that
describes the lightness or darkness
of an object.
Visual Texture: Illusion of threedimensional surface based on the
memory of how things feel.
complete a
drawing in pen of
a pair of shoes
using only
hatching and
crosshatching.
Art Major I
Unit: Color Theory
Suggested Duration: Each assignment takes approximately 2-3 weeks
Standards, Big Ideas,
and
Essential Questions
Big Idea: Color Theory is
critical in both painting and
drawing, as it is the rule for
color schemes, color mixing,
and general color placement.
Concepts
Students should know:
Students will be able to:

 Create a stencil that
they will repeat
throughout a series.
 Create 5 copies of an
artwork using a light
box.
 Choose different colors
that match the
necessary color
schemes.
 Show proper
understanding of color
and how the colors go
together.
 Demonstrate
compositional
techniques to create
balanced images.
 Understand and apply
the rules of color.
 Participate in teacherled in-process and
completed critique.
 Self-evaluate the visual
quality of the project
through written and/or
verbal expression.

Standards (list numbers):

9.1.12.A, 9.1.12.B, 9.1.12.C,
9.1.12.E, 9.1.12.J; 9.2.12.A,
9.2.12.D; 9.3.12.A; 9.4.12.A
Essential Questions:
16. What is color?
17. How does color affect
us?
18. Do different colors give
different
feelings/emotions?
19. How does color
influence the viewer?
20. What are the primary,
secondary, and tertiary
colors?
21. What are
complimentary colors?
22. What is
monochromatic color?
Competencies and
Art
Core Skills




What the primary,
secondary, and
tertiary colors are.
What colors are in the
color wheel.
Associated vocabulary
with color theory.
How to mix all colors
from the three
primary colors: red,
yellow, and blue.
How to create a
design and reproduce
it many times.
How a beam of white
light passes through a
prism and breaks in
the color spectrum.
How to use color to
influence emotion.
Vocabulary/Content (list)
Afterimage: Weak image of
complimentary color created by a
viewer’s brain as a reaction to
prolonged looking at a color.
Instructional
Materials
(list)
Suggested
Activities
including but
not limited to
Drawing paper,
manila paper, oak
tag
Color Chart:
including color
wheel,
monochromatic
value scale,
complimentary
colors, warm and
cool colors, and
analogous colors.
Pencil, eraser
Analogous Color: Colors that sit side
by side on the color wheel and have
a common hue. Violet, red-violet,
and red are analogous colors.
Arbitrary Color: Color chosen by an
artist to express his or her feelings.
Opposite of optical color.
Color: An element of art that is
derived from reflected light.
Color Scheme: Plan for organizing
colors.
Color Spectrum: The effect that
occurs when light passes through a
prism; the beam of white light is
bent and separated into bands of
color.
Color Triad: Three colors spaced an
equal distance apart on the color
wheel.
Scissors
Tempera paint,
watercolor
Paint brushes,
water cups
Display boards,
PowerPoint,
artist examples,
teacher/student
examples for
project(s)
Assignment text:
assignment
sheet(s), articles
on specific artists
used, posted
vocabulary,
questions about
reading topics
Layered Letters:
Students create
an abstract
design using
letters, repeat it
five times, and
paint using five
different color
schemes:
primary,
secondary,
warm, cool, and
analogous.
Simultaneous
Contrast:
Students create 2
different detailed
paints, paint
23. What is a color
scheme?
24. What are the warm
and cool colors?
25. What are split
compliments?
26. What is the difference
between a high-key
and low-key painting?
27. What is the difference
between arbitrary and
optical colors?
 Complete a selfassessment prior to
teacher assessment.
Color Wheel: The spectrum bent
into a circle.
Complementary Colors: The Colors
opposite each other on the color
wheel.
Cool Color: Green, blue, violet.
Suggests coolness and seem to
recede away from the viewer.
Design: Plan, organization, or
arrangements of elements in a work
of art.
High-key Painting: Painting using
many tints of a color.
Hue: That property of a color
identifying a specific, named
wavelength of light such as green,
red, violet, and so on. Often used
synonymously with color.
Intermediate Color: A color made by
mixing a primary color with a
secondary color.
Low-key Painting: Painting using
many shades or dark values of a
color.
Monochromatic: A color scheme
limited to variations of one hue; a
hue with its tints and shades.
Neutral Colors: Black, white and
grey.
Optical color: Color perceived by the
Grade sheet to be
completed by
student once
assignment is
complete
each subject the
same color, and
the backgrounds
different: one
lighter than the
main color, one
darker than the
main color.
Complimentary
Creatures:
Students create a
painting using
one “creature”
and a shape,
which they
overlap, breaking
it into make
different abstract
shapes. The
shapes are then
filled in using one
pair of
complimentary
colors in
watercolor.
viewer due to the effect of
atmosphere or unusual light on the
actual color.
Paint: Pigments mixed with oil or
water.
Primary Color: Colors on the color
wheel that cannot be mixed: red,
yellow, and blue.
Secondary Color: Colors on the color
wheel that are mixed from the
primary colors: orange, green, violet.
Shade: A hue with black added.
Simultaneous Contrast: The
different ways that the same color
will look when placed next to other
colors.
Split Complimentary Colors: One
hue and the hues on either side of its
compliment on the color wheel.
Tertiary Color: The 6 colors that are
made by mixing a primary color with
its secondary color.
Tint: A hue with white added.
Warm Color: Red, orange, yellow.
Suggests warmth and seem to move
toward the viewer.
Art Major I
Unit: Portraiture
Suggested Duration: Each assignment takes approximately 2-3 weeks
Standards, Big Ideas,
and
Essential Questions
Big Idea: Portraiture is an
important genre of art using
observational drawing skills
and artistic expression.
Standards (list numbers):
9.1.12.A, 9.1.12.B, 9.1.12.C,
9.1.12.D, 9.1.12.E, 9.1.12.F,
9.1.12.H; 9.2.12.A, 9.2.12.D,
9.2.12; 9.3.12.A, 9.3.12.B,
9.3.12.G; 9.4.12.A, 9.4.12.B
Concepts
Students should know:
Students will be able to:

 Draw a generalized
head with all features in
the proper areas.
 Create a self-portrait
from direct observation
using a mirror.
 Create a portrait using a
grid and photograph as
a reference.
 Create a portrait using
cut paper.
 Show emotion and
feeling through a
portrait.
 Choose a medium that
they want to use in
order to get their
emotion/feeling across
to the viewer.
 Participate in teacherled in-process and
completed critique.
 Self-evaluate the visual
quality of the project
through written and/or
verbal expression.
 Complete a self-




Essential Questions:
28. Where did the
evolution of portraiture
begin?
29. Until the last few
hundred years, who
were the subjects of all
portraiture?
30. What effects did the
invention of the
camera have on
portraiture?
31. Who are the most
famous portrait artists?
32. There are many
Competencies and
Art
Core Skills


The general
proportion of the
human head.
The general
proportions of the
human face.
The names of the
facial features.
Associated vocabulary
with the unit.
How to use different
media to create
different
emotions/reactions
from the viewer.
How to use a grid to
transfer a photograph
to a drawing.
How to use a grid to
enlarge a small image
to a larger scale.
Vocabulary/Content (list)
Anatomy: The study of the form and
structure of the parts of an
organism.
Bas relief: A relief sculpture with
positive areas that project slightly
from a flat surface.
Composition: The way the principles
of art are used to organize the
elements of art.
Expressive Qualities: Those qualities
that communicate ideas and moods.
Instructional
Materials
(list)
Suggested
Activities
including but
not limited to
Drawing paper,
manila paper, oak
tag, cardstock in
various colors
Eyes, nose, ears:
Students will do
a predetermined
number of eyes,
nose, mouths,
and ears from
different
perspectives. An
exercise.
Pencil, erasers,
tortillions,
various drawing
materials
Various painting
materials
Rulers, scissors, xacto knife, glue,
Gesture: An expressive movement.
Gesture Drawing: Line drawing done
quickly to capture movement of the
subject’s body.
Grid: Pattern of intersecting vertical
and horizontal lines.
High relief: Sculpture in which areas
project far out from a flat surface.
Low relief: A relief sculpture with
positive areas that project slightly
Display boards,
PowerPoint,
artist examples,
teacher/student
examples for
project(s)
Assignment text:
assignment
sheet(s), articles
on specific artists
used, posted
vocabulary,
Teacher led
proportion
exercise:
Students will
follow teacher as
they go over,
place, and draw
the proper
proportions of
the face.
Self-portrait
from direct
observation:
Students draw
their portrait
from a mirror.
Relief Portrait:
different styles of
portraiture. How do
these styles influence
your perspective of the
subject?
33. How does the media
influence the portrait?
34. What are the general
proportions of the
face?
assessment prior to
teacher assessment.
from a flat surface.
Mass: A shape that appears to stand
out three-dimensionally from the
space surrounding it or that appears
to create the illusion of a solid body
of material.
Observational Drawing: Drawing
from direct observation.
Portrait: A representation of a
person, especially the face, made by
a drawing, painting, photography,
etc.
Proportion: In figure drawing, the
comparative relationship between
the parts of the body to the whole
and between one part and another.
Relief Sculpture: Type of sculpture in
which forms project from a flat
background
Scale: The association of size relative
to a constant standard or specific
unit of measure related to human
dimensions.
Self-portrait: A portrait of an artist,
writer, etc., by himself or herself.
questions about
reading topics
Grade sheet to be
completed by
student once
assignment is
complete
Portrait based on
the likeness of a
student, uses
found objects
that are personal
to the student to
create relief
portrait.
Grid Portrait:
Students use a
photograph and
grid to enlarge
and transfer a
portrait onto
larger paper.
Portrait of
Another:
Students
complete a grid
portrait of a
person of their
choice.
Cut Paper
Portrait:
Students create a
portrait from cut
paper. Their
photograph is
enhanced to 4
different values.
Each value is
assigned a color
of cardstock.
Art Major I
Unit: Collage
Suggested Duration: Each assignment takes approximately 2-3 weeks
Standards, Big Ideas,
and
Essential Questions
Big Idea: Collage is an
important medium as it uses
various mixed media
techniques to achieve a
unified whole.
Concepts
Students should know:
Students will be able to:

 Identify what makes a
collage.
 Use collage
appropriately for
various subject matter.
 Create sketches for all
assignments.
 Use appropriate tools
correctly.
 Use appropriate
adhesives correctly.
 Differentiate between
the different
techniques for collage.
 Create both realistic
and abstract art
through collage.
 Demonstrate proper
compositional
techniques to create
balanced artwork.
 Participate in teacherled in-process and
completed critique.
 Self-evaluate the visual
quality of the project
through written and/or


Standards (list numbers):
9.1.12.A, 9.1.12.B, 9.1.12.C,
9.1.12.D, 9.1.12.H; 9.2.12.A,
9.2.12.C, 9.1.12.D, 9.2.12.L;
9.3.12.A, 9.3.12.B, 9.3.12.E,
9.3.12.F; 9.4.12.A
Essential Questions:
35. What defines a
collage?
36. What different
materials can be
collaged?
37. How is a collage
different from artwork
that uses one medium?
38. What different feelings
can you get from a
collage?
39. When is collage first
observed in art history?
Competencies and
Art
Core Skills






The definition of
collage.
The origins of collage.
How collage is used
throughout art
history.
How to collage for
emotion.
How to collage for
realism.
The different
materials that can be
used in a collage.
How jagged edges vs.
cut edges make a
viewer feel.
What adhesives to
use for different
materials.
Vocabulary
associated with the
lesson.
Vocabulary/Content (list)
Abstract Art: Twentieth-century art
containing shapes that simplify
shapes of real objects to emphasize
form instead of subject matter.
Additive: An art term that means
building up or putting on material.
Instructional
Materials
(list)
Suggested
Activities
Including but
not Limited to
Various drawing
paper: oak tag,
manila, white,
card stock,
construction,
tracing paper
Cut Paper
Portrait:
Students create a
portrait from cut
paper. Their
photograph is
enhanced to 4
different values.
Each value is
assigned a color
of cardstock.
Adhesive: A substance used for
sticking objects or materials
together.
Various
adhesives: elmers
glue, glue stick,
rubber cement
Collage: An artwork created by
pasting cut or torn materials such as
paper, photographs, and fabric to a
flat surface.
Various drawing
materials: pencil,
eraser, fine-tip
markers
Color: The visual response to
wavelengths of sunlight identified as
red, green, blue, and so on; having
the physical properties of hue,
intensity, and value.
Scissors, x-acto
knife
Landscape
Collage: Students
create a
landscape from
collaged
construction
paper.
Composition: The way the principles
of art are used to organize the
elements of art.
Display boards,
PowerPoint,
artist examples,
teacher/student
examples for
project(s)
Magazine
Collage: Students
create a collage
using magazine
pieces. Subject
matter is open.
Contrast: The use of opposing
elements, such as colors, forms, or
Assignment text:
assignment
Expressive
Collage: Students
40. What significance does
collage have in art
history?
41. What are the different
ways one can make a
collage?
42. Which artists work
primarily in collage?
verbal expression.
 Complete a selfassessment prior to
teacher assessment.
lines, in proximity to produce an
intensified effect in a work of art.
Monochromatic: Using only one
color and its tints and shades.
Posterize: To print an image using
only a few shades of gray,
characteristic of posters; reducing a
picture to its simplest values.
Self-Portrait: A portrait of an artist,
writer, etc., by him or her self.
Shape: An area that stands out from
the space next to or around it
because of a defined or implied
boundary or because of differences
of value, color, or texture.
Value: The relative degree of light or
dark
sheet(s), articles
on specific artists
used, posted
vocabulary,
questions about
reading topics
Grade sheet to be
completed by
student once
assignment is
complete
create an
artwork that
evokes a
meaning when
viewed. Can use
any materials.
Art Major I
Unit: Design
Suggested Duration: Each assignment takes approximately 2-3 weeks.
Standards, Big Ideas,
and
Essential Questions
Concepts
Competencies and
Art
Core Skills
Big Idea: Design is essential
in art. Students need to see
how design surrounds us in
everyday life and what
makes a good design.
Students should know:
Students will be able to:

Standards (list numbers):

 Create balanced
images.
 Render objects from
direct observation.
 Understand tracing and
enlarging techniques.
 Understand drawing
techniques using lines,
angles, and ratios.
 Use measuring tools to
aid in straight lines.
 Transfer letters using a
grid.
 Participate in teacherled in-process and
completed critique.
 Self-evaluate the visual
quality of the project
through written and/or
verbal expression.
 Complete a selfassessment prior to
teacher assessment.
9.1.12.A, 9.1.12.B, 9.1.12.C,
9.1.12.F, 9.1.12.G; 9.2.12.B,
9.2.12.D, 9.2.12.E, 9.2.12.L;
9.3.12.A, 9.3.12.E, 9.3.12.F;
9.4.12.A
Essential Questions:
43. Where do we see
design in everyday life?
44. How does design
influence the viewer?
45. What elements of
design catch the
viewer’s eye?
46. How has design
evolved through time?
47. How does advertising
affect us?
48. Looking at packaging,
how are certain labels






The elements of art
are line, shape and
form, space, color,
value, and texture.
The principles of art
are rhythm,
movement, balance,
proportion, variety,
emphasis, harmony,
and unity.
How the elements
and principles work
together.
How different types
of font relate to one
another and the
viewer.
What makes a good
composition.
The difference
between geometric
and free-form shapes.
How advertising and
marketing affect the
viewer.
What pop art is and
how Andy Warhol
Vocabulary/Content (list)
Balance: Principle of art concerned
with equalizing visual forces, or
elements in a work of art.
Central Axis: A dividing line that
works like a point of balance in the
balance scale.
Color: An element of art that is
derived from reflected light.
Composition: The way the principles
of art are used to organize the
elements of art.
Contrast: Technique for creating a
focal point by using differences in
the elements.
Design: Plan, organization, or
arrangement of elements in a work
of art.
Elements of art: Basic visual symbols
in the language of art.
Emphasis: Principle of art that
makes one part of a work dominant
Instructional
Materials
(list)
Various papers:
manila, oak tag,
white,
construction
Pencil, eraser,
markers, fine tip
marker, charcoal
Linoleum,
linoleum cutter,
brayer, roller,
printing ink
Display boards,
PowerPoint,
artist examples,
teacher/student
examples for
project(s)
Assignment text:
assignment
sheet(s), articles
on specific artists
used, posted
vocabulary,
questions about
reading topics
Suggested
Activities
including but
not limited to:
Geometric
Shaded Design:
Students create
an abstract
design by
overlapping
different
geometric
designs. Areas
are shaded in
using gradations
of value and flat
value.
Linoleum
Printmaking:
Students will
create a plate in
the style of pop
art and then
transfer it in
multiples, similar
to Andy Warhol.
Positive
Negative Cut
Paper: Students
will create a
design from one
49.
50.
51.
52.
created to make a
viewer look at them?
What makes a good
design?
What are the elements
of art?
What are the principles
of art?
What is pop art?
contributed to it.
over the other parts.
Font: A set of type or one particular
face and size.
Form: An object having three
dimensions.
Free-form Shape: Irregular and
uneven shapes.
Geometric shapes: Precise shapes
that can be described using
mathematical formulas.
Gradation: A scale or a series of
successive changes, stages, or
degrees.
Harmony: Principle of art that
creates unity by stressing the
similarities of separate but related
parts.
Line: An element of art that is the
path of a moving point through
space.
Logos: Symbols of trademarks that
are immediately recognizable.
Movement: The principle of art used
to create the look and feeling of
action and to guide the viewer’s eyes
throughout a piece of work.
Pattern: The element of art that
refers to a two-dimensional
decorative visual repetition.
Grade sheet to be
completed by
student once
assignment is
complete
square piece of
construction
paper. They will
cut a large piece
from each side,
then a smaller
piece from that
piece, a smaller
piece from that
one, etc. When
gluing, the
students will flip
each piece so
that they have a
positive/negative
effect with the
two contrasting
pieces of paper.
Power of
Persuasion:
Students will
create a logo and
package for an
item of their
choice. Students
must think of
advertising and
marketing
techniques
including color,
layout, font, and
image.
Pop art: Artistic style used in the
early 1960s in the United States that
portrayed images of popular culture.
Principles of Art: Rules that govern
how artists organize the elements of
art.
Printmaking: A process in which an
artist repeatedly transfers an original
image from one prepared surface to
another.
Proportion: Principle of art
concerned with size relationships of
one part to another.
Repetition: Technique for creating
rhythm and unity in which a motif or
single element appears again and
again.
Rhythm: The principle of art that
indicates movement by the
repetition of elements or objects.
Shape: A two-dimensional area that
is defined in some way.
Space: The element of art that refers
to the emptiness or area between,
around, above, below, or within
objects.
Texture: The element of art that
refers to how things feel, or look like
they might feel if touched.
Unity: The quality of wholeness or
oneness that is achieved through the
effective use of the elements or
principles of art.
Value: The element of art that
describes the darkness or lightness
of an object.
Variety: Principle of art concerned
with difference or contrast.
Art Major I
Unit: Observational Drawing (Color Media)
Suggested Duration: Each assignment takes approximately 2-3 weeks.
Standards, Big Ideas,
and
Essential Questions
Big Idea: Observational
drawing will teach the
student to transfer an image
in front of him/her to a
drawing surface as accurately
as possible.
Concepts
Students should know:


Standards (list numbers):
PA 9.1.12.A, 9.1.12.B,
9.1.12.C, 9.1.12.G, 9.1.12.H;
9.2.12.B, 9.2.12.E ; 9.3.12.A,
9.3.12.B
Essential Questions:
53. Which artists are best
known for their
observational drawing
skills (realism)?
54. How does
observational drawing
differ from geometric
drawing?
55. What is the connection
between the brain and
the eye in
observational drawing?
56. What techniques are






How to create a well
balanced
composition.
How to transfer an
image from
observation to paper
using quick
measurement guides.
What tools are
necessary for creating
an observational
drawing.
Object placement
based on perspective
of artist.
Different heights
create different
perspectives.
How to mix colors to
get shadows and
highlights.
How to make color
more realistic.
Achieve realism using
many different
media.
Competencies and
Art
Core Skills
Students will be able to:
 Draw from direct
observation.
 Create a quick sketch
that will aid them in
drawing from
observation.
 Identify placement
based on proper
perspective.
 Draw the objects that
they see in front of
them.
 Use color accurately.
 Blend colors together
to achieve more
realistic color.
 Participate in teacherled in-process and
completed critique.
 Self-evaluate the visual
quality of the project
through written and/or
verbal expression.
 Complete a selfassessment prior to
teacher assessment.
Vocabulary/Content (list)
Atmospheric perspective: Effects of
air and light on how an object is
perceived by the viewer.
Background: Part of the picture plan
that seems to be farthest from the
viewer.
Balance: Principle of art concerned
with equalizing visual forces, or
elements, in a work of art.
Color: An element of art that is
derived from reflected light.
Composition: The way the principles
of art are used to organize the
elements of art.
Contrast: The use of opposing
elements, such as colors, forms, or
lines, in proximity to
produce an intensified effect in a
work of art.
Foreground: Part of the picture
plane that appears closest to the
viewer.
Instructional
Materials
(list)
Various papers:
manila, white,
watercolor,
scratchboard
Pencil, eraser,
color pencil,
marker, oil
pastel, chalk
pastel,
watercolor
Display boards,
PowerPoint,
artist examples,
teacher/student
examples for
project(s)
Assignment text:
assignment
sheet(s), articles
on specific artists
used, posted
vocabulary,
questions about
reading topics
Grade sheet to be
Suggested
Activities
Oil Pastel
Landscape:
Students
complete an oil
pastel landscape
from direct
observation.
Watercolor
sketch: Students
complete a
watercolor
painting from
direct
observation at
Longwood
Gardens.
Watercolor
landscape:
Students use a
reference photo
to aid them in
creating a
watercolor
painting of a
landscape.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
employed with
observational drawing?
What makes a good
observational drawing?
How do we transfer
from observation to
paper?
How does shading
affect observational
drawing?
How do we make
things look realistic?
What new issues does
adding color add to
observational drawing?
How does color
compare to black and
white?
Highlights: Small areas of white used
to show the very brightest spots.
Horizon: Point at which the earth
and sky meet.
Horizon line: Line parallel to the
horizon.
Landscape: Painting or drawing in
which natural land is scenery, such
as mountains, trees, rivers, or lakes,
is the main feature.
Medium: Material used to make art.
Plural is media.
Middle ground: Area in a picture
between the foreground and the
back ground.
Observational Drawing: Drawing
from direct observation.
Perspective: A graphic system that
creates the illusion of depth and
volume on a two-dimensional
surface.
Point of view: Angle from which the
viewer sees an object.
Realism: Mid–nineteenth-century
artistic style in which familiar scenes
are presented as they actually
appeared.
Sighting: Technique for determining
the proportional relationship of one
part of an object to another.
completed by
student once
assignment is
complete
Scratchboard:
Students
complete a
scratchboard of a
realistic subject
of their choice.
Still Life: A painting, picture, or
photograph of inanimate objects.
Texture: The element of art that
refers to how things feel, or look as if
they might feel if touched.
Visual Texture: Illusion of threedimensional surface based on the
memory of how things feel.
Art Major I
Unit: Arttalk Text Book
Suggested Duration: Year long
Standards, Big Ideas,
and
Essential Questions
Big Idea: The text book for
Art Major I is ARTTALK
through Glencoe. This book
introduces students to the
elements and principles of
art as well as various art
media, art criticism, and art
through the ages.
Standards (list numbers):
9.2.12.A, 9.2.12.B, 9.2.12.C,
9.2.12.D, 9.2.12.E, 9.2.12.F,
9.2.12.G, 9.2.12.H, 9.2.12.I,
9.2.12.J, 9.2.12.K, 9.2.12.L;
9.3.12.A, 9.3.12.B, 9.3.12.C,
9.3.12.D, 9.3.12.E, 9.3.12.F,
9.3.12.G; 9.4.12.A, 9.4.12.B,
9.4.12.C, 9.4.12.D
Essential Questions:
63. What is art?
64. What do artists create?
65. What is the language of
art?
66. What is art criticism
and art judgment?
67. What are the steps of
Concepts
Competencies and
Art
Core Skills
Students should know:
Students will be able to:
 Unit 1: The World of Art
 Unit 2: The Elements of
Art
 Unit 3: The Principles of
Art
 Art Through the Ages
 The media used to
make art.
 The elements of art are
line, shape and form,
space, color, and
texture.
 The principles of art are
rhythm, pattern,
movement, balance,
proportion, variety,
emphasis, harmony,
and unity.
 The artistic traditions
from around the world.
 The western traditions
in the arts.
 Different careers in the
arts.
 Define what art is.
 Discuss why artists
create.
 Learn the language of
art.
 Describe the four steps
of art criticismdescription, analysis,
interpretation,
judgment.

 Complete a study guide
for each chapter.
 Complete a crossword
puzzle containing
required vocabulary for
each chapter.
 Complete a test on
each chapter.
Vocabulary/Content (list)
Instructional
Materials
(list)
Abstract Art: Twentieth-century art
containing shapes that simplify
shapes of real objects to emphasize
form instead of subject matter.
Arttalk textbook
Aesthetic Experience: Your personal
interaction with a work of art.
Vocabulary
crossword puzzle
for each chapter
Analysis: In art criticism, the step in
which you discover how the
principles of art are used to organize
the art elements.
Test for each
chapter
Aesthetics: The philosophy or study
of the nature and value of art.
Art Criticism: An organized approach
for studying a work of art. It has four
stages: description, analysis,
interpretation, and judgment.
Artists: Creative individuals who use
imagination and skill to
communicate in visual form.
Credit Line: A list of important facts
about a work of art.
Study guide for
each chapter
Suggested
Activities
including but
not limited to
Complete study
guide
Complete
crossword puzzle
Complete test
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
art criticism and art
judgment?
What are the media
and processes of art?
What are the elements
of art?
What are the principles
of art?
What are the different
art traditions
throughout the world?
What are the Western
traditions in art?
What careers are
available in art?
Description: A list of all the things
you see in the work.
Elements of Art: Basic visual symbols
in the language of art. The elements
of art are line, shape and form,
space, color, value, and texture.
Interpretation: In art criticism, the
step in which you explain or tell the
meaning or mood of the work of art.
Judgment: In art criticism, the step
in which you determine the degree
of artistic merit.
Medium: Material used to make art.
Nonobjective Art: Art that has no
recognizable subject matter.
Principles of Art: Rules that govern
how artists organize the elements of
art. The principles of art are rhythm,
movement, balance, proportion,
variety, emphasis, harmony, and
unity.
Realism: Mid-nineteenth-century
artistic style in which familiar scenes
are presented as they actually
appeared.
Art Major I
Unit: Rank Level 2 Quarterly
Suggested Duration: 1 Quarterly per marking period, 4 per year
Standards, Big Ideas,
and
Essential Questions
Big Idea: Students are
required to complete one
quarterly per marking period.
This is a visual arts project
that they come up with.
Students must spend at least
10 hours on it.
Concepts
Students should know:


Standards (list numbers):
9.1.12.A, 9.1.12.B, 9.1.12.C,
9.1.12.D, 9.1.12.E, 9.1.12.F,
9.1.12.G, 9.1.12.H, 9.1.12.I,
9.1.12.J, 9.1.12.K; 9.2.12.A,
9.2.12.B, 9.2.12.C, 9.2.12.D,
9.2.12.E, 9.2.12.F, 9.2.12.G,
9.2.12.H, 9.2.12.I, 9.2.12.J,
9.2.12.K, 9.2.12.L; 9.3.12.A,
9.3.12.B, 9.3.12.C, 9.3.12.D,
9.3.12.E, 9.3.12.F, 9.3.12.G;
9.4.12.A, 9.4.12.B, 9.4.12.C,
9.4.12.D


They may create four
different quarterlies,
or the projects may
relate to one another
through medium or
concept.
They must supply the
idea and choose what
techniques they will
use.
They are required to
spend at least 10
hours on each
quarterly,
This is their
opportunity to
impress their peers.
Competencies and
Art
Core Skills
Students will be able to:
 Use any material they
choose.
 Use any surface they
choose.
 Create sketches or
gather resources to
work from.
 Create their own
project from idea to
completion.
 Participate in teacherled in-process and
completed critique.
 Self-evaluate the visual
quality of the project
through written and/or
verbal expression.
 Complete a selfassessment prior to
teacher assessment.

Essential Questions:
74. What is the goal?
75. How will the student
achieve this goal?
Vocabulary/Content (list)
Instructional
Materials
(list)
Abstract Art: Twentieth-century art
containing shapes that simplify
shapes of real objects to emphasize
form instead of subject matter.
Various grounds:
paper, wood,
stone, metal,
canvas, etc.
Architecture: Art form of designing
and planning construction of
buildings, cities, and bridges.
Various drawing
materials: pencil,
eraser, chalk
pastel, oil pastel,
marker, color
pencil, ink,
scratch tool, etc.
Calligraphy: An Asian method of
artisti handwriting.
Casting: A sculpting technique in
which molten metal or another
substance is poured into a mold and
allowed to harden.
Ceramics: Art of making objects with
clay to produce pottery or sculpture.
Collage: An artwork created by
pasting cut or torn materials such as
paper, photographs, and fabric to a
flat surface.
Crafts: Art forms that are both
beautiful and useful. Crafts include
weaving, fabric design, ceramics, and
Various painting
materials:
watercolor,
acrylic, tempera,
oil, brushes,
palette, etc.
Various sculpting
material: clay,
wood, metal,
glass, stone, etc.
Various
technology:
computer,
drafting software,
Suggested
Activities
quarterly
proposal
1 quarterly per
marking period,
total of 4 for the
year
grade sheet for
each project
76. What type of artwork
will be created?
77. What is the medium?
78. What is the design?
79. Why is the piece being
created?
80. What techniques will
be used?
81. What is the meaning
behind the piece?
jewelry making.
Drawing: Creating a work of art
using a drawing material.
Embroidery: Method of decorating
fabric with stitches.
Engraving: Method of cutting a
design into a material, usually metal,
with a sharp tool.
Fine Art: Art made to be
experienced visually.
Mosaics: Pictures made with small
cubes of colored marble, glass, or
tile and set into cement.
Mural: Painting on a wall or ceiling.
Painting: Creating a work of art
using paint.
Papier-Mache: French for “mashed
paper.” Modeling material made of
paper and liquid paste and molded
over a supporting structure called an
armature.
Photography: The technique of
capturing optical images on lightsensitive surfaces.
Printmaking: A process in which an
artist repeatedly transfers an original
image from one prepared surface to
another.
Realism: Mid-nineteenth-century
graphics
software,
editing software
Materials list only
limited by
imagination
artistic style in which familiar scenes
are presented as they actually
appeared.
Stained Glass: Colored glass cut into
pieces, arranged in a design, and
joined with strips of lead.
Art Major I
Unit: Ambitious
Suggested Duration: Students should work on this on their own time throughout the school year.
Standards, Big Ideas,
and
Essential Questions
Big Idea: The ambitious is
similar to a final. Students
are to create a project that
they work on throughout the
entire school year. It should
be much more involved than
their quarterlies.
Standards (list numbers):
9.1.12.A, 9.1.12.B, 9.1.12.C,
9.1.12.D, 9.1.12.E, 9.1.12.F,
9.1.12.G, 9.1.12.H, 9.1.12.I,
9.1.12.J, 9.1.12.K; 9.2.12.A,
9.2.12.B, 9.2.12.C, 9.2.12.D,
9.2.12.E, 9.2.12.F, 9.2.12.G,
9.2.12.H, 9.2.12.I, 9.2.12.J,
9.2.12.K, 9.2.12.L; 9.3.12.A,
9.3.12.B, 9.3.12.C, 9.3.12.D,
9.3.12.E, 9.3.12.F, 9.3.12.G;
9.4.12.A, 9.4.12.B, 9.4.12.C,
9.4.12.D
Essential Questions:
82. What is the goal?
83. How will the student
achieve this goal?
Concepts
Competencies and
Art
Core Skills
Students should know:
Students will be able to:

 Use any material they
choose.
 Use any surface they
choose.
 Create sketches or
gather resources to
work from.
 Create their own
project from idea to
completion.
 Participate in teacherled in-process and
completed critique.
 Self-evaluate the visual
quality of the project
through written and/or
verbal expression.
 Complete a selfassessment prior to
teacher assessment.
All concepts
previously studied
Vocabulary/Content (list)
Instructional
Materials
(list)
Abstract Art: Twentieth-century art
containing shapes that simplify
shapes of real objects to emphasize
form instead of subject matter.
Various grounds:
paper, wood,
stone, metal,
canvas, etc.
Architecture: Art form of designing
and planning construction of
buildings, cities, and bridges.
Various drawing
materials: pencil,
eraser, chalk
pastel, oil pastel,
marker, color
pencil, ink,
scratch tool, etc.
Calligraphy: An Asian method of
beautiful handwriting.
Casting: A sculpting technique in
which molten metal or another
substance is poured into a mold and
allowed to harden.
Ceramics: Art of making objects with
clay to produce pottery or sculpture.
Collage: An artwork created by
pasting cut or torn materials such as
paper, photographs, and fabric to a
flat surface.
Crafts: Art forms creating works of
art that are both beautiful and
useful. Crafts include weaving, fabric
Various painting
materials:
watercolor,
acrylic, tempera,
oil, brushes,
palette, etc.
Various sculpting
material: clay,
wood, metal,
glass, stone, etc.
Various
technology:
computer,
drafting software,
Suggested
Activities
Ambitious
proposal
Ambitious
project
Grade sheet for
ambitious
84. What type of artwork
will be created?
85. What is the medium?
86. What is the design?
87. Why is the piece being
created?
88. What techniques will
be used?
89. What is the meaning
behind the piece?
90. How will the artist
show a culmination of
all things learned
throughout the year?
design, ceramics, and jewelry
making.
Drawing: Creating a work of art
using a drawing material.
Embroidery: Method of decorating
fabric with stitches.
Engraving: Method of cutting a
design into a material, usually metal,
with a sharp tool.
Fine Art: Art made to be
experienced visually.
Mosaics: Pictures made with small
cubes of colored marble, glass, or
tile and set into cement.
Mural: Painting on a wall or ceiling.
Painting: Creating a work of art
using paint.
Papier-Mache: French for “mashed
paper.” Modeling material made of
paper and liquid paste and molded
over a supporting structure called an
armature.
Photography: The technique of
capturing optical images on lightsensitive surfaces.
Printmaking: A process in which an
artist repeatedly transfers an original
image from one prepared surface to
another.
graphics
software,
editing software
Materials list only
limited by
imagination
Realism: Mid-nineteenth-century
artistic style in which familiar scenes
are presented as they actually
appeared.
Stained Glass: Colored glass cut into
pieces, arranged in a design, and
joined with strips of lead.