MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
GRADE 8 Cycle Class
Craft Studio
Authored by: Kate Gebstaedt
Reviewed by: Lee Nittel,
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Adopted by the Board: January, 2013
Members of the Board of Education:
Lisa Ellis, President
Patrick Rowe, Vice-President
David Arthur
Kevin Blair
Shade Grahling
Linda Gilbert
Thomas Haralampoudis
James Novotny
Superintendent: Dr. Michael Rossi
Madison Public Schools
359 Woodland Road, Madison, NJ 07940
www.madisonpublicschools.org
I. OVERVIEW
Craft Studio is a semester-long art elective offered to 8th grade students. The course is designed for
the student who enjoys “making things,” and there is an emphasis on end-product throughout the
semester. A variety of materials are presented to students in the context of specific craft projects.
Traditional studio art concepts such as line, color, texture, form, and pattern are covered, but more in
the vein of how artisans make use of these terms and concepts in the overall design of their crafts.
II. RATIONALE
Recognizing that 8th grade students respond to choice, and that not all adolescents are drawn to a
formal curriculum of fine arts, Craft Studio is offered as an art alternative. Principles of good design,
craftsmanship, and function are introduced with each project, and there is a heavy emphasis on the
satisfaction of working with and creating with one’s hands.
III. STUDENT OUTCOMES (Linked to New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards)
1. Students will gain satisfaction from working with their hands. (Standard 1.2)
2. Students will recognize that basic art principles influence crafts. (Standards 1.1, 1.3)
3. Students will understand how materials, design, and function blend successfully in crafts.
(Standards 1.1, 1.2, 1.3)
4. Students will increase their awareness of how things are made – what works, what doesn’t.
(Standards 1.3, 1.4)
5. Students will gain dexterity with a variety of craft materials. (Standard 1.2)
6. Students will gain awareness of the prevalence of crafts in all cultures. (Standard 1.5)
7. Students will become proficient with adhesives. (Standards 1.2, 1.4)
8. Students will become proficient with needle and thread. (Standards 1.2, 1.4)
9. Students will understand that although crafts are not considered “fine arts,” they are a viable art
genre based on a rich tradition and history. (Standards 1.1, 1.3, 1.5)
IV. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS AND CONTENT
Unit 1: Simple Crafts (6 weeks)
Obj 1: Produce simple crafts with strong craftsmanship
QUESTION: How does craftsmanship affect the end-product when crafting?
Suggested Activities:
A. Tissue paper stained glass insects
B. Animal-form masks
C. Painted lizards
D. Paper folding: simple origami, paper airplanes
Obj 2: Produce crafts that emulate art traditions of the past
QUESTION: How can students maintain craft traditions even when materials are radically
modified or updated?
Suggested Activities:
A. Bean or bead mosaics
B. Ceramic medallions and beads
Unit 2: 3-Dimensional Crafts (5 weeks)
Obj 1: Produce crafts that are a combination of sculpture and craft
QUESTION: How do students blend sculpture with the craft tradition?
Suggested Activities:
A. Papier-mache animals
B. Model magic petting zoo
C. Simple coil pots
D. Ceramic trivets and reliefs
Obj 2: Use sculptural objects to stretch the bounds of crafting
QUESTION: How can students use craft materials and techniques to produce humor and
irreverence in their own crafts?
Suggested Activites:
A. Ceramic dog head bowls
B. Personified animal head embellished with sequins, jewels, and tattoos
Unit 3: Fabric Crafts (5 weeks)
Obj 1: Use sewing and fabric art as a vehicle for the development of dexterity and
coordination as well as the production of craft
QUESTION: How do students combine sewing skills with an appreciation for the aesthetics of
stitchery to produce crafts?
Suggested Activites:
A. Muslin tapestries
B. Felt animal head satchels
C. Quilt squares
D. Simple weaving
V. STRATEGIES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Teacher demonstration
Guided practice
Posting of art visuals on bulletin boards
Multi-media presentation
Short readings about artisans and their crafts
Individual projects
Class discussion
Group critique
VI. EVALUATION
Students in Craft Studio are assessed with both formal and informal measures. Frequent informal
assessment and feedback are provided on a daily basis by the teacher. The following areas are to be
assessed in a more formal way:
•
•
•
•
Utilization of art tools and supplies
Demonstration of willingness to clean up
Evidence of pride in craftsmanship
Display of original and creative thinking
Methods of Evaluation and Assessment:
•
•
•
•
•
Observation
Individual critique
Group critique
Participation in class activity
Self-evaluation
VII. INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
Craft websites
Art Nouveau; Miller; DK Publishing
A Carrot for a Nose: The Form of Folk Sculpture on America’s City Streets and Country
Roads; Gladstone; Scribner’s
The Craftsman in America; National Geographic Society
Feltwork; Brown; Lorenz Books
Folk Toys Around the World and How to Make Them; Fowler; Prentice-Hall
Home Sweet Home in the 19th Century; Buehr; Thomas Y. Crowell
Like a Pro: 101 Simple Ways to do Really Important Stuff; Becker; Maple Tree Press
Make it with Felt; Newsome; Lothrop, Lee, and Shepard
Mastering Art Collage; Hodge; Stargazer Books
Patchwork and Quilting, Better Homes and Gardens
Stephen Biesty’s Incredible Everything Book: How Things are Made – from Chocolate to False Teeth and
Race Cars to Rockets; Platt; DK Publishing
String: Tying it Up Tying it Down; Adkins; Scribner’s
Super Simple Paper Airplanes; Robinson; Sterling
Scholastic Art Magazine articles:
American Tribal Art
Egyptian Art: Working with Stylized Images
Folk Art: Working with Shapes
Islamic Art: Working with Pattern
Folk Art: Horace Pippin
Greek Vase Painting
Miriam Shapiro: Working with Shapes
Narrative Art: Faith Ringgold
Red Grooms: Working with Sculpture
The Shakers
Women Ceramic Artists: Working with Volume
Working with Clay featuring Maria Martinez
Potters of Oaxaca, DVD
VIII. SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
The Units and Objectives of Craft Studio are designed to be an alternative to a formal drawing and
painting curriculum. They are intended to provide a rich sampling of media to the student artist who
enjoys working with his or hands. Both “Suggested Activities” and the time allotted for each unit of
study are flexible; additional activities may be added or substituted, and activities may be stretched
or condensed to accommodate classroom climate, learning styles of individual students, and practical
scheduling considerations.
Unit 1: Simple Crafts (6 weeks)
Unit 2: 3-Dimensional Crafts (5 weeks)
Unit 3: Fabric Crafts (5 weeks)