High students visit the art room every day, for the entire school year.

Teachers across the country are discovering a new way to motivate children through the method of instruction known as Choice Based Art Education. Choice-based art education offers students choices for making art that uses their own ideas and interests. Students learn best when they are interested in and excited about what they are working on. When students are offered choices in art, they need to think about what they are doing, as well as understand why they are doing it. This allows a much deeper level of engagement in their art making process. There are many different levels of choice within art education, and in high school classes, students make most of their choices in order to make personal connections and create meaningful artwork. Different studios (or media) will be introduced with teacher led activities and then students create work within select studios either through independent projects or open studio.

1st Quarter

Drawing: black and white media (graphite, ink, charcoal), color media (colored pencil, chalk pastels, oil pastels)

Art 1: Express Drawing, Blind Contour Drawing, Observational Drawing, Shading Techniques

Art 2 Options: Aerial Maps, Metamorphosis, Perspective

Painting: watercolor media (pan, watercolor pencils, liquid concentrate), tempera and acrylic

Art 1: Neurographic Painting, 100 Color Challenge

Art 2: Watercolor Drip Tangles, Painting Options: Origami Folds, Beyond the Border, Streak of Grayscale

Collage: assorted paper (construction, tissue, scrapbook), magazines, scissors, glue

Art 1: Explore Collage

Art 2 Options: Juxtaposition, Typography, Reassemble

2nd Quarter

Printmaking: mono printing, block printing 

Art 1: Technique collage or single fold book, Independent printing project

Art 2 Options: Pink Eraser Project, Zoo Portrait, Landscape Collagraph

Fiber Arts: soft sculpture (hand stitching with felt or fabric), weaving, needle felting, yarn painting

Art 1: Pick 3 activities

Art 2 Options: Weaving, Sewing, Needle Felting

3rd Quarter

Sculpture: paper (includes origami), cardboard, paper mache, plaster

Art 1: low relief sculpture (paper or cardboard)

At 2 Options: Paper Quilling, Magazine Bowl, Cardboard Dwelling

Clay/Ceramics: polymer clay, earthenware clay

Art 1: tic-tac-toe pieces and board

Art 2 Options: Coil vessel, Is it Clay!?!, Miniature set

4th Quarter

Independent Series: students will create a minimum of 5 pieces of art (using different media) based on a chosen theme. Students will be required to complete one acrylic painting as part of their series. 

When each quarter is complete, students will be assessed on their artistic behaviors (Studio Habits of Mind) as part of their semester grade. I believe that their studio habits are as important as their finished pieces. Therefore, students are graded both on their understanding and demonstration of our covered art concepts and their art making process.

Assessed Studio Habits of Mind: Develop Craft, Engage & Persist, Stretch & Explore, Express, Reflect

Students will use Google Sites to create a digital portfolio that shows their work throughout the course. At the end of each quarter, the digital portfolio will be updated and assessed as part of their overall semester grade. 

When each quarter is complete, students will write an artist statement where they reflect upon the work they have produced. The artist statement also is an opportunity to explain and reflect upon their art making process.