Grade 8 Art-Course Outline

Grade 8 Art

Prepared by Mrs. McNeice, Onoway Junior Senior High School 2025

Welcome to Art! I look forward to working with you this year!

OVERVIEW & PURPOSE:

Art 8 is an opportunity for  personal exploration as an artist:

• To foster enjoyment of and appreciation for the visual arts.

• To provide opportunities for visual expression in both two and three-dimensional media.

• To explore a variety of techniques, media, and approach through the creation and appreciation of images.

• To develop creative solutions through visual problem solving.

• To improve understanding and better articulate visual meaning through art-making, speaking and writing.

• To develop a respect for individual differences and expression

Grade 8 Art Program:

This class is meant to be creative and fun. Students must engage in order to achieve the sense of fulfillment when personal creativity is experienced. 

Attached below are the outcomes for this program. Projects will start with dry media and drawing techniques followed by some painting, sculpture, printing and mixed-media. Grade 8 Art will not use a sketchbook. Instead, students will be given a booklet and a number of handouts covering the basics of art and design elements and principles as well as other drawing papers, canvases and more. Students will be required to take progress photos of their work everyday and post on to their PADLET!  This will create a digital record of all the work completed during class. NOTE *Students will be given some choice on final projects, but most will be decided on as a class through a poll. 

Content/ Timeline -Quarter 1 (subject to change):

1st- 6 Days (Sept 16/17)            Unit 1

Drawing 

    Unit 2

Painting

2nd- 6 Days (October 4/5)   Unit 3

  Painting/Sculpture

3rd- 6 Days (October 21/22)   Unit 4

          Sculpture/Other

4th- 6 Days (November 8/9)   Unit 5

        Sculpture/ Other

5th- 6 Days (November 29/30)  Unit 6

      Mixed    Media/Printing/Other 

Evaluation and Assessment:

Grade 8 Art students will learn the fundamentals of art and design to help them communicate more clearly and intelligently about their own work of art and the art of others. This will build a new sense of art appreciation and understanding. 20% of Grade 8 Art evaluation is based on art communication. Students will be required to participate in group discussions and critiques as well as write about their art through reflections and artist statements. Students will be encouraged to make artist notes daily along with their PADLET posts. Process and reflection can be more important than the final project. Video or voice recordings may be used as an option. 

Grade 8 Art students will complete 8-12 final projects. Grading will be based on the use of rubrics reflecting the outcomes provided and based on the Alberta Program of Studies curriculum. These final projects will have daily progress photos in PADLET for full marks, but will need to be uploaded to the Google Classroom/Artsonia assignment page. 

IMPORTANT****If projects are not uploaded in PADLET & Google Classroom, they will not be marked. If students use class time effectively they will not need to devote any time outside of class.

Percentage Breakdown:

Portfolio including class projects and Artist Statements along with self assessment for Artist behavior such as Critique participation and Art Cleanup DUE JANUARY/ JUNE 10 80%

Sketchbooks/Booklets/Handouts with Artist Statements, Art History, Artist Research,

DUE JANUARY/ JUNE 15           20%

Sketchbooks:

Grade 8 students will be given paper with required drawing prompts and activities. Handouts and additional paper will also be provided daily depending on the task for the day. 

Students will need to take photos of their work for PADLET everyday for full marks. If students miss a day of school, they are still required to complete their daily entry, meaning they will have to make it up during the next class or from home.

All artwork must be photographed daily and uploaded to PADLET! (Digital Sketchbook). This is for marks and helps student document their work for future portfolios. (NO PHOTO=NO MARK) It will be considered late! All other completed assignments should be handed in via Google Classroom or Padlet. All photos can be taken with the provided school chromebooks.

Artwork will not be accepted without progress photos, especially if students take artwork home for ANY reason. You need to take photos to PROVE your work. Progress needs to be seen in person, in class, by the teacher. Progress photos are encouraged throughout all projects, workshops, and experiments. 

Student Materials:

Most media options are at no charge. If the students want to use something that we do not have they may be asked to bring it in and pay for it themselves. All students will be using materials for media that are purchased from the OJSH art budget and there is no need for students to purchase anything at this time. Please take care of these materials as these can be expensive.

Student Expectations:

Punctuality and preparedness are required. A good attitude and respect towards oneself, others, materials and the classroom will lead to a positive art experience... Be A Nice Human! 

If students have late assignments due to NOT using class time efficiently, parents will be notified and students will be asked to move to another seat until caught up. 

Be willing to make mistakes and experiment even if not successful. “Create something, even if it sucks” This is how we learn and improve.

Students are required to use their class time efficiently. There is more than enough time to complete all assignments and sketchbook pages in         class. Parents/Guardians will be notified that students are struggling to stay on task and arrangements will be made to ensure students are         successful. This may include seating arrangements.

Workshops, Drawing Prompt and Painting Prompt days are very important. Students will be required to upload photos for their sketchbooks everyday. If you miss a day of school, you will then be responsible to catch up at home. Sketch-Up days are offered to catch up on any workshops students may have missed due to be being absent. Attendance is very important. 

Cell Phone Policy, Headphones & Ear buds:

NO CELL PHONES in class as per the updated Student Handbook. If you DO NOT ASK Permission to take it out first, it goes straight to the office and your Parents/Guardians will be notified. Chromebooks will be required in the Art Room for research, to participate in online games, and taking progress photos at the end of day. Desks, counters and sinks must be cleaned before chromebooks come out for end of day photos. If free time is earned, all materials and desk areas are cleaned, then students may listen to their own music on their chromebooks. (phones are not necessary to take progress photos)

This brings to mind the importance of choosing and creating the best reference photos. Copying photographs or other artist's works does not demonstrate your ability to make design decisions concerning the placement of forms on the page. Drawing from observation will always be encouraged as this is what most Art/Design schools are looking for as well. 

Important****Photos of peers or staff are prohibited unless supervised for educational purposes or for our Web Page/Newsletter

***NEW Wired Headphones and Ear buds may be worn when permission is given to do so and connected to a school chromebook.  NO MORE BLUE TOOTH headsets allowed in class.

Hats/Backpacks: Hats are okay. Please leave backpacks or large bags in your lockers. The artroom is very crowded as it is. If you do not have a locker, you will be asked to leave outside the classroom. Please make arrangements during art class for your big bags and backpacks for safe keeping.

Food: Snacks are okay as long as it does not distract the class. Please do not bring your full lunch to class. We have lunch breaks for a reason. Students are expected to be prepared for artwork.

Late Assignments:

Late assignments create more work for me. To be efficient at marking assignments, I need to mark them all at once. If you are late, I have to spend more time to go back in to Google Classroom, pull up the rubric, and refer to your PADLET for progress photos just to mark one assignment. Can you imagine if I have 5 students from every Grade level with late assignments? It accumulates a lot of time just to mark the late assignments. This takes time away from YOU and everyone else in the class for more personalized instruction, interviews and media exploration and extra cool art lessons.  

Therefore, you will receive 5% off your final grade for every day that your assignment is late up to a 50%. If you hand in “A” quality work later than 10 school days behind the deadline, you will receive no lower than 50%. -BUT Don’t be LATE. On occasion, you may discuss with me how to make up that time lost by helping me afterschool with prepping and organizing the art room in order to keep a more deserving grade for your final project. (1 Hour of your time per 5%) = (5 Days late= 5 Hours) to get your 25% back. 

*Remember, if you see yourself as a working artist or designer of any kind in the future, deadlines must be met. If you miss the deadline another artist will get the work and you miss a pay day. If you can create a habit of meeting deadlines and due dates, you will be very successful in this field. 

Volunteers:

Guest artists are also invited to share art and techniques with the class.  If you are an artist, and would like to share your skills in a particular media or style please let me know by phone or email. 

Volunteer Parents and Guardians are always welcome. An extra pair of hands to help with clean up, distribution, set-up, etc. are always appreciated. 

Contact:

Connie McNeice– Please reach me at school between 8:15 AM and 4:00 PM at        

780 967 2271 or by email at  connie-lee.mcneice@ngps.ca

I am always open to suggestions and if you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.