I’m very excited to welcome you and your child to the Cedar Valley Middle School Art Program! While in MS Art 1, students will explore various media, techniques, artists, and styles to ultimately help them create their own artistic voice. They will also have the opportunity to be involved in both school and community events through their art making.
1st 6 weeks: The Artistic Process
Big Idea: Artists communicate through elements and principles coupled with various processes for self-expression.
- Students will be able to…
- Identify and visually define all the elements of art (line, shape, color, texture, form, space, and value).
- Identify and visually define all the principles of design (emphasis, repetition/pattern, movement/rhythm, contrast/variety, balance, proportion, and unity).
- Understand why artists create art.
- Create and maintain a personal portfolio and sketchbook for use throughout the course.
- Employ successful time management skills such as short and long-term planning, balancing think-time and studio-time, and demonstrate flexibility with changes in the art process.
- Demonstrate quality craftsmanship in production throughout the course.
- Reflect / assess on learning and growth individually, with peers and with course instructor through various modalities.
- Understand the importance of the artistic process in addition to the creation of the finished product.
2nd 6 Weeks: Personal Narrative and Identity
Big Ideas: Artists explore their personal experiences and concepts of self within their work.
Students will be able to…
- Understand the concept of personal narrative in a work of art using the elements and principles of design.
- Explore personal narrative through a variety of time periods and the lens of culture / global art history.
- Explore and better understand identity through personal experiences, and communities such as family, school, cultural, local, regional, national, and international.
- Utilize line (types of line, contour), shape (geometric & organic) and value (focus on grayscale) in a work of art.
- Employ a range of values (value scale) using pencil to create smooth shading.
3rd 6 Weeks: Message Through Culture
Big Ideas: Visual imagery can hold messages and cultural meaning.
Students will be able to…
- Create a work that shows evidence of a message and cultural references
- Utilize basic color theory (ie. color mixing, primary, secondary, intermediate/tertiary, complementary, warm, cool, analogous, monochromatic, tints and shades).
- Experiment with repetition/pattern in a work of art.
- Use and identify positive and negative aspects of space in a work of art.
4th 6 Weeks: Cycles and Passage of Time
Big Ideas: Change is constant with the passage of time and cycles of life.
Students will be able to…
- Explore and examine cycles and passage of time (change) within their work and the work of others.
- Identify example of balance (ie. radial, symmetrical and asymmetrical).
- Use an identified form of balance in a personal piece of work.
- Identify, understand and utilize proportion through size relationship between / within objects.
Big Ideas: Societal and personal conflict has historically influenced artists and their work.
Students will be able to…
- Understand, discuss and address conflict through the personal, peer, political and social lens.
- Create artwork inspired by the exploration of conflict.
- Work and solve art problems using 3D form (working in the round) as a focus.
- Employ visual/implied and actual/tactile texture in a work of art.
Big Ideas: The arts unite humans in a spirit of cooperation.
Students will be able to…
- Understand, discuss and address cooperation through the personal, peer, political and social lens with a focus on service learning.
- Create artwork inspired by the exploration of cooperation.
- Achieve emphasis as a focus within a composition.
- Understand and use variety within a work of art.
This year we will be following the campus behavior expectation plan “PATH”
P-Productive
A-Accepting
T-Trustworthy
H-Honorable
If a student chooses to not follow the PATH expectations there will be certain consequences:
1st: Discussion with teacher one on one 2nd: Parent communication
3rd: Detention/ office referral Severe disruptions: Sent to office immediately
Supplies
A vital goal in the art curriculum is to introduce art to your child by having them create using a variety of artistic media. CeVMS art department furnishes all the tools, equipment, and materials needed in each art class. A partial list of the variety of supplies used throughout the year is as follows:
Clay Prismacolors Drawing paper Poster board
Pastel Watercolor Paper India Ink Ebony Pencils
Sketchbooks Tempera Paint Markers Blending Stump
Erasers Glue Printing Ink Watercolors
Construction Paper Brushes Rulers Sharpies
These supplies are purchased through CeVMS for $30.00 per year. We are able to buy in large quantities through art suppliers, so a material charge is more economical than having parents purchase the correct supplies individually. With a supply fee, this will also help you as a parent to ensure that your child has the supplies they need to have a successful year in art. Please provide the amount in a check only made out to Cedar Valley Middle School and include driver’s license # and your child’s name on check,
*In addition to your child’s fee, if you are interested in sponsoring a student who is unable to pay the fee, please add your donation amount to your payment.
*Please turn in supply money by Thursday, August 29th
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter, please feel free to contact me.