Art Class Syllabus
Teacher: Abby Chiacchia
Email/Contact: abbychia@colostate.edu
Course: Visual Arts
Art is for everyone! I believe that all students can learn to express themselves through art and that creativity is an essential part of student development. My goal is to create a classroom where students feel safe to experiment, take risks, and develop their own artistic voice.
This course introduces students to a wide range of artistic practices and materials. Students will learn foundational skills, experiment with different media, and explore how art connects to culture, history, and personal expression. The focus in this course will be on both the process and the final artwork. Students will be encouraged to think critically, use creative problem-solving, and reflect on their own work and their classmates’ work.
Rules and Expectations
Respect yourself, your peers, and the classroom.
Use materials responsibly.
Actively participate and be engaged.
Follow directions and school policies.
Clean up your space and tools at the end of class.
Class created expectations
When you enter the classroom, find your seat and begin the warm-up or opening activity.
Listen during instruction and demonstrations.
Participate in clean-up before leaving.
Grading will reflect both effort and achievement. General breakdown:
Projects/Artwork: 60%
Participation & Effort: 10%
Reflections/Sketchbook/Process Work: 30%
Rubrics will be provided for major projects.
Homework may include sketchbook assignments, reflections, research about artists, or preparation for projects. These will be designed to extend learning beyond the classroom.
Late Work is accepted as long as you come have a conversation with me about why it’s late/not done. Some materials like clay have hard deadlines due to the nature of the medium. Clay for example has stages and periods on when you can keep working on it or not.
Tests/Quizzes
There won’t be any tests or quizzes, just critiques to show understanding and participation.
Students are responsible for making up missed work time on classwork and projects. Extra time will be given to complete assignments when an absence is excused. Unexcused absences may result in a reduced grade, per school policy.
Being on time is essential to maximize learning and participation! Repeated tardiness will affect participation grades. School policies on tardies will be followed.
Active participation includes engaging in discussions, contributing ideas, using class time productively, and helping with classroom clean-up. While it’s not graded, consistent effort and presence will factor into the overall grade for the class.
Parents/guardians will be contacted if concerns arise regarding behavior, missing work, or significant changes in performance. Progress updates will be shared regularly.
Parent/Guardian Signature: ____________________________ Date: __________
Student Signature: _______________________________ Date: __________