Art Teacher
Christine Taylor
Introduction
Our program vision for a high-quality art program includes providing our students with alternative and unique ways to formulate questions and opinions as well as creatively solve problems and express meaning along with different points of view. We use a variety of tools, methods and techniques to inform and reform other areas of knowledge through hands-on experiences and utilizing critical evaluative skills. It is our goal to use technology with virtual museum tours for student exploration of world cultures and artistic expression. Through the use of the Discipline Based Art Education philosophy of Art education, we strive to achieve developmentally appropriate skills, methods and techniques which all help to bolster self-confidence, independence, and social awareness.
Course Information
Students meet every day of the week for 52 minutes, of one quarter. That is approximately 42 days. Additionally, this grade has workshop time for extra help/time beyond their art class throughout the year. The curriculum is based on the Elements and Principles of Design. This may be the last full quarter of art experience a student receives here at WJJMS, so each lesson is as in depth and comprehensive as possible. The lessons are implemented in a sequential manner to provide the opportunity for students to build a foundation, and to gain confidence with the natural development of maturing concepts in the visual arts. Students learn a variety of methods and techniques of art making primarily in drawing, color theory, value drawing, painting, printmaking, and ceramics.
At this stage of development, a concerted effort is made to facilitate the developmental shift from the earlier childhood imaginative based art work toward more realism. Students are taught a variety of methods and techniques to help them make this shift. This is based on the universal stages of drawing development. Creativity, and creative problem solving opportunities are naturally a part of all that we do in the arts, and is encouraged in all aspects of art making. Students self assess, share ideas, peer critique, and evaluate the many processes involved in the art making experience.
Students make connections with their own experience in visual arts, other academics, and within their own lives. Students experience and learn ways to constructively discuss and analyze art history, and visual art, and how it pertains to their own art making process. The process of art making holds more emphasis than the final product at this level. Some specific units include; value drawings in graphite, one point perspective, printmaking, color theory, acrylic painting, and hand-building techniques in clay.
Students meet every day of the week for 52 minutes for half of a quarter. This is approximately 21-22 days. Additionally, this grade has workshop time for extra help/time beyond their art class, and throughout the year. The curriculum is also based on the Elements and Principles of Design. We do our best to cover as much of these important concepts as 22 days allows. Quality of work is therefore emphasized over quantity. This means fewer assignments, and each is concise yet comprehensive.
This may well be the last art experience a student has with visual art instruction within our school system (unless they take it as an elective later on). The lessons build upon skills learned in 6th grade, with advancing emphasis on realism, individual creativity, problem solving, global humanities through art (Empty Bowls Project), and art appreciation. Students are taught a variety of methods and techniques in drawing, watercolor painting, and ceramics. Some specific units may include at least 3 of the following: 2 point perspective, watercolor painting, printmaking, oil pastel painting, and hand-building in ceramics.
In 7th grade each art student creates two bowls for the WJJMS Empty Bowls Project. This is a fundraiser for our town's food bank, and for Restavek Freedom Alliance which is an organization that helps rescue and provide homes, education, food and clothing to children in need in Haiti. One bowl is made to donate to Empty Bowls fundraising at our annual Empty Bowls and Arts night, and the other is for the student to keep. This functional piece project, allows students to make a direct connection from their own lives and how it can relate to the global community. Students self assess, peer critique, and analyze their work with an appreciation for the art making process, with a growing emphasis on the final product of their work.
8th Grade Art is an elective with 3 classes offered within a school year. 8th grade meets every day for 52 minutes, for a full quarter. 8th grade students do not have any workshop time available to meet with the art teacher for further help outside of classroom time.
The 8th grade level is designed to prepare students for the high school level. Lessons are implemented in a sequential manner in order to provide students with the opportunity to review and advance upon the foundation of previously applied skills, methods and techniques. At this level more emphasis is placed on the final product as is developmentally appropriate. There is much more emphasis on open ended assignments to allow for greater freedom of personal expression, and creatively solving problems. Some assignments are perspective drawing, value drawing, collage, color theory review, painting, ceramics with hand building, and wire and plaster figures. Students analyze, reflect, self-assess, and peer assess throughout each assignment. Students make connections with their own experience in the visual arts, other academics, and within their own lives. Furthermore, the 8th grade art student can experience and learn ways to constructively discuss and analyze visual art through art history, and how it pertains to their own art making process.