High School Art Curriculum

The following curriculum was designed to meet the MN 9th-12th Visual art standards. Each set of curriculum is divided by class and includes the syllabus.  Feel free to use the uploaded documents for your own educational purposes.

Classroom Behavior Plan (.docx)
Classroom Behavior Plan (.pdf)

​50 worksheets (.pdf)

Blank Lesson Plan Template:

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Drawing Painting Printmaking I

Syllabus/Sketchbook (.docx)
Syllabus/Sketchbook (.pdf)
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Graffiti Tag Design (1.5 weeks)
Students learn about the art style of graffiti & create their own graffiti "tag" using colored pencils & sharpie
8 Graffiti Bellringers powerpoint
Graffiti: Art or Vandalism? article
​       Article Questions
Graffiti: Art or Vandalism? YouTube Video
​       Video Questions
Big Bang Big Boom Graffiti Animation YouTube Video
Drawing graffiti letters & colored pencil techniques packet
​How to Draw Graffiti Letters YouTube Video
Graffiti Tag Instructions
​Rubric

Types of Art & Artist Trading Cards (3 days)
Students learn about the 3 types of art (realistic, abstract, & non-objective) and create 3 artist trading cards in each style to demonstrate their learning
Types of art & artist trading cards handout
Kehinde Wiley article
​     Kehinde Wiley article questions
Types of Art & Bellringers powerpoint

4 Perspectives Still Life Drawing (1 week)
Students choose an appropriate object of their choice to draw in 4 different perspectives using correct value on 20"x20" tagboard or drawing paper.
Why you can't draw article by Will Kemp
Value on Shapes handout
Value scale handout
Videos

Self-Portrait Grid Drawing (2 weeks)
Students use a photo of themselves and the grid method to create a realistic self-portrait drawing.
*Check out this unit plan in my Teachers Pay Teachers store*
Drawing the human face
Grid drawing practice
Grid method notes
Videos

Creative Color Wheel (1.5 weeks)
Students paint in the color, tint, and shade of each color into boxes on tagboard. Next, students are instructed to cut out each box using a stencil or other design to arrange into a creative color wheel on black tagboard.
Color blindness test
​      Color blindness test handout
Blue/Black & White/Gold Dress Explained YouTube Video
Color wheel handout
Tints & Shades handout

Pop Art Animal Painting (2 weeks)
Students review the grid method and choose an animal to create on white tagboard. Students first draw the animal using the grid method and then use what they know about pop art to change the colors of the animal to create a pop art inspired painting.
Andy Warhol's endangered species series
Pop art article
Color theory article
Color mixing handout

Watercolor Shoes (1 week)
Students practice their observational skills by drawing their shoe from life. Students can use the shoe they wear or bring in a different shoe to keep in class. Students use the different watercolor techniques to complete their shoe drawings.
Watercolor techniques handout

Batik Radial Design using watercolor & crayon resist (1 week)
Students create a radial design using white crayon and go over the crayon with a watercolor wash.
History of Batik article w/ questions
Balance in art handout

Wayne Thiebaud Oil Pastel Paintings (2 weeks)
Students create an oil pastel work inspired by Wayne Thiebaud's dessert and cake paintings.
Oil pastel techniques
Pop art article
​Videos
Color study

Zentangle Tile (1 week)
Students focus on pattern and emphasis by creating a 12"x12' Zentangle tile with one area colored in for emphasis.
Calligraphy pen techniques handout
Zentangle patterns handout
Emphasis in art article

Chalk Pastel Landscape (1 week)
Students focus on atmospheric perspective to create a chalk pastel landscape.
Chalk pastel techniques handout
Landscape handout: atmospheric perspective

Abstract or Non-Objective Monoprinting (1 week)
Students create a series of 3 final monoprints mounted on black tagboard. Each student creates 9 monoprints and chooses their 3 favorites. The monoprints must be abstract or non-objective.
Printmaking terms handout
​Texture handout

Final Project: Calendar Design (2 weeks)
Students create a calendar for their summative assessment at the end of the semester. Each month of the calendar asks students to use what they have learned in this class to demonstrate their learning. The calendar is held together by a metal shower curtain ring.
2017 Calendar Template (.docx)

Art & Design

Art & Design Syllabus (.docx)
Art & Design Syllabus (.pdf)

Drawing:
-Chiaroscuro drawing (Renaissance art) Positive & negative space (2 weeks)
-Human figure drawing - fashion drawing (2 weeks)

​Silhouette Self-Portrait using India Ink (2 weeks)

Oil pastel or chalk pastel based on Impressionist work (1.5 weeks)

​Metal tooling

Cardboard challenge- Caine's arcade

Social Issues Stencil Design (2 weeks)
Students go to the computer lab to create a digital design for their stencil. Their design must be based on a social issue of their choosing. The design must include image & text together to convey meaning.
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Painting:
Geometric abstraction acrylic painting in the style of Jacob Hashimoto to create a collaborative work of art (3 days)
Digital Painting (2 weeks)
Oil painting on canvas based on a reference image of student's choice (2.5 weeks)

​Digital portfolio (ongoing)- present to the class at the end of the semester

Final (2 weeks)
Create an artwork in a particular artistic style using acrylic or watercolor paint

Drawing Painting Printmaking II

Syllabus/Sketchbook (.docx)
Syllabus/Sketchbook (.pdf)

Op Art Design (1 week)
Students create their own Op art piece using sharpies & colored pencils. Use 22"x22" paper. Enrichment: Make an op art cube
Op art examples #1
Op art examples #2
Op art practice handout
Op Art Rubric

Pop Can Observational Drawing (1 week)
Students choose a can of pop to draw from observation. Students focus on form, line, value, shape, & color. Students must show value in one of the ways previously practiced: stippling, hatching, cross-hatching, or blending.
Value scale & ways to create value
Drawing 3-D shapes

Cultural Portrait (2 weeks)
Students choose a portrait of a person from another culture. Students will crop the reference image to 6"x9" to reproduce the image on 12"x18" gray drawing paper. Students will use charcoal, drawing pencil, and white pencil to complete the drawing.
Grid method handout
Grid method practice
Charcoal & white pencil practice
​Cultural portraits .docx

Surrealist India Ink Drawing (1.5 weeks)
Students create their own surrealist ink drawings using india ink and calligraphy pens. Students focus on composition, balance, & value. Students learn about different surrealist artists to gain inspiration. Color is optional.
​-Bellringer: Ink blot drawings

Collaborative Block Poster Painting (1 week)
Each student gets a different part of the "puzzle" and are instructed to reproduce their part as double the size. Students use their color mixing skills to match the colors as closely as possible. When finished, all of the "puzzle pieces" are put together to create a very large block poster painting on the wall!
Color mixing practice handout
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Acrylic Landscape on Canvas (2 weeks)
Students choose a landscape reference image. Students build their own canvas that is suitable to the size of the reference image. Students re-create the landscape on the canvas.
​Atmospheric perspective handout
Students review foreground, middle ground, & background
Tints/shades handout

Watercolor Trees Painting (1 week)
Students create a watercolor painting using different techniques including wash and salt to create a tree painting with depth. Students focus on positive & negative space & atmospheric perspective previously learned in the landscape acrylic painting.
Watercolor techniques handout
Positive & negative space
Color schemes: warm & cool colors, triads
​Tutorial here

Oil Pastel Scratch Art (1.5 weeks)
Students create their own scratch paper using only oil pastels! Students focus on choosing a color scheme, pattern, & line. The scratch art design may be representational, but must incorporate decorative elements and a variety of patterns.
Patterns/Zentangles handout
Practice oil pastel scratch art


Organic pinhole design (2 weeks)
Students choose an "organic" subject to create a pinhole design. Student use push pins or needle tools to puncture paper to create the design. An emphasis on stippling to show value. Students practice stippling objects and value before beginning pinhole design.

Animal Printmaking using linoleum & cardboard (2.5 weeks)
Student choose an animal to carve out of linoleum. Students use x-acto knives and cardboard to carve out the environment of the animal (i.e. if they carve a tiger, they should carve a jungle scene from their cardboard). Each student is required to submit 3 prints mounted on black tagboard.

Final Project: Agamograph Project (2.5 weeks)
Students create an Agamograph in the style of Yaacov Agam. Each student creates 3 different works based on a theme. 1 work will be a drawing, 1 work will be an acrylic painting, and 1 work will use the medium of the student's choice.
Powerpoint on Yaacov Agam

Graphic Design

1. Intro to Photoshop:
-Opening & saving image files
-File types
-Tools & their functions
-Working with selections
-Working with layers
-Adjustments
-Filters
-Illustrating (brush, pencil tools)

Digital portfolio design

2. Google Doodle
Students are asked to create their own Google logo or Google 'Doodle" using a theme of their choosing.

Social Issues Poster
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Logo Design
-Papa Murphy's logo re-design
-Create a logo for an imaginary company

Album Cover Design

Advertising Campaign Group Project (3 weeks)
Psychology & Advertising (YouTube Video)
11 Types of Advertisements (YouTube Video)
5 Most Common Logo Design Mistakes (YouTube Video)
How to Create a Great Logo Design (YouTube Video)
In groups of 2-3, students form an "advertising team". Each student is responsible for certain aspects of the designs created. Each group is provided with a company and specifications for the designs required from the company. The purpose of this project is to provide students with the sense of what real graphic designers do, the design process, and meeting client's needs. Each group will create the following:
-Logo design (1 design for each member of the group)
-Business card design
-Magazine or Poster ad 
-Website design (website header)
Each group presents their designs at the completion of the project.



Animation Project

Manipulation Calendar Project

​Final: Photoshop Tutorial

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