• People and cultures communicate through visual arts.
• Visual arts tell stories with mood and emotion through images.
• Visual arts inform us about our culture, history and society. 

Essential Questions - most important “big picture” questions students should be able to answer after completing learning activities.

• What is art?
• What makes a piece of artwork good?
• How can I communicate my ideas thoughts and feelings effectively through art?

Standards-Based Assessments
I. Recognizes and uses the visual arts as a form of communication. 
    Uses problem solving to visually communicate ideas.
II. Knows and applies elements of art and principles of design. 
    Identifies contour and gesture lines.
    Creates a range of value.
    Identifies and uses rhythm.
    Identifies and uses a point of emphasis.
    Identifies and uses movement in art.
III. Knows and applies the use of tools, materials, techniques, and processes. 
    Demonstrates safe and appropriate use of tools and materials.
    Demonstrates instructed techniques and processes.
IV. Demonstrates an understanding of art in relation to history, culture, and community. 
    Produces art that has been influenced by aspects of history.
    Produces art that has been influenced by aspects of culture.
    Produces art that has been influenced by aspects of community.
V. Critiques works of art through analysis, assessment, and evaluation. 
    Compares and contrasts works of art.
    Judges craftsmanship of works of art.

Math in Art
Standard 4: Geometry (September)
Identify, compare, and analyze two-dimensional shapes by attributes (acute angles, obtuse angles, right angles, parallel lines, perpendicular lines, intersecting lines, congruence, similarity, rays, lines, line segments, etc.)

Literacy in Art
Comprehension: Compare and contrast genre, characters, theme, and ideas.
Compare and contrast fiction and nonfiction texts with similar themes and ideas (include story elements in fiction text). Compare and contrast a variety of text/genre. Connect and compare information across nonfiction selections.
Connect text to personal knowledge.
Art students will recognize literature and art as records of human experience. Students will compare similarities and differences in styles of artwork with literature styles of fiction, non fiction, fairy tales, mythology, and poetry.