Sketchbooks and starting ideas
Students start the year building a habit of generating ideas in a sketchbook. They pull from their own lives, memories, and interests to find subjects worth making art about.
What does a student learn in
This is the year art class starts to feel like real studio work. Students plan a piece on purpose, drawing on their own life and what they have seen in the world to decide what to make and why. They learn to step back, judge their own work against clear criteria, and revise before calling it done. By spring, students can finish a piece, explain the choices behind it, and prepare it for an audience.
- Studio habits
- Planning a piece
- Revision
- Art and culture
- Critique
- Presenting artwork
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Looking closely at art
Students slow down and study artwork by other people. They notice choices the artist made, talk about what the work might mean, and use specific reasons to back up their interpretations.
- 3
Building skill with materials
Students practice techniques with drawing, painting, printmaking, or digital tools. The focus shifts from finishing a piece quickly to revising it, fixing what is not working, and pushing the craft.
- 4
Art in context
Students look at how art connects to history, culture, and the world around them. They make pieces that respond to something bigger than the classroom, such as a community issue or a tradition.
- 5
Presenting finished work
Students choose pieces worth showing, prepare them for an audience, and explain the thinking behind each choice. They also use clear criteria to judge their own work and the work of classmates.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 7.
Connecting
Connecting
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Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art
Students pull from what they know and what they've lived through to make artwork that means something personal to them.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students look at a piece of art and ask where it came from: what was happening in that place, time, or culture that shaped it. That context changes what the work means.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students pull from what they know and what they've lived through to make artwork that means something personal to them. | VA:Cn10.7 |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students look at a piece of art and ask where it came from: what was happening in that place, time, or culture that shaped it. That context changes what the work means. | VA:Cn11.7 |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students brainstorm and sketch original ideas before starting an art project, exploring different concepts and visual approaches until they find a direction worth developing.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students take their early sketches or ideas and refine them into a finished piece, making deliberate choices about composition, materials, and technique along the way.
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Refine and complete artistic work
Students revisit a piece of art they started, make deliberate changes based on feedback or their own eye, and decide when the work is finished.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students brainstorm and sketch original ideas before starting an art project, exploring different concepts and visual approaches until they find a direction worth developing. | VA:Cr1.7 |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students take their early sketches or ideas and refine them into a finished piece, making deliberate choices about composition, materials, and technique along the way. | VA:Cr2.7 |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students revisit a piece of art they started, make deliberate changes based on feedback or their own eye, and decide when the work is finished. | VA:Cr3.7 |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
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Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students review a collection of their own artwork and decide which pieces are strong enough to share with an audience. The focus is on making a deliberate choice, not just picking a favorite.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice and improve a piece of artwork until it is ready to show to others, making intentional changes along the way rather than stopping at the first draft.
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Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students choose how to display or share their artwork so that a viewer understands what the piece is meant to express. The way the work is shown is part of the message.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students review a collection of their own artwork and decide which pieces are strong enough to share with an audience. The focus is on making a deliberate choice, not just picking a favorite. | VA:Pr4.7 |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice and improve a piece of artwork until it is ready to show to others, making intentional changes along the way rather than stopping at the first draft. | VA:Pr5.7 |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students choose how to display or share their artwork so that a viewer understands what the piece is meant to express. The way the work is shown is part of the message. | VA:Pr6.7 |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students slow down with a piece of artwork and look closely: what's in it, how it's made, and what choices the artist made to create a specific effect.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students look closely at a piece of art and explain what the artist was trying to say. They support their reading of the work with specific details they can see.
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Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students set their own criteria, then use those criteria to judge a piece of art and explain why it succeeds or falls short.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students slow down with a piece of artwork and look closely: what's in it, how it's made, and what choices the artist made to create a specific effect. | VA:Re7.7 |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students look closely at a piece of art and explain what the artist was trying to say. They support their reading of the work with specific details they can see. | VA:Re8.7 |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students set their own criteria, then use those criteria to judge a piece of art and explain why it succeeds or falls short. | VA:Re9.7 |