Elementary Art Curriculum
Our Elementary Art Curriculum at Melrose introduces students to a wide variety of media, beginning in Preschool, and builds upon these techniques, with each advancing year, while encouraging our young artists to think creatively, behave artistically, develop problem solving skills, cultivate a keen sense of observation, and make choices that promote artistic expression. In direct alignment with the National Core Arts Standards for Visual Arts, Creating, Presenting, Responding, and Connecting, students learn to take risks in a welcoming studio environment that appreciates each other's unique differences, and strives to build a supportive and respectful community of artistic peers. From Pre-K to Fourth Grade, students are guided through an increasingly challenging, yet rewarding artistic experience delivered within a new theme/focus of study each year.
In addition, Elementary Art students will have multiple opportunities to experience Open Studio days where TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behavior) practices are in place. This is a student-centered approach to art, which invites students to take an active role in guiding their own direction of learning, based on personal interests and exploration.
The following is a list of skills and techniques within each art medium by grade level:
Pre- K
- Drawing - Types of line, shapes tracing, oil pastel, chalk pastel, markers, pencil, crayons
- Painting - Tempera, watercolor, color mixing, value
- Ceramics - Squeezing, rolling, surface texture, glazing
- Collage - Monochromatic collages, fabric square quilts
- Sculpture - Mixed media assemblages
- Printmaking - Circle prints
- Color Theory -Primary colors, color mixing, rainbow order
- Art History - Mondrian, Jackson Pollock, Matisse
- Sketchbooks - Self-portrait, Family portrait, Still-life, Landscape, observational drawing
Kindergarten
- Drawing - Types of line, shapes tracing, oil pastel, chalk pastel, markers, pencil, crayons
- Painting - Tempera, watercolor, color mixing, value
- Ceramics - Squeezing, rolling, surface texture, glazing
- Collage - Mixed media, Paper strips
- Sculpture - Cardboard, Mixed media
- Printmaking - Monoprint, rubber stamps, printed shapes
- Color Theory - Primary colors, color mixing, rainbow order
- Art History - Mondrian, Paul Klee, Alexander Calder, Andy Goldsworthy
- Sketchbooks - Self-portrait, Family portrait, Still-life, Landscape, observational drawing
First Grade
- Drawing - Types of line, shapes tracing, oil pastel, chalk pastel, markers, pencil, crayons
- Painting - Tempera, watercolor, color mixing, value
- Ceramics - Rolling, Pinch pots, using tools, scoring and slipping, surface texture, glazing
- Collage - Paper, torn paper, color families
- Sculpture - Cardboard sculptures, mobiles
- Printmaking - Vegetable prints, Mandalas
- Color Theory - Primary colors, Secondary colors, color mixing
- Art History - Mondrian, Paul Klee, Vincent Van Gogh, Alexander Calder
- Sketchbooks - Self-portrait, Family portrait, Still-life, Landscape, observational drawing
- Drawing - Self-portraits, oil pastel, chalk pastel, markers, pencil
- Painting - Tempera, watercolor, color mixing, value
- Ceramics - Slab method, using tools, scoring and slipping, surface texture, glazing
- Collage - Mosaics
- Sculpture - Cardboard, Papier mache, mobiles
- Printmaking - Collagraph, Monoprint
- Color Theory - Primary colors, Secondary colors, Warm/Cool
- Art History - Mondrian, Paul Klee, Vincent Van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Dale Chihuly
- Sketchbooks - Self-portrait, Family portrait, Still-life, Landscape, observational drawing
- Drawing - Self-portraits, Gesture Drawing, oil pastel, chalk pastel, markers, pencil
- Painting - Tempera, watercolor, color mixing, value, tints and shades
- Ceramics - Coil method, using tools, scoring and slipping, glazing
- Collage - Color pallet, torn magazines
- Sculpture - Papier mache, wire, found object
- Printmaking - Styrofoam prints (One-block prints with black and white ink)
- Color Theory - Primary colors, Secondary colors, Warm/Cool, tints and shades
- Art History - Mondrian, Paul Klee, Vincent Van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Grant Wood, Alexander Calder
- Sketchbooks - Self-portrait, Family portrait, Still-life, Landscape, observational drawing
- Drawing - Self-portraits, Gesture Drawing, 3-D Shapes, shading, cross hatching, oil pastel, chalk pastel, markers, pencil, pen and ink
- Painting - Tempera, watercolor, acrylics, color mixing, value, tints and shades, reproductions
- Ceramics - Bas relief, additive/subtractive, scoring and slipping, using tools, surface texture, glazing
- Collage - Painted papers, torn papers, fabric, mixed media
- Sculpture - Paper, Cardboard, Wire, found object, papier mache, plaster of paris, wind powered kinetic sculptures
- Printmaking - Styrofoam prints ( Two-block prints with multicolored inks)
- Color Theory - Primary colors, Secondary colors, Warm/Cool, tints and shades, Complimentary colors
- Art History - Mondrian, Paul Klee, Vincent Van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Grant Wood, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Alexander Calder, Andy Goldsworthy, Theo Jansen
- Sketchbooks - Self-portrait, Family portrait, Still-life, Landscape, observational drawing
- Large Group Projects - Scenery and props for the Art Show, collaborative works for the school grounds
- Ceramic Tile Mural - Annual thematic murals which become a part of the school's permanent collection
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