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LBS 405: Engineering & the Arts in the Elementary Classroom

The Visual Arts Note-taking & Assignment Guide

Name: Laura Plascencia

Class Section:02
Instructor Name: Mellissa Navarro
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Section I: What are the Visual Arts?

I. Slide 3: Quick Write. Before beginning this module, write your responses to the following questions in
your own words:
a. What is visual art?
b. What types of experiences have you had with the visual arts?
c. How do you feel about visual arts, either as a participant or as an observer?

II. Excerpts from the California Frameworks about the Visual Arts

Visual art is the expression of ones’ thoughts, emotions, beliefs, creativity, freedom, etc. in a form of
dance, music, drawings, paintings, movies, films, photos. Etc. Visual arts can come in many different ways
and there is no particular way to make it or experience it.

I have had experiences in the visual arts by dancing, playing violin and piano, photography, and painting.

I feel very passionate about visual arts because it gives one a chance to express oneself through different
types of forms and an opportunity to get to know oneself and that one does and doesn’t like. I love and
feel fortunate enough to be able to dance with my family and make it part of our culture almost every
time we unite. I also love being able to express my creative side by painting on my free time. Playing an
instrument always relaxes me and takes my mind off of anything that can be giving me a hard time at the
moment. Photography gives me a chance to capture a moment that will never be forgotten. Watching
other people perform with visual arts makes me feel glad to see so much talent and passion and so much
growth of love for it.

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Slide 4: Based on the framework excerpt from Kindergarten, what are some things kindergarten
students should be doing in visual arts?

The framework from kindergarten show that they should be observing and noticing things that repeat
themselves and patterns around them whether its in places like in their classrooms, homes, playgrounds,
or nature. Like colors in their classrooms, patterns on bugs, trees, walls, flowers etc. They should also be
noticing patterns like textures, shapes, sizes, shadows, lights etc. Once these students notice these
patterns, they can start to discuss things like perspectives like when an object will not appear its actual size
if its further it will appear to be a smaller size. When students notice these visuals, they should create
works of art on paper and three-dimensional construction. They should use shapes sizes and lines that
express their feelings.

Slide 5: Based on the framework excerpt from Grade 2, how does the teaching and learning of visual arts
change by grade 2?

Students continue to expand expression of understanding the visual arts the notice around them. They
should be able to apply what they learned into tools and art making processes like print making and
collage. They describe what they learned from art objects from different cultures and time periods that
have been taught in the classroom. The objects are analyzed by a docent in a museum that is nearby.
These second-grade students will also begin to evaluate and judge their own work as they analyze it and
decide how well they succeeded to paint, draw, etc. what they initially meant to create.

Slide 6: Based on the fifth-grade framework excerpt, what are students doing by fifth grade?

When students are attending fifth grade classrooms, they will be able to expand their visual arts
vocabulary and will be used as they create their own artwork. This new vocabulary includes
composition, emphasis, unity, deception of space. These students will use their new skills in paintings,
sculpture, mixed media, computer generated art etc. Using a criterion describing what they can change
to improve their work they become more proficient.

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III. Slides 7-8: Elements of Art: Watch the videos on the elements of art and take notes (and draw if you
want) about each element

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Element Notes
Path created when an object moves from on point to other. Made by
Line photographers and filmmakers. Lines can be thick, thin, vertical, horizontal,
curved etc. lines communicate a message to viewers.

Shape Fruit is used to study how artist approach to create shape. When a line connects
to another or intersects a shape is formed. Vocab, geometric or organic. Shapes
inherit the quality of a line.

Illusion of depth that artist create that tricks the eyes. When shaped get third
Form dimensions of depth. 3-D space. Use of shadows creates forms.

Engage viewers sense of touch. Look or feel of surface. Hardness, softness. Lines
Texture create illusion of texture. Can be created through use of shapes. When painting
have thick paint, it becomes 3 dimensional creating texture on it. Textures are
an expressive tool artist use to reinforce their overall message.

Light drawings. Artist create the illusion of light by producing a wide range of
Value tonal and color values. Value is how light and dark a given color or hue is. Values
are better understood on a scale or a gradient. Different values are created by
lightening the hue. Black and white low/high contrast.

Color Representational art, color field painters wanted to reinforce the idea that the
painted canvas is flat. Some large famous paintings are made of just one or two
colors. These paintings reinforce the fact that you’re looking at a painting.
Bold bright colors. Color is light reflected from an object. Three primary colors
can be mixed to make all other colors. Vocab: Tertiary color, tinting, shaping,
toning, mono, warm and cool colors. Feelings that colors can summon. You
develop your own interpretation of it.
Always part of an artwork. For many artists, space and how to transform it is an
Space artwork. It encompasses the area within a work of art. The main objects in art
pick up positive space. The area around is called negative space. In sculpture
positive space is the area that objects actually occupy.

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I. Slide 9: Principles of Art: Watch the You Tube Video on the elements of art and take notes (and draw if
you want) about each principle.

Principle Notes Describe how this principle can applied

to the painting Starry Night by van Gogh
Opposites like fluffy clouds and prickly Can be seen in the orange highlight to
Contrast cactus, or color red and green or land the blue. Blue and orange are
versus water, or up versus down. contrasting colors.

All cool colors or by shape different We can unify it by the swirling motion
Unity size circles, Monochromatic: all one through everything. Overall use of blue.
color, one environment: undersea

Seesaw equal amounts. Symmetry Asymmetrically balanced. If cut in have

Balance asymmetry. Balance. large tree is balanced by many houses.

Highlight. Or making it different. Moon Is emphasized because it’s the

Emphasis Everything pointing to it. Making one brightest thing in the sky. Everything is
thing stand out moving toward that direction. Brightest
thing int country.

Differences. Different sizes. Different Variety of starts, trees, hills, town.

Variety kinds of color. Different patterns etc. Variety of color. Variety of brush
strokes.

Suggested movement. Sense of Sense of wave in the sky.

Movemen movement. Eyes down a road. Our
t eyes move throughout canvas.

Predictable pattern or mechanical Pattern in starts. Unpredictable pattern

Pattern pattern. Natural pattern. Star pattern. in the town.

Slide 11: There are some variations in the list of art and design principles. How is the list of design principles
from the Getty different than the list above?
In the Getty principles…
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Balance is designed by being stable. In radial balance the elements are arranged around a central point and
may be similar.
It talks about emphasis by the area being different in size, color, texture, shape, etc.
Movement is being described as the path the eye takes throughout the painting as opposed to imagining and
object in the artwork is moving.
Proportion is included but not in the list above. It is using unity as a feeling of unity created when all parts
relate well with each other.
Also, Rhythm is not mentioned above. But in the Getty list it is described when on or more elements of design
are used repeatedly to create a feeling of organized movement.
Variety is another one not used above but only in the Getty list it is the use of several elements of design to
hold the viewers’ attention and guide.

Slide 12 & 13 Read the article Direct Instruction vs. Arts Integration: A False Dichotomy by Arnold Aprill which
discusses the issue of direct instruction (art discipline centered) in the arts versus integration.

Respond: Write a short paragraph using the following two questions as a guide:
• Why does Aprill call it a false dichotomy?
• What does he believe about arts instruction?

He believes teachers should stop squandering time, money, and paper, on arguing “either/or” when schools
are best served by “both/and”. That the issue when it comes to underlying and generating false dichotomy is
insufficient funding for the public schools. Schools have a lot of pressure to raise math and reading test scores,
there is lack of planning and leadership in the arts. When it should really include extended instructional
planning over time. Is it important to keep the arts “pure” and untainted by other subject areas yet It is
common to use art as test prep for other subject areas. If art is connected to other subject the quality
wouldn’t be as high as it would standing by itself. He also believes that art instruction needs to be properly
conceived of as part of the whole culture of school. Art integrated instruction increased student willingness to
take “difficult” tasks. He believes it take work to plan effective instruction in arts education even if money is
limited schools should prioritize innovated approaches.

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Slide 14: Classroom Example 1

Watch the 12-minute video Elements of Art: Color, Space, and Texture (K-2)
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/elements-of-art-lesson

Response Questions:
1. What are some of the objectives/goals of Mrs. Davidson’s lesson?

Review the elements of art and principles of design.

Allow students to create a two-dimensional work of art based on their observation of nature. Demonstrate an
understanding of composition using principles of design to develop a narrative based on theme.

2. What painting did the students analyze the day before? ____________Picasso’s Weeping
Moment__________________________________________________________________

3. What are some of things that Mrs. Davidson modeling during the different parts of her lesson? Why is
modeling important?
Modeling is important because not at students hear instructions the same. Some are better at listening and
following along, others are more visual and need to see to understand. She models how to make the artwork.
And explaining as she goes on. She is modeling teamwork, socializing, taking turns, positive attitude etc. It is
important that she does modeling for the children because they will have someone to look up to as a role
model so that they will learn appropriate behaviors at all times. It is also important so that the students know
how to act therefore the teacher will have a more structured classroom.

4. How do the students apply the elements of art to a mixed media art project?

Students apply the elements of art to a mixed art project by using colors, using shapes, and texture by
exploring a variety of materials. They used watercolor and salt, foil, marker, etc. they got to experiment. They
applied texture with the tin foil and space with different sizes of fish.

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Slide 16: Classroom Example 2

Watch the video Studying Balance in Art and Science

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/integrating-science-with-art-getty

Response Questions:

1. What art and design principle does this art lesson focus upon?
Balance- If they can explain and define balance in many different ways the students will understand it more.

2. How does analyzing art enrich students' learning about ecosystems?

Producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, presenting an opinion using facts and details about
ecosystem. Classified and analyzed the animals and organisms. Finding the balance in the artwork allows them
to see how the animals interact which helps them understand not just what they are. The teacher makes the
students thinks if it’s a balanced ecosystem or rather a balanced work of art.
Artistically it was balanced but the students were able to understand that scientifically the ecosystem was
imbalanced.

Resources: See slides 17-19 for resources for your lesson plan and for later when you are teaching.