Visual Arts K to 1
Image-Development and Design Strategies

This sub-organizer contains the following sections:
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
Suggested Instructional Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
Recommended Learning Resources

Prescribed Learning Outcomes

(Perceiving/Responding)

It is expected that students will:

identify a variety of image sources, their own and others
describe the many forms that images take
suggest purposes for a variety of images
demonstrate an awareness that an image can be an original artwork or a reproduction

(Creating/Communicating)

It is expected that students will:

use feelings, observation, memory, and imagination as sources for images
make 2-D and 3-D images:
- using a variety of design strategies, including elaboration and magnification
- exploring a variety of media
- to communicate experiences and moods
- to tell a story
- that engage more than one of the senses

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Image-Development and Design Strategies in other grades click on an icon below.

Suggested Instructional Strategies

To practise elaboration as a design strategy, have students enhance self-portraits by adding buttons, wool, glitter, jewels, feathers, and so on. Discuss the impact of this embellishment.

Provide opportunities for students to make careful observations (e.g., using a magnifying glass, touching) of the linear patterns of an object such as a shell, leaf, or bug. Have students choose and draw in their visual journals magnified images of one of the objects.
Ask students to build a classroom image collection based on a particular theme (e.g., cats--drawings, paintings, stuffed toys). Discuss characteristics of the various forms. Challenge students to choose one image from the collection to represent in another medium.
Have students respond to detailed descriptive language in stories by illustrating class books or creating murals.
As a class, brainstorm possible characteristics of imaginary creatures. Using these ideas, have students draw with felt pens or crayons to transform vegetable, sponge, or hand prints into imaginary creatures.
Provide a series of traffic or other safety images for students to study. Ask them to work in groups to design similar safety images for classroom centres.
Have students visually represent in their journals observations and sensory experiences from community field trips or neighbourhood walks.
Provide students with opportunities to view a wide variety of portraits (e.g., magazine pictures, prints). Discuss mood and feelings conveyed in these images. Have students observe themselves with mirrors and record their own facial expressions.
When using fine art prints or photo reproductions, discuss with students reasons why the originals cannot be brought to the classroom (e.g., size, location, value, fragility).

Suggested Assessment Strategies

As students talk about their own artwork and that of others, note the stories and explanations they offer to assess the development of their ideas, imagination, perceptiveness, and visual sensitivity.
As students create and talk about art, look for evidence of:
- visual fluency--ability to find, see, and generate images; ability to make associations
- curiosity and engagement--interest in images; responsiveness
- observation--willingness and ability to see and talk about detail
- elaboration--telling stories and explaining ideas in their work
Provide opportunities for students to share their work-in-progress with partners. Focus on meaning and elaboration, and model ways that they can provide feedback, ask questions, and offer praise. For example:
- I see ------------ in your picture. What are they doing?
- What is happening ------------?
- Tell us about ------------.
- Something that catches my eye is ------------.
When students consider a variety of forms of the same image (e.g., cats), use questions such as the following to prompt their thinking and reveal their awareness:
- What is the animal doing? Why do you think it is doing that?
- What kind of cat is it? Where would you find it?
- How would you feel if you were the cat in this picture? How did the artist show that feeling?
- What do you think the cat might do next? Can you show us what that would look like?
- Which image is most interesting to you? How is it different from the others?