Visual Arts Icon

Appendix G: Planning Your Program

The visual arts 8 to 10 Integrated Resource Package has been designed to provide flexibility in developing courses and programs to meet teacher, student, and community needs. Visual arts courses can focus on any of a number of 2-D and 3-D expression areas including:

Districts and schools may choose to develop programs that integrate more than one of the fine arts disciplines. For students to satisfy the fine arts requirement at the grade 8 to 10 levels, however, all learning outcomes from one of the disciplines (dance, drama, music, visual arts) must be met. This requirement ensures that students receive a strong foundation in at least one of the fine arts disciplines. Examples of integrated programs include:

The four fine arts curricula include many common components; identifying these commonalities will help educators in developing integrated units or programs.

Organizing for Instruction

When planning a visual arts program and sequencing lessons, teachers may consider whether they have:

Each expression area, such as ceramics, drawing and painting, graphics, sculpture, or textile, has particular materials, tools, and processes that the teacher should consider.

Ceramics

In a ceramics class, students could expect to become familiar with the materials, tools, equipment, and processes used in modelling, decorating, and firing clay and related modelling media.

The Use of Materials

Materials to consider in a ceramics class include:

VISUAL ARTS
Image-Development and Design Strategies

Creating/Communication Perceiving/Responding
Context

Creating/Communication Perceiving/Responding
Visual Elements and Principles of Art and Design

Creating/Communication Perceiving/Responding
Materials, Techniques, and Processes

Creating/Communication Perceiving/Responding

DANCE
Presentation and Performance
Creation and Composition
Dance and Society
Elements of Movement

DRAMA
Exploration and Imagination

Critical Analysis Expression and Trust
Context

Social and Cultural Making Connections
Drama Skills

Body and Voice Drama as Metaphor Elements and Structures Role Technique Making Connections Context Expression and Trust

MUSIC
Thoughts, Images, and Feelings
Context

Historical and Cultural
Structure

Elements of Expression Elements of Melody Elements of Rhythm Form and the Principles of Design

Tools and Equipment

Tools and equipment to consider in a ceramics class include:

Processes

Processes to consider in a ceramics class include:

Drawing and Painting

In a drawing and painting class, students could expect to become familiar with the materials, tools, equipment, and processes used.

The Use of Materials

Materials to consider in a drawing and painting class include:

Tools and Equipment

Tools and equipment to consider in a drawing and painting class include:

Processes

Processes to consider in a drawing and painting classes include:

Graphics

In a graphics class, students could expect to become familiar with the materials, tools, equipment, processes, and vocabulary used in graphics.

The Use of Materials

Materials to consider in a graphics class include:

Tools and Equipment

Tools and equipment to consider in a graphics class include:

Processes

Processes to consider in a graphics class include:

Sculpture

In a sculpture class, students could expect to become familiar with the materials, tools, equipment, processes, and vocabulary used in sculpting.

The Use of Materials

Materials to consider in a sculpture class include:

Tools and Equipment

Tools and equipment to consider in a sculpture class include:

Processes

Processes to consider in a sculpture class include:

Textiles

In a textiles class, students could expect to become familiar with the materials, tools, equipment, and processes used in textiles.

The Use of Materials

Materials to consider in a textiles class include:

Tools and Equipment

Tools and equipment to consider in a textiles class include:

Processes

Processes to consider in a textiles class include:

Learning Styles and Instructional Strategies

In order to meet the needs of the widest possible range of learners, teachers are strongly encouraged to use a variety of instructional strategies when planning and implementing a visual arts program.

Types of instructional strategies and learning styles include:

For more information on the use of many of these strategies, refer to the publication Selected Strategies for Instruction (Province of British Columbia, Ministry of Education, 1995).

Responding to Visual Arts Presentations

Artworks and visual images play an important role in visual arts. To be meaningful, the experience of viewing an image should be more than just looking and reacting quickly and without much thought. Teachers can enhance the meaning students derive from viewing images by guiding them through the experience. The process provided here may be used for viewing any work of art, including crafts, fine arts, traditional arts, commercial art, and popular art from the mass media, as long as appropriate questions are asked at each stage. Viewing is an interaction between the viewer and the art object. Although most artworks are constant, the interaction varies with each viewer because of the viewer's own varied perspectives and associations. These include the viewer's unique cultural perspective, associations with elements and images in the work, knowledge of visual arts in general, knowledge of the particular artist, and so on.

Because interaction is personal and will vary from student to student, an atmosphere of trust and respect must be established. Students should be asked to express their personal opinions and encouraged to realize that their unique perspective will enhance other students' viewing experiences.

Teachers should keep in mind that different people respond in different ways to the same work of art. It is also true that one person can, and in most cases should, respond in more than one way to the same work of art.

Students may respond:

These and other possible responses vary and shift in emphasis from viewer to viewer and from artwork to artwork. One viewer might have an immediate emotional response to a work, while another might have an intellectual response. And one artwork might demand an immediate emotional response, while another might include images that have immediate associations for most viewers.

When structuring a viewing activity, teachers may wish to include the following steps:

These steps may be combined or rearranged as appropriate to the situation (e.g., responding to students' own work, the work of peers, or the work of professionals). Note also that in some situations it is entirely appropriate for students to be given an opportunity to have an intuitive response to a work of art without having to analyse the work. When analysing, interpreting, and researching the background of artists of various cultures and societies, the following topics may be considered:

This summary is adapted from Arts Education: A Curriculum Guide for Grade 8 (Saskatchewan Education, Training and Employment, September 1994).

Working with the Visual Arts Community

All aspects of learning in the visual arts may be greatly enriched when guest artists and other arts professionals from the community are involved. Teachers are encouraged to provide these experiences for their students whenever possible.

The broad nature of visual arts as envisioned by this curriculum enables teachers and students to begin where they are most comfortable. To broaden the range of opportunities for students, teachers may wish to enlist the help of the community. It is particularly useful to use "experts" when presenting culture-specific art forms in order to avoid misrepresentation, offence, and misappropriation of culture.

When working with guest artists and other arts professionals, teachers should:

Students should also have opportunities to work as artists themselves, creating works of art for peers, younger students, staff, and other audiences. Teachers and students should consider the following community resources for broadening the range of learning opportunities in visual arts:

Additional Considerations for Instruction in Visual Arts

When planning a visual arts program, consideration must be given to health and safety issues, sensitive content, and facilities and materials.

Creating a Safe Learning Environment

It is essential that teachers address the following questions prior to, during, and after an activity has taken place:

Safety concerns include the safe use, storage, and handling of potentially hazardous materials and equipment, such as:

In providing a safe environment, teachers should consider:

Sensitive Content

The study of visual arts can involve dealing with issues and topics that may be a source of sensitivity or special concern for some students or their parents (e.g., art in religious contexts, human sexuality). The following are some suggested guidelines for dealing with sensitive issues:

Careers Related to Visual Arts

The following lists have been provided to aid students and teachers in researching careers in visual arts. They do not purport to be comprehensive or exhaustive.

Administration

Design and Creation

Teaching

Therapy

Writing and Criticism

Previous Page

Table of Contents

Province of British Columbia
Ministry of Education
Standards Department © 1995 Copyright

Maintained by: Fine Arts Coordinator - Visual Arts

Revised: January 26, 1999

Ministry of Education Home Page