Foundations Of Visual Arts Lesson Plan for 8th Grade Students

Topic: Foundations of Visual Arts

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to define the Elements of Art and Principles of Design.
• Students will be able to identify and use the Elements of Art and Principles of Design in their own artwork.

Materials

• Examples of artwork that demonstrate the Elements of Art and Principles of Design (e.g. sculptures, paintings, drawings, photographs)
• Handouts with definitions and examples of the Elements of Art and Principles of Design

Warm-Up

• Have students look at a selection of artwork and ask them to observe the different forms of art.
• Ask them to think about what makes each piece of art unique and how the artist may have used the Elements of Art and Principles of Design to achieve this.
• Have a brief discussion about the importance of art in our everyday lives and how studying art can help us to appreciate and understand it better.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of the Elements of Art and Principles of Design and explain how they work together to create art.
• Use examples from the artwork that the students observed in the warm-up activity to demonstrate how each element works and how it contributes to the overall design and feeling of the art.
• Ask the students to take notes on the elements and principles as they are introduced.

Guided Practice

• Give the students small pieces of white paper and ask them to draw or paint a still life using the elements and principles that have been introduced.
• Walk around and offer guidance and support as needed.

Independent Practice

• Give the students larger pieces of paper and ask them to create their own still life compositions using the elements and principles that have been introduced.
• Encourage the students to be creative and to experiment with different compositions.

Closure

• Have the students share their still life compositions with the class.
• Review the elements and principles that were used in the compositions.

Assessment

• Observe the students as they work on their still life compositions and provide feedback.
• Collect and review the students' completed still life compositions to assess their understanding of the elements and principles of art.