Art Unit

Mapping National Core Arts, California Visual Arts (VAPA) and California
Common Core Standards
Teacher Name _________________________________

Title of Unit: Line Unit

Making Connections
Total Days: 3 weeks (15 days, 50 minutes per day)

Grade Level __________________

Arts Materials
Teaching: Poster board (4 assignments), paper,
Sharpies, watercolor, brushes, colored
construction paper.
Learning: Pencils, Sketchbooks.

Enduring Understanding:
1. Lines and lack of lines can give use important
information as to what we are looking at.
2. Different cultures can hold different meanings/
styles within the same medium.
3. We can use art to see how a culture has changed
over time.
4. Art can be uses to see similarities and
differences among different cultures.

Essential Question(s):
How are lines/lack of lines useful in making art?
What connections can I make across multiple
cultures?

Prior Knowledge/ Skills:

None- First lesson is very basic no prior knowledge
needed, ongoing lessons will build on each other.

New Knowledge/ Skills/ Vocabulary :

Line, Shading, Gestural drawing, Pattern, Calligraphy,
Repetition, Mosaic, Symbolism, Positive/negative
space.

National Core Arts Anchor Standards Creating:

2. Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.

National Core Arts Anchor Standards Presenting:

5. Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for
presentation.

National Core Art Anchor Standards Responding:

8. Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.

National Core Arts Anchor Standards Connecting:

11. Relate artistic ideas and works with societal,
cultural and historical context to deepen
understanding.

California Common Core State Standards English

Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social
Studies, Science, & Technical Subjects- Reading
(RL or RST)
9. Compare and contrast findings presented in a text
to those from other sources (including their own
experiments), noting when the findings support or
contradict previous explanations or accounts.
Tradition Notion of Text: in depth, Compare and
contrast a poem to your own writing. acknowledged
when something is counteracting or supporting
something previously read.
Expanded Notion of Text: Look at islamic art, celtic
art, and Chinese calligraphy, compare and contrast the
different styles see how they support their own
cultures and contradict others.

California Common Core State Standards English

Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social
Studies, Science, & Technical Subjects- Writing (W
or WHST)
2.a. Introduce a topic and organize ideas, concepts,
and information to make important connections and
distinctions; including formatting, graphics, and
multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
Traditional Notion of Text: After reading about
Islamic, Celtic, and Chinese cultures, create a original
idea thats influence by one of them. Make
connections to your own culture.
Expanded Notion of Text: Create an original art work
that is influenced by Islamic, Celtic, or Chinese
culture. Include new medias to aid in comprehension.

California VAPA Standards: Strand 2

2.4 Review and refine observational drawing skills

California VAPA Standards: Strand 1, 3, 4 or 5

3.1 Identify similarities and differences in the
purposes of art created in selected cultures.
3.3 Identify and describe trends in the visual arts and
discuss how the issues of time, place, and culture
influence are reflected in selected works of art.
4.1 Articulate how personal beliefs, cultural
traditions, and current social, economic, and political
contexts influence the interpretation of the meaning of
message in a work of art.

Daily Lesson Plan Outline

Title:
Line patterns
Enduring Understanding:
The use of lines are all around us, they are the basic unit of art. The use of lines and lack of lines
gave give use important information.
Standards:
2.4 Review and refine observational drawing skills
Objective(s):
Students will learn how to draw gestural, blind contour, modified contour, cross contour, spiral
contour, and continuous line drawing on still life in front of them. Students will pair up and draw their
peers. Homework each day will be drawing patterns. Students will finish with a mandala drawing
using line patterns to warm up into their next project
Prior Knowledge:
None
Vocabulary:
Gestural drawing, contour, observation, sketching, pattern, Line.
Materials:
Sketch books, still life objects, pencils. http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2015/08/how-to-draw-amandala/?_ct=rbew&_ctp=176770
Assessment Checklist(s) or Grading Rubric(s) Formative and Summative:
Attempted 1 gestural drawing, blind contour, modified contour, cross contour, spiral contour,
continuous line drawing, and peer drawing: 50%
Has 25 pattern drawings: 25%
Mandala project: 25%
Activity Sequence:
Day one:
5 minute introduction to project (Explain styles of drawing)
10 minute intervals of gestural drawing still life.
10 minutes continuous line drawing.
10 minutes Blind contour
10 minutes Modified contour
Rest of class work on homework (10 different pattern drawings)
Day two:
5 minute introduction to project (Explain styles of drawing)
10 minutes on cross hatching
10 minutes on spiral drawing
10 minutes on vase drawings
5 minutes intervals on drawing peers
Homework 10 more patterns
Day three:
Whole class work on 5 new difficult patterns.
Introduce project of drawing a mandala. Homework if not finished

Daily Lesson Plan Outline

Title:
Calligraphy
Enduring Understanding:
Different cultures can hold different meanings/styles within the same medium.
Standards:
4.1 Articulate how personal beliefs, cultural traditions, and current social, economic, and political contexts
influence the interpretation of the meaning of message in a work of art.
Objective(s): (a descriptive sentence about what kids will actually do, tangible actions)
Students will learn background of calligraphy through out history. They will use brush strokes by
creating bamboo ink paintings. Students will practice calligraphy letters. Project will consist of Writing
their name. Lastly 1 paragraph will be written on how cultures use calligraphy different and how it can
change between two people.
Prior Knowledge: (what they already know, perhaps a lesson or lessons that come before this)
Line
Vocabulary: (art terminology kids should learn in this lesson)
Line, calligraphy, thick, thin, stroke.
Materials:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF2oFnesSoU - History of calligraphy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v527vJObd64 - Bamboo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fmjCi6Cb_o - Brush strokes
Watercolor set, pointed brushes, paper.
Assessment Checklist(s) or Grading Rubric(s) Formative and Summative:
Bamboo - 25%
Alphabet - 25%
Name -25%
Paper - 25%
Activity Sequence:
Day one:
15 minutes on history of Calligraphy video
7 minutes on bamboo video
25 minutes work on bamboo paintings
3 minutes clean up
Day two:
5 minutes stroke video
5 minutes Practicing strokes
5 minutes taking about alphabet
20 minutes working on Upper and Lower case letters
Rest of class working on their project names.

Daily Lesson Plan Outline

Title:
Celtic Knot
Enduring Understanding:
We can use art to see how a culture has changed over time.
Standards:
3.3 Identify and describe trends in the visual arts and discuss how the issues of time, place, and
culture influence are reflected in selected works of art.
Objective(s):
Students will write one page paper on how celtic traditional styles have changed based off the time,
place, and culture at the time. Next day students will work on research and sketches of knots. After
approval of sketches students will begin their project.
Prior Knowledge:
Line project
Vocabulary:
Pattern, Shading, Line, Positive/Negative Space, repetition.
Materials:
Sharpies, Pencils, Poster board, Sketchbook.
Powerpoint on Celtic culture and history.
Assessment Checklist(s) or Grading Rubric(s) Formative and Summative:
Paper on Celtic: 25%
Issues on how time, place, and culture effect art?
Sketches: 25%
Project: 50%
Continuous knot?
Neat/clean, presentation?
Activity Sequence: Total 5 Day
Day one:
15 minutes on celtic culture (Powerpoint)
Rest of class begin writing paper
(early finishers can begin research)
Day two:
Research and sketch book work. (Must seek teacher approval before beginning project)
Begin Project.
Day Three-Five:
Work on Project

Daily Lesson Plan Outline

Title:
Islamic Mosaic
Enduring Understanding:
Art can be uses to see similarities and differences among different cultures.
Standards:
3.1 Identify similarities and differences in the purposes of art created in selected cultures.
Objective(s):
Students will Sketch ideas on their mosaics and begin cutting paper to work on their project. Mosaics
will include cut paper and calligraphy. After project students will write a paper on the similarities and
differences between Islamic art, Chinese calligraphy, and Celtic knot style.
Prior Knowledge:
Line project, Calligraphy project, and Celtic Knot project.
Vocabulary:
Mosaic, Arabesque, interstice, joint, opus, tesserae.
Materials:
Colored construction paper, poster boards, pencils, glue, ink, brushes.
Powerpoint on islamic art.
Assessment Checklist(s) or Grading Rubric(s) Formative and Summative:
Paper: 25%
Comparing similarities and differences on 3 different cultures.
Sketches: 25%
Project: 50%
Has multiple colors and shapes,
Used calligraphy
Neat/clean
Activity Sequence:
Day one:
10 minutes on islamic powerpoint
5 minutes on comparing cultures
Rest of day complete sketches
Day two - four:
Work on project
Begin writing paper
Day five:
Final paper due
Quiz on Art unit