How to Plan Your Middle School Art Curriculum in 8 Easy Steps!
Ever wondered how to create a middle school art curriculum that not only engages students but also builds their skills step-by-step? Whether you’re a seasoned teacher or new to the classroom, planning a successful art curriculum can feel like a daunting task. But don’t worry—I’m here to help you lay a solid foundation that your students can build on, one lesson at a time.
Why is a Well-Planned Middle School Art Curriculum Important?
Fosters Creativity: A well-structured curriculum encourages students to express themselves while gradually introducing them to more complex techniques.
Builds Confidence: Starting with simple projects helps students feel successful early on, which boosts their confidence.
Develops Skills: By introducing skills in a logical sequence, you ensure that students master each step before moving on to the next.
Ready to Plan Your Middle School Curriculum?
Planning a middle school art curriculum doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here’s a step-by-step approach to get you started.
1. Start Simple and Expressive
Kick off the year with something that allows your students to express their personality. The goal here is to establish trust and create positive associations with art. This is their chance to shine, and your chance to get to know them. Think of it as laying down the first brick in your art education house. You want them to feel successful and excited about what’s to come!
Lesson Example: First Day of School Pop Art Name Design
One fantastic way to start the year is with the First Day of School Pop Art Name Designlesson from my Middle School Art Curriculum Bundle. This activity introduces students to the vibrant world of Pop Art while allowing them to showcase their unique personalities. It’s an ideal project for both the first day and the first week of school, setting a positive and creative tone for the rest of the year. By focusing on bold colors and creative lettering, students can experiment with different artistic techniques and see how Pop Art can be both fun and expressive. This project includes visual aids and practice sheets, ensuring that students gain confidence and proficiency in their artistic abilities.
Once your students are feeling confident, it’s time to introduce skills that build on each other—slowly. Start with simple line drawing lessons. These should touch on composition and design, helping students get comfortable with hand-eye coordination, line quality, and line weight. Think of these lessons as the mortar that holds your curriculum together. It’s all about mastering the basics before moving on.
Lesson Example: Contour Line Drawing
A great lesson to introduce these concepts is the Contour Line Drawing lesson from my Middle School Art Curriculum Bundle. This lesson teaches students the fundamentals of line drawing while allowing them to create interesting and visually engaging artwork. By focusing on contours, students learn to observe and capture the edges of objects, which is essential for drawing accurately. This lesson encourages them to experiment with different line weights and qualities, helping them to develop a more nuanced understanding of how lines can create depth and interest in their work.
Next up, introduce negative space. This is a crucial concept that helps students learn what to look for when drawing from life or an image. It’s like teaching them to see the spaces in between—an essential skill that will serve them well in future projects.
Lesson Example: Negative Space Drawing
The Negative Space Drawing lesson from my Middle School Art Curriculum Bundle is perfect for this stage. This lesson challenges students to shift their focus from the objects themselves to the shapes around and between them. By practicing with negative space, students enhance their observational skills and begin to see the world in a more detailed and artistic way. This lesson is essential for helping students understand the importance of composition and balance in their artwork.
Here’s where things start to get really exciting. Introduce the X-Grid technique to help students scale images accurately. This method is the foundation of my curriculum, and I can’t stress enough how important it is. I have my students complete multiple projects that begin with an X-Grid, switching out the mediums and materials to keep things interesting. By the time they’ve mastered this, they’re ready for more advanced techniques.
Lesson Example: Neuro Doodle Lesson Bundle
The Neuro Doodle Lesson Bundle from my curriculum incorporates the X-Grid technique in a creative and engaging way. Students use the grid to transfer intricate, designs, allowing them to practice precision while exploring expressive doodling. This project builds their confidence with the X-Grid method, setting them up for success as they move on to more detailed and challenging work.
With a solid foundation in place, it’s time to dive into the principles of design. You can teach these in a variety of ways, but I like to keep things simple and focus on projects that allow students to be successful. This is where they start to see how all the pieces fit together.
Lesson Example: Elements & Principles Handouts
The Elements & Principles Handouts from my curriculum provide a comprehensive introduction to these crucial concepts. With clear explanations and examples, students will gain a solid understanding of how to apply these principles in their own work.
Once your students are comfortable with line drawing and composition, it’s time to tackle shading. Start small and keep the projects simple to help them really understand and practice good technique. Shading can be tricky, but with a little patience, your students will get the hang of it.
Lesson Example: Value and Shading Lesson
The Geometric Shading lesson from my curriculum is perfect for teaching this skill. Students start with basic shapes, learning how to apply different shading techniques to create light, shadow, and texture. The lesson includes step-by-step instructions and practice exercises, ensuring that students build their shading skills gradually and effectively.
Now that your students have a handle on shading, it’s time to explore color theory and value. Use simple projects to help them experiment with different color schemes and learn how to create dark and light values with color. This is also a great opportunity to introduce them to a variety of art materials.
Lesson Example: Painting Neon Lights
The Painting Neon Lights lesson from my curriculum is a vibrant and engaging way to explore color theory. In this project, students learn about value and color contrast by creating neon light effects using bright, bold colors on a dark background. This lesson not only reinforces their understanding of color theory but also allows them to experiment with color in a way that feels fresh and exciting, helping to cement these concepts in a memorable and creative manner.
Finally, bring it all together with lessons on perspective and painting. Sometimes, I teach these before shading, but often I save them for last. Shading can be tedious and requires a lot of focus, so by the end of the semester, students appreciate something a little more fun and expressive to finish the year on a high note.
The Landscape Drawing Project in my Middle School Art Curriculum Bundle is designed to teach students these critical concepts. Through guided practice, students learn to create depth and dimension in their landscapes by carefully considering how different elements of the scene relate to each other. This lesson serves as a perfect culmination of the skills they’ve developed throughout the year, as they apply their understanding of perspective to create realistic and balanced compositions.
There you have it! This is the basic scope and sequence I use to plan my middle school art curriculum. Remember, the key is to start simple, build on skills slowly, and keep things engaging. And if you’re looking for more detailed examples or a ready-to-use curriculum, I’ve got a PDF document you can download here.
Make It Easy with My Middle School Art Curriculum Bundle
If this sounds like a lot to manage, you’re not alone. Designing an effective middle school art curriculum can be time-consuming. That’s why I’ve developed a comprehensive Middle School Art Curriculum Bundle designed to make your planning process easier. It includes detailed lesson plans, engaging projects, and all the resources you need to implement these strategies seamlessly in your classroom.
Ready to make your teaching experience smoother and more enjoyable? 🎨
Click hereto explore my Middle School Art Curriculum Bundle and see how it can help you build an engaging and effective art program for your students. Happy teaching!
Be the first to know about discounts, freebies, and new resources!
