National Standards for Grades 5-8
Content Standard 1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes
a. Students select media, techniques, and processes; analyze what makes them effective or not effective in communicating ideas; and reflect upon the effectiveness of their choices
b. Students intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of *art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of their experiences and ideas
Content Standard 2: Using knowledge of structures and functions
a. Students generalize about the effects of visual structures and functions and reflect upon these effects in their own work
b. Students employ organizational structures and analyze what makes them effective or not effective in the communication of ideas
c. Students select and use the qualities of structures and functions of art to improve communication of their ideas
Content Standard 3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas
a. Students integrate visual, spatial, and temporal concepts with content to communicate intended meaning in their artworks
b. Students use subjects, themes, and symbols that demonstrate knowledge of contexts, values, and aesthetics that communicate intended meaning in artworks
Content Standard 4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
a. Students know and compare the characteristics of artworks in various eras and cultures
b. Students describe and place a variety of art objects in historical and cultural contexts
c. Students analyze, describe, and demonstrate how factors of time and place (such as climate, resources, ideas, and technology) influence visual characteristics that give meaning and value to a work of art
Content Standard 5: Reflecting upon and *assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others
a. Students compare multiple purposes for creating works of art
b. Students analyze contemporary and historic meanings in specific artworks through cultural and aesthetic inquiry
c. Students describe and compare a variety of individual responses to their own artworks and to artworks from various eras and cultures
Content Standard 6: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines
a. Students compare the characteristics of works in two or more art forms that share similar subject matter, historical periods, or cultural context
b. Students describe ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with the visual arts
a. Students select media, techniques, and processes; analyze what makes them effective or not effective in communicating ideas; and reflect upon the effectiveness of their choices
b. Students intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of *art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of their experiences and ideas
Content Standard 2: Using knowledge of structures and functions
a. Students generalize about the effects of visual structures and functions and reflect upon these effects in their own work
b. Students employ organizational structures and analyze what makes them effective or not effective in the communication of ideas
c. Students select and use the qualities of structures and functions of art to improve communication of their ideas
Content Standard 3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas
a. Students integrate visual, spatial, and temporal concepts with content to communicate intended meaning in their artworks
b. Students use subjects, themes, and symbols that demonstrate knowledge of contexts, values, and aesthetics that communicate intended meaning in artworks
Content Standard 4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
a. Students know and compare the characteristics of artworks in various eras and cultures
b. Students describe and place a variety of art objects in historical and cultural contexts
c. Students analyze, describe, and demonstrate how factors of time and place (such as climate, resources, ideas, and technology) influence visual characteristics that give meaning and value to a work of art
Content Standard 5: Reflecting upon and *assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others
a. Students compare multiple purposes for creating works of art
b. Students analyze contemporary and historic meanings in specific artworks through cultural and aesthetic inquiry
c. Students describe and compare a variety of individual responses to their own artworks and to artworks from various eras and cultures
Content Standard 6: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines
a. Students compare the characteristics of works in two or more art forms that share similar subject matter, historical periods, or cultural context
b. Students describe ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with the visual arts
National Standards for the Visual Arts: Grades 9-12
Content Standard 1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes
Proficient:
a. Students apply media, techniques, and processes with sufficient skill, confidence, and sensitivity that their intentions are carried out in their artworks
b. Students conceive and *create works of visual art that demonstrate an understanding of how the communication of their ideas relates to the media, techniques, and processes they use
Advanced:
c. Students communicate ideas regularly at a high level of effectiveness in at least one visual arts medium
d. Students initiate, define, and solve challenging visual arts problems independently using intellectual skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation
Content Standard 2: Using knowledge of structures and functions
Proficient:
a. Students demonstrate the ability to form and defend judgments about the characteristics and structures to accomplish commercial, personal, communal, or other purposes of art
b. Students evaluate the effectiveness of artworks in terms of organizational structures and functions
c. Students create artworks that use *organizational principles and functions to solve specific visual arts problems
Advanced:
d. Students demonstrate the ability to compare two or more perspectives about the use of organizational principles and functions in artwork and to defend personal evaluations of these perspectives
e. Students create multiple solutions to specific visual arts problems that demonstrate competence in producing effective relationships between structural choices and artistic functions
Content Standard 3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas
Proficient:
a. Students reflect on how artworks differ visually, spatially, temporally, and functionally, and describe how these are related to history and culture
b. Students apply subjects, symbols, and ideas in their artworks and use the skills gained to solve problems in daily life
Advanced:
c. Students describe the origins of specific images and ideas and explain why they are of value in their artwork and in the work of others
d. Students or content and the manner in which subject matter, symbols, and images are used
in the students’ works and in significant works by others
Content Standard 4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
Proficient:
a. Students differentiate among a variety of historical and cultural contexts in terms of characteristics and purposes of works of art
b. Students describe the function and explore the meaning of specific art objects within varied cultures, times, and places
c. Students analyze relationships of works of art to one another in terms of history, aesthetics, and culture, justifying conclusions made in the analysis and using such conclusions to inform their own art making
Advanced:
d. Students analyze and interpret artworks for relationships among form, context, purposes, and critical models, showing understanding of the work of critics, historians, aestheticians, and artists
e. Students analyze common characteristics of visual arts evident across time and among cultural/ethnic groups to formulate analyses, evaluations, and interpretations of meaning
Content Standard 5: Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work
and the work of others
Proficient:
a. Students identify intentions of those creating artworks, explore the implications of various purposes, and justify their analyses of purposes in particular works
b. Students describe meanings of artworks by analyzing how specific works are created and how they relate to historical and cultural contexts
c. Students reflect analytically on various interpretations as a means for understanding and evaluating works of visual art
Advanced:
d. Students correlate responses to works of visual art with various techniques for communicating meanings, ideas, attitudes, views, and intentions
Content Standard 6: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines
Proficient:
a. Students compare the materials, *technologies, media, and processes of the visual arts with those of other arts disciplines as they are used in creation and types of analysis
b. Students compare characteristics of visual arts within a particular historical period or style with ideas, issues, or themes in the humanities or sciences
Advanced:
c. Students synthesize the creative and analytical principles and techniques of the visual arts and selected other arts disciplines, the humanities, or the sciences
Proficient:
a. Students apply media, techniques, and processes with sufficient skill, confidence, and sensitivity that their intentions are carried out in their artworks
b. Students conceive and *create works of visual art that demonstrate an understanding of how the communication of their ideas relates to the media, techniques, and processes they use
Advanced:
c. Students communicate ideas regularly at a high level of effectiveness in at least one visual arts medium
d. Students initiate, define, and solve challenging visual arts problems independently using intellectual skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation
Content Standard 2: Using knowledge of structures and functions
Proficient:
a. Students demonstrate the ability to form and defend judgments about the characteristics and structures to accomplish commercial, personal, communal, or other purposes of art
b. Students evaluate the effectiveness of artworks in terms of organizational structures and functions
c. Students create artworks that use *organizational principles and functions to solve specific visual arts problems
Advanced:
d. Students demonstrate the ability to compare two or more perspectives about the use of organizational principles and functions in artwork and to defend personal evaluations of these perspectives
e. Students create multiple solutions to specific visual arts problems that demonstrate competence in producing effective relationships between structural choices and artistic functions
Content Standard 3: Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas
Proficient:
a. Students reflect on how artworks differ visually, spatially, temporally, and functionally, and describe how these are related to history and culture
b. Students apply subjects, symbols, and ideas in their artworks and use the skills gained to solve problems in daily life
Advanced:
c. Students describe the origins of specific images and ideas and explain why they are of value in their artwork and in the work of others
d. Students or content and the manner in which subject matter, symbols, and images are used
in the students’ works and in significant works by others
Content Standard 4: Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures
Proficient:
a. Students differentiate among a variety of historical and cultural contexts in terms of characteristics and purposes of works of art
b. Students describe the function and explore the meaning of specific art objects within varied cultures, times, and places
c. Students analyze relationships of works of art to one another in terms of history, aesthetics, and culture, justifying conclusions made in the analysis and using such conclusions to inform their own art making
Advanced:
d. Students analyze and interpret artworks for relationships among form, context, purposes, and critical models, showing understanding of the work of critics, historians, aestheticians, and artists
e. Students analyze common characteristics of visual arts evident across time and among cultural/ethnic groups to formulate analyses, evaluations, and interpretations of meaning
Content Standard 5: Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work
and the work of others
Proficient:
a. Students identify intentions of those creating artworks, explore the implications of various purposes, and justify their analyses of purposes in particular works
b. Students describe meanings of artworks by analyzing how specific works are created and how they relate to historical and cultural contexts
c. Students reflect analytically on various interpretations as a means for understanding and evaluating works of visual art
Advanced:
d. Students correlate responses to works of visual art with various techniques for communicating meanings, ideas, attitudes, views, and intentions
Content Standard 6: Making connections between visual arts and other disciplines
Proficient:
a. Students compare the materials, *technologies, media, and processes of the visual arts with those of other arts disciplines as they are used in creation and types of analysis
b. Students compare characteristics of visual arts within a particular historical period or style with ideas, issues, or themes in the humanities or sciences
Advanced:
c. Students synthesize the creative and analytical principles and techniques of the visual arts and selected other arts disciplines, the humanities, or the sciences