The sixth grade curriculum emphasizes the elements and principles of art. Through drawing, painting, and expressing themselves, students will improve fine motor skills while learning new techniques and exploring a wide variety of media.

Over the course of a semester, students will gain exposure to and experience with a variety of two-dimensional and three-dimensional art forms. Woven into each project are concepts addressing the elements and principles of art. Aspects of art that will be explored include communication, personal expression, art history, and original thought. Students will have the opportunity to further skills they may have already developed, as well as gain new skills in a variety of media. 

In 8th grade Art, divergent thinking is stressed as well as the idea of art as communication. The elements and principles of design continue to be integrated into all projects. This class will expose students to a variety of 2D media used in art such as oil pastels, chalk pastels, paint, and pencil, and 3D media such as clay.

In this course, students will practice self-direction, critical thinking, invention, information literacy and collaboration as they work within the studio space creating artwork. 

Student artists/studio artists will identify areas of focus research, then propose and create a body of artwork around concepts of personal interest. As a component of this inquiry, students will study art history, develop an artist presentation, maintain a personal sketchbook and a journal as evidence of this research, and create a body of artwork. Student artists will present their research and art projects to the class at the end of the semester.

This course prepares students for further artistic career study but is beneficial for all students seeking to develop the Essential skills that will make them creative thinkers and leaders in the art field.

This course prepares students for high school visual arts courses.