Elementary Curriculum for
Fourth Grade - Art

Art Parts

• Understand that an artist draws upon his own experiences when creating works of art.
• Apply the use of personal experiences to the development of some artworks.
• Recognize that the artist’s personal interpretation of the world can result in a unique style of art.
• Discuss the differences and similarities between two or more artists and their artworks.
• Discuss the differences and similarities between their own work and the work of others.
• Compare and contrast works of art from at least two different periods of art history.
• Expand the definition of style to include works of art created in similar manner.
• Expand the use of media in various applications, recognizing opportunities and limitations of those choices.
• Discover new materials and consider ways to use these tools.
• Apply the use of found materials to the development of art products.
• Recognize materials used to create works of art by analyzing famous artworks.
• Expand the understanding of subjects to include: fantasy, dream and figure study.
• Develop the use of themes and subjects in art by considering and using attribute listing.
• Recognize the attributes of a theme and apply it to the production of artworks.
• Expand understanding form, with increasing recognition including both two-dimensional and three-dimensional artworks.
• Apply various media in expanding formats, making choices to create numerous variations.
• Introduce second definition of form as it applies to three-dimensional artworks.
• Expand the role of audience to include not only the who, what, when and where of art but also the use of aesthetic scanning and critical assessment.
• Apply the use of aesthetic scanning and critical assessment to artworks.
   

Language of Art

• Observe and identify variations in line, shape, color, value, space, texture and form in their own work.
• Develop a larger vocabulary to describe the variations found in the natural and man-made environment in terms of elements of design.
• Apply the attributes of the elements to create variations in the production of artworks.
• Recognize and apply the elements of art to aesthetically scan artworks.
• Observe and identify movement, pattern, balance, unity, contrast, emphasis and composition in their own works of art as well as the works of others.
• Identify the principles of design in nature and the world around them.
• Recognize the use of the principles of design as used by master artists through discovery, perception, contrast and comparison.
• Apply the use of the principles of design to the art process creating artworks.
• Apply the use of the principles of design to describe works of art in aesthetic scanning.
• Analyze, compare and evaluate the visual world looking for elements of art and principles of design.
• Broaden their vocabulary to describe the ideas and feelings communicated through art.
   

History

• Sort, compare and contrast art evidence according to different attributes such as style, subject, techniques, artists and media.
• Broaden their understanding of timeline to include personal, community and worldwide examples using various approaches such as: class timeline, journals, photo collages, videotape and computer opportunities.
• Recognize numerous famous artists, styles and cultures as found in art history.
• Apply the use of evidence of art by matching specific works, artists, styles and cultures as found in art history.
• Apply the use of evidence of art by matching specific works, artists, styles of dress, buildings landscape art etc. to specific times in art history.  example: pyramids-Ancient Egypt
• Learn and apply six main divisions of art history: Ancient Civilizations, Middle Ages, Renaissance, Realism/Romanticism, Impressionism and Modern.
• Broaden cultural awareness to include the following categories of artworks: American, Native-American, Latin American and European.
• Apply the use of historical evidence to the production of artworks.
   

Production and Problem Solving

• Use a growing variety of materials including: crayons, markers, pencils, oil pastels, watercolor and tempera paints, printmaking inks, variations in clay bodies, choices in fibers, recycled materials and materials from nature.
• Use names of tools and processes such as: crayon resist, crayon etch, mixed media, painting, drawing, coil pottery, weaving, double weave, stitchery, mobiles, printmaking, brayer, loom, etc.
• Draw and create from memory, observation, modeled and innovative methods.
• Use imagination, brainstorming and mapping for creative motivation.
• Follow step-by-step directions for sequenced projects and be able to verbalize the process used.
• Use materials with self direction appropriately and safely.
• Use appropriate terms to describe specific techniques and tools.