WHY ART? When we ask our new 6th graders "Why do you take art?", we usually get answers that range from "It's fun", to "I have no idea- to "learn to draw better?". Through a few simple drawing prompts and an interesting discussion, we eventually get our students to realize that art allows them an opportunity to think abstractly. Most of their learning up to this point is concrete learning- learning about facts, formulas, rules etc... where everything has a specific right answer. A class such as ours, encourages our students to think not about facts, but rather ideas. A good, original idea is what sets them apart from everyone else. It's what makes them special. Art is a perfect venue for practicing the process of idea generation through presentation and critique. It provides intrinsic appeal and through the learned application of various art materials- students can execute their idea in a satisfying manner.
We encourage them to think longer, plan better and work harder to be different. Idea generation, observation skills and art medium application techniques are the core of middle school art. 6th grade students meet everyday for 10 weeks. In that time, we hope to make them believe that they are creative in their own way and that the physical act of art can be learned.
GRADING .Assignments are scored out of a possible 100 pts (weighted 70%). Each assignment also has an effort/participation grade that is a possible 100 pts (weighted 30%). Students will also complete common formative assessments, artist statements and/or reflections.