Visual Arts Standards

Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework 

1. Methods, Materials, and Techniques. 

Students will demonstrate knowledge of the methods, materials, and techniques unique to the visual arts. 

By the end of grade 4 Students will 

1.1 Use a variety of materials and media, for example, crayons, chalk, paint, clay, various kinds of papers, textiles, and yarns, and understand how to use them to produce different visual effects 

1.2 Create artwork in a variety of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) media, for example: 2D – drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, weaving; 3D – plastic (malleable) materials such as clay and paper, wood, or found objects for assemblage and construction 

1.3 Learn and use appropriate vocabulary related to methods, materials, and techniques

1.4 Learn to take care of materials and tools and to use them safely

2. Elements and Principles of Design. 

Students will demonstrate knowledge of the elements and principles of design. 

By the end of grade 4 students will

2.1 For color, explore and experiment with the use of color in dry and wet  media Identify primary and secondary colors and gradations of black, white and gray in the environment and artwork Explore how color can convey mood and emotion 

2.2 For line, explore the use of line in 2D and 3D works. Identify a wide variety of types of lines in the environment and in artwork 

2.3 For texture, explore the use of textures in 2D and 3D works Identify a wide variety of types of textures, for example, smooth, rough, and bumpy, in the environment and in artwork Create representations of textures in drawings, paintings, rubbings, or relief 

2.4 For shape and form, explore the use of shapes and forms in 2D and 3D works Identify simple shapes of different sizes, for example, circles, squares, triangles, and forms, for example, spheres, cones, cubes, in the environment and in artwork 

2.5 For pattern and symmetry, explore the use of patterns and symmetrical shapes in 2D and 3D works Identify patterns and symmetrical forms and shapes in the environment and artwork. Explain and demonstrate ways in which patterns and symmetrical shapes may be made 

2.6 For space and composition, explore composition by creating artwork with a center of interest, repetition, and/or balance Demonstrate an understanding of foreground, middle ground, and background Define and identify occurrences of balance, rhythm, repetition, variety, and emphasis 

3. Observation, Abstraction, Invention, and Expression. 

Students will demonstrate their powers of observation, abstraction, invention, and expression in a variety of media, materials, and techniques. 

By the end of grade 4 Students will

3.1 Create 2D and 3D artwork from direct observation For example, students draw a still life of flowers or fruit, action studies of their classmates in sports poses, or sketches of the class pet having a snack or a nap. 

3.2 Create 2D and 3D expressive artwork that explores abstraction 

For example, a student simplifies an image by making decisions about essential colors, lines, or textures. 

3.3 Create 2D and 3D artwork from memory or imagination to tell a story or embody an idea or fantasy 

For example, students draw members of a family from memory; illustrate a character in a folktale or play; build a clay model of an ideal place to play; or make images that convey ideas such as friendship. 

4. Drafting, Revising, and Exhibiting. 

Students will demonstrate knowledge of the processes of creating and exhibiting their own artwork: drafts, critique, self-assessment, refinement, and exhibit preparation. 

By the end of grade 4 Students will 

4.1 Select a work or works created during the year and discuss them with a parent, classmate, or teacher, explaining how the work was made, and why it was chosen for discussion 

For example, a first grader chooses a painting and tells how she mixed the colors, and talks about the decisions she made. 

4.2 Select works for exhibition and work as a group to create a display 

4.3 As a class, develop and use criteria for informal classroom discussions about art 

5. Critical Response. 

Students will describe and analyze their own work and the work of others using appropriate visual arts vocabulary. When appropriate, students will connect their analysis to interpretation and evaluation. 

By the end of grade 4 Students will 

5.1 In the course of making and viewing art, learn ways of discussing it, such as by making a list of all of the images seen in an artwork (visual inventory); and identifying kinds of color, line, texture, shapes, and forms in the work 

5.2 Classify artworks into general categories, such as painting, printmaking, collage, sculpture, pottery, textiles, architecture, photography, and film

 5.3 Describe similarities and differences in works, and present personal responses to the subject matter, materials, techniques, and use of design elements in artworks 

5.4 (Grades 3 and 4) Explain strengths and weaknesses in their own work, and share comments constructively and supportively within the group