UNION PREPARATORY HIGH SCHOOL
Visual Arts Curriculum: Visual Arts Intermediate
Teacher: Ms. Masone
Room Number: HS102
Email Address: jalmeidamasone@indiantrailprep.org
Course Description: Visual Arts Intermediate (Grades 9-12)
Designed for students continuing their study of art on the high school level, this course will
focus on continued growth of drawing skills, color theory, and intermediate concepts and
techniques. This course will expose students to a variety of media and develop skills for further
art study. Students will learn to utilize the elements and principles of art and design in their
own work.
Key Topics
Growing Various Techniques (Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Collage, Sculpture)
Experimentation of Various Media (Pencil, watercolor, acrylic paint, paper, cardboard, clay,
etc.)
Developing own style
Critique, Analysis & Exhibition
Art History, Contemporary Art
Technology, Online Portfolios
Appropriation, copyrights, open source, etc
Careers in Art
COURSE EXPECTATIONS
All policies as stated in the student handbook will be in effect. Please review the entire
handbook.
Grading Policies / Term Grades:
Mastery Grades:
Weekly Progress Grades: Each Friday, a mastery grade will be given based on your
week of work. This could be ANY part of the creative process.
Completed works of art: Each work of art completed will have an accompanying
mastery grade. The art itself is not assessed. Instead, reflection questions, an artist
statement, or a presentation of the art will serve as the assessment.
Practice Grades:
Bell Ringers: Each Friday, the bell ringer notebook will be checked for a practice grade.
Extra Help & Open Studio: Extra help and open studio will take place after school on
specified days.
Conduct and Performance in Class
Focus and persevere. You must always remain focused on your work. More than one
reminder to work will result in verbal warnings. Your seat may be moved to promote your
productivity. Seating charts will be created to promote focused work and collaboration.
Take risks (safely) and experiment with your artwork. Embrace happy accidents – that’s how
you come up with ideas and solutions that you haven’t thought of before!
Respect. Respect others, others’ work, the teacher, the materials, the classroom, your own
work, and yourselves.
There is zero tolerance for bullying or any form of harassment.
Use of Portable Devices: The only device that can be used in the classroom is the school-
issued laptop or classroom ipad. IF you want to use your own photos for reference, you’ll
need to email them to yourself or Ms. Masone from home.
Work Area: Everyone is responsible for their own work areas and materials. At the end of
class, wipe down your area with cleaning spray and paper towels if necessary. Put all
materials back where they belong.
Belongings: All backpacks and personal items should be safely placed under the table.
End of Class: Once you have cleaned your area and have gathered your belongings, stay
sitting in your seat to allow others to move freely & safely through the room.
Studio Habits: See attached sheet.
Attendance, Absences, & Tardiness:
First 10 Minutes: When you arrive in class, do not ask to go to the bathroom
immediately. Stay in the classroom for the first 10 minutes of class, or 20-30 minutes if there
is a presentation or demonstration. Otherwise, you will miss important information.
Making Up W0rk: If you are absent or out of class for any reason, check Schoology and
speak directly with the teacher for explanation of missed assignments.
Emergency Information & Safety
Evacuation: Our emergency exit is the front entrance of the HS & the HS parking lot
Crisis Lockdown: Safe area in the closet.
This course meets the NC Essential Standards for Visual Arts
NC Standard Course of Study at the Intermediate level
By signing below, you acknowledge that you have read, understand, and comply with the course
policies and expectations.
Student Signature: ______________________________________________________ Date:
______________________
Parent Signature: _______________________________________________________ Date:
_______________________
Optional supply donations (these items are a HUGE help to our studio):
Cleaning wipes for tables
Baby wipes for hands
Gallon Zip loc bags for clay
Kleenex
Sandwich bags for collage pieces
Craft supplies (pipe cleaners, beads, scrapbook paper, scrap fabrics, fabric paints, etc)
Copy Paper
STUDIO HABITS OF MIND:
From Studio Thinking (Hetland, Winner)
All of these behaviors are crucial to your success in the art room as well as everything else you
do. With slight adaptations, these habits and skills apply to any aspect of life or any field that
you may decide to go into. The rubrics for each project are organized by the Studio Habits.
Develop Craft
o Develop skills using different tools and media
o Know how to use and care for tools and materials
o Learn artistic techniques, ideas, elements and principles of design
o Understand psychology of design, why something “works”
o Develop motor skills
Engage and Persist
o Participate in discussions
o Find and embrace relevant problems (art world and/or personal importance)
o Make efficient use of time
o Stay focused: Presentations, demonstrations, and in-class work
o Persevere when you run into problems; Don’t give up when you get stuck
o Collaborate with others; Use each other as resources for ideas and information; Work
together as a team
Envision
o Communicate ideas through sketches and preliminary drawings
o Picture mentally what you can’t observe directly
o Imagine possible next steps in making a piece
o Come up with multiple solutions to one problem; Different perspectives
o Creativity; Ingenuity; Thinking outside the box
Express
o Create works that convey an idea, concept, feeling, or personal meaning
o Communicate to an audience through your work
Observe
o Exercise your right brain: Translate what you see directly onto paper
o Look more closely: Pay more attention to detail
o See things differently than others would see them
o See things that otherwise would not have been seen
Reflect
o Question, Explain, Evaluate, Communicate
o Think and talk with others about your own or others’ work (and working process)
o Judge your own and other’s work (and working process)
o Critical thinking
o Make thoughtful decisions
Stretch and Explore
o Reach beyond your capacity or “limit”
o Take risks with your work
o Experiment and explore art techniques and materials beyond your comfort zone
o Aware of opportunity to learn from mistakes and accidents
Understand the Art World
o Art history; Where art comes from; Historical context
o The current practice of art; Contemporary art
o Understand the art of different cultures; why art is important to them
o Interact with other artists and within community
o Be familiar with museums; Exposure to art
o Research
