Arts

Visual Arts

Elementary: Grades K-5
 
Students in CVSD elementary schools have the opportunity to work on a focused and sequential Visual Arts curriculum.  This program is built on a working knowledge and understanding of the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design.  Each classroom teacher provides their students with hands-on creative Visual Arts experiences and, at times, integrates the Visual Arts with other curricular areas.

 
Key Visual Arts concepts by grade level:

• Kindergarten = Line; Shape; Color; Texture; Space and Form; Rhythm, Balance, and Unity
• First Grade = Line; Shape; Color; Texture & Rhythm; Space & Form; Emphasis, Balance, and Unity
• Second Grade = Line and Shape; Space and Form; Color and Value; Movement and Rhythm; Balance, Texture, and Emphasis; Harmony, Variety, and Unity
• Third Grade = Line and Shape; Color and Value; Space and Form; Balance and Emphasis; Texture and Rhythm; Harmony, Variety, and Unity
• Fourth Grade = Line, Shape, Rhythm, and Movement; Color and Value; Form, Space and Texture; Balance, Harmony, Variety, Emphasis, and Unity
• Fifth Grade = Line, Shape, and Value; Color, Rhythm, and Movement; Space, Form, and Texture; Proportion and Distortion; Balance and Perspective; Emphasis, Variety, Harmony, and Unity

Middle School: Grades 6-8

Visual Arts program in the Central Valley School District middle schools is a continuation of the sequential, cumulative learning that has a spiraling growth pattern throughout grades K-12 in our schools. 

Following six years of arts curriculum taught within the elementary school classrooms, middle school affords our students an opportunity to meet regularly with an endorsed Visual Arts instructor.  Building upon the knowledge and skills introduced in the earlier years, the students have the challenging opportunity to work in a studio atmosphere creating personal art works.  As they build upon their understanding of the principles of art and the elements of design, the middle school students expand their Visual Arts knowledge and understanding in a variety of art styles and mediums. 

The middle school Visual Arts experience provides the Central Valley School District students a curriculum to explore their creativity and challenge their problem-solving skills.  In addition, students learn to analyze, interpret, and critique with a increased perception of the world of art and the world around them.

The texts used to support visual art instruction in grades 6-8 are Introducing Art, Exploring Art, and Understanding Art, a Glencoe/McGraw Hill published series by Gene Mittler and Rosalind Ragans.  The text and adopted supplemental materials meet and exceed the targeted standards for the Visual Arts in middle school grades 6, 7 and 8.

 
 High School: Grades 9-12

Art provides an understanding of our world and ourselves.  The secondary art curriculum is the culmination of the spiraling, consecutive K-12 arts knowledge and understanding practiced throughout our district.  The high school Visual Arts curriculum emphasizes the Elements or Art and Principles of Design while especially helping students to: 

1.  learn significant achievements of many cultures
2.  Creatively express ideas, feelings and experiences through the upurposeful use of art materials and visual elements
3.  see art as a form of non-verbal communication
4.  make reasoned choices based on critical assessment
5.  make connections to the world of work and avocations in the Arts

The text used to support visual art instruction in grades 9-12 is The Visual Experience (Second Edition) by Richard Salome and Jack Hobbs, published by Davis Publications, Inc. This text is used in the beginning Visual Arts class at both University High School and Central Valley High School.  These classes are a pre-requisite for the other two-dimensional Visual Arts classes and also for students wishing to earn Fine Arts credits in select Career and Technical Education classes.  The text builds upon the knowledge and arts understanding that students learned and implemented in the preceeding sequential K-8 Visual Arts curriculum.  The text and supplemental materials successfully meet and exceed the standards set forth in the Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction's frameworks for Essential Academic Learnings in the Visual Arts.

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