What would it be like living during the Harlem Renaissance? How would you feel if your family packed up and moved to another state? In this lesson students will discuss, visualize and create artwork inspired by the work of Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden.

Students will explore both historical and contemporary purposes of masks in various cultures. Students will analyze visual principles and properties of masks construction. Students will communicate personal stories and identity through the creation of masks using contemporary materials. 

In this printmaking project inspired by the work of Virginia Beach native and artist, Ryan McGinness, students will learn about simplifying complex imagery into basic symbols and design a personalized symbol stamp. They will also get a glimpse of artists working together in a studio environment. Students will print their symbols on a collaborative work of art in addition to creating individual prints.

Students will use the process of printmaking to create personal works of art. Students will investigate the history and processes of printmaking. Exploring traditional approaches to printmaking, students will create innovative products.

During this lesson, students will explore concepts related to animation while creating a moving image using ideas, subject matter, and materials of their choice by designing a functional thaumatrope. 

Students will take on the role of a graphic designer and create a logo for their dream business relying on symbolism and imagery over text. Students will use linoleum printing methods to print their business logo on multiple surfaces - shirts, bags, paper etc. Utilizing printmaking allows students to see the benefits of using this media when reproduction of a design is desired.

Students will experiment with various light blocking materials and how they affect creation of shadows. Using this knowledge, student will participate in a series of activities manipulating and capturing shadows to inform their own work creating a 3D sculpture that casts a unique shadow.

Students will learn that a mistake is an opportunity to be an artist.  Students will first close their eyes and make an unwanted mark on their paper, then use a variety of art supplies to turn that “mistake” into a work of art.  By problem-solving, students will explore solutions that may take the form of animals, objects, places, or non-representative art.

Students will look at the difference between abstract, non-representational, and representational work before creating their own piece of art. The work of art they create will be a depiction of their own emotions while listening to different types (genres) of music. Students will choose from available media and create a work based on their own emotional response to the musical selections.

During this lesson, students will work in teams to plan, construct, and test a functional miniature golf sculpture while they explore topics related to collaboration, design thinking, and peer critique. A focus on specific art production skills such as armature building and rendering objects using paper mâché will be explored. The finished artwork will be peer reviewed for creativity, craftsmanship, and challenge. 

Students will explore the contemporary technique of Pixel Art- using exaggerated pixel size to emulate the low-resolution aesthetic of Late 80’s/early 90’s video games. Using a free image-editing and animation application, student can create their own pixelized version of an everyday inanimate object and then animate their image.

Students will research and plan for creating art while learning to visualize landscapes three-dimensionally.  Students will explore and experiment with three-dimensional paper techniques and depict elements in foreground, middle ground and background.

Students will learn that artists honor their heroes by creating portraits of them. Students will first brainstorm who is a hero in their life (answers can be specific names, jobs, or even animals).  Then students will create a work of art that memorializes the heroic qualities of this important person. 

Students will understand that information passes from generation to generation through the ancient tradition of storytelling. Students will recognize that puppetry is a visual expression of storytelling used by many cultures for entertainment, community gatherings, to convey information and to encourage understanding and/or empathy. Students will create a shadow puppet and perform a short puppet show based on a folk tale, tall tale, or poem.

Students will learn about stop-motion, animation, GIF art. Students will look at contemporary artists who create artistic stop-motion GIFs. Students will then design their own stop-motion GIFs based on an aspect of their personal identities.  

Much of what we know about ancient cultures comes from their artwork. What would can we learn about our students through their artwork? Students will create a two-dimensional work of art that is inspired by Greek pottery that also communicates a story.

Students will learn the symbols representing Virginia (flag, flower and bird). Students will create a personal symbol. Students will create their own song/chant about a symbol or flag they created.

Students will learn about installation art and artists such as Sandy Skoglund to inspire the creation of their own small-scale installation.  Students will create designs based on their chosen concept and understanding of installation art in creating a small installation for their bookshelf (book nook).

Students will learn about contemporary artist Beatriz Milhazes. Inspired by her work, students will first practice using line, shape, and color by creating an abstract drawing using household items. Then, students will use digital drawing tools to explore those concepts and unexpected outcomes to create a final work of art.

In this lesson students will develop a story arc through a sequence of panels that contains a beginning, middle, and end.  Each panel will be illustrated in a style inspired by graphic novel illustrations. In this lesson, students are learning to tell a visual story based on a personal skill or achievement.