Art                                                                  

Teacher: Ellen Crane

My Classroom:
Art is a vital part of the curriculum for all ages. It provides students with the opportunity to work with a variety of materials that stimulate their curiosity, inspire their creativity and give them a desire to explore. The role of art is two-fold. On the one hand it is integrated with other subjects to enhance theme and topic work. On the other hand, it is an educational subject in its own right, teaching children fundamental elements and principles of art, such as line, shape, texture and color. As has been stated by the Bank Street School of Education in New York City, “Art is hard disciplined work as well as the sheer joy of messing about. The goal of the art program is to introduce students to the visual and tactile qualities of their surroundings, in art, architecture and the natural world around them. Through close observation, students become more visually and aesthetically aware. A summary of the specific goals are as follows:

• To explore and experiment with various techniques and media such as painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, collage, etc through the creation of two and three dimensional design
• To create imaginative, original works of art
• To understand, appreciate and gain knowledge of art in various cultures throughout history
• To be inventive, self-disciplined and a problem solver
• To follow a sequence from beginning to end, to learn planning and perseverance
• To communicate personal feeling through a variety of visual media
• To feel secure experimenting with materials and to experience self-esteem through artistic expression
• To be able to ask fro help and to readily participate in an activity