UNIT II

Instructional Planning
In the Visual Arts

I – Introduction

“All the things are created twice. There’s a mental or first creation, and physical or
secondary creation to all things.” – Stephen R. Covey

Like creating a work of art, teaching art effectively involves planning before doing.
When artist create a work of art, even if it seems spontaneous, they first create vision in
their minds before creating it with their hands. For veteran art teachers who can visualize
the planning progress mentally, a rough outline may do. But if you are a novice art, it is
important to have a well-written flow of your activity otherwise, teaching art especially to
younger kids can be more challenging. For professional art teachers in schools, a detailed
lesson plan based on curriculum is required.

II – Lesson 1

INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING

Importance of Instructional Planning

Having an instructional plan helps teachers stay on track with the lesson and
achieve learning objectives. It determines the clear objectives for each sessions and helps
teachers prepare materials, conduct procedure safely, and assess appropriately. It helps
you see the whole picture and set the flow of the lesson. Ideally, teachers should follow the
curriculum set by the school, however art involves a lot of creativity and spontaneity.
Sometimes the art teacher and students may get lost in the process through exploration
and discovery. This can be problematic if you are trying to comply to set of standards in a
limited time frame.

Following the lesson plan is important. But at the same time, keep your plans
flexible, leaving space for serendipity and unanticipated learning (Douglas & Jaquith 2018).
Planning helps manage time and resources and foresee different possibilities; what will
work and what will not. The teachers can prepare a backup plan just in case things might
work the way they expected. Planning the materials needed is also crucial. For some
teachers, it is the other way around. The planning is set based on materials available.
Planning the classroom setup and seating arrangement is also very important. Setting up
an art room can take a lot of time, and knowing whether you’re going to use the tables,
desk chairs, or the floor beforehand can save you a lot of stress and time.

In teaching art in schools, it is necessary to plan your lessons based on the school’s
program and curricular plan. As a new art teacher, make sure to inquire about the
expectations for exhibitions, interdisciplinary connections, annual budget, school
guidelines, and special events in your school. Some schools may not allow working
outdoors, using paints that may cause damages to properties, students buying their own
materials, etc. Make sure to also align your activities with the curriculum you are using.
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For public schools, the learning competencies can be found in the DepEd K to 12
Curriculum Guide. The following diagram shows the process of creating a lesson plan while
considering the reality of situations up to implementation.

Curriculum
(Goals and Content)
Creating an Creating a Class
Instructional Plan Learning Plan Implementation
Actual condition of
schools and students

Preparation of the teaching plan based on the guidelines for learning (Translated from
Takeuchi 2010)

Creating a daily lesson plan based solely on the curriculum without considering other
factors can be frustrating for teachers if the resources, time, and logistics are limited.
Therefore, practical considerations for your curriculum must take into account the realities
of your teaching situation (Douglas & Jaquith 2018)

Classroom Management and School Situations

Unlike other subjects, Art can be challenging because it involves a lot of materials
and hands-on activities. Among young children, the most popular are painting and clay but
most teachers opt to compromises the activity to make it more manageable, practical, and
fast. Lecturing to a class of 50 students is difficult. But it gets more challenging when you
are dealing with messy materials and changing logistics. Some teachers are lucky to have
their own art room. But some teachers need to move around and conduct their classes in
homeroom classroom where they share with another teacher. This can be very time-
consuming especially if you are an Art-in-the-cart teacher where you bring your materials
around the school. Some teachers also teach Music, PE, and Health and handle up to 600
students per week. That is like four classes of 50 students per day, three times a week. In
some schools, art teachers teach ALL grade levels from 1st grade to high school. Sometimes,
it gets exhausting and frustrating for the teacher to prepare for all classes. But that is the
reality if you are teaching Art as a subject in a school. It is tiring but can also be fun,
especially when you see the students enjoy and express themselves through art.

Things to Consider in Preparing an Instructional Plan

Teaching ART can be challenging especially if you do not have your own art room if
you lack resources and materials. Addressing your student’s present level of knowledge,
skill, interest, and work habit is also important to validate whether your plans can work or
not. Many teachers struggle following the lesson in the curriculum due to limited resources
especially when they have very limited time, Art, unlike other academic subject, is more
experiential learning activity with messier and time-consuming hands-on task. Setting up
the tools and packing away the materials involve a lot of time. Cleaning, proper storage,
and filing should also be planned ahead so that you won’t stress about spoiled, ruined, or
misplaced works. All of these are important considerations to have a more efficient and less
stressful execution of your lesson. Here are some guidelines that you should consider in
planning your art class.

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Know your students. Know their strengths, weakness, threats, and what makes them
excited.

During the first few days of the school year, start with light but personal activities.
Young students can either be too excited or hesitant. Open-ended activities but with
templates are a good start to gauge students level and skill. This will serve as your
baseline. Remember to also take note of each student’s individual strengths and struggles
per class. Identify what motivates them by knowing their interest and how they respond to
certain themes. As a teacher, know what makes these young kids excited. It is also
important to identify triggers for certain behaviors, especially if you are teaching a mixed-
level class or children with special needs. It is important that at the beginning, you know
who among your students can get too excited to play with paints, scissors, pencil, etc.
Doing so can prevent behavioral problems, such as lack of motivation or aggressive
behavior. If you know your students well, you can be three steps ahead and prepared for
the best-case and worst-case scenarios.

Plan for students’ safety.

Always keep this in mind when teaching and make sure to always consider students’
safety. Young children can get really or frustrated during art class. This is also the stage
where they will be using some of the art materials for the first time. Make sure you know
where all the sharp objects are and if you are teaching younger kids, make sure to keep
them out of reach. Also, if there is a kid who has a tendency to use scissors as a toy or gets
too excited when cutting, make sure to proceed with caution

The continuum of choice from learner-directed art making (left) and teacher-
directed assignments (right)
 More Choice  Less Choice
 Learner-directed  Teacher-directed
 Focus on process  Focus on product
 Emergent Curriculum  Explicit Curriculum
Learner-Directed Theme or Media Skill Builders Teacher-Directed
Focus
No teacher Teacher assigns Teacher assigns Teacher assigns
assignment; Teacher open-ended theme media, techniques, concept, media, size,
as facilitator OR specific media quality, and duration, and
duration assessment
Learner chooses: Teacher and learner Learner decides on Learner has minimal
negotiate: how to incorporate input, such as size
 Media these skills in future and color
 Content  Media work
 Size/Format  Content
 Collaboration or  Size/Format
individual work  Collaboration or
 Duration work individual
work
 Duration

The Continuum of Choice (Jaquith, 2015c). Choice is offered in different amount with shifts in
control from teacher to students, depending upon the goals of instruction (Douglas & Jaquith
2018).

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Give emphasis on teaching the proper usage and storage of materials in class.

 How to use a store scissors properly

 Do not over sharpen pencils. Make sure to dull the tip.
 Use nontoxic materials only in case of accidental ingestion of paints and adhesives.
 Beware of choking hazard (beads, pompoms, small items).
 Beware of allergic reactions (skin contact and inhalations of substances).
 Be careful of wet slippery areas due to spillage of water containers.

Select your materials carefully. Consider the availability of resources.

Choosing the right media is crucial when planning an art activity. Sometimes you
have to improvise because materials might not be available or not be enough for the class.
Plan your lesson according to the materials that are available and appropriate. Don’t make
the mistake of excitedly preparing for a painting class only to know that there is no water
source nearby. You need to know how much materials are needed and how much are
available for you to use. You may find a very interesting activity online, however, the
materials are not available in your area. Or maybe the curriculum stated to use acrylic
painting on canvas but you know that your students may find it difficult to get this due to
their location or economic status. You have to consider whether you can provide the
materials for your students or if your students can provide their own materials. Consider
these questions:

 Is it readily available in your area?

 Do your students have the capacity to buy it?
 Can you improvise? Are there alternatives?
 Does it have to be individual or can it be shared by the group?

Proper care for the materials

Art materials do not come by easily so we have to teach how to respect and take care
of the materials so these will last longer. Make sure to plan how to teach proper care and
storage. For example, when painting make sure to clean art brushes thoroughly right way
especially if you are using acrylic. If you do not have access to a sink, put buckets of water
inside the classroom as water source. Take note that prolonged soaking on water can
permanently damage the brush. Palettes should be cleaned regularly. But if you still have a
lot of leftover paint, you can put a hard plastic cover on top then leave it to dry. Dampen it
with drops of water to soften the paint. Then you are ready to use it again. Keep these tips
in mind and prepare to teach it as part of your lesson.
“A classroom has no sink and water supply nearby so the teachers provided a big
water container so that student won’t have to walk far to replace water for painting and
cleaning their areas.”

Maximize workplace, venue, and water supply

All of these have to be considered when planning your lessons. Make sure that all of
these are addressed no matter how fun activity might seem or you will end up in chaos.
That is why a lot of teachers do not fun activities because most of them require a lot of
preparations and considerations to keep the room clean. When deciding to push through
with an activity, you have to consider these questions:

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  Are you working on the desk tables, long tables, or the floor?
 Can the tables get painted or should you cover them with plastic or newspaper? Are
you allowed to mess up the floor or should you be very careful for paint drips?
 If you are using paints, do you have water supply, like a sink, buckets of water, or
dump in your room?
 Where are you going to throw your dirty clay water to prevent clogged sink?
 Does your room have ample lighting? Big window with natural light (drawing and
painting) or lamps?
 If you are using acrylic, oil or spray paint, does your room have proper ventilation?
Can you work outdoors?
 Do you have proper waste disposal bins for messy paint or big stuff?
 Will you be having own room? Or are you an Art-in-the-cart where you will be
traveling room to room?

“Art-in-the-cart setup for roaming art teachers who don’t have a classroom. All art
materials including equipment are in the cart. You can use a plastic box on a trolley, a small
shopping cart, or a Raskog trolley.”

Manage TIME wisely. Be prepared. Seta routine.

Create system. One factor that all teachers are struggling with is time
managemenrt.in preschool, art classes on average only last for 30 minutes, while
elementary classes last up to 45 minutes. This is a problem especially for those who do not
have their own because they have to set up “atelier” for every session. Some teachers such
as I, do that. You should have a system for how to set it up as fast as possible through the
help of your students. Another important thing is the time to clean up which takes around
5-10 minutes if not planned properly. Being an Art-in-the-cart teacher is very challenging
because you really have to make sure everything is organized. Sometimes we tend to forget
something from the storage or from the previous room and it takes a lot of time to get it. It
happens a lot. For some teachers, they only have 40 minutes for a whole session. That is
like 10 minutes to set up and 10 minutes to clean up and sort the artworks and materials
leaving only 20 minutes for the actual work. This is ideal for preschoolers but too short for
grade schoolers. This is challenge because some kids take time to be “in the zone” where
one is focused and so engrossed with their work but when the time comes that they are at
the peak of their creation, it is time for the next subject. However, for us teachers, time
allotment is out of our control so we have to make the most out of it. Routine and
delegation are key factors.

Begin with the end in mind. After works: Postproduction.

Logistics is a very important consideration in teaching art. In the art world,
production is a major part of the creation process. Artworks, just like materials should be
stored properly. This is one of the parts I struggled the most as an art teacher. If you do not
have a teacher assistant and proper storage for the artworks, these would pile up and you
will have a hard time keeping track of which class these belong to. If a vertical file is not
available in your room, you can talk to the homeroom teacher and ask if the works can be
dried on the floor in one corner of the room. Once dried, the teachers can place it in their
folders. I also have rainbow file where I store artworks per section. However, you have to
empty and distribute it every quarter so it won’t pile up. This is important especially when
drying glue or watercolor to avoid drip marks. But be careful for wet glue parts as they can
stuck together. In planning your class, you have to consider these questions:
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  How will the artwork be stored? What about unfinished artworks?
 Is it going to be posted on the wall, inserted in students’ folios, framed, shared to
everyone online, or brought home?
 Is there a safe drying area in your room to dry the students’ works flat? Can you
store them vertically?
 How will you document works for assessment?

“Conducting an art class is like preparing for a battle: getting information about your
students, assessing available materials, and learning how to maneuver the space to your
advantage. These are all important considerations in instructional planning in order to have a
more efficient, fun, engaging, and stress-free art class.”

II - Lesson 2
SETTING THE OBJECTIVE

“The important thing is to arouse in children a real feeling for life; and color and form
have the power to lead right into life… these details are essential to vitality of the work.”
– Rudolf Steiner, 1922

The Continuum of Choice

In setting your learning objectives, it is important that you determine what your goals
are before planning out or selecting an art activity. You can find a fun activity from
Pinterest (an online art and crafts social media sharing site) that seems fun to do in your
Grade 1 class, however, if it is out topic and does not fit your curriculum goals, you may
have set it aside.
When introducing a new material or technique to children, it is common for teachers
to teach step-by-step, however, a good art teacher should not expect an exact outcome,
rather, give students an opportunity to practice creativity and independence in finding
solutions (Hume 2008). A template or predesigned craft kit is an extreme example of
knowing in advance what the end product will be and is not ideal practice to develop
artistry and creativity. Art-making is not just about assembling elements and things
together in a skillful manner to create a product. The difference between personal art and
well-crafted mass-produced “art” product is that personal art reflects the soul of the creator
and is oftentimes unique in the world. That is what the art teacher should always consider
when teaching art to children. Technical skills and understanding concepts and principles
are just tools for the child-artist to effectively express his or her thoughts, feelings, desires,
and experiences to the world, but should not be only focus for teaching art.
Teaching children in the early grades, especially children with special needs should
always be given the opportunity to practice the freedom to choose and decide for
themselves even if it is a small aspect of the art-making process. Sometimes, elementary
teachers dwell too much on attaining the learning competencies that they forget to enjoy
the art-teaching process as well. Art teachers are also artists, and soul, otherwise, it is no
different in training employees on how to assemble predesigned products in a factory.

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 In Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB), Douglas & Jaquith (2018) explained the
progression of choice which is how task and decisions are prescribed by the teacher versus
the freedom of choice of the student. TAB is a choice-based approach wherein students are
taught skills and concepts by exploring different media centers, then are soon free to
choose to work on their own concepts, materials, tools, and techniques toward the end of
the quarter or school year. Students are given opportunities to explore, take risks, make
mistakes, and decide for themselves. Teachers most of the time are facilitators of learning.

“Children create art not because they want their works to be posted in museums or sold in
art galleries. Children draw, color, paint, and build because it’s fun and it helps them express
their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and wishes.”
- Teacher Precious

Approaches in Teaching Art

Teacher-Centered Approach
In a teacher-directed learning, the teacher sets the objectives of the activity,
materials, techniques, theme, etc., and follows the curriculum goals intended for that grade
level. The teacher enumerates the exact materials to be used and is often strict upon using
other than what’s prescribed. Depending on the unit plan, the activity might also be
focused on the technique; example, chiaroscuro painting, shading using graphite, weaving,
etc., in which case, the students should follow criteria to achieve a certain standard. The
theme is also prescribed in which students are only allowed to use subject and elements
within the topic and adding a personal touch deviating from what is expected will result to
criticisms from the teacher, even if it shows creativity and imagination.
In some technical and specialized art programs which focus on developing skills in
drawing, animation, painting, or crafts, a syllabus serves as guide to distribute each topic
into the number of sessions available for the school year. Some classes meet once a week,
some, twice, and some every day. Planning is crucial so that the teacher can make sure
that each class can cover the topics needed to comply with the performance and content
standards by the end of the quarter. Planning by following the unit plan also per activity. In
this case, there is already a definite expected output from the child for each session.

Setting Objectives for Discipline-Based Art Education Approach

The DepEd Art Curriculum uses the Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE)
approach to primary teach art concepts like art history and technical skills, such as
directed drawing, copying, and planning that measure dexterity, neatness, and accuracy.
Lesson and art examples are usually inspired by works of national artist or by Philippine
indigenous tribes. You will notice in MAPEH textbooks that they always have Art History
and Culture embedded in the lesson. DBAE is also ideal for integrating other disciplines,
such as Language, Math, and Science. Assessment is detail-oriented and usually involves a
rubric and a written exam which includes Art theory, Art criticism, and Art history.
Imagination and creativity are practiced although they are sometimes not prioritized in
terms of assessment. A discipline-based approach is ideal for students in the higher grades
where they are more ready and open to learning facts and history which are not familiar to
them. It also encompasses one of the Studio Habits of Mind (Hetland et al. 2007), which is
to Understand the Arts Community.

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Learning-Centered Approach
“Teachers must be exemplars of a way to life. They must be artistic and able to improvise,
free of preconceptions and forever expecting the unexpected. They must be sensitive and
receptive to the changes in human nature.”
- Rudolf Steiner

In a learner-centered approach, the teacher acts as facilitators and involves a more

spontaneous teaching or open-ended activity that gives more opportunities for student-lead
exploration, self-expression, and decision-making. The flexibility of a student-centered
approach is ideal for younger children who may not have the same way of thinking as
adults. The standards are also not time-bound and limited, rather, will be dependent on the
child’s individual progress and interest. The teacher gives in to more unintended ideas and
actions of the student. A good example of this is Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB)
wherein students are encouraged to work with the theme and medium that they want in so-
called “media centers” (paint centers, drawing centers, clay centers, etc.). A learner-
centered approach is also ideal for teaching children with special needs who have different
levels of skills, needs, interests, and responses, especially when teaching in a mixed-level
classroom.

Setting Objectives for a Learner-Centered Approach

In setting for a learner-centered approach, teachers should focus on developing the
child’s creativity and self-expression trough choice-based theme and medium. In TAB,
themes must connect with students’ lives and interest to be effective. Topics for themes can
come from students, current event, classroom studies, or can emerge directly out of
student work (Douglas and Jaquith 2018). In a learner-centered approach, the teacher
should consider the students’ inputs to know what and how they want to learn and what
they want to do. New ideas and methods are encouraged so that no artwork will look the
same.
In most after-school art workshops for younger children, the focus of an activity is for
enjoyment, fun, and exploration (Art as Play). The focus is on experimenting with different
art media, themes, and techniques. Teacher acts as facilitator, demonstrating a skill or
technique, then gives the students freedom on how they will apply what they have learned
using a theme that they like. Aside from the standard performance assessment (rubrics),
other factors are also taken into account. These include observing the students during the
process, talking to them about their work, and even how they critique other’s work. Written
exams are rare since students will be showcasing their work and assessed through
performance tasks. Although this approach seems fluid and unpredictable, it requires
careful structuring, space planning, and proper distribution of resources. In the Reggio
Emilia approach, this safe space is known as “The Atelier” where children can do creative
experimentation. In Teaching for Artistic Behavior, these small areas are called “media
centers” where children can explore and safely make mistakes while working on a topic and
material that they want.

Teaching for Artistic Behavior – Also known as TAB, this approach has a three-
sentence curriculum: the child is the artist, what do artist do, and the art room is the art
studio. Children learn the basic theories, concepts, and skills then toward the end of the

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month, quarter, or semester, they will choose a problem or a theme that they want, they
work on it until they are able to create an output based on their skill and medium of their
choice.

Reggio Emilia – This approach uses a constructivist self-guided curriculum that

applies self-directed, hands-on experiences in relationship driven environments that focus
mainly on early childhood education (Moss 2019). Students can develop all their senses
through artistic exploration and experimentation.

Rudolf Steiner – Also known as Waldorf education, this places the greatest
importance on giving children what is appropriate for their age, with “artistic love and
loving art” (Steiner 1922). Teachers cater learners’ imagination and creativity not only in
art, but as a holistic approach to teaching other subjects.

Learner-Directed Art Activities and Teacher-Directed Art Activities

Learner-Directed Art Activities Teacher-Directed Art Activities
Focus For fun and self-expression To develop skill and learn content
Descriptions  Aim for holistic and age-  Aim for habituation and mastery
appropriate learning of skills based on standard
competencies
 Guidelines and rules are  Discipline in following rules and
flexible. guidelines
 Students can choose content  Teaching unfamiliar content
(personal experiences and (history, theories, principles)
interests).  Detailed assessment and criticism
 Content is familiar and  Quality of work is mostly
relevant to the student. dependent on student
 Quality of work is mostly performance and compliance
dependent on student’s
intrinsic motivation
Priority for  Student enjoyment  Student application of learning
Assessment  Process (observation, (skill and content)
documentation, discussion)  Product (artwork)
 Artist statement
Ideal for  Kindergarten and early grades  Upper elementary grades
 Children with special needs  High school students
 Students who are first-timers  Learners who demonstrate
or unfamiliar with art-making exceptional artistic performance
 People who have no confidence and creativity
in doing art  People who already have strong
artistic and creative foundations
Example  Self-portrait and friends  Still life of fruits of flowers
Lessons  Still life of objects that I like  Philippine traditional weaving
 My first experience with the designs
doctor/dentist  Works or national artist displayed
 Our summer vacation in the museum
 My favorite pastime (My  The different textile traditions and
favorite online game) designs in China, Korea, and
 My house and my community Japan

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  What I like (flowers,  Painting the old houses and
butterflies, princesses, mode of churches within the community
transport, planets, the solar  Drawing of the bahay kubo,
system, etc.) torogan, bahay na bato, etc.
 Assembling (using cardboard  Creating a digital painting similar
to create my imaginary car) to the works of Van Gogh,
 Painting and playing using Amorsolo, Picasso, etc.
paints

At an early age, it should be embedded in children’s mindset that art is used mainly
to express oneself to the world. They should learn that art is something personal no matter
how it is presented and therefore can be subjective. Once their values about their own art
are solidified, then they can observe the work of the masters and other communities to get
inspiration. By this time, they are able to understand that these works are also expressions
of other artist and culture, and that these are personal and their expressions of themselves
as well. They will learn to be more open-minded, curious on what inspires these artist, and
less critical of others. Teachers should always keep those in mind when planning and
selecting the objectives for an art activity. Teachers should be able to discern how to
balance a learner-centered and teacher-centered approach.

Sample objective based on the DepEd Curriculum standards demonstrating a

balance between Teacher-directed Approach and Learner-directed Approach.
Topic Sample objectives
Human Body in Motion  To draw the human body using basic
shapes
Considerations:
- Circle for the head
 Younger students can be taught - Trapezoid for the torso
proper proportion but should not get - Rounded rectangles for the arms and
a lower grade because of legs
disproportionate body parts.
 If the objective is to illustrate body  To demonstrate body movement and
movement, the assessment should be direction by following the line of action
on the process of how they are able to in figure drawing
break down the shapes while  To express one’s favorite sport or hobby
following the line of action. by drawing a human figure in action
with costume and background
Ex: taking photo of themselves doing
the action, then copying it, asking a
classmate to model the movement
live.
Traditional Weaving Designs and Textile  To make three studies of different
Patters patterns using the following lines and
shapes:
Considerations:
 This kind of project is recommended - Triangular zigzags
toward the end of the quarter or - Concentric shapes
semester wherein students have - Alternating directions
already acquired the prerequisite - Floral and leaf nature pattern
skills such as mixed-media, screen
printing, weaving, etc.  To apply the patterns in designing an
 Students should already be familiar apparel or personal item of your choice:
with the technique of choice. shirt, bag, umbrella, shoes, hat, etc.
 Other items such as skateboard and  To create a 2D or 3D work showcasing

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 laptop case can be included if the one’s favorite attire using a technique of
student suggests. choice: drawing and coloring, tie-dye,
 The lower grades can work on 2D and printmaking, cutting, collage, mixed-
the upper grades can work on 3D media, weaving, altering or redesigning
(mixed-media). The lower grades can the actual object, etc.
also work using 3D media provided  To explain to the class the inspiration of
that the class is manageable with the design, why they chose that item to
enough time, resources, and be featured (lower grades), and how the
manpower elements and principles are applied
(upper grades)

- Lines and shapes used

- Why choose the colors
- What elements were repeated to show
patterns
- Title of the work and why

Teaching art in the elementary grades is essential for holistic development.

Determining the learning objectives of Art in the early grades should be more focused on
developing character and enjoyment in the process rather than honing fine motors skills or
leaning about history. This is the age where fine motor skills develop as well as character,
discipline, and respect. Ad teachers, we should be more open-minded in accepting and
giving criticisms. Let us learn to be tolerant when students make mistakes. As teachers, we
should guide them on how to learn from their mistakes.

II - Lesson 3
CHOOSING ART ACTIVITIES

In some schools, teachers are given the option to choose their own art activities as
long as they meet the content and performance standards. Some follow a strict curriculum,
and some give teachers total freedom on what to do but more often than not, art classes are
used to create artworks for events, holidays, and school decorations depending on the
season. In choosing the activity for your lesson, consider the current events and what the
students are learning in other subjects as well. Engaging in a conversation with the
students, other teachers, and even parents can give an idea on what art activities can be
relevant or even solve problems for teachers.

Types of Art Activities Based on Content and Function

Art and Culture-Based Theme
Some art activities are inspired by the works of other artist by using the same
technique, medium, or subject. It can be done exactly as how the artist does it, or it can be
modified to different processes and output. In the DBAE approach, the class starts with a
discussion form a lesson in Art history about famous artists or works form a cultural
community.

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Integration in Subject and Content Areas
Art is universal and transdiciplinary. Some art activities are integrated into other
disciplines such as Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM)
education where students are challenged to create projects and apply their knowledge and
skills to solve problems. Some art activities are based on stories and other forms of
literature, such as illustrating for a book or making props and costumes for a role-play.

Holliday and Event Themes

During holidays and special occasions, students are able to connect their work to
relevant experiences through art activities. These are popular means to concretize events
such as making DIY decorations, cards, souvenirs, and gifts in a fun and enjoyable way.
Whenever there is an event, teachers always work with students to come up with artworks
for display or bring home to set the mood. It is almost impossible to feel the school events
without props and decorations.

Art as Play
Art teacher should not forget that even upper students are still children too. A series
of teacher-directed activities can take a toll on students by always trying to cope with
standards and what the school wants that is why art is sometimes perceived as a “tiring
subject that is not for me.” Students should be able to have fun in art. For children with
special needs, art class can be a break in their highly structured routine where they can
enjoy and be themselves. One session per quarter of a play-based art activity where the
main goal is for students to have fun in the art process can promote a positive attitude
toward art creation and help develop their creativity and self-expression.

Considerations in Choosing an Art Activity

CREATIVE
High imaginative spontaneous

Impressionist Creative
Expressionist Imaginative
Art Activities Thought-provoking
Art Activities
(imaginative visual Proficient
storytelling) (unique, personal, and well- Fine-motor
Emerging delivered visual expression) Skilled in realistic
Fine-motor And technical
Beginner control rendering
Abstract Realistic Reproduction
Expressionist Technical
Art Activities Art Activities

(fun and play-based) (copying and rendering)

CONSERVATIVE

Teacher’s understanding of students and logistical preparations are crucial in

conducting an art class. It is important to make sure that the materials and structure that
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you are providing are suited for the learner and present situation. Pre-assessment during
the first few sessions is mandatory to get to know the students’ level of skill, knowledge,
and interest so the teacher will know if the art activity is age-appropriate, engaging, and
would meet the needs of the students.

In deciding what activity to choose for a certain class, the teacher should consider
the students’ fine motor skills and ability to come up with own ideas. Creative children are
highly imaginative and spontaneous. They are able to tell endless stories through their
drawings without any prompt from the teacher. Creative learners can generate new ideas
and suggestions, and provide solutions to problems that were not mentioned by the
teacher. They see relationship among things, people, places, events including abstract
concepts, such as emotions and desires. Creativity can be equated to talent because it is
something that is hard to teach and does not necessarily develop over time unlike fine
motor skills, rather, it develops depending on the nature of the child and nurturing
environment. Conservative learners on the other hand are those who are always in the safe
zone, copying examples, and are dependent on what the teacher provides. Children with
proficient fine motor control are able to render techniques in an exceptional and skillful
manner. This includes mastery in drawing, painting, sculpting, demonstrating remarkable
dexterity, accuracy, and control. Examples are children who are able to draw detailed
buildings, machines, photo-realistic illustrations, and copy images with high resemblance.
Younger children like toddlers have emerging fine motor control skills, meaning they are
still learning how to develop control on how to hold a pen or crayon. These children are in
the scribbling stage of drawing and may have a little concept of what a finished work
should look like. Children at this stage are learning through exploring materials,
techniques, and enjoying the art process.

Abstract and Expressionist Art Activities

Are recommended because these activities are required minimal fine motor skills, but
if done right, can still create aesthetically pleasing outcomes. Examples of these are finger
painting, wet-on-wet watercolor abstract painting, splatter effects, and printmaking using
stamps and roller which are fun and have no definite right or wrong answer. These
activities can be springboards for conversation starters since children can give meaning to
their work even if it’s non-representational to begin with.

Impressionist and Expressionist Art Activities

These are suited for children who have a lot of original ideas, but may lack the fine
motor skills to create a well rendered representation of what’s on their mind. Some are very
excited and spontaneous that they tend to create a “rushed” work, sacrificing quality and
understandability. These works many need a little bit of explaining or context for the
audience to be able to fully appreciate the meaning and value given by the child. Artworks
from these activities are unique and can also serve as a window to understand the child’s
world that may not have been said in words.

Realistic Reproduction and Technical Art Activities

These are for students who demonstrate mastery of fine motor skills involved in art
production. These students can also be considered artistically talented if they are able to

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produce quality work with high resemblance to the reference. Examples would be
landscape painting that use colors that are close to reality, figure drawings with correct
proportion, landscapes that show perspectives, and still life painting that show accurate
lighting and shadow.

Creative, Imaginative, ad Thought-Provoking Art Activities

These are basically the integration of all potential art skills. These are children who
are able to visualize and render their ideas in a skillful manner that is considered by the
audience as well-delivered visual expression. The work may contain symbols that let the
artist convey a message or links to history, science, and other personal interest. The output
from these activities are unique to creator because it draws for personal interest. The
output from these activities are unique to creator are creative and skillful and is able to do
any art activity from any category. The goal of the art teacher is to take students to reach
this level.

When planning for an art activity, the teacher should carefully consider the students’
placement in these areas in order to create an ideal flow in an art class.

The intersection of the fine motor and cognitive abilities (central area) would be the
recommended set of activities and assessment standards for elementary students. As they
grow older, the expectations in skillful rendering and creativity can be higher so they can
move eventually toward the more creative and thought-provoking art activities. A series of
nonrepresentational abstract works may lead to boredom and minimal improvement of fine
motor skills due to lack of challenge and reference. High expectation of photo-realistic
illustrations will be too difficult due to student’s young age and lack of experience which is
not age-appropriate. Giving students a very challenging open-ended task might result to
frustration and confusion if they are still learning how to visualize and compose their ideas
on paper. Children who are very spontaneous and imaginative can feel inferior if the
teacher expects them to render realistic drawing with high resemblance from the reference
which is not appropriate for their age. Take note that creativity is not as age dependent as
fine motor skill. Balancing all these is important in creating a well-designed and well
planned art activity.

II – Lesson 4

DEVELOPING AN ACTIVITY PLAN

Components of an Activity Plan

A lesson plan is a detailed guide of how the teacher will conduct the flow of his or her
lesson that provides structure for teaching, learning, assessment, and even classroom
management. The term ACTIVITY PLAN is commonly used since art classes focus more on
hands-on activity than lecture or discussions.

Depending on the school, teacher, or program, an activity plan can be as simple as a

written outline or a complex scripted instruction. The basic components of an activity are
the following:
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Components of An Activity Plan for Visual Art
I. Objectives
Content Standard
Performance Standard
Learning Competencies
II. Content
Learning Resources
III. Preparation
Student Materials
Logistics
Class Management
IV. Procedure
Pre-activity

Lesson Proper

Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Post-activity
V. Art Appreciation
Self-Expression

Appreciation
Conclusion
VI. Assessment

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