Scope and sequence · Arts
Grade 8 Art
A year of serious studio work and careful looking that gathers up everything learned so far and prepares students for high school art: advanced drawing, painting with glazes and limited palettes, making their own paint and ink, architecture, lettering and design, and the great painters from the 1700s to 1900.
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What to cover
32 of 32 lessons are MUST COVER. They are tested on the unit tests and exams, or are skills the SAT/ACT relies on. OPTIONAL lessons are enrichment. Do them if time allows. The course is complete when the MUST COVER lessons are done.
Unit 1: Mastering the Elements and Principles
- MUST COVER 1.1 The Elements and Principles Reviewed · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.2 Visual Weight and Balance · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.3 Contrast and Emphasis · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.4 Critique: Describe, Analyze, Interpret, Judge · unit test
Unit 2: Advanced Drawing
- MUST COVER 2.1 The Portrait: Proportion and Likeness · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.2 The Head and Its Planes · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.3 The Clothed Figure: Gesture and Proportion · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.4 Learning from Casts and Old Master Drawings · unit test
Unit 3: Color in Painting
- MUST COVER 3.1 Glazing: Light Through Layers · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.2 Limited Palettes · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.3 Seeing and Mixing Color Accurately · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.4 Color and Light · unit test
Unit 4: Light and Tone
- MUST COVER 4.1 Tonal Painting · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.2 Rendering Complex Forms: Metal and Glass · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.3 Grisaille and Underpainting · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.4 Light Through a Window · unit test
Unit 5: Material Science: Making Materials
- MUST COVER 5.1 Make Your Own Paint: Pigment and Binder · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.2 Egg Tempera · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.3 Oak Gall and Walnut Ink · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.4 Conservation and Restoration · unit test
Unit 6: Perspective and Architecture
- MUST COVER 6.1 Two- and Three-Point Perspective · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.2 Drawing Buildings · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.3 The Cityscape · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.4 Church Architecture: Romanesque to Gothic · unit test
Unit 7: Design, Lettering and Illustration
- MUST COVER 7.1 Calligraphy and Lettering · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.2 Illustration and Storytelling · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.3 Poster and Graphic Design Basics · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.4 Book Design · unit test
Unit 8: From the 1700s to 1900, and a Capstone
- MUST COVER 8.1 Constable and Turner · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.2 The Hudson River School and American Painters · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.3 Monet and Van Gogh: Landscapes of Color and Light · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.4 Capstone: Portfolio and Art Show · unit test
36-week pacing calendar
From the course’s own 32-week pacing guide, with catch-up and review weeks added to fill a 36-week (180-day) year.
| Week | Plan | Done | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | Session 1: Lesson 1.1 The Elements and Principles Reviewed: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.1 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 2 | Session 1: Lesson 1.2 Visual Weight and Balance: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.2 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 3 | Session 1: Lesson 1.3 Contrast and Emphasis: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.3 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 4 | Session 1: Lesson 1.4 Critique: Describe, Analyze, Interpret, Judge: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.4 studio project and sketchbook practice Session 3: Unit 1 review and portfolio piece | ||
| Wk 5 | Session 1: Lesson 2.1 The Portrait: Proportion and Likeness: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.1 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 6 | Session 1: Lesson 2.2 The Head and Its Planes: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.2 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 7 | Session 1: Lesson 2.3 The Clothed Figure: Gesture and Proportion: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.3 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 8 | Session 1: Lesson 2.4 Learning from Casts and Old Master Drawings: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.4 studio project and sketchbook practice Session 3: Unit 2 review and portfolio piece | ||
| Wk 9 | Session 1: Lesson 3.1 Glazing: Light Through Layers: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.1 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 10 | Session 1: Lesson 3.2 Limited Palettes: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.2 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 11 | Session 1: Lesson 3.3 Seeing and Mixing Color Accurately: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.3 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 12 | Session 1: Lesson 3.4 Color and Light: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.4 studio project and sketchbook practice Session 3: Unit 3 review and portfolio piece | ||
| Wk 13 | Session 1: Lesson 4.1 Tonal Painting: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.1 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 14 | Session 1: Lesson 4.2 Rendering Complex Forms: Metal and Glass: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.2 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 15 | Session 1: Lesson 4.3 Grisaille and Underpainting: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.3 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 16 | Session 1: Lesson 4.4 Light Through a Window: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.4 studio project and sketchbook practice Session 3: Unit 4 review and portfolio piece | ||
| Wk 17 | Catch-up and review week (no new lessons) | ||
| Wk 18 | Session 1: Lesson 5.1 Make Your Own Paint: Pigment and Binder: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.1 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 19 | Session 1: Lesson 5.2 Egg Tempera: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.2 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 20 | Session 1: Lesson 5.3 Oak Gall and Walnut Ink: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.3 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 21 | Session 1: Lesson 5.4 Conservation and Restoration: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.4 studio project and sketchbook practice Session 3: Unit 5 review and portfolio piece | ||
| Wk 22 | Session 1: Lesson 6.1 Two- and Three-Point Perspective: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.1 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 23 | Session 1: Lesson 6.2 Drawing Buildings: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.2 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 24 | Session 1: Lesson 6.3 The Cityscape: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.3 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 25 | Session 1: Lesson 6.4 Church Architecture: Romanesque to Gothic: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.4 studio project and sketchbook practice Session 3: Unit 6 review and portfolio piece | ||
| Wk 26 | Session 1: Lesson 7.1 Calligraphy and Lettering: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.1 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 27 | Session 1: Lesson 7.2 Illustration and Storytelling: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.2 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 28 | Session 1: Lesson 7.3 Poster and Graphic Design Basics: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.3 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 29 | Session 1: Lesson 7.4 Book Design: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.4 studio project and sketchbook practice Session 3: Unit 7 review and portfolio piece | ||
| Wk 30 | Session 1: Lesson 8.1 Constable and Turner: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.1 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 31 | Session 1: Lesson 8.2 The Hudson River School and American Painters: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.2 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 32 | Session 1: Lesson 8.3 Monet and Van Gogh: Landscapes of Color and Light: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.3 studio project and sketchbook practice | ||
| Wk 33 | Session 1: Lesson 8.4 Capstone: Portfolio and Art Show: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.4 studio project and sketchbook practice Session 3: Unit 8 review and portfolio piece | ||
| Wk 34 | Catch-up week: finish any MUST COVER lesson not yet done | ||
| Wk 35 | Catch-up week: finish any MUST COVER lesson not yet done | ||
| Wk 36 | Year-end review, portfolio and records |
Grading: Studio projects 35%, Portfolio pieces (one per unit, graded with the rubric) 25%, Sketchbook (completeness, effort, dated pages) 20%, Unit reviews (100 points each) 20%. Scale: A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69, below 60 needs to be redone. For a studio project, a fair rule of thumb: A is careful work that shows the lesson’s idea clearly; B shows the idea with some carelessness; C attempts the idea but leaves parts unfinished.