Teaching Art to Middle School Students (11-14yrs)
Middle School students are comfortable with inventing new images and are flexible with changing visual symbols.
They are comfortable working with a variety of media but are critical of their own work and the work of others. They can often become discouraged with their efforts and may lose interest in art if not redirected.
Emphasis should be on hands-on studio activities and enhancing visual literacy.
Grade 6, 7 and 8 Emphasis:
- Establish self-esteem and self-confidence.
- Refine motor skills and sharpen intuitive abilities.
- Expand aesthetic awareness and develop aesthetic judgement.
- Increase exposure to art history. Analyze a work of art by comparing it to another from a different time or culture.
- Discuss elements of art and principles of design while identifying aspects that contribute to the effectiveness of art.
- Use personal and cultural experiences as subject matter.
- Analyze how technical and aesthetic elements contribute to the ideas communicated in works of art.
- State preferences for works of art based on detailed analysis.
- Describe how a society or culture influences the arts.
- Create art by selecting and using elements of art and technical skills to achieve a desired effect.
- Analyze works of art.
- Explore areas of artistic interest in greater depth as they develop their own critical and problem solving skills.
- Use a variety of materials to create art.
- Describe the benefits of gaining skills in the arts.
Favourite Art Lessons for Middle School
- A Unique Drawing Experience
- Blind Contour Drawing
- Chuck Close Portrait Drawing
- Classic Still Life Drawing
- Color Collision
- Creative Principles and Elements of Art
- Doodle Drawings
- Emotion Painting
- Face Study (Draw the Other Half)
- Gesture Drawing
- Happy Accident Painting
- How to Draw Shaded Bottles
- Line Painting Flowers
- Op Art Shaded Shapes
- Media Collages
- Metal Tooling Craft for Kids
- Mixed Media Still Life Painting
- No Fire Clay Heads
- Pattern Drawing and Painting
- Pen and Ink Drawing
- Positive/Negative Bugs
- Rock and Wire Mobile
- Spider Web Pattern Drawing
- Tissue Paper Collage Flowers
- Tissue Paper Landscapes
- Viewfinder Painting
- Wandering Ink Drawing Exercise
- Weaving a Watercolor
- Wet Chalk Drawings
- Yarn Painting
Let Me Help You
I’m Andrea, co-creator of KinderArt.com. I’m an artist, writer, art teacher and homeschooling mom with 25 years of teaching experience. The following articles will provide you with lots of helpful information about creativity and children. Any questions? Please contact me! I’m here to help.
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