LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Visual Arts Education — Grade 8

Goal 1: The learner will develop critical and creative thinking skills and perceptual awareness necessary for understanding and producing art.

Objective 1.04. Solve problems using images from fantasy and reality.

Additional related resources

We’re in the process of aligning our content for students to the Standard Course of Study. As we do, you’ll find it here.

General resources

Aligned lesson plans

What do you see? (visit)
This lesson outlines activities for students to complete while visiting the Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill, NC. Students will observe and reflect upon a variety of artwork. In doing so, they will develop observation and communication skills, and learn to understand and appreciate others' interpretations and opinions of works of art. This lesson applies skills learned in the previous lesson, "What Do You See" (Pre-Visit).

This lesson may be adapted for use in a school/classroom by using museums and artwork found online (see Web sites listed below). A Powerpoint presentation which displays some artwork from the Ackland Art Museum is attached to this plan, as well.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Visual Arts Education)
By Reagan West.
What do you see? (post-visit)
In this lesson, students will use observations and reflections made while visiting the Ackland Art Museum to draw conclusions about interpreting artwork (and other works/events), make quality scientific observations, and see how these concepts are related. Students will be reproducing artwork they viewed at the museum, sharing their personal interpretations of various works, and analyzing how the presentation of information (in any situation) can influence our interpretations of a work or event. This lesson is the final lesson in the series of lessons, "What Do YOU See?", which uses the Ackland Art Museum as a resource.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Visual Arts Education)
By Reagan West.
Tessellations with M.C. Escher
This lesson familiarizes students with tessellations, designs created by images placed against each other with no empty spaces. It also introduces the work of M. C. Escher. It can be used in conjunction with math lessons in geometry.
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Visual Arts Education)
By Judith Riddle.