Pioneer Middle School Art Education
Mrs. Renner Grades 5-8
Room E 102
At Pioneer Middle School students have the opportunity to experience and participate in the visual arts through production in a variety of art mediums, criticism, analysis, graphic technology and art history. Students also participate in several regional art shows throughout the school year.
The art curriculum at Pioneer incorporates all four New York State Standards for middle school art. By fulfilling Standard 1: Creating and Participating in Art and Standard 2: Knowing and Using Art Materials and Resources, our art program provides students with the opportunity to develop their visual perception and observation skills. These skills enable students to enhance their visual expression. Students develop their creative abilities through art lessons, materials and techniques that expand their cognitive awareness, creative problem solving, logic, risk taking, flexibility and independent thinking.
Standard 3 requires students to: Respond to and Analyze Works of Art. Using a criteria rubric for each individual lesson, students analyze and evaluate their art work at every stage of production. This process teaches them to value their own creations as well as the learning process. Their art portfolio encourages students to develop the pride earned through quality workmanship, to strive for excellence and to appreciate their unique abilities.
Through our art history curriculum, which begins in 5th grade with Prehistoric Art and culminates in 8th grade with Modern Art, students are involved in Standards 3 and 4. Using Standard 4 we ask students to look at: How Art in Diverse Cultures Throughout History Contributes to our Understanding of the Past and Present Societies. Students also have opportunities to respond to and analyze these works of art in group discussions.
Students attend art class every other day for half of the school year. They should be prepared with a no. 2 pencil an eraser and their agenda for class each day. Their final projects are assessed and evaluated upon completion of the work by both the student and teacher through the use of an criteria rubric. Students grades are posted on Integrade Pro daily for parents to view on Parent Connect. After the final assessment students may improve, change or redo their work to raise their grade. Art projects and grading rubrics are stored in each student's portfolio until the end of the semester at which time the students are encouraged to take their portofolios home. Students must complete all assigned projects by the end of each semester.
