Visualizing Our World

It is difficult to imagine what the world would be like without art because it is such a large part of our everyday lives.  The chairs we sit on, the shoes we wear, the photographs we see in magazines are all art related!  Art is a form of communication in which we express our thoughts, ideas, and our emotions in a visual way that allows us to learn about ourselves and others.  Art education is important especially at the middle school level because students at this age are learning more about their self-identity, developing their self-esteem, and discovering their abilities and talents.  

The Lincoln Middle School Art curriculum was designed around the state standards to not only provide students with an outlet to express themselves, but to also learn about our history, society, and culture through reading, writing, in class discussions, critiques, and performance based projects.  The course introduces the students to the Elements of Art which are line, shape, form, color, texture, value, and space through drawing, painting, sculpture, and design assignments.  Each unit focuses on how art impacts our emotions and our daily lives.

Daily students begin class with a short journal assignment in which they are asked upon to describe what they see in a famous work of art, reflect on how a painting makes them feel, or draw something or someone who inspires them.  Students also keep a portfolio that is a collection of all of their work that they have completed throughout their three years in Art class, so that they can see how their artistic abilities developed and improved over the years.