Grades K-3
Art is an integral part of the total elementary school curriculum, recognized by National Standards. Art is an important means of self-expression. The Georgia Performance Standards for Visual Art builds opportunities for children to develop innate sensibilities through making and studying art. As students are guided through visual, tactile, and manipulative art experiences, they build important mental constructs. The standards guide development of the students' technical abilities and higher-order thinking skills. This sequenced, developmentally appropriate set of standards for elementary art has been designed to develop aesthetic understanding, creative thinking, perceptual awareness, artistic skills and knowledge, historical and cultural context, critical analysis, and connections to other disciplines. The Visual Arts Skills Matrix provided with these standards lists skills, techniques, and materials that should be integrated into content as appropriate (rather than taught separately). A well-constructed elementary art program will ensure that the students will understand the following: Imagination is important. There may be more than one answer to a question and more than one solution to a problem. Answers to a question need not be identical. Intrinsic satisfaction matters. Flexibility of thought is critical throughout the course of one’s work. Personal success stems from the care invested in one's own work and the ability to work cooperatively with others in a dynamic studio setting.