INTRODUCTION TO FOURTH GRADE ART
FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS AND EXPECTATIONS
Fourth grade is an interesting age, where each child seems to have his/her own unique sense of humor :) It is not easy creating art projects that all children will find interesting, but with some wit, imagination and giving children choices in art expression, this could be an amazingly successful year. At this level, children will be introduced to principles of design like balance, symmetry and proportion. In addition to teaching these art lessons, encourage students to explore more advanced artistic techniques. Encourage children to begin self assessments of their art projects at completion.
GRADE 4 ART PROJECT INDEX
| THEME | INSPIRATION | TECHNIQUE | ART CONCEPT | ART PROJECT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilāyah | “So set your heart on the religion as a people of pure faith, the spiritual instinct (fiṭrah) of Allah according to which He originated mankind. There is no altering Allah’s creation; that is the upright religion, but most people do not know” Noble Qurʾān (30:30)(Steps To Perfection, ʿAQĀʿID, Lesson 2.1: The Fiṭrah Proof) | Watercolor Paint | Proportion, Color Value | Ship at Sea |
| Trust | “This is the Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness. For them are gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever, Allah being pleased with them, and they being pleased with Him. That is the great attainment.” Noble Qurʾān (5:119) | Painting | Perspective, Cool Colors | Mountains and River |
| Patience | “So you who believe, have endurance in suffering, be patient and persevere, strengthen each other and be firm, and be pious and fear God that you may find success.” Noble Qurʾān (3:200) | Painting, Collage | Collaborative Art | Growing Together |
| Respect | “Glory be to Allah, He gave feet to the ant and the gnat, and created animals bigger than them, like fish and elephants.” Imām ʿAlī (ʿa) (Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon 165) | Painting | Proportion | Friends |
| Justice | “And He created everything and determined it in a precise measure.” Noble Qurʾān (25:2)(Art Lesson Topic: Climate Justice - Clean up oceans) | Crayon & salt resist painting | Warm & Cool Colors, Texture, Movement | Ocean Life |
| Gratitude | “Allah is the wali of the faithful: He brings them out of darkness into light.” Noble Qurʾān (2:257) | Mixed media | Color Value | Lamp |
| Mercy | “It is God who sends the breezes that raise clouds, then spreads them over the sky as He pleases, fold on fold, then you see the drops of rain issue from between them. When He sends it down to those of His creatures as He will, they are filled with joy,” Noble Qurʾān (30:48) | Handbuilding with clay - relief work | Texture | Vegetable Garden |
LESSON PLAN STRUCTURE
Here’s a brief outline of the lesson structure. Please refer to the section in the main curriculum about the Studio Thinking Framework by Project Zero for more information.
| LESSON SEGMENT | EXPLANATION | VIEWER |
|---|---|---|
| THEME | This section mentions the name of the specific Root of Risers, on which the art lesson is based. | Students |
| ART PROJECT | This section shows the name of the art project as well as a sample image of the project. | Students |
| OBJECTIVES | There are usually three kinds of objectives we aim to achieve through teaching the art project - a spiritual objective, a technique/skill based objective and an art concept based objective. | Students |
| INSPIRATION | This section contains the Qur’anic verse, hadith or other spiritual content which inspires the creation of the art project. It is a literary branch of the main Roots of Risers theme. | Students |
| THE LESSON | This section elaborates on the inspiration verse. It discusses the spiritual dimension of the art project. | Students |
| THE ART CONCEPT | This section discusses the art skills, techniques and ideas that will be introduced to students in the art project. | Students |
| PROJECT PREPARATION | This section has four main components.It has a list of art materials needed for the project. It also has a ‘Background Prep’ section, with information on what the teacher needs to do before the lesson begins. It has an estimate of the time needed to work on each project.It also has suggestions for project modifications and adaptations for the benefit of all types of learners in the classroom. | Teacher and/or Students. Online students may need to see this slide. |
| CREATION PROCESS | This section shows the step by step process of project creation. It has sample images to guide students, as well as tips on modifications. Students should always be given a choice to add or subtract ideas in the creation process, and be encouraged to personalize their artwork to reflect their own ideas. | Students |
| PRESENTATION | This section is about students displaying and presenting their work. It also encourages students to provide positive and valuable feedback to their peers. | Students |
| REFLECTION | This section has been set up as a ‘circle time’ for the teacher to ask students questions about their projects, to review the art concepts and wrap up the lesson with a reference to the spiritual context of the lesson. The teacher may choose to revisit the inspiration verse at this time. | Students |
| HOLISTIC ASSESSMENT | This section has a guide to help assess each student holistically. It has pointers for formative assessments. Teachers may also use other types of assessments to grade students. Please refer to the ‘Sample Assessments’ section in the main curriculum. | Teachers |
| NCAS | This section mentions the National Core Arts Standards implemented in the lesson plan. | Teachers |
| INSPIRATION IMAGES | This section has a larger view of the images that were used as visual inspiration for the art project. | Students |