The following information is my basic art curriculum guide for parents of students in grades 4-8 for the school year September 2009-June 2010. For students in grades PK-3, I follow a plan roughly based on the below, and include more detailed instruction on the use of art tools, and various mediums. A strong concentration in the fine arts is the focus in all grades. Drawing and painting skills are encouraged.

Mrs. Inguaggiato

During the first trimester SFA art students will be studying the history of Cave Art, and learning to draw like people did in the year 28,000 B.C. Some classes will experience my demonstrations of how to draw the animals from cave times: bison, bull, deer and horse. They will be using a variety of mediums such as colored chalk, charcoal and sticks to do these drawings. They’ll have the opportunity to view the original cave drawings of Lascaux, France on the laptops in the Barbara McArdle Technology Center. We also will have the chance to go to the SFA science lab where they will learn the process of making painting pigments from rocks and minerals, which is what cave people had to do.

In the second trimester SFA art students will possibly be learning about Egyptian Art which began approximately in the year 5,000 B.C. We will be studying the art of hieroglyphics, the decorated sarcophagus, and the art of mask making in relation to King Tutankhamem.

For the final trimester we will be looking at Greek Art, which began approximately in the year 2,000 B.C. One of the lessons will include the art of the Greek amphora and the stories these tell, Greek architecture, and possibly coin design.

All students in grades 4-8 are tested each trimester. Most of the information to be studied for these tests is posted on the SFA website, to do well on these tests students need to study the Fact Sheets when posted and also pay careful attention during art class.

Being prepared for art is included in students grade for art. Grades 1-8 are required to bring the following supplies to art class each week: $3.00 art paper fee in an envelope with your child’s name and grade on it 2 or more sharpened pencils, no mechanical pencils erasers scissors (not pointed) crayons (small set of 8) CLASSIC COLORS ONLY a small set of Crayola watercolor paint (no tubes or jars) 1 large glue stick a small set of markers (these must say washable) a smock for painting (old long sleeve shirt) 2 small packages of wipes a small backpack to store art supplies when going up and down the stairs to art No permanent markers, they will be taken away and not returned. Should students come to class without any of the art supplies, they will be graded “not prepared for art”.