CSUC Art Department                                                                                            Fall 2003

ART 207

Development of Children's Art

Section 07

 

 

Course Instructor: Nancy Meyer                                Location: Taylor 201

Meets: Tuesday & Thursday 12:00-1:50 p.m.          Phone #: 898-5331   

Office Hours: M & W 9-10 am Taylor 201                 Mail Box: Art Office Ayres 107

Required Text:                                                           E-mail: Nroymeyer@ aol.com

Herberholz & Herberholz (2002).  Artworks (9th Ed.)

Note: Other handouts will be given.  Your text will also be supplemented with many exerts from Creative and Mental Growth by Victor Lowenfeld (eighth edition [out of print] ) that can be accessed either from books on reserve in the CSUC library or on-line through WebCT: Art 207 Development of Children's Art.  Information concerning WebCT will be discussed in class.  Internet access is required for this course.

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COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Art in the lives of children: art and child development; artistic and aesthetic understanding; creative expression; historical and cultural heritage.  Class meets two days a week for a total of four hours.  The scheduled four hours a week will provide a blending of 2.0 hours discussion and 2.0 hours activity.

 

Art 207 has been structured to provide the facilitator of children's art with a practical and philosophical bases for designing and teaching developmentally appropriate art curriculum.  Lecture, discussion, and art projects will focus upon providing the liberal studies major or elementary teacher with knowledge, skills, and experience with art making in addition to examining the role of visual art in children's lives and the role of the facilitator in nurturing children's creative expression and aesthetic sensitivity. 

Topics of study are as follows:

 

· National and state guidelines for teaching art in elementary school.

· The importance of art education and art in children's lives.

· Different philosophical and theoretical approaches to teaching children art with an emphasis on the developmental perspective.

· Children's art making: The nature of children's artistic development.

· Instructional strategies for motivating children's creative self-expression and aesthetic sensitivity.

· Art education: Discipline specific knowledge, skills, and activity.

· Integrating art with other subject areas within the elementary school curriculum.

· Applying art criticism, art history, and art appreciation in understanding artworks.

 

CSUC Art Department                                          Art 207, Development of Children's Art

Meyer

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

The purpose of this course is to:

1. Understand and apply national and state standards towards elementary art curriculum development.

2. Provide those who might design children's art curriculum with hands-on artistic, creative, and aesthetic experience with art making, criticism, and evaluation in which to gain knowledge, skills, and experience specific to art.

3. Develop an awareness of children's art.

4. Gain a basic understanding and philosophical background toward implementing children's visual art experience.

5. Integrate art with other academic subjects in elementary school.

6. Examine the roll of art history and cultural differences in art education

7. Create a media, materials, and techniques book of well-crafted samples that can be adapted to a variety of elementary levels as a teachers resource.

 

COURSE CONTENT:

According to Dr. Simmons, "In recent years the field of Art (Visual Art) Education has seen some changes.  We have known for a long time that Art is not merely a recreational activity related to studio practice, (the materials and activities approach).  Neither is it just a cognitive activity related to art appreciation or criticism, (looking at and talking about art).  Art is a valuable tool for the encouragement of development of the mind (using higher order thinking skills), the emotions (expression of significant human experience) and the senses (sensitive awareness of the physical and visual environment).

 

Regardless of changing trends in art education, there are still some basics that do not change.  Parents, teachers and other facilitators must understand the differences among children.  They must understand likenesses and differences in children's art within and between stages of development, as well as other aspects of their own growth and development.  It is even more important now than in years past, that adults become aware of the importance of visual art (actually all of the arts), art processes and content, and their place in educational programs.  It is toward the child's thinking, feeling and perceiving in the context of the Visual Arts that we will direct our inquiry in this course.

 

This course consists of a series of lectures and readings concerning the philosophy, processes, and content of the Visual Arts.  Appropriate experiences (including studio practice) in the areas of artistic perception, creative expression, cultural and historical contexts, and aesthetic valuing will be provided in relation to the growth and development of children.  The lab for this class consists of hand-on participation in the creative process.  While it is understood that not all students enrolled in this class have had previous experience in the visual arts: the student is expected to try to work at their highest potential."

 

CSUC Art Department                                     Art 207, Development of Children's Art Meyer

 

STUDIO:

There will be many studio projects to complete throughout the semester.  Because of the amount of material needed to be covered in class occasionally you may need to complete studio projects on your own time as homework.  If this is the case, you may use the classroom when there are no classes present (check the available open hours posted outside the classroom door).  Weekends are also a option but, at such times when the classroom (and possibly the building) is locked you will need to use your building access pass and call campus security to let you in the room.  Note:  Access to the supply room in the back of the classroom will not be open to student use outside our class time, therefore if you need supplies to work at other times make arrangements for supplies with the instructor in advance.

 

* It is the student's responsibility to clean-up materials and classroom when used during class and open lab hours.

 

ATTENDANCE:

This course contains a great deal of material that is very difficult to make up, so daily attendance and genuine effort is important.  Attendance, preparedness and punctuality are all considered as part of your professional development.  More than 2 absences will result in a reduction of your grade (i.e. A to A-) and for every additional absence another half of grade will be deducted.  Late arrival/early departures indicate level of commitment to the class and will also affect your grade.  Any class behavior, which distracts or undermines an atmosphere conductive to learning - poor attitude, chatting, sleeping, reading newspapers,- will not be tolerated.  The instructor reserves the right to regard any student behaving this way as absent for the day.

 

* No late work will be accepted unless you have missed class due to serious and compelling reasons, then late work may be accepted within a reasonable time frame upon prior approval of the instructor. You are responsible for material covered in class whether or not you were present. 

 

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS:

Unless otherwise instructed all written assignments must be submitted in final form, on time, proof read and typed. 

 

A MISCELLANEOUS COURSE FEE:

Of $20.00 is required for use of studio materials and was added to your fee statement when you enrolled for the class.

 

**I reserve the right to alter the course content and grade points if unforeseen circumstances arise.  In which case the class will be promptly notified.

 

CSUC Art Department                                     Art 207, Development of Children's Art Meyer

 

GRADING:

Is in accordance with the university catalog, and based on percentage of points achieved in relation to points available.

 

The course grade will be based upon 300 points weighted in the following manner:

 

Assignment                                                                   Points Possible_______________

Note: Specific assignment requirements will be discussed as they are given throughout the semester.

 

Materials & techniques book (Note: * below)                     150

3 tests       20 + 20 + 20                                                    60

Short homework assignments (5 assignments, 5 pts. each)      25

Art Critique                                                                      15

Creativity Lesson Plan                                                      10

1 field study/presentation                                                  40

Total points available                                                    300

 

GRADE PROFILE

                           A = 300-285    A- = 284-270

B+ = 269-258     B = 257-254     B- = 253-240

C+ = 239-228     C = 227-224     C- = 223-210

D+ = 209-198     D = 197-194     D- = 193-180

                           F = 179-000

* Studio work will be graded as part of the materials and techniques book (150 points -listed above) and will be evaluated on the basis of craftsmanship, originality, and demonstrated understanding of the theories of children's artistic development and the issues involved.  Going beyond the minimum requirements is the mark of an excellent student, and will be reflected in your grade.

 

 

ENJOY LEARNING ABOUT  CHILDREN'S ART J