WHAT TO EXPECT IN ART IN THIRD GRADE

    At the beginning of the year in third grade, we review the six basic shapes - circle, oval, square, rectangle, triangle, and diamond. Using these shapes we discuss how to draw imaginary creatures, learning how to overlap the shapes to make them look connected. From this exercise, we progress to drawing real objects, learning how to identify the basic shapes in the things we see around us, and how to use them as guidelines in more correctly proportioned drawings. In each grade, including third, we stress the need to draw lightly with pencils without erasers, learning how to plan a drawing carefully and how to turn mistakes into ideas that often work out better than the original plan. We also make sure there is plenty of time for practice before a final drawing is attempted, and we teach the difference between a practice and a final drawing.

    Once some basic drawing skills are more comfortable, we continue to use them in studies of specific artists and their styles. These include pointillism with Seurat, impressionism with Van Gogh, abstract styles with Matisse, Miro, Kandinsky, and still life in the style of O'Keeffe.

    Throughout the year, we work with watercolors, crayons, pastels, chalks, tempera paints, color pencils, drawing pencils, and clay. We try to make sure there are several three dimensional projects as well as the usual two dimensional works. As often as feasible, we correlate our work in the art room with the curriculum in the classrooms. All projects are designed to comply with the New Hampshire and National Frameworks for the Fine Arts.