ELEMENTARY VISUAL ART

All students in Fairfax County Public Schools Elementary Schools receive art instruction from a certified art specialist.

The elementary art program of Fairfax County Public Schools is exploratory and conceptual in nature. Children are able to explore a variety of thinking processes, art forms, materials and techniques, and sources for inspiration such as observation, memory, and imagination. Students look at, talk and write about art from different cultures and times, as well as their own art and art of peers. Students use creative, critical and design thinking processes to solve problems or challenges to make meaning of their world.

Because children change emotionally, mentally, and physically throughout elementary school, the elementary art program is designed with a sustained focus on “A Sense of Place” allowing students opportunities to question, explore, and document their personal growth.  The students of Fairfax County Public Schools come to the classroom with diverse cultural backgrounds and unique life experiences.  “A Sense of Place” is an enduring idea that validates the experiences of young artists while challenging students to deepen their understanding of alternative perspectives.  The unifying idea of “A Sense of Place” is rich with opportunities for artistic exploration, creative work and dialogue.

By examining their own lives and experiences, our students can consider the enduring idea of “A Sense of Place” from a personal perspective.  By examining the enduring idea from multiple perspectives, students can begin to understand what it means to be human and become more empathetic to the people, cultures, and environments they encounter.  Developmentally appropriate exploration of “A Sense of Place” develops conceptual thinking abilities in both concrete and abstract ways.  These cumulative experiences in elementary school lay the foundation for using enduring ideas as a conceptual learning tool throughout middle school and high school.

The last time that all students are required to have art instruction is the 6th grade. At this level we measure our program effectiveness through the 6th Grade Art Assessment. All 6th grade students also participate in the Sixth Grade Art Museum Field Trip as a culminating experience for elementary art.