Visual Arts
Visual Arts Curriculum Coordinator Contact Information
Name: Beth Lynch
email: blynch@crsd.org
Phone: 215-944-1741
Primary Location of Coordinator: Churchville Elementary School
Visual Arts Curriculum Overview
Council Rock School District’s Visual Arts Program is rooted in the National Core Art Standards and the Pennsylvania Visual Art Standards. The school district’s comprehensive Visual Art program provides all students with the tools and strategies they need to become thoughtful and independent learners in the 21st Century. Creativity, decision-making, risk-taking and analytical and critical thinking skills play a vital role in preparing our students for their futures. The art curriculum is arranged in four main components: Art production, Art history, Art Criticism and Aesthetics.
Visual Arts K-6: Elementary students learn through a sequential Visual Arts curriculum that begins in first grade. Our curriculum centers around the processes of creating, producing, responding, and connecting to work. Each year, students explore vocabulary, essentials skills, elements and principles of design, historical and contemporary work, and essential questions that build on their prior knowledge. The National Core Art Standards and the Pennsylvania Visual Art Standards provide the foundation which our Council Rock curriculum builds upon. The ultimate goal is to give our students a solid foundation of skills and strategies with which to make their work.
Visual Arts 7-8: Middle school students learn through a Visual Arts Curriculum that focuses on allowing them to gain a deeper understanding of themselves as artists. The middle-level curriculum provides students with opportunities to address their own questions, focus on real-life issues relevant to themselves, and actively engage in problem-solving. The middle school art curriculum builds upon the foundations from elementary school and provides students with a more in-depth approach to using the elements and principles of art in their work. The ultimate goal is to give our students the skills needed to succeed in a global community.
Visual Arts 9-12: All of the Visual Arts courses for student's in grades 9-12 satisfy the Arts and Humanities or Free Elective requirements to graduate. The Visual Arts curriculum is designed to provide students with opportunities to interact with a variety of techniques, mediums and concepts. Each of these electives is designed with a focus on the National Core Arts standards. While broad in concept, the standards are focused on the processes of creating, producing, responding and connecting. The broad nature of the standards allows teachers to deliver lessons with a rich variety of content.
Whether students are interested in a general exploration of the arts or a more concentrated study required for college acceptance and a career in the arts, the courses are designed with a level of rigor to meet each students needs. The courses that are a part of our high school curriculum include: Essentials of Art, Drawing and Painting, Ceramics, Design, Sculpture, Metals, AP Studio and AP Art History. Advanced level courses are offered within each of these courses. Through Advanced level courses, instruction is tailored to assist students with portfolio preparation necessary for college admissions in fine arts, architecture, fashion design, and media design.
Visual Arts Special Programs and Related Events
CR Art Accolades - By clicking the link, you will be redirected to a page featuring all of the accolades of our Visual Art Department!
District Art Show - May 9 - May 11, 2024 - The district art show gives our community a chance to see our curriculum in action. The show highlights the work of students in grades 1 through 12. Work is both 2D and 3D. In total, there are over 3000 works on display during the show. This year's show will take place at Council Rock NORTH. Students will tour during the school day on May 9 and May 10. The show is open to the public Friday, May 10 from 6:00 - 8:00 and Saturday, May 11 from 10:00 - 2:00.
Council Rock North Art Show - April 24 - April 27, 2024
Council Rock South Art Show - May 22 - May 24, 2024
PAEA State Art Exhibit - TBD, we typically send 3-4 works of art per school to be displayed. The show is usually located in the State Department of Education Building, Harrisburg
Our high school students also submit work into the Phillips Mill Juried Art Exhibition, The Bucks County Community College High School Exhibition and The National Art Honor Society Juried Collection.
Content Area Standards
Standards Aligned System (SAS)
District Priority Standards
VISUAL ARTS TEXTS
AP Art History
- Gardner’s Art Through the Ages A Global History; Fifteenth Ed.; Wadsworth Publishing; 2015 ISBN 978-1285839394
- The Annotated Mona Lisa A Crash Course in Art History From Prehistoric to Post-Modern; Andrews and McMeel; 1992 ISBN 0-8362-8005-9
Middle Level and High School Course Content Guides