This year at CRCS in the upper grades, we are learning about the elements of art (line, value, shape, form, texture, color and space) in a more academic way.   We look at various pieces of art and see the variety of ways different artists use the elements to create their work.  We then do art exercises to practice some of those techniques, and end with a final piece that displays the element for the day.
The following is a brief lesson plan for the one of the 7 Elements of Art:

     *  discussion topics:  types of lines in creation, contour lines, positive and negative space, techniques for using lines to outline, shade and create shadows or mood
     *  Artists used:  Durer, Stella, Picasso, Matisse, Rousseau
     *  Exercises:  connecting dots with lines, creating depth and perspective with a vanishing point, giving emotions to lines, using lines for shading
     *  Final work: contour drawing of my shoe, done while looking at the shoe and not the paper...to remind students that seeing the subject is not the same as knowing what the subject looks like.  Looking at the subject only allows us to see more than we know.