10TH - 12TH GRADE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN 1 SCOPE & SEQUENCE
The visual arts are a way of knowing. Personal meaning and
understanding develops for students whose art education focuses
on choices made through the art making process, critical dialog,
aesthetic conversation, and experiencing art from history and
contemporary artists. Visual arts are primarily concerned with
communicating experiences and messages through the choice of
art media then applying the formal qualities of the Elements and
Principles of art. There is value and significance as students
develop the skills and techniques to use a variety of media and
methods to produce their own unique art. Students grow in their
ability to comprehend their world and communicate with others
through what they learn in art. The visual arts play a valued role in
shaping culture and building civilizations; an art education in art
history provides the opportunity to create a better understanding of
diversity and similarities among peoples across time and cultures.
The dialog of talking about the meaning of art supports critical
thinking and the value of multiple points of view as well as written
and verbal communication. All students need systematic
instruction in the visual arts in order to perceive and appreciate
their world through making personal meaning through making art.
Learning in the visual arts is essential. The visual arts provide
opportunities to explore connections among all content areas
looking at common ideas, themes and terms. Attributes such as
self-discipline, the collaborative spirit, implications of decision and
perseverance necessary to the visual arts transfer to all other
aspects of life. The visual arts have both intrinsic and instrumental
value; they have worth in and of themselves and can also be used
to achieve a multitude of purposes such as to present issues and
ideas, to teach or persuade, to entertain, to design, plan and to
beautify. The visual arts enrich the lives and learning of the
students that it touches and thus deserves a place in the core
curriculum
Matanuska Susitna Borough School District
501 N. Gulkana
Palmer, AK 99645
www.matsuk12.us
The MSBSD Scope and Sequences are Kindergarten through Twelfth
grade maps of learning. These maps show the expected learning
outcomes for each grade level. Connectivity from one grade level to the
next is indicated through the performance levels of Introduce (I), Practice
(P), Master (M), and Apply (A). These scope and sequences are the
center of the content area curriculum guides.
Coding of the Scope and Sequence
In the MSBSD Scope and Sequence for the Visual Arts, the bolded, underlined
statement is the Alaska performance standard for the visual arts. The content
standard is a broad statement of what students should know; the performance
standards state what students should know and be able to do. In the coding at
the front of the standard, the letter A, B, C… indicates one of the four Alaska
Content Standards for the Arts. The content standards:
A. A student should be able to create and perform in the arts.
B. A student should be ale to understand the historical and contemporary
role of the arts in Alaska, the nation, and the world.
C. A student should be ale to critique the student’s art and the art of others
D. A student should be able to recognize beauty and meaning through the
arts in the student’s life.
The first number 1, 2, 3... indicates one of the four age bands the performance
standard falls. These standards were originally written at the state level in age
bands therefore there is repetition through some grade levels. The bands:
Ages 8-10 Performance Standard Level 1
Ages 12-14 Performance Standard Level 2
Ages 16-18 Performance Standard Level 3
Ages 16-18 Advanced: Performance Standard Level 4
The second number.1. 2., 3.… indicates the performance standard. The
statement directly underneath the heading is the full statement of the content
standard. The specific performance standards are numbered underneath the
main heading by 1, 2, 3…
10TH – 12TH GRADE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN 1 MSBSD SCOPE & SEQUENCE

A3.1: Communicate ideas regularly using new and traditional
materials at a high level of effectiveness.
The student should be able to create and perform in the arts by:
1. P solving a visual arts problem that involves the effective use of the Elements of
art and the Principles of design to express meaning.
2. P using a range of media techniques to create art.
3. P applying a working knowledge of media production systems.
4. P using the natural characteristics of materials and their possibilities and
limitations.
A3.2: Select and address a theme or medium through which to
demonstrate artistic growth.
The student should be able to create and perform in the arts by:
1. P using design to create artworks that have different meanings.
2. P experimenting visually with sketches for complex solutions involving concepts
and symbols.
A3.3: Select and creatively use subject matter, symbols, and ideas
to communicate meaning imaginatively.
The student should be able to create and perform in the arts by:
1. IP explaining how the environment influences the look and the use of art,
architecture, and design.
2. IP using basic concepts in art, such as “form follows function,” “destruction of
the box,” “less is more,” balance, symmetry, integrity, authenticity, and
originality.
3. IP knowing common language in art, such as abstraction, representation,
impressionism, reproduction, serigraphy, sculpture, graphic design,
construction, and aesthetics.
4. IP understanding the procedures of developing quality design.
5. IP using design to create artworks that have different meanings.
6. IP creates works of art or design projects based upon needs of audience.
A3.4: Investigate educational opportunities in the visual arts and
the role of the artists in the community.
The student should be able to create and perform in the arts by:
1. P demonstrating how artists and cultures throughout history have used art to
communicate ideas and to develop functions, structures, and design.
2. P knowing how artists, designers, and cultures influence art.
A3.5: Produce portfolios of art works that exhibit a variety of
individual or teacher-assigned ideas and include at least one
example that integrates two or more art forms.
The student should be able to create and perform in the arts by:
1. P communicating ideas by producing advanced visual communication forms
useful in everyday life, such as sketches, diagrams, graphs, plans, and models.
B3.1: Compare how two or more Alaskan Native groups express
themselves in similar art forms such as totems, in their relationship
to the individual and the society.
The student should be able to understand the historical and contemporary
role of the arts in Alaska, the nation, and the world by:
1. IP investigating and discussing universal concepts expressed in works of art
from diverse Native cultures and how they relate to other world cultures.
2. I discussing the diverse social, economic, and political developments reflected in
the works of art examined.
3. I using the knowledge of nature and works of art as sources for new ideas.
B3.2: Compare two world cultures and show how they expressed
themselves in similar art forms (masks, clothes, etc.) by three
artists from diverse historical or cultural backgrounds.
The student should be able to understand the historical and contemporary
role of the arts in Alaska, the nation, and the world by:
1. IP investigating and discussing universal concepts expressed in works of art
from at least 3 diverse world cultures.
2. I understanding that art is created by people with different worldviews, express
diverse ideas, and changes over time.
B3.3: Report on the similarities and differences of a universal
theme (love, war, family, etc.).
The student should be able to understand the historical and contemporary
role of the arts in Alaska, the nation, and the world by:
1. P identifying contemporary artists worldwide who have achieved regional,
national, or international recognition and discussing ways in which their work
reflects, plays a role in, and influences present-day culture.
B3.4: Identify and investigate the range of art history careers and
the skills and education necessary to be a successful art historian.
The student should be able to understand the historical and contemporary
role of the arts in Alaska, the nation, and the world by:
1. P knowing the contributions of art historians, cultural anthropologists, and
philosophers of art to our understanding of art and design.

rd
3 Edition State Standards embedded I = Introduce P = Practice M = Master A = Apply Approved by the MSBSD School Board on 10/19/05
MSBSD = District Standards that will be assessed locally by classroom teacher HSVA PD1 Page 2 of 3
10TH – 12TH GRADE PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN 1 MSBSD SCOPE & SEQUENCE

C3.1: Describe design Elements, analyze Principles, and interpret
meaning and the artist’s intent, comparing two or more works.
The student should be able to critique the student’s art and the art of
others by:
1. IP using ongoing reflective strategies to assess and better understand one’s
work and that of others during the creative process.
C3.3: Using appropriate vocabulary and a broad consideration of
criteria, express and support an opinion about an art form.
The student should be able to critique the student’s art and the art of
others by:
1. P knowing advanced vocabulary related to their study of art.
2. P possessing a mental storehouse of images.
3. P defends opinion about art forms based on evidence in the work.
D3.3: Same as previous benchmark, plus demonstrating higher
levels of skill, dealing with more complex examples, and
responding to works of art in increasingly sophisticated ways.
The student should be able to recognize beauty and meaning through the
arts in the student’s life by:
1. P creating artwork, such as a collage (pasted two-dimensional materials) to
illustrate a deeply felt political issue.
2. I understanding and applying environmental and aesthetic issues to concepts
related to the design of packaging, industrial products, and the responsibility of
the artist in those issues.

C3.4: Working in the role of the art critic, write an art review of
student or professional show.
The student should be able to critique the student’s art and the art of
others by:
1. IP understanding and applying art criticism and aesthetic knowledge in art and
design.
2. IP identifying the differences between original artworks, reproductions, and
copies.
3. IP assessing and talking about a student’s art based on responses from a peer,
a teacher, a parent, and an artist from the community.

D3.1: Write a personal definition of art and beauty, and find and
share art examples that support the definition.
The student should be able to recognize beauty and meaning through the
arts in the student’s life by:
1. P assembling a Research Workbook that contains evidence of research either
visual or written in equal proportion.
2. I understanding and applying art criticism and aesthetic knowledge in art and
design.

D3.2: Pre-select three products and analyze how visual design has
been manipulated to appeal to different audiences.
The student should be able to recognize beauty and meaning through the
arts in the student’s life by:
1. P interpreting visual messages in advertisements, news, and entertainment
programs.
2. P understanding visual techniques used in mass media.
3. P recognizing stereotyping in visual media.
4. P understanding the effects of production techniques on viewers’ perceptions.

rd
3 Edition State Standards embedded I = Introduce P = Practice M = Master A = Apply Approved by the MSBSD School Board on 10/19/05
MSBSD = District Standards that will be assessed locally by classroom teacher HSVA PD1 Page 3 of 3