Visual Arts

illustration of an apple and image says art

The Visual Arts Program at Anne Arundel County Public Schools provides a curriculum to challenge students to think about and respond to themselves and their world of experiences in creative and innovative ways. 

Through sequential experiences, students are offered opportunities to develop and demonstrate cognitive and artistic growth, and to advance according to identified expectancies at different instructional levels.

Curriculum

Maryland Visual Art Standards

Curriculum has been developed to encourage critical and analytical thinking and to develop 21st Century skills that make connections to both the student's own life and other Common Core subject areas. The visual arts curriculum encourages divergent thinking and creative exploration, which helps students make sense of our increasingly visual world.

AACPS Visual Arts courses prepare learners as responsible members of society - self-directed learners, effective communicators, critical thinkers, and problem solvers - using curriculum designed from Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Visual Art Education standards. Outcomes are integrated throughout various disciplines with an emphasis on knowledge and vusual-enhancing skills.

Visual Art Assessments

All AACPS Visual Art courses are based on a sequential art curriculum and are assessed with standards-based rubrics according to the AACPS grading standards by grade level. Self assessment, peer critiques, exit tickets, in process check-ins and other informal assessments may also be used to monitor student progress and growth.

Course Offerings

elementary aret kids

Elementary School Visual Arts

  • Students will be introduced to and practice many different visual art forms including drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture.

  • Students will explore artistic tools and techniques and learn about master artists and their work.

  • This program offers students in all grades a balanced, total program in visual arts education.

Elementary Art

Middle school art students

Middle School Visual Arts

Through the Middle School Visual Arts Curriculum, students will develop creative strategies, skills, and habits of mind through artistic practices; apply design literacy to a wide variety of traditional and new media; acquire procedural knowledge, skill, and craftsmanship in art-making while exploring an expanded range of media; develop aesthetic judgment that supports the making and understanding of rich meaning in art; form a broader knowledge and understanding of our rich and diverse historical and cultural heritage through art.

Program of Study Middle School

High School art students

High School Visual Arts

The Anne Arundel County High School visual arts program is designed to offer all students personal enrichment as well as provide a high quality, sequential program of study for students who are planning an art or art-related career. Art courses offer opportunities to learn, explore, and concentrate on the visual art concepts while including activities in all major areas of art. The inquiry-based curriculum fosters the creative potential in each student. Critical thinking and expression of ideas in art forms will help students to appreciate the value of art in meeting 21st Century challenges, relate art to life, social, and community issues. All art courses are offered on an elective basis. Design elements and principles will be stressed along with two- and three-dimensional activities—painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, photography, and mixed media— at all levels. Many materials, tools and processes are used to make art so that students will: develop a knowledge of design as the basis for artwork; identify design qualities in natural and man-made forms; apply skills while making art objects; judge art qualities; develop a knowledge of how to use materials, tools and techniques; and become familiar with the important role of art in the history of humankind.

Program of Study High School

Graduation Requirements
The Visual Arts Program is designed to offer all students personal enrichment as well as provide a high quality, sequential program of study. The inquiry-based curriculum fosters the creative potential in each student. Critical thinking and expression of ideas in art forms will help students to appreciate the value of art in meeting 21st Century challenges, relate art to life, social and community issues. All art courses are offered on an elective basis. Design elements and principles will be stressed along with two- and three-dimensional activities — painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpting, photography, and mixed media — at all levels.

Fine Arts Graduation Requirement — 1 Credit

Courses that meet the Fine Arts requirement can be found in the Art, Dance, English and Music program sections.