Explorations in Art, Grade 2 Texas Edition

Evaluation for 1.1a
Materials include a scope and sequence outlining the TEKS, ELPS, and concepts taught in the course.

The Explorations in Art, Grade 2 materials include a scope and sequence for each unit that aligns with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and concepts taught throughout the course. The scope and sequence identifies concepts of the program, student learning objectives, the strand of each objective, and lists where and when lessons explore concepts. For example, in alignment with grade-level TEKS 2.4A, in lesson 2.3, the “Introduce the Studio” section guides educators to have students speculate about what a self-portrait is and why an artist might want to create one, with a prompt to include significant personal items in the composition as painter Marc Chagall did. The supplemental correlations chart itemizes the unit concepts, lessons, and TEKS, and lists the lesson components by page number and content type within each lesson.

Additionally, the scope and sequence maps out lessons by grouping them into three thematic strands, demonstrating how concepts are organized throughout the program. “Unit Planning Guides” integrate concepts taught in the student learning objectives. For example, lesson 2.4, “Celebrating Together: Shape and Space,” identifies strands two and three student learning objectives: “Understand that artists pay attention to how people spend time together, describe how shapes are arranged to show distance in artworks, and create a drawing of a group of people celebrating to meet studio evaluation criteria.”

Evaluation for 1.1b
Materials include suggested pacing to support effective implementation for various instructional schedules (e.g., rotational schedules) and various instructional calendars (e.g., varying number of instructional days).

In the Teacher Edition, the scope and sequence includes a detailed course-level pacing guide that supports educators’ understanding of the number of instructional days, class periods, and time needed to cover all instructional units. For example, for Grades 1–6, the scope and sequence offers four suggested pacing options: one for a traditional school year with daily lessons, one for a semester of daily lessons, a full year with weekly classes with instruction in all units, and a full year with weekly classes with instruction from two units. For each of these schedules, the scope and sequence shows which lessons, studio experiences, and assessments to complete for each unit to follow each proposed schedule.

The scope and sequence includes suggested pacing for rotational schedules for individual and multiple classes per lesson that range from 30–90 minutes. Each unit provides a pacing guide with lesson topics and recommendations for the amount of required time to cover lessons per day or week as a whole. For example, the pacing calendar denotes lesson 2.1 as a 45-minute lesson, which can be extended with additional cross-curricular connections in geography and reading visualization. The pacing guidelines for Grades 1–6 indicate that all units and lessons follow the same format, and if educators complete all lessons, the minimum time is 70.5 hours or 96 45-minute class periods. Schedules can be adjusted by adding cross-curricular connections.

Evaluation for 1.1c
Materials include an explanation for the rationale of unit order as well as how concepts to be learned connect throughout the course.

The “Program Overview” explains the overall design and instructional approach of the curriculum, highlighting the grounding philosophy, program features, and structure. For example, the overview notes that “The sequence of lessons within each level has been carefully planned to accommodate the interests, skills, and abilities of students.” These lessons progress through spiraled topics to present the elements of art and design principles to students with continuously developing skill levels. Each lesson develops understanding of a key concept around which the unit is built.

Additionally, the program’s structure supports how concepts connect throughout the course. For example, the program philosophy states that in art, “We seek to help students understand the enduring ideas about art and human experience” through investigations; interpretation of artworks; art-making and response; and cultural understanding, all of which are introduced in each unit “Opener” as Big Ideas, essential questions, and objectives. These components equip educators with the necessary tools to support studio practices, foster inquisitive thinking, and guide students in exploring new artistic processes. This information supports student development throughout the program by establishing foundational skills while providing lesson descriptors and the instructional rationale for each unit.

Evaluation for 1.1d
Materials include protocols with corresponding guidance for unit and lesson internalization.

The “Unit 1 Planning Guide” provides a structured framework that supports understanding of the unit’s essential theme—“Nature’s Beauty: Where Do We Find Beauty in Nature?”—through three strands focused on natural objects, perspective, and moods and feelings. The guide outlines lesson sequencing, pacing, studio experiences, artworks, vocabulary, materials, and cross-curricular connections, enabling educators to understand how concepts develop across the unit. Lessons progress from identifying lines, shapes, colors, and motion to applying these concepts in studio projects such as creating seascapes, collages, painting, and installations. Embedded “Research Journal” activities, “STEAM Connections,” literacy integration, and unit review components provide instructional protocols and organizational structure that support educators through unit and lesson preparation, implementation, and understanding of how individual lessons contribute to the unit’s overall learning goals.

The downloadable PDF lesson plans include all lesson plans from the program and provide protocols that support lesson internalization through detailed instructional guidance. For example, unit one lesson 1.3, “Looking at Leaves: Seeing Lines, Shapes, and the Spaces In-Between,” includes a pacing recommendation of two 45-minute periods; the essential question, “Where do we find beauty in nature?”; and the Big Idea, “Thinking and working as artists and designers, we can focus on the details in natural objects or plant forms seen close-up.” The lesson outlines clear objectives, required materials, and TEKS correlations, while the Studio Exploration section guides teachers in reinforcing the 5-step studio process and artmaking objectives. Additional supports include assessment guidance, studio evaluation criteria, quick question reviews, and opportunities for students to revisit and respond to the essential question.

Evaluation for 1.1e
Materials include resources and guidance for instructional leaders to support teachers with implementing the materials as designed.

The “Unit 1 Planning Guide” provides a comprehensive overview of the unit that outlines the instructional sequence across three strands. The guide identifies lesson titles, pacing, artworks, studio experiences, vocabulary, required materials, and cross-curricular connections, allowing instructional leaders to support lesson planning, resource allocation, and instructional monitoring. The “Planning Guide” demonstrates how learning progresses throughout the unit while integrating learning across other content areas. This structured overview provides implementation guidance and supports lesson delivery of course materials.

Additionally, resources with guidance to support implementing the materials include “Visual Literacy” in the “Reference” section of the Teacher Edition, which outlines teaching techniques for teaching visual literacy in the program. Other supports in the reference materials include “The Place of Art in STEAM,” “Choice in the Elementary Art Room,” “Using a Research Journal in the Art Room,” “Design Thinking for Visual Art Teachers,” and “Differentiated Instruction.”

Lastly, the Davis Digital website provides resources and guidance for instructional leaders. The “Help” tab contains support videos that demonstrate many aspects of the program at varying levels. For example, videos include a general overview of the materials, a “Quick Start” guide, and implementation videos for elementary, middle school, and high school grade levels. The website also offers videos for teaching art online and portfolio support. These resources provide instructional guidance and ensure that educators have the support needed to deliver the lessons and learning experiences outlined in the program.

Evaluation for 1.2a
Materials include comprehensive unit overviews that provide the background content knowledge and academic and discipline-specific vocabulary necessary to effectively teach the concepts in the unit.

Comprehensive “Planning Guides” include the unit theme, lesson strands, lesson topics, suggested pacing, artworks, studio topics, vocabulary, materials and cross-curricular connections. For example, unit 1, lesson 1.7 explores the concept of line quality, and the lesson includes the vocabulary words seascape, landscape, and collage. Glossaries define academic language in the Teacher Edition and the Student Edition. The educator resource package includes full-color art room reference sheets that support educator and student background knowledge and vocabulary on a variety of discipline-specific topics.

The “Unit 1 Planning Guide” provides a comprehensive unit overview to support educators’ knowledge throughout the lessons. The overview organizes student exploration activities and lessons in charts with key concepts, artworks, studio media, vocabulary and cross-curricular connections. Each unit introduction includes educator background information in the “Teach Through Inquiry” section, which introduces the unit theme and background. This guide supports educators by building their content knowledge to use throughout the unit, supporting instruction. “About the Artist” insets in each lesson feature biographical information; for example, lesson 2.2, “Drawing Classmates: Creating Portraits,” includes background on painter Alice Neel, whose artworks are discussed to support educators’ background knowledge of unit concepts.

Evaluation for 1.2b
Materials contain supports for families in both Spanish and English for each unit with suggestions on supporting the progress of their student.

Family “Tip Sheets” provide support for families in English and Spanish. These include student expectations for the unit, what students will learn, what they will do, vocabulary words, and 10 extension ideas that parents can use to support their student’s progress. For example, the unit 3 “Tip Sheet” includes the suggestion “Observe how an animal looks when it moves. Look at animals in real life, on television, or on the Internet. Imagine how you might try to show their movements in a painting or drawing.” These editable, family-facing resources extend student learning, encouraging progress.

Students and families can deploy the “Enable Translation” feature on the Davis Digital website to translate web page contents and course texts into several languages, including Spanish, giving EB families complete access to all instructional tools.

Evaluation for 1.3a
Materials include comprehensive, structured, detailed lesson plans that include objectives, questions, tasks, materials, and instructional assessments required to meet the content and language standards of the lesson (aligned with the TEKS and the ELPS).

Each lesson in the Teacher Edition includes comprehensive, structured, and detailed lesson plans that support educators in meeting content standards aligned with the TEKS. Every lesson includes lesson objectives and identifies the TEKS correlations. The downloadable PDF lesson plans include protocols that support lesson internalization in a clear and structured way. The “Prepare” section of each lesson includes the daily objectives and states the materials necessary for that lesson.

The lesson plans include various tasks, questions, and instructional assessments that are aligned with the daily objectives and the TEKS. For example, in lesson 1.8’s “Explore the Images,” section educators prompt students with “Where does more motion seem to be in [image] B: in the land, or in the sky?” In the “Create” section, students draw a landscape. The lesson “Close” assesses student understanding with the question “What type of lines show active beauty: straight lines, or wavy lines?”, which aligns to meet content standards according to the TEKS correlation.

Evaluation for 1.3b
Materials include a lesson overview listing the teacher and student materials necessary to effectively deliver the lesson (e.g., equipment, supplies, technology) and the suggested timing for each lesson component.

Individual unit plans highlight the materials needed for the lesson in an organized chart that lists the educator and student materials, as well as titles and artists of lesson artworks and media. Additionally, the Davis Digital website houses 20,000 high-quality art images in a database searchable by lesson, artwork, medium, and element, enabling educators to tag them for future retrieval. Educators create their own slides presentations, which can be shared across multiple student platforms for digital or asynchronous learning.

Additionally, “Unit Planning Guides” pace on the lesson level, offering suggestions for total completion time. The scope and sequence includes pacing suggestions based on particular schedules. Lastly, daily lesson plans break lesson completion time into the suggested minutes for each lesson component, ensuring that lessons are taught in their entirety within the class period.

Evaluation for 1.3c
Materials include guidance on the effective use of lesson materials for extended practice (e.g., homework, extension, enrichment).

The lesson 3.2 sidebar, “Aesthetic Awareness,” extends student learning with the prompt “This week, observe how an animal looks when it moves. Look at animals in real life, on television, or on the Internet. Imagine how you might try to show their movements in a painting or drawing.” A second extension option encourages educators to “Suggest that students make many sketches of animals in their Research Journal. They might view videos of these animals in motion and try to capture the motion in their sketches.” These activities extend classroom learning in perceptual and critical evaluation as art skills.

Other extension opportunities support educators in cross-curricular engagement activities. For example, in lesson 3.2, “Animal Actions: Center of Interest and Movement,” educator guidelines suggest extension through a study on prefixes and suffixes. Educators draw attention to the word action and explain that -ion means “state or process of,” while writing act + ion on the board, leading students to conclude that action is the state of acting or being in motion.

Evaluation for 2.1a
Materials include a variety of instructional assessments at the unit and lesson level (including diagnostic, formative, and summative) that vary in types of tasks and questions, including skills demonstration.

Lessons include “Teach Through Inquiry” content that incorporates diagnostic assessment at the beginning of lessons through preteaching oral questions about unit concepts. In lesson 2.3, “What I Think About Self-Portraits,” the diagnostic assessment asks students to define a portrait, to suppose why an artist might want to make a self-portrait, and to discuss why an artist might want other objects in the portrait. As students look at a Chagall, the educator asks students to infer ideas about Chagall by looking at his artworks. Student responses indicate which students might need additional support at the beginning of or throughout this unit.

Lesson 2.3 materials also include formative options that vary by task. For example, students create original tempera paint portraits that meet student evaluation criteria, which are evaluated through a four-point proficiency scale. The “Assess” box provides three criteria for the portraits to determine students’ conceptual understanding. The four-point proficiency rubric scores assessments on lesson and unit levels.

Each unit includes a unit summative with a variety of performance tasks to show mastery. The unit 1 summative assessments that follow instruction offer multiple options, such as a match-the-picture task that covers artworks learned in the unit. Students see several artworks and write titles for them, and participate in open discussion with provided sentence stems. Students engage in critique of an artwork by describing, analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating the piece while supporting their answers with discipline-specific vocabulary. Lastly, students engage in portfolio review, collection, and presentation.

Evaluation for 2.1b
Materials include the definition and intended purpose for the types of instructional assessments included.

The unit 1 introduction includes multiple diagnostic, formative, and summative assessment options. The “Strategies for Assessment” section within the Teacher Edition defines the types of assessments included in the instructional material and explains the intended purposes of each assessment type. The materials provide downloadable pre-assessment diagnostics, formative assessments for use during instruction, studio evaluation criteria, and unit summative assessments to evaluate student understanding and skill development.

Additionally, downloadable lesson plans include an “Assess” section that defines and outlines the intended purpose of art criticism questions and assessment criteria used for formatives and summatives throughout the course content. Each lesson includes an “Assessment” section that provides a four-point proficiency scale to support the summative evaluation of student understanding and completed artwork including self-assessment, peer assessment, portfolio assessment, and educator observation to monitor student growth over time.

Evaluation for 2.1c
Materials include teacher guidance to ensure consistent and accurate administration of instructional assessments.

As previously noted, each lesson includes an “Assessment” section that provides a four-point proficiency scale to support the evaluation of student understanding and completed artwork. Because the rubric provides objective measures for various performance levels, it serves as a guide for evaluating student work consistently. The rubric supports educators in determining the precise level of achievement for each student, reduces subjectivity in scoring, and provides information about student progress. Materials also include student answers for factual questions.

Furthermore, the unit 1 summative includes a performance task section that provides educator guidance to support consistent assessment. Educators encourage students to reflect on the Big Ideas explored throughout the unit, and support their thinking by referencing artworks they have studied as they engage in discussions. This reflection helps students make connections between unit concepts and their created artworks. Possible student responses and correct responses for any factual questions are provided in the materials, and educators use a four-point proficiency scale to evaluate performance tasks.

Evaluation for 2.1d
Diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments are aligned to the TEKS and objectives of the course, unit, or lesson.

The assessment rubric provides performance descriptors that guide educator decision-making and support consistent evaluation of student learning. Throughout the course, the instructional materials include diagnostic, formative, and summative assessment opportunities aligned to the TEKS and objectives. The grade-level TEKS center on concepts such as elements of art, creative expression, cultural relevance, and critical evaluation, which support lessons in this course. All assessments in the materials text engage the student in active, hands-on skills development or oral discussion, both of which are supported by the TEKS. The materials provide the TEKS alignments for each lesson.

For example, in unit 1, lesson 1.3 "Looking at Leaves: Seeing Lines, Spaces, and the Shapes In-Between," the student evaluation criteria summative assessment directly aligns with the lesson objectives and the TEKS. The assessment provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding of using lines to define the outer shapes of leaves, incorporating various types to show details within the leaves, and varying the size of leaves within a composition. Educators use the criteria to evaluate how effectively students apply the skills and concepts taught in the lesson and to measure mastery of the targeted learning outcomes. This lesson supports grade-level TEKS by incorporating the strands of art elements, creative expression, and critical evaluation.

Evaluation for 2.1e
Instructional assessments include TEKS-aligned items at varying levels of complexity.

The assessments include a variety of item types at varying levels of complexity, such as matching artistic concepts with artworks, discussions, and oral response to true-or-false or open-ended questions. Students engage in tasks that require performance skills, written response, vocabulary recall to question prompts, and correct usage of vocabulary in classroom discussion. Students also engage in personal reflection and evaluation of artwork and art critique based upon the elements of art and a provided critique protocol. Students generalize meaning of abstraction concepts of line, form, and shape, and other elements.

For example, in unit 3, lesson 3.9, students discuss shapes and textures using unit vocabulary. Students engage in a classroom formative in which they identify elements of art through evaluation of images, inferring meaning or significance of shapes and textures using unit vocabulary. The “Assess” section provides criteria to evaluate student application of art skills in hands-on artwork creation.

Evaluation for 2.2a
Instructional assessments and scoring information provide guidance for interpreting student performance.

The “Studio Exploration” at the end of each unit strand includes an assessment rubric aligned to the lesson objectives. Additionally, each lesson includes an “Assess” section with criteria and guidelines for checking student understanding and progress. The program connects these quick assessments to key vocabulary and rubrics, helping educators know what to look for in student work. With checkpoints and portfolio expectations, materials provide guidance for interpreting performance results. Each unit provides a unit assessment rubric that lists the objectives, evidence, and scoring criteria for each level.

Additionally, assessment questions in the “Nature’s Beauty” unit guide students through lesson concepts, revisiting the essential question “Where do we find beauty in nature?” and the Big Ideas about artists conveying mood and feelings in landscapes. Students demonstrate understanding by discussing what they learned, giving examples from lessons, their own artwork, or artists studied, and explaining how those examples connect to beauty in art. Through a portfolio review, reflection, and small-group presentation, students identify work that best represents the Big Idea, explain their choices, and share insights about color and meaning. This assessment process shows understanding based upon guidance in scoring with the provided rubric that ensures student performance is interpreted according to standards.

Evaluation for 2.2b
Materials provide guidance for the use of included tasks and activities to respond to student trends in performance on assessments.

In “Strategies for Assessment,” educators receive guidance to create a list of students’ names before instruction to make collecting and recording assessment results and comments easier. This same roster of collected information guides educator response to trends. The Teacher Edition includes a sidebar in each lesson that addresses differentiated instruction, which addresses performance trends on an individual level. Materials offer support to meet the needs of diverse learners such as extra help, advanced learners, emergent bilingual (EB) students, and students with special needs.

Materials guide educators to make visual charts for students who may need additional support. For example, “Process Tips” in daily lessons specifically target students who struggle with self-starting or who are not yet proficient in early skills. Unit 1, lesson 1.2 prompts educators to notice these students during the preplanning stage and ask them if they are more interested in the flower or the pot. The educator then has the opportunity to reteach that the subject matter is central in their artwork. Other examples of “Process Tips” include reteach opportunities for washing brushes, mixing paints, and using glue, which are skills that most students have mastered but can be used in response to student trends as applicable.

Evaluation for 2.2c
Materials include tools for teachers to track student progress and growth and tools for students to track their own progress and growth.

Educators track student growth through the collection of anecdotal and performance assessment results, which serves as growth measures during educator–student conferences. In “Strategies for Assessment,” educators examine the importance of alignment across grade levels, emphasizing that alignment occurs when educators ask a question that targets the daily objective. This ongoing process, combined with provided assessments, allows educators to track student progress. Additionally, educators train students to build their own portfolio, which authentically depicts and tracks student growth and progress for the educator and the student.

Furthermore, educators encourage students to participate in self-assessment and track their growth using portfolios, journals, rubrics, interviews, and written assignments. The “Strategies for Assessment” section also provides student self-evaluation tools and student-led activities to assist with reflection and independent progress tracking. The “Involving Students in Assessment” component includes instructions for students to track personal journals, sketchbooks, and physical portfolios. Students create a routine of signing, dating, and critiquing their own growth.

Evaluation for 3.1a
Materials include teacher guidance for differentiated instruction, activities, and/or paired (scaffolded) lessons for students who have not yet reached proficiency on content and skills in the course TEKS.

The “Strategies for Assessment” section guides educators to support students who have not yet reached proficiency by planning for differentiated instruction. Suggested instructional approaches include direct instruction, inquiry-based learning, cooperative learning, information processing strategies such as graphic organizers and scaffolding, choice-based learning, and flexible grouping formats. In addition, educators use multiple forms of learning tasks—such as portfolios, rubrics, performance-based tasks, self-assessments, and knowledge mapping—to ensure students have varied opportunities to demonstrate understanding and gain proficiency.

The materials offer suggestions to support differentiated instruction throughout the course; for example, unit 5, lesson 5.1 includes scaffolded activities that allow students to engage with concepts at varying levels of proficiency. Students who could benefit from extra help receive concrete examples of background settings tied to familiar activities, helping them make decisions about context and environment in their artworks. For students with visual impairments, tactile-learning tools such as a poseable doll or artist’s mannequin provide opportunity to explore posture and movement while drawing, ensuring all students can access and demonstrate understanding of pose, placement, and figure representation.

Evaluation for 3.1b
Materials include pre-teaching or embedded supports for unfamiliar vocabulary and references in text (e.g., figurative language, idioms, academic and discipline-specific language).

Each unit provides embedded supports to clarify unfamiliar vocabulary and contextual references so that students can access, comprehend, and discuss art, including a comprehensive vocabulary list and corresponding “Family Tips” sheet that includes language of the discipline. For example, throughout unit 2’s lesson on portraiture, embedded vocabulary supports student understanding of the TEKS-aligned concepts. The lesson begins by engaging students in discussion about facial features, prompting them to notice similarities and differences. This conversation naturally reinforces vocabulary such as facial features and observation. The lesson extends understanding by explaining that some artists focus on closely observing people who look similar to capture subtle differences in their artwork. Educators guide students to apply this thinking as they prepare to carefully observe a classmate and create a portrait, defining and reinforcing the term portrait as a picture of a real person or people. These embedded supports—questioning, direct vocabulary explanation, and clarification—work together to scaffold understanding and prepare students to engage in the drawing task.

Additionally, in unit 2, lesson 2.3, “What I Think About: Self-Portraits,” embedded vocabulary throughout the lesson supports student understanding of key concepts aligned with the TEKS. The lesson introduces the studio by engaging students in a guided conversation about portraits and self-portraits, using questioning to build understanding of vocabulary in context, such as defining a portrait. The educator explains that students will paint a self-portrait that shows what is important to them, reinforcing meaning through direct application. Finally, the lesson connects prior learning by reminding students that they will apply knowledge from lesson 2.1 on expressive shapes and lesson 2.2 on drawing portraits, demonstrating embedded scaffolding through repeated vocabulary exposure, guided questioning, and explicit connections across lessons to strengthen comprehension and retention.

Evaluation for 3.1c
Materials include teacher guidance for differentiated instruction, enrichment, and extension activities for students who have demonstrated proficiency in content and skills in the course TEKS.

Unit 5, lesson 5.3 provides educator guidance for differentiated instruction. Materials challenge advanced students to add depth to their collages by arranging and sizing figures to indicate foreground and background. Visual culture connections in the materials also provide extension opportunities; for example, students compare artworks to identify how subject matter reflects specific places and times, including discussions of how clothing styles represent cultural differences, reinforcing understanding of art as a reflection of culture and lived experience.

Additionally, unit 5, lesson 5.7 provides educator guidance for differentiated instruction to support students who have demonstrated proficiency in the sculpture lesson’s content and skills. Advanced learners can draw or paint a background for their sculpture that includes meaningful details about how their figure lives, including objects related to work or play. Also, extension via “Research Journal” activities encourages students to further develop understanding of form by using shading to make simple shapes appear three-dimensional, reinforcing deeper conceptual and technical skill development.

Evaluation for 3.1d
Materials include teacher guidance for providing specially designed instruction (SDI) for students receiving supports and services through special education.

In unit 1, lesson 1.1, educator guidance for students with visual impairment includes providing tactile materials to support access to content and meaning-making. Thematically appropriate textured papers and natural materials such as leaves and grasses allow students to explore through touch. This helps students connect to the art concept through direct, hands-on engagement.

Additionally, unit 2, lesson 2.9 on designing with patterns and borders offers educator guidance for differentiated modifications for physical or motor challenges. Students use rubber stamps, shape sponges, and other tactile tools that can be dipped in paint to reduce fine motor demands while allowing for creative expression. Additional supports, such as covering portions of the artwork with paper while working, help students focus on one area at a time, reduce the risk of making unintended marks, and promote confidence and independence during the art-making process.

Evaluation for 3.2a
Materials include explicit (direct) prompts and guidance to support the teacher in modeling and explaining the concept(s) to be learned.

Unit 6, lesson 6.1 begins by engaging students in a discussion about observing their environment closely, focusing on identifying shapes and patterns. Students connect these observations to architectural details, analyzing elaborate exterior details and identifying corresponding close-up images, reinforcing their understanding of how individual architectural features relate to a whole structure. The materials offer structured questioning that prompts students to recognize geometric shapes and repeating patterns in lines and forms. For example, students are directed to closely observe the exterior of a house, identify shapes and patterns, and use these design details to create their own artwork. During “Studio Time,” students apply this understanding by drawing houses that incorporate observed shapes and patterns.

Additionally, unit 6, lesson 6.3 materials provide guiding questions as educators lead students to analyze images by identifying forms, describing how they are arranged, and comparing similarities and differences across visual examples. Instruction continues with a “Studio Exploration” in which the educator models how to construct a paper cube step-by-step, followed by student practice to reinforce understanding.

Evaluation for 3.2b
Materials include teacher guidance and recommendations for effective lesson delivery and facilitation using a variety of instructional approaches.

Unit 6, lesson 6.8 on weaving begins with an engaging whole-class conversation. Students then analyze visual examples through guided questioning, as the educator prompts close observation of how threads intersect, vary in thickness, and create pattern and texture in functional objects and artworks. The educator directly models the weaving process, folding, cutting, and interlacing paper strips, and guides students in practice that reinforces skill development and precision. Throughout the lesson, materials guide educators to incorporate various instructional approaches.

Additionally, instructional materials equip educators with direct prompts and step‑by‑step guidance to model concepts. In unit 6, lesson 6.9, educator guidance supports effective instruction through various instructional approaches, including direct instruction, visual analysis, questioning, modeling, and hands-on studio exploration. The lesson begins with an educator-led discussion about architects and interior designers as artists, followed by an explanation of the studio task. Visual-thinking strategies guide students to examine pieces of furniture, describe what they see, and analyze how shape, color, and design contribute to function and decoration. Throughout the lesson, educators have opportunities to apply various approaches, including guided questioning, image comparison, independent studio exploration, and concluding “Close” questions to check for understanding.

Evaluation for 3.2c
Materials support multiple types of practice (e.g., guided, independent, collaborative) and include guidance for teachers and recommended structures (e.g., whole group, small group, individual) to support effective implementation.

Unit 5, lesson 5.1 supports guided, collaborative, and independent practice. During the “Engage” and “Explore the Images” sections, the educator guides a whole-group discussion by asking how artists show people at work or play, prompting students to analyze images and discuss movements, actions, and poses. The educator demonstrates how to identify body positions and stances in artwork. Then students collaboratively brainstorm ideas and work with partners to demonstrate and observe poses using a chosen prop. Finally, students apply these observations by drawing their partners using selected poses and props, sharing ideas about their choices as they create their artworks.

Unit 5, lesson 5.3 materials support collaborative learning through structured discussions and shared exploration of artistic concepts. As students examine and compare images, they work together to identify similarities and differences in the ways artists depict movement, discussing the moods and feelings conveyed in each artwork. During “Studio Exploration,” students continue collaborating by brainstorming ideas, sharing interpretations, and discussing possible approaches for their collages before independently completing their studio projects. These opportunities for peer interaction encourage communication, collective problem-solving, and the development of artistic ideas through peer collaboration and educator guidance.

Evaluation for 3.3a
Materials include teacher guidance on providing linguistic accommodations for various levels of language proficiency [as defined by the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS)], which are designed to engage students in using increasingly more academic and discipline-specific language.

Unit 1, lesson 1.8 educator materials provide guidance on linguistic accommodations for various levels of English language proficiency. Guidance from the “Differentiated Instruction” section encourages the educator to have EB students practice the suffix -y in English and explain how it is used to make a noun an adjective or “describing word.” The educator demonstrates with words such as starry, muddy, dirty, and creamy, explaining that “describing words” can express qualities of artworks. This helps support language and skills acquisition during educator modeling and demonstrations.

Additionally, unit 6, lesson 6.6 includes embedded differentiation supports that scaffold language development while students engage in artistic discussion and reflection about their work. For example, all students share their created streetscapes and describe details using complete sentences, while EB students receive structured support via guided prompts such as “What function does the building have?”, “What is the name of the street?”, and “What details are inside this building?” These targeted questions help students organize their thinking and language as they describe their artwork, while allowing the educator to provide ongoing support, clarification, and feedback as learners communicate their ideas.

Evaluation for 3.3b
Materials include implementation guidance to support teachers in effectively using the materials in state-approved bilingual/ESL programs.

Materials include educator guidance, cross-disciplinary connections, Spanish glossaries and, as previously mentioned, an embedded web-based tool that enables translation of all student texts into several languages, including Spanish. The “Differentiated Instruction” section of the text presents adapted language-development strategies to reduce learning barriers while promoting vocabulary growth in art concepts. Support for EB students guides educators in clarifying specific terms. By combining constructed visuals, tasks, and focused vocabulary, this approach provides educators with supports for effective instruction in EB classrooms.

For example, unit 3, lesson 3.2 materials include implementation guidance suitable for educators in a state-approved program. The “Differentiated Instruction” section incorporates Total Physical Response (TPR), allowing students to act out animal movements while using descriptive sentences to connect vocabulary with physical actions. Additionally, the “Teach Through Inquiry” section guides students in discussing how artists portray animals and movement in their artworks. These embedded supports help EB students build academic and discipline-specific vocabulary, increase understanding of movement in art, and make meaningful connections among language, actions, and visual representations.

Evaluation for 3.3c
Materials include embedded guidance for teachers to support emergent bilingual students in developing academic and discipline-specific vocabulary, increasing comprehension, building background knowledge, and making cross-linguistic connections through oral and written discourse.

Unit 3, lesson 3.3 materials include embedded supports for EB students, providing strategies to develop academic and discipline-specific vocabulary, increase comprehension, and strengthen written and oral language connections. Materials strengthen background knowledge through the lesson introduction by emphasizing the meaning of mono- and explaining that students will create a monoprint. The “Differentiated Instruction” section encourages educators to introduce new vocabulary through contextual and visual examples that build understanding by connecting words and images. Additionally, the “Writing Process” section supports language development by reminding students that writers can share their work by reading aloud with expression and voice. These embedded supports provide opportunities for EB students to connect descriptive language, personal expression, and storytelling with their artwork.

Additionally, in unit 5, lesson 5.4, the “Differentiated Instruction” section guides educators in engaging students with images to practice comparative and superlative adjectives, such as identifying which objects are smaller and which areas are darkest. These guided conversations help students build descriptive language, make visual observations, and understand how artists use overlapping shapes to compose still lifes. Lastly, the “Language Arts” section encourages students to title their still life drawings, providing opportunities for personal expression and oral language development as students make connections between their ideas and artwork, and support those ideas through writing.

Evaluation for 3.3d
If designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs, materials include resources that outline opportunities to address metalinguistic transfer from English to the partner language.

This guidance is not applicable because the program is not designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs.

Evaluation for 4.1a
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide explicit (direct) instruction in discipline-specific artistic literacy in alignment with the course TEKS.

Unit 1, lesson 1.9 provides direct instruction in artistic literacy in alignment with the course TEKS. Educators engage students in discussion about how artists use line and color to depict storms, offering opportunities for students to connect to prior lessons on landscape and motion. The guidance identifies specific artworks for instruction, and includes prompts such as asking students to describe weather scenes as a television reporter and identify which colors and lines could be used to represent sunny conditions. The lesson includes “Studio Exploration” prompts that enable educators to check for understanding during guided and independent practice. Materials also contain evaluation criteria to support observation and feedback on student work.


Additionally, the “Teach Through Inquiry” section of unit 2, lesson 2.4 provides step-by-step instructions to facilitate student discussion about how artists arrange shapes to show spatial relationships for objects at various distances. Educators use specific artworks and prompts, including focusing on a provided image and asking students to describe shapes and identify which parts appear close and which appear farther away. During “Studio Time,” students create artworks representing a gathering, using shapes to form spatial relationships. The lesson includes questions to check for understanding, artwork examples for analysis, and opportunities for guided and independent practice. A supplied checklist with evaluation criteria supports educator observation and feedback during student work.

Evaluation for 4.1b
Materials explicitly connect new discipline-specific artistic literacy to prior learning across lessons and units within the course and across courses as applicable.

In unit 3, lesson 3.3, students build on prior learning related to shape, detail, center of interest, and movement as they are introduced to monoprinting. In the “Introduce to Studio” section, students explore monoprinting, identify features and details of animals in nature, and discuss how artists represent these characteristics using various painting techniques. Educator guidance states, “Students will apply what they learned in Lesson 3.1 about shape and detail, and in Lesson 3.2 about center of interest and movement.”

Additionally, unit 3, lesson 3.9 references prior learning about shapes, stenciled shapes, positive and negative space, and how shapes and textures contribute to details in artworks. In “Introduce the Studio,” guidance directs the educator to tell students they will “apply what [they] learned in Lesson 3.7 about shapes that make positive and negative spaces and in Lesson 3.8 about stenciled shapes” to create their own clay pots. The materials include an educator explanation describing how form, shape, and texture determine the appearance of clay objects.

Evaluation for 4.1c
Materials consistently provide opportunities for students to develop and use discipline-specific artistic literacy vocabulary.

In unit 1, lesson 1.4, the educator introduces vocabulary related to color and color mixing through direct instruction, definitions, and explanations connected to lesson objectives. In the “Engage” and “Explore the Images” sections, students examine and discuss two images, using vocabulary to describe shapes, colors, and examples of color mixing. The lesson includes educator modeling and guided practice that reinforce previously learned concepts about color while supporting students in mixing colors to create a garden scene. Students further develop vocabulary knowledge by identifying, describing, and analyzing shapes and colors in examples and applying the terms during artmaking activities. The lesson concludes with educator-led questions that require students to use lesson vocabulary to explain their learning and how the concepts were applied throughout the activity.

Additionally, “Teach Through Inquiry” in unit 2, lesson 2.3 engages students in discussions using terms such as portrait and self-portrait to identify and describe elements of art observed in images. Students then apply this vocabulary while creating a self-portrait, participating in reflection and revision activities, and discussing their work with others. The lesson further supports vocabulary development by guiding students to use appropriate artistic language to identify, interpret, and analyze the artworks of other artists as well as their own.

Evaluation for 4.1d
Materials include activities and tasks that require students to demonstrate understanding of discipline-specific artistic literacy in alignment with the course TEKS.

In the unit 4 introduction, students engage in pre-teaching discussions of unit concepts and describe artistic strategies while examining and discussing artworks. Guided questions lead them to explore “How do we tell stories?” Students analyze two artworks by Faith Ringgold and compare and contrast them using discipline-specific vocabulary in a Venn diagram. Guidance provides a “Quick Question Close” of a few oral formative questions to complete as a check for understanding.


Additionally, in unit 6, lesson 6.3, students engage with discipline-specific concepts through discussion, demonstrations, hands-on exploration, and responses to artworks. In “Explore the Images,” students analyze four images of architecture and discuss artistic elements using vocabulary through educator-guided questions. “Studio Exploration” prompts the educator to model construction techniques to make folded-paper cubes, and students practice following the demonstration. Materials guide students in using precut strips to make cubes. Students apply their understanding by creating, reflecting on, and reviewing the process of constructing three-dimensional forms, combining their collection of cubes to design and build an architectural model.

Evaluation for 4.2a
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide explicit (direct) instruction in discipline-specific artistic skills at developmentally appropriate levels and in alignment with the course TEKS.

Unit 3, lesson 3.4 guides the educator to introduce key art concepts such as brushstroke size, direction, and contrast. The lesson directly connects these new skills to prior knowledge by having students look closely at and analyze professional artworks first. After discussing how professional artists use these techniques, students apply the same methods to their own paintings during “Studio Time,” helping them connect art theory with hands-on practice.

Additionally, in unit 3, lesson 3.9, the materials provide direct instruction for developing clay-working skills through educator-led discussions, sequenced modeling, demonstrations, and guided studio exploration. The lesson includes educator prompts for introducing the concept of creating clay pots based on forms found in nature, and guides students through observing images, planning, creating, revising, and presenting their artworks. The “Studio Exploration” sequence provides explicit instruction on artistic processes and techniques, while reflection and presentation opportunities support students in communicating their artistic choices. The lesson includes a rubric with assessment criteria that educators use to evaluate student work and provide feedback aligned to the lesson objectives and the course TEKS.

Evaluation for 4.2b
Materials explicitly connect new discipline-specific artistic skills to prior learning across lessons and units within the course and across courses as applicable.

Unit 5, lesson 5.1 includes educator guidance that prompts students to connect unit 2 learning about poses from portrait studies to the new skill of depicting action poses. Students review previously learned concepts related to movement, action, and posing, discussing how these concepts apply to the current lesson. The materials provide question prompts that require students to identify and explain these connections. The lesson directs the educator to demonstrate how artists use posed models and guides students in posing and drawing each other to develop observational drawing skills. Through these activities, students apply previously learned knowledge about poses and details to create increasingly complex representations of figures in action.

Additionally, in unit 5, lesson 5.3, students build on previously learned skills related to drawing body parts to show action and placing figures in the background of a composition. Materials organize the lesson within a strand structure that includes introductory lessons and a studio exploration, allowing students to apply prior knowledge while developing new artistic skills. Educator guidance directs students to discuss how the use of overlapping shapes in collage can suggest movement, and to connect this concept to drawing arms and legs in ways that communicate action. From the lesson introduction to the studio activity, students apply previously learned concepts and techniques to create artwork that demonstrates movement and spatial relationships.

Evaluation for 4.2c
Materials provide opportunities for students to develop discipline-specific artistic skills through performing, exhibiting, or presenting artistic works at developmentally appropriate levels and in alignment with the course TEKS.

In unit 1’s “Portfolio Review, Reflection, and Presentation,” students select artwork for their portfolios, explain their choices, collaborate with peers, and discuss ideas for future artwork. They participate in partner discussions to describe artworks that reflect the unit theme of beauty in nature and work in small groups to organize a themed exhibition by selecting artworks and determining how they will be displayed. These activities require students to present, discuss, and exhibit artwork created during the unit while applying discipline-specific artistic skills and concepts.

Additionally, in unit 5, lesson 5.6, students use visual references, guided demonstrations, and drawing and collage materials to learn how shape and space can be applied in a mixed-media artwork. Students analyze artworks by identifying subject matter and details that depict people engaged in daily work activities, applying these concepts in a mixed-media collage of a worker using shape and space. Following the studio activity, students share and discuss their artworks with a classmate, identify workers and shapes within the compositions, and explain how their collage should be displayed and titled. These activities require students to create, exhibit, and present artistic work while demonstrating discipline-specific artistic skills and concepts.

Evaluation for 4.2d
Materials provide opportunities for students to refine discipline-specific artistic skills through activities and tasks that progressively increase in rigor and complexity over lessons and units within the course.

In unit 1, lesson 1.8, students engage in guided instruction on rolling landscapes to observe and identify lines and colors that convey mood and action, and to distinguish various types of lines in landscape imagery. Students then create thumbnail sketches to plan a landscape drawing that represents motion and mood using a variety of materials, supporting the development of composition and accuracy in drawing.

Additionally, unit 6, lesson 6.3 provides opportunities for students to refine artistic skills through activities and tasks that increase in rigor. Each strand in “Studio Exploration” follows a studio process in which students develop and refine drawing skills through scaffolded activities. The educator guides students in examining buildings, observing and identifying different types of forms, and analyzing how forms are arranged in architectural structures. Students progress to making thumbnail sketches of cubes, using these sketches to create a model of a building constructed of different materials to support accuracy in representation. The process enables students to examine and refine their work through various stages of production.

Evaluation for 4.2e
Materials include activities and tasks that require students to demonstrate mastery of discipline-specific artistic skills through performing, exhibiting, or presenting artistic works at developmentally appropriate levels and in alignment with the course TEKS.

In unit 3, lesson 3.6’s “Studio Exploration,” students present their final artworks and orally describe their work. Students identify and explain their color choices and describe how color is used to represent elements of their story’s setting. Through exhibition and oral explanation, students demonstrate mastery, communicating their use of color to represent key parts of their narratives.

In the unit 5 “Portfolio Review, Reflection, and Presentation,” students assemble a portfolio of selected course artworks. Students choose artworks based on the Big Idea, collaborate with a partner to discuss their artworks, identify preferred pieces, describe methods used, and indicate which works they would like to recreate. Students then select one artwork to include in a final exhibition. The culminating experience is a gallery-style presentation in which students display their selected artworks and reflect on their art-making experiences, demonstrating mastery of artistic skills from throughout the course.

Evaluation for 4.3a
Materials provide opportunities for students to explore a variety of discipline-specific art forms (e.g., variety of media, variety of performance genres and styles).

Students explore a variety of discipline-specific art forms in unit 3, lesson 3.6, combining natural objects to represent an animal; identifying that art can be created using different materials; and describing technical and expressive features in sculptures of animals. Students create an assemblage and a drawing using various materials and processes. Prior unit 3 lessons include exploring brushstrokes and painting; drawing realistic and imaginary places and animals; and studying shape, detail, animal actions, and environments, supporting this lesson. Students construct assemblages using materials such as cardboard and natural objects such as twigs. Educator guidance explains techniques and artistic characteristics associated with different media across lessons, supporting student comparison of art forms. The program includes exploration of discipline-specific art forms, including drawing, painting, collage, construction, design, printmaking, assemblage, and sculpture.

Unit 4, lesson 4.6 enables students to explore various media as they develop a series of three prints, applying prior learning related to comic character, setting, space, and viewpoint from previous lessons. Students describe how shapes can be arranged to show movement and create three prints to represent a sequence of events or actions. Educator guidance provides information on techniques and artistic possibilities of printmaking and other media introduced in prior lessons, supporting students in comparing art forms.

Evaluation for 4.3b
Materials provide opportunities for students to create, adapt, or extend discipline-specific artistic works for performance, exhibition, or presentation (in line with appropriate fair use and copyright).

Lesson 2.6 materials provide opportunities for students to create, adapt, or extend discipline-specific artistic works. Students revisit the unit Big Ideas, which explains that artists use their work to express identity and feelings. Educators guide students to reflect on quiet moments experienced with someone else, such as reading, playing, or sharing time together, and to examine how artists communicate mood through visual imagery. Students analyze examples, including paintings and photographs, to observe how composition, body language, and color are used to represent relationships and mood. Students plan and create a drawing or painting of a quiet moment, selecting figures, arranging a composition, and applying visual elements to represent mood and interpersonal relationships. Students add the artwork to their portfolios, and in the unit 2 summative, students choose their favorite pieces from the unit, discuss their selections with a peer, and curate a unit exhibition of the chosen works.

Additionally, in the “Allow Time for Children to Share” section, the authors advise, “Listen to what children say about their work and invite them to talk about how they began or the story their work tells.” Further educator guidance states that engaging in the presentation of artworks gives students “a chance to use their art terms as they share their work and ideas,” which supports retention of their knowledge and skills. The “Document” and “Display” sections provide the philosophical rationale for presentation. Guidance materials include support for each student to maintain a portfolio as the foundation for their presentations throughout the course.

Evaluation for 4.3c
Materials include guidance for teachers on promoting student agency in making or selecting discipline-specific artistic works for study, performance, exhibition, or presentation.

Unit 3, lesson 3.5 provides educator guidance on promoting student agency in “Studio Exploration,” during which students design and create an environment, selecting plants and animals; deciding whether the setting will be realistic or imaginary; and choosing shapes, patterns, and colors to support their compositions. Students draw their scenes with light-colored crayons, selecting colors that will contrast with the subsequent watercolor layer, then apply the watercolor paint, using the crayon-resist technique to preserve the imagery. This guidance supports students in making artistic decisions while applying discipline-specific concepts and skills to create an original work for presentation or exhibition.

Unit 5, lesson 5.6 also supports student decision-making, as students select a community helper to depict, determine the helper’s clothing and setting, and choose whether to arrange their composition horizontally or vertically before creating their artworks. Students practice drawing the shapes they plan to use, receiving guidance about how to overlap shapes to create the illusion of depth.

Evaluation for 5.1a
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide explicit (direct) instruction in interpreting, evaluating, and responding to discipline-specific artistic works of other artists at the level of depth and complexity required by the course TEKS.

Educators use the “Guiding Response to Art” document to examine the philosophy of developing artistic literacy through critique of other artworks, applying its principles to guide children’s interpretation, analysis, and evaluation. The method includes instruction to teach students to describe what they see, examine how it is organized, and speculate as to what the artist might be saying. Lastly, educators inform students that evaluation compares to any other logical process and moves beyond “I like it” by reviewing established criteria and citing evidence from the artwork.

Unit 4, lesson 4.5 offers guidance for educators to provide instruction in interpreting, evaluating, and responding to discipline-specific artistic works at the level of depth and complexity required by the course TEKS. The materials define discipline-specific vocabulary, including space, viewpoint, and setting, and provide a sequenced instructional process for students to examine how artists use these compositional elements to communicate ideas.

Evaluation for 5.1b
Materials emphasize the use of discipline-specific vocabulary in interpreting, evaluating, and responding to artistic works.

The materials include explicit instruction for teaching art vocabulary throughout unit 1, along with student expectations to use terms such as shape, facial expression, action or movement, near and far-away views, color, form, and detail when describing what they observe. During a discussion of provided artwork images, educator guidance directs students to observe and describe what they see, analyze the artist’s use of visual elements, interpret meaning, and evaluate the work using unit vocabulary. Evidence-based discussion prompts require students to use academic art vocabulary to explain observations, describe artistic choices, and support their interpretations, consistent with the expectations of the course TEKS.


For example, unit 1, lesson 1.2 provides explicit instruction in art vocabulary related to the elements of art, including line and shape. The guidance also outlines a sequenced process for analyzing how artists use different types of lines, shapes, and tonal variations to define edges and forms within the images. The educator directs students in examining images and describing how these terms are used within the artworks. For example, educators prompt students to identify thick, thin, straight, curved, and wavy lines in the first image, describe where these lines form shapes, and identify areas with the most curved lines (such as on flower petals) and straight lines (such as on stems), as well as compare how the flower shapes differ.

Evaluation for 5.1c
Materials provide opportunities for students to practice interpreting, evaluating, and responding to discipline-specific artistic works of other artists through activities and tasks that progressively increase in rigor and complexity over lessons and units within the course.

Unit 2, lesson 2.3 provides opportunities for students to interpret, evaluate, and respond to discipline-specific artistic works by other artists through structured activities. Students follow art criticism protocol—describe, analyze, interpret, and evaluate—to examine a selected self-portrait. Students describe what they observe in the image, analyze how the artist arranges visual elements, and interpret the visual evidence to consider artistic intent and what the work communicates about the subject. Finally, students evaluate the artwork and its context to develop an evidence-based interpretation of how effectively the artist conveys intended ideas or themes. This sequence allows students to apply prior learning from earlier lessons, as educator guidance specifically states that students will use content from lessons 2.1, in which students apply shapes to indicate particular facial expressions, and 2.2, which promotes understanding of portraits that express mood. These lessons reflect greater complexity and rigor than lesson 1.1, in which students use shape to observe and draw a tree.

The unit 6 final review shows the progression of skills developed through the course. Students again apply the art-criticism process to analyze a work by multidisciplinary artist Zaha Hadid. Students review unit 1’s study of shape in addition to later elements of form, function, color, pattern, and texture. Students also engage in portfolio review, reflection, and presentation—which is evaluated with a provided rubric. To achieve a level four in the “Presentation” category, students must select artwork that is appropriate to the artistic concepts of the unit and provide “insightful explanation of fit between artworks and Big Ideas.”

Evaluation for 5.2a
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide explicit (direct) instruction in giving and receiving feedback on discipline-specific artistic works to self and other students.

Unit 4, lesson 4.3 models a step-by-step process for introducing faces and feelings through puppet characters, and guides educators to engage students in reflection after completing their puppets. Students introduce their characters and engage in conversations with classmates’ puppets. Students use their puppets to tell a story, describe what they like about themselves, identify something they might like to improve, and consider ways to display their puppets for a larger audience. During the “Review and Reflect” portion of the lesson, students discuss their puppet characters, observe classmates’ work, consider various techniques and methods through peer feedback, and share reflections while speaking through their puppets. Throughout the activity, the educator observes student discussions and presentations, providing feedback and suggestions as students develop and refine their puppet characters.

Additionally, the Teacher Edition includes a “Guiding Responses to Art” reference section that provides educator inquiry-based methods to lead discussions of an artwork. It instructs educators to explain that statements of personal preference such as “I like it” or “I don’t like it” are not critical evaluation. Educators state the criteria that students will apply, and students give specific examples of how the artwork does or does not meet the criteria, ensuring that the process is logical, evidence-based examination. Students refer to the evaluation criteria listed for each studio when evaluating their own and each other’s artworks.

Evaluation for 5.2b
Materials provide opportunities for students to give feedback on discipline-specific artistic works created by other students.

Students have opportunities to give peer feedback on artistic works in unit 2, lesson 2.6. In “Reflect and Revise” and “Reflect and Present,” educators guide students to reflect on works in progress and completed artworks, display their paintings, and discuss which compositions communicate a calm or peaceful mood. Students observe classmates’ paintings and respond to prompts related to how mood is created and how artworks might be displayed. In “Art Criticism,” students participate in structured discussions using guiding questions focused on images, during which they share observations and responses to peer work. These review and revision processes direct students to engage in discussion about their own and others’ artworks, observe different approaches and techniques, and communicate reflections on their artistic choices and processes, while the educator facilitates discussion, observes student interactions, and provides feedback as students exchange ideas and respond to peer work.

Additionally, the “Portfolio Review, Reflection, and Presentation” section provides a step-by-step process for educators to introduce peer discussion and feedback. Students select their favorite unit 2 artworks that align with the Big Idea, exchanging feedback on why they chose those specific pieces. Students partner for pair interviews to talk about their artworks, reflect on the choices they made while creating them, and think about what kind of art they want to make next. The educator facilitates whole-class effort to curate an exhibition based on the unit title. The review process allows the educator to watch, listen, and provide suggestions while the students reflect, learn, collaborate, and trade feedback with their peers about the pieces they made during the unit.

Evaluation for 5.2c
Materials provide opportunities for students to receive feedback on their discipline-specific artistic works from teachers and other students.

Unit 3, lesson 5.3 offers opportunities for students to receive feedback on their artistic work from educators. The guide models a step-by-step process for educators to observe, discuss, and provide feedback throughout the lesson in the “Reflect and Present” section. The educator asks students to volunteer and describe how they decided where to place their figures in their collages, prompting them to explain figure placement and describe the positions of figures to communicate meaning. Students share their work as the educator facilitates a class discussion about the types of games represented in the collages. Educators provide feedback throughout the lesson to support students in understanding how to complete the project, construct figures, and apply collage techniques. While students are creating their collages, the educator uses the assessment rubric to evaluate student work and provide feedback aligned to the lesson criteria.

The unit 4, lesson 4.9 materials include educator feedback guidance to support students in refining their work. Educators observe, review, and provide feedback on students’ characters as they develop paper puppets. Lesson guidance outlines effective educator feedback strategies and techniques for students to apply while constructing their pop-up characters. Guidance prompts educators to provide ongoing feedback throughout the lesson to support student understanding of the process. For example, after students reflect and revise their puppets to ensure the mouths open and close properly, educators provide feedback to support further refinement of the work. Suggested feedback includes encouraging students to use markers to add details that communicate who the character is and what it represents.

Evaluation for 5.2d
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide feedback to students to refine their discipline-specific artistic works.

Unit 1, lesson 1.7 “Calm Beauty: Land, Sea, and Sky” provides educator feedback guidance to support students in refining artistic work during “Studio Time.” The educator models tearing wide strips of construction paper, arranging them to represent bands of land, sea, and sky and adhering them to a larger sheet of paper. As students work, educator feedback about how straight strips suggest flat land or calm water, while irregular or curved strips can suggest hills or waves, enables students to make immediate refinements. Students receive feedback on arranging color to create a sense of spatial variation by placing lighter or cooler colors toward the top and warmer, brighter, or darker colors toward the bottom, which leads to in-process revision. After composing their designs, students secure the pieces with glue and may add smaller torn-paper details.

Furthermore, the Teacher Edition includes an “Introducing Media and Techniques” page of educator guidance to help students use different media and refine their artistic skills. For example, the section describes “crayon resist” as applying tempera paint over a dense surface made with wax crayons. The paint repels the wax, creating an artistic effect. These suggestions provide specific feedback on skills-related refinements.

Evaluation for 5.2e
Materials provide opportunities for students to engage in self-reflection or self-evaluation to refine their discipline-specific artistic works.

Unit 1, lesson 1.9 offers opportunities for students to engage in reflection to refine their artistic work. During the “Reflect and Revise” portion of the lesson, students review their weather paintings by considering how effectively their work communicates a chosen weather condition and associated mood. Students reflect on artistic decisions by responding to prompts about the placement of the sky and land, the types of lines and colors used, and whether these choices convey the intended scene. Writing process guidance in the sidebar supports this self-evaluation by describing how artists review their work, identify areas for revision, and make changes to clarify their artwork before determining the work is complete. These structured reflection opportunities guide students in evaluating their artistic choices and revising their work throughout the creative process.

Similarly, in unit 3, lesson 3.6, students reflect and refine their work during “Reflect and Revise,” examining their assemblages in progress and considering whether additional natural materials or adjustments would improve the composition. Students use lesson reflection questions to evaluate the quality of their work and determine whether revisions are needed. The writing process guides students to review their completed assemblage, identify potential changes to strengthen the artwork, and revise as appropriate. These embedded opportunities support students in using artistic vocabulary such as texture, form, and balance to evaluate and refine their work across stages of development and reinforce the role of iterative revision within the artistic process.

Evaluation for 6.1a
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide explicit (direct) instruction on cross-curricular connections within and across the fine arts disciplines and between fine arts and core academic subjects (e.g., literacy, math, social studies, science) as applicable.

The materials support cross-curricular connections and connections across the art disciplines. The “Unit Cross-Curricular Connections” sidebar lists connections educators can make throughout the entire unit to develop comprehensive unit plans. For example, in unit 2, STEAM science connections appear in lesson 2.8, and there are social studies connections in lessons 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.8, and 2.9. The materials also note that there are music connections in lessons 2.4 and 2.8.

Additionally, in unit 3, lesson 3.6, educator guidance connects visual arts to science as students observe and use natural materials to create an animal assemblage. Students identify and describe technical and expressive features of animal sculptures, combine natural objects to represent an animal, and create an assemblage and a drawing. The lesson builds on prior learning in drawing, painting, shape, detail, and animal habitats, supporting connections across visual art concepts and science content while applying multiple artistic processes and media.

Evaluation for 6.1b
Materials provide opportunities for students to explore cross-curricular connections within and across the various fine art disciplines and between fine arts and core academic subjects (e.g., literacy, math, social studies, science) as applicable.

In the unit 3 activity “STEAM: Consider Reflection When Creating,” students explore cross-curricular and cross-disciplinary connections. Students investigate light, reflection, transparent materials, and mirrors. During the artmaking process, students further connect science and math concepts as they experiment with angles, reflections, and visual illusions in their own artwork.

The unit 6, lesson 6.6 materials provide opportunities for students to explore cross-curricular and cross-disciplinary connections. Students design a row of buildings that displays interior and exterior spaces while considering form and function. The lesson integrates social studies by examining residential and commercial buildings, community planning, and neighborhood structures, and connects to English language arts by comparing the artistic planning process to the writing process, as students use sketches and practice drafts to refine ideas before creating a final artwork. Guidance includes specific cross-curricular connections in STEAM technology, art history for both the artist and the artwork, and reading comprehension. It includes cross-discipline connections in folk art music.

Evaluation for 6.2a
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide explicit (direct) instruction on relevant discipline-specific historical and cultural context in alignment with the course TEKS.

Unit 2, lesson 2.7, “Say You Belong: Balance in Symbols,” materials include guidance for educators to provide explicit instruction on historical and cultural context. The lesson incorporates cross-curricular connections with social studies by providing instruction on Mesoamerican geography, history, and cultural practices related to symbols and decorative objects. Students examine artworks from Mesoamerica, identify repeated shapes and lines that create patterns, discuss how artists’ cultural contexts influenced symbolism and design choices, and create a symmetrical pendant design using patterns inspired by the artworks studied. Educator guidance includes background information, discussion questions, and explanations that support students in identifying how historical and cultural context is represented in artworks.

The unit 5, lesson 5.7 materials include guidance for educators to provide explicit instruction on relevant historical and cultural context. The lesson connects visual arts with social studies by introducing students to sculptural forms and the cultural context of artworks created by Indigenous North Americans. Students analyze sculptures to identify artistic features, including movement, body shape, and clothing, and explain what the artworks reveal about the lives and experiences of the people represented. Materials provide historical context in “About the Artists” and “Geography Connections” sidebars.

Evaluation for 6.2b
Materials provide opportunities for students to explore a variety of discipline-specific artistic works and traditions (e.g., variety of historical and contemporary artistic works, artistic traditions from diverse cultures).

Unit 2, lesson 2.9 materials provide opportunities for students to explore a variety of discipline-specific artistic works and traditions. Students examine clothing designs, patterns, and symbols from diverse cultures and create their own T-shirt designs using artistic techniques modeled in the lesson.

In unit 2, “STEAM: Focus on Engineering,” there are additional student activities that align with instruction and provide historical and cultural context. Students examine images of sculptures and structures to identify materials used by artists and builders, investigate the properties of different materials, and experiment with materials to create and support their own sculptures. The lesson introduces the artwork of Do Ho Suh, allowing students to explore how artists select materials to communicate ideas. The lesson incorporates in About the Artist and About the Artwork some cultural information about the South Korean heritage of the artist.

Evaluation for 6.2c
Materials include activities and tasks that require students to demonstrate understanding of relevant discipline-specific historical and cultural context in alignment with the course TEKS.

Unit 2, lesson 2.6 materials include activities and tasks that require students to demonstrate understanding of relevant historical and cultural context in alignment with the course TEKS. Students examine The Banjo Lesson and identify Henry Ossawa Tanner as the artist while discussing the artwork’s subject matter and historical context. Through guided questioning and discussion, students make connections among visual art, cultural stories, and social studies concepts related to artists and historical perspectives. The materials provide historical context in the “Art History” section.

Additionally, unit 4, lesson 4.1 includes activities and tasks that require students to demonstrate understanding of relevant historical and cultural context. Students explore the role of illustrators in creating images that support stories and examine storytelling traditions by identifying animals, such as Raven and Coyote, that appear in Native American narratives. Students examine artworks of Gerald McDermott and analyze how artists use characters and settings to communicate ideas and preserve stories across cultures. Students illustrate a book cover of their choice that meets studio criteria.