First Term Visual Arts revision for SS 1

Class: SS 1
Term: First Term
Week: 11
Age: 15 years
Duration: 60 minutes
Subject: Visual Arts
Curriculum Theme: Revision
Focal competence: Integration of the term’s curriculum competencies
Key competencies/values: Critical Thinking; Communication
Skills:

• Curriculum skills covered in Weeks 1-10

Previous Lesson: Art Materials, Tools, Equipment, Care and Maintenance
Topic: Revision and Consolidation
Subject Matter: core term topics, taught skills, common misconceptions, revision exercises

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Recall the key concepts taught during the term.

Psychomotor Domain

• Apply the term’s knowledge and skills in written, oral or practical tasks.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2025 New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• A suitable Visual Arts textbook for Senior Secondary 1
• The HeadTeacher Scheme of work For The New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Class notes and approved textbooks
• Past questions/revision exercises
• Drawing materials (pencils, erasers, drawing paper)
• Visual aids (charts illustrating elements and principles of art)

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is essential for reinforcing students’ understanding of fundamental Visual Arts concepts and skills covered throughout the first term. It provides an opportunity to identify and address any misconceptions, ensuring students have a solid foundation before progressing to new topics. Effective revision helps students consolidate their learning and prepare adequately for assessments.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students are expected to have a basic understanding of the core Visual Arts topics, elements, and principles covered in the first term of SS1.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Revision of First Term Visual Arts Topics

Elements of Art

The fundamental components or building blocks used to create a work of art include:

1. Line: A mark with length and direction. Lines can be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, curved, or zigzag, each conveying different feelings or movements.
2. Shape: A two-dimensional enclosed area defined by lines or colour. Shapes can be geometric (e.g., squares, circles, triangles) or organic (free-form, natural shapes).
3. Form: A three-dimensional object having height, width, and depth. Examples include cubes, spheres, pyramids, and cylinders, which occupy space.
4. Colour: Produced when light strikes an object and is reflected back to the eye. It is characterized by hue (the pure colour), intensity (brightness or dullness), and value (lightness or darkness).
5. Texture: The perceived surface quality of a work of art. It can be actual (tactile, felt by touch) or implied (visual, suggested by the artist).
6. Space: The area around, between, or within components of a work of art. It can be positive space (the subject itself) or negative space (the background or empty areas).
7. Value: The lightness or darkness of a colour or tone. It ranges from pure white to pure black and is crucial for creating contrast and depth.

Principles of Design

These are the ways artists arrange the elements of art to create effective and visually appealing compositions:

1. Balance: The distribution of visual weight in a composition. It can be symmetrical (equal weight on both sides), asymmetrical (unequal but visually balanced weight), or radial (elements arranged around a central point).
2. Emphasis: Creating a focal point or centre of interest to draw the viewer’s attention to a specific area of the artwork.
3. Movement: The path the viewer’s eye takes through the artwork, often leading to focal areas. It can be suggested through lines, shapes, and colours.
4. Pattern: The repetition of an element or elements in a recognizable organization. Patterns can be regular or irregular.
5. Repetition: Using the same element multiple times to create unity, rhythm, and a sense of consistency within the artwork.
6. Proportion: The size relationship of parts to a whole and to one another within a composition. It relates to how elements fit together harmoniously.
7. Rhythm: A visual tempo or beat, often achieved through the repetition of elements that create a sense of organized movement.
8. Unity: The feeling of harmony and completeness between all parts of the artwork, ensuring that all elements work together to support the overall design.

Basic Drawing Techniques

Key techniques for visual representation and artistic expression include:

1. Sketching: Quick, rough drawings used to capture an idea, explore a composition, or make preliminary studies. Sketches are often spontaneous and not highly detailed.
2. Shading: Using different values (lightness and darkness) to create the illusion of form, depth, and light on a two-dimensional surface. Common methods include hatching (parallel lines), cross-hatching (intersecting lines), stippling (dots), and blending (smooth transitions).

Colour Theory Basics

Understanding colour relationships is fundamental to visual arts:

1. Primary Colours: Red, Yellow, Blue. These are the foundational colours that cannot be created by mixing other colours.
2. Secondary Colours: Green, Orange, Purple. These are created by mixing two primary colours (e.g., Red + Yellow = Orange).
3. Tertiary Colours: Created by mixing a primary colour with an adjacent secondary colour (e.g., Red-Orange, Blue-Green).
4. Warm Colours: Colours associated with heat, such as red, orange, and yellow. They tend to visually advance in a composition, creating a sense of energy or closeness.
5. Cool Colours: Colours associated with coolness, such as blue, green, and purple. They tend to visually recede, creating a sense of calm or distance.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Question and Answer, Explanation, Practical Activity, Guided Practice, Group Work

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Activating prior knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher welcomes the students and informs them that the lesson is a revision of all topics covered in the first term. The teacher asks students to briefly mention any Visual Arts topic they remember from the term.

Pupils’ Activity: Students respond by mentioning various topics they recall from the term.

Learning Point: Recalling term topics

Step 2: Review of Elements of Art

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explaining/Recalling

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher leads a discussion on the Elements of Art (Line, Shape, Form, Colour, Texture, Space, Value), asking students to define each and provide examples. The teacher clarifies any misconceptions.

Pupils’ Activity: Students actively participate by defining the elements and giving examples.

Learning Point: Elements of Art definitions

Step 3: Review of Principles of Design

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Reinforcement

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides students through a review of the Principles of Design (Balance, Emphasis, Movement, Pattern, Repetition, Proportion, Rhythm, Unity), asking how each principle is applied in artworks.

Pupils’ Activity: Students explain the principles and discuss their application in art.

Learning Point: Principles of Design application

Step 4: Review of Basic Drawing Techniques and Colour Theory

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Demonstration/Explanation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher revises basic drawing techniques like sketching and shading, and key concepts of colour theory (primary, secondary, tertiary, warm/cool colours). The teacher may quickly demonstrate a shading technique.

Pupils’ Activity: Students observe, ask questions, and recall colour theory concepts.

Learning Point: Drawing and colour concepts

Step 5: Addressing Common Misconceptions and Q&A

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Clarification/Problem-solving

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher addresses common misconceptions identified from previous lessons or assessments. Students are encouraged to ask questions on any topic they find challenging.

Pupils’ Activity: Students ask questions and listen attentively to clarifications.

Learning Point: Clarifying difficult concepts

Step 6: Revision Exercises/Practical Task

Time: 15 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided practice/Application

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher distributes revision exercises (e.g., identifying elements/principles in given images, a short drawing task applying shading, or a multiple-choice quiz on definitions). The teacher moves around to provide guidance.

Pupils’ Activity: Students work individually or in small groups to complete the revision exercises or practical task.

Learning Point: Applying term’s knowledge

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. List four Elements of Art and two Principles of Design.
2. Explain the difference between a geometric shape and an organic shape.
3. Mention two basic drawing techniques and describe one.
4. Name the three primary colours.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Assessing term’s understanding

Step 8: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher briefly summarizes the key areas revised, commends students for their participation, and encourages them to continue studying for upcoming assessments.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen and ask any final questions.

Learning Point: Consolidating revision points

Lesson Keywords

• Revision – The act of re-examining and improving something.
• Elements of Art – Basic visual components of an artwork.
• Principles of Design – Rules for organizing elements in an artwork.
• Line – A mark with length and direction.
• Colour Theory – Guidelines for mixing and using colours.
• Shading – Creating depth using light and dark tones.
• Misconceptions – Incorrect understandings of concepts.

Differentiation

For students who grasp concepts quickly, the teacher can provide more complex revision exercises, such as analyzing a given artwork for all elements and principles. For students needing more support, the teacher can provide simplified definitions, visual aids, or pair them with stronger students for peer tutoring during the practical tasks.

Suggested Lesson Videos

For further understanding and visual examples, search on YouTube for:

• “Elements of Art for beginners SS1 Visual Arts”
• “Principles of Design explained SS1”
• “Basic drawing and shading techniques for students”
• “Colour theory basics Visual Arts SS1”