Unit Plan 5 (Grade 3 Art): Balance & Contrast in Design

Focus: Use balance and contrast with the elements of art to create organized, visually interesting compositions.

Grade Level: 3

Subject Area: Art (Visual Arts • Creating)

Total Unit Duration: 1–3 weeks, 50–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students explore how artists use balance (how things are spread out in a picture) and contrast (strong differences, like light vs. dark or big vs. small) to make their artwork feel organized and eye-catching. They experiment with placing shapes, colors, and lines in different ways to create symmetrical and asymmetrical designs. Through guided practice and a small design project, students learn to make choices on purpose so that their compositions feel strong, not random.

Essential Questions

• What does it mean for a picture to have balance?
• How does contrast make parts of an artwork stand out and feel more interesting?
• How can I use line, shape, color, value, and texture to create balance and contrast in my designs?
• How does thinking about balance and contrast change the way I plan my artwork?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Describe and identify balance (symmetrical and asymmetrical) and contrast in simple artworks and classroom examples.
2. Experiment with arranging shapes, lines, and colors to create balanced compositions (both symmetrical and asymmetrical).
3. Use contrast (light vs. dark, big vs. small, thick vs. thin, warm vs. cool) to make certain parts of a design stand out.
4. Create a small “Balance & Contrast Design” that uses these principles intentionally to organize the composition.
5. Explain how they used balance and contrast to make their artwork look more organized and visually interesting.

Standards Alignment — 3rd Grade (NCAS-Aligned)

• VA:Cr2.3a — Apply elements of art and basic design principles to create organized and visually interesting compositions.
  • Example: Students use repetition and contrast to strengthen a design.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can explain what balance and contrast mean in art.
• I can make a design that feels balanced, either the same on both sides (symmetrical) or different but still even (asymmetrical).
• I can use contrast (light/dark, big/small, thick/thin, warm/cool) to make some parts of my picture stand out.
• I can point to parts of my artwork and tell how I used balance and contrast on purpose.
• I can create a composition that feels organized rather than random.