Unit Plan 29 (Grade 3 Art): Display & Viewer Impact
Grade 3 art unit where students explain how spacing, height, grouping, and labels affect viewer focus and understanding of artwork.
Focus: Explain how display choices—such as spacing, height, grouping, and labels—affect how viewers notice and understand artwork.
Grade Level: 3
Subject Area: Art (Visual Arts • Presenting)
Total Unit Duration: 1–3 weeks, 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students explore how the way artwork is displayed changes what viewers notice, feel, and understand. They compare different display setups with changes in spacing, height, grouping, and labels, then talk about which arrangement makes the art easier to see and understand. By making small adjustments and explaining their choices, students learn that display decisions are part of the artistic message, not just decoration.
Essential Questions
- How do display choices (spacing, height, grouping, labels) change what viewers notice first?
- Why might one display make it easier to understand the artwork than another?
- How can we explain the way viewers might feel or think when they see a certain display?
- What does it mean to be thoughtful about how we show our art, not just what we draw or paint?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Observe different displays of artwork and describe how spacing, height, grouping, and labels affect what viewers see.
- Compare at least two ways of displaying the same artworks and explain which one helps viewers understand better and why.
- Help adjust a small classroom display to improve focus and clarity (e.g., fixing crowding, moving labels, adjusting height).
- Use simple vocabulary to describe viewer impact (e.g., “Your eyes go here first,” “It’s easier to read labels here”).
- Reflect in writing or discussion on how display choices helped make artwork clearer or more confusing for viewers.
Standards Alignment — 3rd Grade (NCAS-Aligned)
- VA:Pr6.3a — Explain how display choices help viewers understand artwork.
- Example: Students discuss how spacing affects focus.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can describe how spacing and height change what viewers see first.
- I can compare two displays and say which one helps viewers understand the artwork better and why.
- I can suggest changes to a display so that labels and artworks are easier to see.
- I can use words like focus, viewer, spacing, grouping, label when I talk about displays.
- I can explain how our class display choices might make viewers feel or think about the artwork.