Unit Plan 15 (Grade 3 Art): Studio Project II — Personal Expression
Grade 3 art unit where students plan and create a personal expression artwork, using thumbnails, clear organization, and thoughtful visual details.
Focus: Create artwork that communicates a personal idea with clear planning, effort, and visual organization.
Grade Level: 3
Subject Area: Art (Visual Arts • Creating/Connecting)
Total Unit Duration: 1–3 weeks, 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students use what they know about personal stories, composition, and design to create a second, more independent studio project focused on personal expression. Instead of retelling a full event, they choose a personal idea—a feeling, dream, hope, opinion, or big interest—and decide how to show it visually. Through planning sketches, thoughtful layout decisions, and careful work time, students complete an artwork that shows who they are and what they care about, while demonstrating clear visual organization.
Essential Questions
- What is a personal idea I want to share with others through my artwork?
- How can I use images, symbols, and composition to communicate that idea clearly?
- What does it look like to show planning, effort, and organization in a studio project?
- How can I tell if my finished artwork expresses what I meant it to?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Choose a personal idea (feeling, interest, opinion, dream, or value) they want to communicate in their artwork.
- Plan their artwork by making thumbnail sketches and deciding on a clear layout and focal point.
- Complete a studio project that shows planning, effort, and clear visual organization, using foreground/background or other organizing strategies.
- Use colors, shapes, lines, and symbols purposefully to support their personal idea.
- Reflect on their finished artwork, explaining how it expresses their idea and where they see strong organization and effort.
Standards Alignment — 3rd Grade (NCAS-Aligned)
- VA:Cr3.3b — Complete artwork that demonstrates planning, effort, and clear visual organization.
- Example: Students finalize a landscape showing foreground and background.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can choose a personal idea that I want my artwork to show.
- I can plan my artwork with sketches before starting my final piece.
- I can organize my picture so viewers can easily tell what is most important.
- I can work carefully and show effort in my details, coloring, and finishing.
- I can explain how my finished artwork expresses my idea and where I used good organization.