Unit Plan 13 (Grade 5 Art): Cultural Art Project

Focus: Create artwork inspired by a cultural tradition, using brainstorming and sketching to generate ideas, and describing how the final piece reflects cultural or historical traditions. Students thoughtfully connect visual choices (symbols, patterns, colors, scenes) to a culture or tradition they know or have respectfully studied.

Grade Level: 5

Subject Area: Art (Visual Arts • Connecting • Creating)

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

I. Introduction

Students build on their understanding of art and culture by designing an original artwork inspired by a specific cultural or community tradition. They revisit how art can show beliefs, celebrations, everyday life, and values, then use brainstorming and sketching to generate multiple ideas before choosing one to develop. Throughout the process, they consider how their visual choices will help a viewer understand the tradition or culture behind their work and practice explaining these connections.

Essential Questions

• How can I use visual choices (symbols, patterns, colors, scenes) to show a culture or tradition in my artwork?
• Why is it important to research and respect the traditions that inspire my art?
• How does planning and sketching help me create an artwork that clearly reflects a cultural or historical tradition?
• How might knowing the cultural background behind my artwork change how someone interprets it?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Select a cultural or community tradition (their own or one studied in class) to inspire an artwork.
2. Use brainstorming and sketching to generate at least two different visual ideas that reflect that tradition.
3. Choose one idea to develop into a final composition, explaining how it connects to a cultural or historical tradition.
4. Create an artwork that uses clear visual clues (objects, patterns, colors, settings) to express aspects of the chosen tradition.
5. Write or share a brief artist statement describing how their artwork reflects the tradition and how that context influences interpretation.

Standards Alignment — 5th Grade (NCAS-Aligned)

• VA:Cn11.5a — Describe how art reflects cultural or historical traditions and influences interpretation.
  • Example: Students examine traditional art forms and discuss their purpose.
• VA:Cr1.5a — Generate artistic ideas by exploring themes, personal interests, or assigned prompts through brainstorming and sketching.
  • Example: Students sketch multiple ideas for a landscape that communicates a specific mood.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can choose a culture or tradition to inspire my artwork and explain why I chose it.
• I can brainstorm and sketch more than one idea before deciding on my final plan.
• I can show my chosen tradition through clear visual clues in my artwork.
• I can describe how my artwork reflects a cultural or historical tradition and how that helps people interpret it.
• I can talk about other cultures and traditions with respect and curiosity.