Unit Plan 5 (Grade 5 Art): Principles of Design Application

Focus: Use contrast, balance, and emphasis to improve composition and make artwork more visually effective. Students analyze how these principles of design organize images and guide the viewer’s eye, then revise and create compositions that apply these tools intentionally.

Grade Level: 5

Subject Area: Art (Visual Arts • Creating)

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

I. Introduction

Students shift from simply “filling the page” to thinking like designers who arrange elements on purpose. They study sample artworks and simple graphic layouts to see how contrast, balance, and emphasis affect what the viewer notices and how the composition feels. Then they practice improving “weak” or cluttered designs by rearranging shapes, changing sizes, adjusting value and color, and creating clearer focal points, leading to a final composition that uses these principles intentionally.

Essential Questions

• How do contrast, balance, and emphasis help organize an artwork and guide the viewer’s eye?
• What changes can I make to a composition to make it feel more balanced and visually engaging?
• How can I use contrast (light vs. dark, big vs. small, calm vs. busy) to create emphasis?
• Why is it important to revise and improve a design instead of stopping at the first version?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Define and identify contrast, balance, and emphasis in sample artworks and simple designs.
2. Analyze a “weak” composition and suggest at least two changes using principles of design to improve it.
3. Plan a new composition (abstract or simple scene) that intentionally uses contrast, balance, and emphasis to guide the viewer’s attention.
4. Create a final artwork that demonstrates organized composition, with a clear focal point and overall visual balance.
5. Explain their design choices in a short written or oral statement, using vocabulary such as contrast, balance, and emphasis.
6. (Optional Sessions) Refine and extend their work by revising compositions and participating in peer critiques focused on design principles.

Standards Alignment — 5th Grade (NCAS-Aligned)

• VA:Cr2.5a — Apply elements of art and principles of design purposefully to create organized and visually engaging compositions.
  • Example: Students use contrast and emphasis to guide viewer attention.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can find and name areas of contrast, balance, and emphasis in artworks and simple designs.
• I can explain why a composition feels unbalanced or unclear and suggest specific improvements.
• I can design an artwork where one part stands out as the focal point and the rest supports it.
• I can use contrast (like light/dark or big/small) to make important parts more noticeable.
• I can describe my choices using words like contrast, balance, and emphasis.