Unit Plan 5 (Grade 7 Art): Composition & Visual Balance
Grade 7 art unit where students create balanced, dynamic compositions using contrast and movement to guide the viewer’s eye and design engaging layouts.
Focus: Create balanced and dynamic layouts using contrast and movement, arranging visual elements with purpose to guide the viewer’s eye and create engaging designs.
Grade Level: 7
Subject Area: Art (Visual Arts • Design & Composition • Balance & Movement)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students zoom in on composition and visual balance, learning how artists place shapes, lines, colors, and values to create both stability and energy. Building on earlier work with elements and principles, they explore symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial balance, and experiment with contrast and movement to lead the viewer’s eye. Through quick layout studies and a final “Balanced Motion” design, students practice making intentional choices so their compositions feel organized, dynamic, and visually clear.
Essential Questions
- How does visual balance affect whether a composition feels stable, dynamic, or uncomfortable?
- In what ways can contrast and movement be used together to lead the viewer’s eye through a design?
- How do symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial arrangements change the feeling of an artwork?
- What choices do artists make with size, placement, and value/color to create strong focal points and overall balance?
- How can I use composition strategies to make my own layouts more engaging and intentional?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Identify and describe different types of visual balance (symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial) in artworks and designs (VA:Cr2.7a).
- Use contrast (value, color, size, shape) and movement (directional lines, repetition, rhythm) to create dynamic compositions (VA:Cr2.7a).
- Generate several small composition studies that explore different balance strategies for the same set of shapes or theme (VA:Cr2.7a).
- Plan and complete a “Balanced Motion” composition that intentionally combines balance, contrast, and movement (VA:Cr2.7a).
- Explain how specific design decisions (placement, contrast, repetition) support visual balance and viewer movement in their final piece (VA:Cr2.7a).
Standards Alignment — 7th Grade (NCAS-Aligned)
- VA:Cr2.7a — Apply elements of art and principles of design purposefully to create balanced and visually engaging compositions.
- Example: Students use contrast and rhythm to create dynamic movement in a design while maintaining overall balance.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can recognize and name symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial balance in compositions.
- I can use contrast and movement to guide where the viewer looks first and how their eye travels.
- I can create several layout options that show different approaches to balance.
- I can complete a final composition that feels balanced and dynamic, not random.
- I can explain how my choices in size, placement, and value/color create balance and visual flow.