Unit Plan 27 (Grade K Art): Personal Drawing Project
Kindergarten Art: Students create drawings based on personal experiences and share who, what, and where in their artwork while explaining why it matters.
Focus: Create artwork inspired by personal experiences and talk about it.
Grade Level: K
Subject Area: Art (Visual Arts • Connecting)
Total Unit Duration: 1–2 weeks, 30–45 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, kindergarten students create a personal drawing based on something from their own lives—family, friends, pets, favorite places, or special events. They learn that their own experiences and memories can be powerful art ideas. Students practice planning out what they want to draw, making a picture that shows who or what is important to them, and then talking about their artwork with classmates. By the end of the unit, they can say what their picture shows and how it connects to their life.
Essential Questions
- How can my own life give me ideas for art?
- What kinds of people, places, and events can I show in my artwork?
- How can I tell others what my picture is about and why it is special to me?
- Why is it important to share our own stories through art?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Think about a personal experience (family, friends, pets, favorite place, or special day) to use as an art idea.
- Plan a simple picture that shows who or what is in their personal story.
- Create a drawing that clearly shows their chosen experience using people, objects, and setting details.
- Use simple language to talk about their artwork, naming who is in it and what is happening.
- Share why their picture is important to them (why they chose that experience).
Standards Alignment — Kindergarten (NCAS-Aligned)
- VA:Cn10.Ka — Create artwork based on personal experiences and talk about it.
- Example: Students draw their family and describe it.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can think of something from my life to draw.
- I can make a picture that shows who is there and what is happening.
- I can tell my teacher or friends what my picture is about.
- I can say why this picture is special to me.