Unit Plan 30 (PreK Art): Artist Talk

Focus: Explain what artwork shows, connecting it to simple personal experiences and feelings.

Grade Level: PreK

Subject Area: Art (Visual Arts • Connecting)

Total Unit Duration: 1–3 weeks, 20–30 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, preschool children practice giving a simple artist talk about their own artwork. They learn to say what their picture shows, who or what is in it, and why it is special or important to them. Using short sentence frames and lots of modeling, children describe personal experiences—family, pets, favorite activities—that inspired their art. By the end of the unit, children understand that artists not only make art, they also talk about their artwork so others can understand their stories and feelings.

Essential Questions

• What does my artwork show?
• Who or what from my life is in my picture?
• How can I use my words to tell others about my artwork?
• Why is my artwork special to me?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Children will be able to:

1. Look at their own artwork and identify who or what it shows (people, places, objects, events).
2. Use simple sentence frames to explain their artwork, such as “My picture shows ___.”
3. Connect their artwork to a personal experience (family, playground, celebration, favorite activity).
4. Share at least one feeling word (happy, excited, loved) about their artwork during an artist talk.
5. Listen to classmates’ artist talks and show respect as an audience.

Standards Alignment — PreK (NCAS-Aligned)

• VA:Cn10.PKa — Create artwork based on personal experiences and talk about it.
  • Example: A child draws their family and describes it.

Success Criteria — Child-Friendly Language

• I can look at my picture and say what it shows.
• I can say who is in my picture (family, friends, pets) or where I am.
• I can tell about something from my life in my artwork.
• I can say how my picture makes me feel.
• I can listen while my friends give their artist talks.