Teaching the Elements of Art and Principles of Design in Middle School

The elements of art and principles of design are the shared vocabulary of the art room, the toolkit every other lesson depends on. But taught as definitions to memorize, they fall flat. Taught through making and looking, they come alive. This guide shows how to teach them in grades 6 to 8 so students actually use them.

Elements first, then principles

Start with the building blocks, the elements of art: line, shape, form, space, value, color, and texture. Then move to the principles of design, the ways artists organize those elements: balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, rhythm, proportion, and unity. Introduce a few at a time rather than all at once.

Teach each through making

For every element or principle, pair a short concept with a hands-on task: a value scale for value, a texture rubbing hunt for texture, a radial or symmetrical design for balance. Students remember what they make far better than what they copy from a slide.

Find them in real art

Bring artworks in and hunt for the concept: where is the emphasis, how does the artist create movement, what values carry the mood? Comparing two works reveals choices and their effects, and it builds the visual-analysis skills that art standards prize.

Use a shared vocabulary in critique

Once students know the terms, insist on them in discussion and reflection. A sentence frame such as The artist uses ... to create ... pushes students from I like it to real analysis, and it makes peer critique specific and kind.

Build a reference students keep

An elements-and-principles page in the sketchbook, or a word wall, gives students a resource to return to all year. Refer to it constantly so the vocabulary becomes second nature, not a one-time unit.

A ready-to-use option

Our Art Complete: Middle School Art curriculum (Grades 6-8) teaches the elements of art and principles of design through visual literacy and studio units, with composition, color, and analysis skills that develop progressively from grade 6 to grade 8, always linked to real artmaking.

Frequently asked questions

Should I teach all elements and principles at once? No, introduce a few at a time and revisit them across projects.

How do I make them stick? Teach each through a hands-on task and find it in real artworks.

How do the elements and principles differ? Elements are the building blocks; principles are how you organize them.

How do I use them in critique? Require the vocabulary with sentence frames that name a choice and its effect.

How do I assess understanding? Through applied tasks (create using a principle) and analysis (identify it in an artwork).