High School Art Scope and Sequence for the Whole Year
High school art teachers planning a full year in grades 9–12 can use Art Complete – High School as the content base: 100+ resources for analysis and interpretation plus studio practice from drawing to conceptual and digital work. The material is built to move students toward independence, which is what a good year sequence should do. You set the dates and the projects.
See the high school art set →Art Complete – High School is a no-prep curriculum for grades 9–12 with 100+ resources, starting at $149.90. It covers analysis and interpretation of style, symbolism, composition and intention across cultures and contemporary contexts, plus practice in drawing, painting, mixed media, design, and experimental, conceptual and digital work from concept to final piece. There is no fixed calendar included, so you decide how the sequence spreads over your year.
The curriculum
Art Complete – High School, Grades 9–12
Start with the full curriculum. The other resources below are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
The real problem
The real problem with a high school art sequence
In high school art the sequence has to do something different than in middle school: it has to hand control over to the student. September students wait to be told what to draw. By May you want them generating a concept, choosing media and defending their choices in a critique. That shift does not happen by accident, and it is the hardest part to plan. You also have a mixed room. An Art 1 class can hold a freshman who has drawn every day for years next to a senior filling a graduation requirement. Then there is the analytical side. High school students can handle intention, context and symbolism in serious ways, from historical works to media art and visual culture they scroll past every day, but only if interpretation is taught as a skill and not a slideshow of famous paintings. A good year map alternates structured skill building with open-ended work, and puts the analysis right next to the studio problem it helps solve. Leaving all the conceptual and experimental work for the last month usually means it gets cut.
Why it fits
How it supports the move toward independent work
The two strands, analysis and practice, both grow in depth, which gives a year map its direction.
- Concept-to-final-artwork tasks teach the full creative process so students can run it themselves later in the year.
- Experimental and conceptual approaches give you material for the open-ended stretch most courses leave too little time for.
- Traditional and digital media both appear, so you can place a digital block wherever your device access allows.
- Analysis of style, symbolism and intention gives critiques a shared vocabulary beyond "I like it."
- Contemporary contexts and media art connect the analysis strand to images students actually encounter.
- Differentiated worksheets help you challenge experienced students without losing the requirement-fillers in the same class.
Getting started
A suggested arc for about 36 weeks
This is a sample arc, not a schedule the product contains. Change the order to suit your course level and your room.
- Weeks 1–6: foundations and close lookingStart with composition and a drawing skills block. Pair each studio exercise with a short analysis of how an artist handled the same problem, so interpretation becomes a habit from the first month.
- Weeks 7–14: painting and mixed mediaBuild technical range with painting and mixed media. Bring in style and symbolism through works from different cultures and periods that use those materials in contrasting ways.
- Weeks 15–20: design and digital mediaMove into design and, if devices allow, digital media. Visual culture and media art analysis fit here, since students compare their own work to images from advertising and online spaces.
- Weeks 21–29: concept to final artworkTeach the concept-to-final process deliberately, with students writing about intention before they start. Use experimental and conceptual approaches to push students beyond technically safe choices and toward work they can explain.
- Weeks 30–36: independent body of workLet students lead a final piece or small series, choosing medium and concept. Close with written interpretation of their own work and a critique that uses the year's analysis vocabulary.
Which version
Choosing between the two versions
The standard Art Complete – High School ($149.90) has all 100+ resources and is enough content for a full year. The version with Teach-Life-Balance ($189.90) adds a separate course on teacher time management with a planner, guides and templates; it does not add art lessons. Choose it if your planning hours are tight. If you also cover a middle school section, Art Complete – Middle School uses the same structure, and TEACHMORE15 gives 15% off two or more Complete Curriculum packages. The Complete Art Education Bundle for High School ($59.90) is a separate, smaller option.
Honest limits
Where you fill the gaps
You provide all materials, from drawing paper and paint to digital devices and software. The sequence is yours to build; no week-by-week calendar is included, and the arc above is only an example. The curriculum does not settle course credit questions or AP portfolio requirements, so check it against your state and school requirements. If your art department wants to share it, send Teach Lessons a short message before using it across classes. Within 7 days, a product that does not suit you can be exchanged for store credit of equal value.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is it aligned to state art standards or the National Core Arts Standards?
It is written for U.S. high school art classrooms and covers creating, analyzing, interpreting and connecting art to context. It is not endorsed or certified by any standards body, state or district, and no official alignment is claimed. Put your state or district visual arts framework next to it when you write your scope and sequence and fill any gaps yourself.
Can it serve Art 1 through advanced levels?
The material increases in depth across grades 9–12 and moves toward independent work, so you can use the more guided parts with beginners and the conceptual and experimental work with advanced students. For a multi-level room, run the same block for everyone and set different expectations for output and written analysis.
Does it prepare students for AP Art and Design portfolios?
It is not an AP course and makes no claim about AP requirements. The concept-to-final-artwork process, experimental approaches and written interpretation of intention are useful habits for any portfolio, but check AP expectations directly and plan that course separately. Treat any AP preparation as a separate planning task.
How much digital art is included?
Digital media appears alongside traditional media in the practice strand, and media art is part of the analysis content. The product page lists what is included. You need your own devices and software for digital work, so place that block in your year wherever your access is reliable.
Can I use it for a one-semester art elective?
Yes. Units can be taught individually. A semester version of the arc might keep the foundations, one material block, and a shorter concept-to-final project, then close with critique. Cut breadth before you cut the independent project, since that is where students show what they have learned.
What can I leave for a substitute?
The analysis worksheets on style, symbolism and composition come with answer keys and need no studio setup. They work well for a substitute who is not an art teacher and keep students thinking about the same artistic problems they are working on in the studio.
Give your high school art year a clear direction
Open the product page to see what Art Complete – High School includes and choose your version.
See the high school art set →