Middle School Art Curriculum for Charter School Teachers
For a charter middle school art teacher handed an empty room and a supply budget that barely covers paper, Art Complete – Middle School supplies the course itself: 70+ resources for grades 6–8 on visual literacy, art analysis and studio practice. Slides, differentiated worksheets, activities and answer keys arrive by download, so planning time can go to setting up the room.
See the art curriculum →Art Complete – Middle School is a ready-to-teach art curriculum for grades 6–8 with 70+ resources, from $149.90. It combines visual literacy (elements of art, principles of design, composition, color, symbolism, visual storytelling) with studio practice in drawing, painting, mixed media and design, moving from sketch to finished artwork. Charter teachers building a course fast can use it in sequence or by unit. Art supplies are not included, and the content should be checked against your own state's requirements.
The curriculum
Art Complete – Middle School, Grades 6–8
Start with the full curriculum. The other resources below are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Art Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for Middle School Art
Complete Art Curriculum Bundle | 14 Hands-On Art Studios | Middle School Art | Grades 5–9
BUNDLE XXL: Complete Art Curriculum for Grades 5–9 – Workbook, Projects & Activities
Art Complete – Ready-to-Use Curriculum for High School Art (Grades 9–12)
Teach-Life-Balance: The Complete Time-Saving Course for Teachers (incl. Planner, Guides & Templates)
The real problem
Why charter art rooms are hard to get going
A charter art position often starts with a key, a sink and very little else. The supply order is still pending, the previous teacher left no plans, or there was no previous teacher at all. Meanwhile classes begin, and in many charters art is a rotating special, so you might teach every sixth, seventh and eighth grader in the building in short blocks. Middle schoolers in an art room also split quickly into two camps: the confident drawers and the kids who announce they cannot draw. A course that is only projects loses the second group; a course that is only art history loses everyone. The work that actually takes time is balancing looking and making. Students need the vocabulary of line, shape, value and color, and they need to read a painting for composition and symbolism, then try those ideas with materials. Each unit needs a demo, a worksheet, a project brief and something to grade. Writing all of that while also ordering supplies, setting up storage and hanging student work in the hallway is too much for one new hire in a lean building.
Why it fits
How the art curriculum supports a lean start
It gives you both halves of a middle school art course, so you can teach with whatever materials have arrived so far.
- Elements of art and principles of design are taught directly, giving students words for what they see and make.
- Artworks from diverse cultures and periods let you teach analysis before the supply order shows up.
- Projects move from sketch to finished artwork, which helps students who believe they cannot draw.
- Drawing, painting, mixed media and design projects let you match lessons to the materials you actually have.
- Differentiated worksheets give the reluctant and the confident artist a fair way into each concept.
- Units work alone or in sequence, which suits short specials rotations across three grades.
Getting started
Your first two weeks in the art room
Here is one way to sequence the opening weeks while the room is still coming together.
- Download and sort by mediumGroup the files into analysis lessons and studio projects, and note which projects need paint, collage materials or only pencils. That list tells you what to teach before and after supplies arrive.
- Start with looking, not makingUse the visual literacy slides on line, shape and color in the first meetings. Students study artworks from different cultures and periods and practice describing them, which needs only a projector and paper.
- Run a low-risk drawing taskPick an early drawing activity that values experimentation over polish. It shows you each student's starting point and lowers the pressure for those who arrive convinced they are bad at art.
- Introduce composition and symbolismIn week two, move into principles of design and visual storytelling. Students analyze how an artist arranged an image to tell a story, then plan a small composition of their own.
- Launch a sketch-to-final projectClose the stretch with a studio project that runs from sketch to finished artwork. Grade the process as well as the result, and hang the first pieces in the hallway.
Which version
Choosing your art version
Most charter art teachers need only the main version: 70+ resources for $149.90 covering grades 6–8. The $189.90 version adds Teach-Life-Balance, a digital time-saving course with planner, guides and templates. It is worth considering if you see every student in the school and carry extra duties like displays, family nights or a lunch club. If your campus also has a music position you oversee, or you teach both arts, combining this with Music Complete – Middle School and code TEACHMORE15 takes 15% off the pair.
Honest limits
What the art curriculum leaves to you
No paint, paper, clay or tools come with it. Studio projects use materials you source, so you may need to adapt a project to your budget. Images beyond those in the materials and any digital art devices are yours to supply as well. It is written for U.S. middle school art rooms, but you should compare it with your state's visual arts standards and your charter's expectations. Team or school-wide use needs a short message to Teach Lessons first. If it does not fit, you can exchange it for store credit within 7 days. Cash refunds are not offered.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this art curriculum endorsed by a charter authorizer or aligned to arts standards?
It is not approved, endorsed or certified by any charter authorizer, state or arts standards organization, and alignment is not guaranteed. It is written for U.S. middle school art classrooms and covers visual literacy, art practice, and art, culture and meaning. Compare the units with your state's visual arts standards and your school's goals, and plan to supplement anything they require that is not covered.
Can I teach it before my supplies arrive?
Yes. A good share of the material is visual literacy and analysis: artworks from many cultures and periods, the elements of art, principles of design, color and symbolism. Those lessons need a projector and paper. You can save the painting and mixed media projects for when your order comes in.
How do I handle students who say they cannot draw?
The projects move from sketch to finished artwork and value experimentation, which gives hesitant students smaller steps. Worksheets are differentiated, so you can hand a simpler version to a student who needs it without singling them out. Analysis tasks also let those students succeed with words before they are asked to perform with a pencil.
Are there extra art products if I want more studio projects?
Yes. The Complete Art Curriculum Bundle – 14 Hands-On Art Studios for grades 5–9 costs $129.99, and the BUNDLE XXL Complete Art Curriculum for grades 5–9 is $49.90. They are separate products. The main curriculum is enough to run the course; the bundles add more hands-on material if your schedule allows.
Does it work in a specials rotation where I see students briefly?
Units can be taught in full sequence or one at a time, and the material is flexible for short lessons and review. In a short rotation, choose one analysis lesson and one project per unit and keep the cycle tight. Answer keys make grading the written work fast between groups.
Can our other art teacher use my copy?
Possibly. The licence covers instructional use by the buyer, and use within your own teaching team or school is allowed after you send Teach Lessons a short message. Questions about the school paying for it can go to them before you buy. Sharing the files beyond your school is not permitted.
Set up the room, not the lesson plans
The product page lists everything inside the grades 6–8 art curriculum and both versions. Pick one and download it now.
See the art curriculum →