Starting Middle School Art Mid-Year: Curriculum for January Hires
Art Complete – Middle School is for teachers who start a grade 6–8 art job in January and find an art room but no plans. It gives you 70+ resources on visual literacy, drawing, painting, mixed media and design, so you can teach from the first week of semester 2 and decide on studio projects once you know what supplies you have.
See the art curriculum →Art Complete – Middle School is a no-prep curriculum with 70+ resources for grades 6–8, starting at $149.90. A teacher starting in January can use it right away: lessons on the elements of art and principles of design, art analysis across cultures and periods, and studio work in drawing, painting, mixed media and design that moves from sketch to finished artwork. Units can be taught in order or individually.
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
Walking into someone else's art room in January
Art rooms are full of evidence about the last teacher, and very little of it is useful. You find half-finished clay pieces with no names, portfolios that may or may not have been graded, and a supply closet where the tempera has dried out and the good brushes are gone. Your first job is often an inventory, not a lesson. Meanwhile, three grades arrive expecting to make something. Middle schoolers judge an art teacher by whether they get to use materials on the first day, and a room that sits idle while you sort out the closet gets loud quickly. You also cannot plan a semester of painting before you know whether there is paint. And some fall work may be unfinished. Do you grade it, finish it or let it go? That depends on how much class time you are willing to give away before you have a direction. Pencils and paper are almost always available. A good semester 2 start uses them first, while you build a plan around what is actually in the closet.
Why it fits
What helps when the studio is unfamiliar
The curriculum separates looking at art from making it, so you can start with one while you sort out the other.
- Art analysis lessons on composition, color and symbolism need only a projector or printed images.
- Elements of art and principles of design give all three grades a shared vocabulary from week one.
- Drawing projects that run from sketch to finished work need little more than pencils and paper.
- Mixed media and design projects let you use whatever leftover materials the closet actually holds.
- Differentiated tasks support students who draw well and those who say they cannot draw.
- Visual storytelling and art from diverse cultures give quiet students another way into the class.
Getting started
The first two weeks in a new art room
One way to get started while you take stock of the supplies. Adjust it to your schedule and what you find.
- Week 1: start with lookingUse an art analysis lesson on composition or color with images you project or print. Students talk about real artworks, and you hear who has vocabulary and who needs the basics.
- Week 1: inventory during work timeWhile students work on an elements and principles worksheet, go through the closet. By Friday you know which studio projects are realistic and which have to wait for an order.
- Week 2: a drawing project for allChoose a drawing project that moves from sketch to finished work. Pencil and paper are enough, and the sketchbook stage shows you each student's skill level within days.
- Week 2: decide on the fall piecesIf unfinished work is still in the room, give students one or two class periods to finish it or let it go, then move on. Do not let the old project set your semester.
- End of week 2: plan around the suppliesWith the inventory done, choose painting, mixed media or design units that fit the materials you have, and order what is missing for later in the semester.
Which version
Which version for a mid-year art job
The $149.90 version has the full 70+ resources and is enough for a semester. The $189.90 version adds Teach-Life-Balance, a digital course with a planner, guides and templates for teachers. It adds no art lessons. Its value is in the extra hours, for example when inventory, a supply order and new routines all fall in the same month. If you want more studio projects later, the Complete Art Curriculum Bundle with 14 Hands-On Art Studios for grades 5–9 ($129.99) is a separate add-on.
Honest limits
What is not in the box
No art supplies are included. Paint, paper, clay and tools come from your school budget or your own closet. You use your own images or devices to show artworks in class. The curriculum is written for U.S. middle school art, but you need to check it against your own state and school requirements. If the other art teacher in your building wants to use it, send Teach Lessons a short message first. If it is not a fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value. There is no cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is it aligned to the National Core Arts Standards?
It has no endorsement, approval or certification from a standards body, and it does not guarantee alignment with national or state art standards. It is written for U.S. middle school art classes and covers visual literacy, studio practice and art in culture. Compare its contents with your state's visual arts standards and add anything your district specifically requires.
The supply closet is nearly empty. Can I still use it?
Yes. Many lessons on analysis, elements and principles, and visual storytelling need only images and worksheets. Drawing projects need pencils and paper. Painting and mixed media units need more, so it makes sense to hold those until your order arrives. The curriculum itself does not provide materials.
Can I mix the three grades on different units?
Yes. Units can be used individually, so sixth grade can work on the elements of art while eighth grade does a design project. Because everything shares the same structure, switching between grades during the day is easier than juggling three unrelated sets of plans. Plan in grade order first.
What do I do about the previous teacher's grades and unfinished projects?
The curriculum cannot settle that for you. Ask your administrator how fall grades were handled. For your own semester, the drawing and analysis tasks give you fresh, gradable work within the first two weeks, so your gradebook does not depend on projects you did not assign.
How soon can I have it ready for class?
Immediately after purchase. You get a download link by email, and the files are also in your customer account under Orders. Worksheets can be printed or used in a digital classroom. The product page lists what is included, so you can check the contents before you buy.
Is there a high school version if my schedule changes?
Yes, Art Complete – High School has 100+ resources for grades 9–12 and follows the same structure. If your schedule includes both a middle school and a high school section, buying both with the code TEACHMORE15 gives you 15% off. Otherwise, the middle school version is the one to buy.
Have something to teach on day one
Look at what the product page lists for the middle school art curriculum and choose the version that fits your semester.
See the art curriculum →