Teaching Middle School Art Out of Field: A Ready Curriculum
Assigned middle school art without an art background? Art Complete – Middle School gives you a grades 6–8 course with 70+ resources: art analysis lessons built on the elements of art and principles of design, studio projects that move from sketch to finished piece, and answer keys for the written work. You get the vocabulary and the project sequence, so you can teach and assess art without having trained in it.
See the art curriculum →Art Complete – Middle School is a no-prep art curriculum for grades 6–8, from $149.90. It has 70+ resources covering visual literacy and art analysis, studio practice in drawing, painting, mixed media and design, and art, culture and meaning. For a teacher outside their certification, the lessons supply the terminology and project structure, and the answer keys cover written analysis tasks. Art supplies are not included.
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
What is hard about art when you never trained in it
Most people assume the problem is not being able to draw. In practice, your own drawing skill matters less than knowing what to teach and how to talk about student work. Art teachers share a working vocabulary: line, shape, value, texture, balance, contrast, emphasis. Without it, feedback turns into nice job, and students hear that as meaning nothing. Planning projects is the second gap. A good middle school art project has a clear technique goal, enough room for choice, and a sequence that moves from sketch to final piece without half the class stalling on day two. Building that from Pinterest pins takes hours and rarely adds up to a year that progresses. Then come the materials. Watercolor, collage and mixed media each have their own small disasters, and you only learn those by doing. And you still have to grade work that feels subjective, in a way you can explain to a parent who believes their child is the next Picasso. Art also needs a reading-and-talking side: looking at artworks from different cultures and periods and interpreting symbolism. That is where a non-specialist is most exposed.
Why it fits
What the curriculum puts in your hands
You get the art knowledge and the project structure. Your job is running the studio.
- Lessons on the elements of art and principles of design give you shared terms for every critique.
- Studio projects move from sketch to finished artwork, so you never invent the next step mid-week.
- Analysis lessons use artworks from diverse cultures and periods, with prompts on symbolism and visual storytelling.
- Answer keys cover the written analysis work, so you grade the vocabulary part without guessing.
- Drawing, painting, mixed media and design projects give the year variety without unplanned materials chaos.
- Differentiated worksheets support students who struggle to write about art as well as those who draw easily.
Getting started
Getting the art room running in two weeks
A suggested way to start, especially if you take over the room with little notice.
- Check the supply closet against the listRead through the first two studio projects and note every material they call for. Compare that with what the room actually holds, and order or substitute before the first painting lesson, not during it.
- Teach the vocabulary before the brushesStart with an elements of art and composition lesson. Students get terms to use in every critique afterward, and you get a week of lower-mess teaching while you get your bearings.
- Do each project yourself firstMake a rough version of the first studio assignment at home. Your sample does not need to be good. It shows you where students will get stuck and how long each stage really takes.
- Set up a sketch-first routineFollow the sketch-to-final sequence the projects use. Requiring a sketch before materials come out saves supplies and gives you a natural checkpoint for feedback before anyone commits paint to paper.
- Run one short critiquePin finished work up and have students describe it using the composition and color terms from week one. Hearing their vocabulary tells you what landed and gives you comment language for grading.
Which version
Choosing your art version
The base Art Complete – Middle School at $149.90 has all 70+ resources and is enough to teach the course. The $189.90 version adds Teach-Life-Balance, a separate digital course with a planner, guides and templates for managing teacher time. It adds no art lessons. It makes sense if art was added to a schedule that was already full and you want help organizing your week; otherwise the base version is the better buy. The Complete Art Curriculum Bundle with 14 hands-on studios and the BUNDLE XXL for grades 5–9 may appear as extras if you later want more projects.
Honest limits
Things you still need to handle
Paint, paper, brushes and other supplies are not included; you work with your school's budget and closet. Artwork examples are part of the lessons, but if you want large reproductions or extra images, you use your own projector and sources. The curriculum is written for U.S. middle school art classrooms, yet you should check it against your state or district visual arts requirements. If an art colleague will share the materials, send Teach Lessons a short message beforehand. If the curriculum does not suit your room, 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 this aligned with the National Core Arts Standards?
We do not claim alignment, and the curriculum is not endorsed, adopted or certified by any standards body, state or district. It is written for U.S. middle school art classrooms and covers analysis, studio practice and art in culture. Compare the content listed on the product page with your own state or district visual arts framework before submitting it as your plan.
I cannot draw well. Will students take me seriously?
Students care more about clear instructions and fair feedback than about your sketchbook. The projects explain technique step by step, and the elements and principles vocabulary lets you give specific comments such as stronger value contrast here, which carry more weight than a demonstration. Making your own rough sample of each project helps more than any natural talent would.
How do I grade art without it feeling arbitrary?
Split the grade into parts. Written analysis tasks have answer keys. For studio work, judge students on whether they used the technique taught, completed the sketch-to-final stages, and can explain their choices in the course vocabulary. That gives you reasons you can point to when a parent questions a grade.
What supplies will I need?
It depends on the projects you choose, since the curriculum includes drawing, painting, mixed media and design work. No supplies are included. Look over the projects for the first quarter and list the materials before school starts. Where your closet is thin, choose the drawing and design projects first while orders arrive.
Can I use it for one quarter instead of a full year?
Yes. The units can be used individually as well as in sequence, so a quarter or semester rotation works. Pick an analysis lesson to build vocabulary, then one or two studio projects that suit your materials and time. Many exploratory art rotations work this way, and the same files remain usable for the next group.
Does it cover art from outside Europe?
Yes. The visual literacy and analysis lessons draw on artworks from diverse cultures and periods, along with design and visual culture. The art, culture and meaning strand looks at how art connects to identity and society. Check the product page for the full list of what is included.
Run your art room with a plan
Look over the 70+ resources on the product page and see which projects fit your supply closet.
See the art curriculum →