United Kingdom · National Curriculum Attainment Targets
Year 4 Art and Design
A comprehensive art and design course for Year 4 students focusing on technical skill development and conceptual exploration. Students investigate diverse media including sculpture, digital art, and textiles while connecting their work to historical and contemporary movements.
01The Power of the Line
Students explore the fundamental elements of drawing by experimenting with line weight, texture, and shading to create depth.
Recording the natural world through careful observation of light and shadow on organic forms.
Investigating geometric shapes and repeating patterns found in local and global architecture.
Using non-traditional tools and varied pressure to convey emotion through abstract lines.
Exploring how lines can create a sense of motion and energy within a composition.
Practicing continuous line drawing to capture the outer and inner edges of objects without lifting the pencil.
Learning various shading techniques (hatching, cross-hatching, stippling, blending) to create value and volume.
Exploring the history and practice of calligraphy, focusing on basic letter forms and expressive strokes.
02Color Theory and Impressionism
An exploration of how light and color interact, inspired by the techniques of the Impressionist movement.
Developing a sophisticated understanding of the color wheel and color relationships.
Studying Claude Monet to understand how time of day influences color perception.
Creating images using small dots of color that mix in the viewer's eye.
Investigating how warm and cool colors evoke different emotions and create depth in a painting.
Experimenting with loose, visible brushstrokes to capture fleeting moments and the effect of light.
Setting up and painting a still life arrangement, focusing on how light creates color variations and shadows.
Studying Vincent van Gogh's use of bold color and impasto to convey emotion and energy.
03Form and Sculpture
Students transition from 2D to 3D by working with clay and recycled materials to build structural forms.
Learning the fundamental construction methods for creating functional and decorative ceramic pieces.
Creating temporary art installations using natural materials found in the school environment.
Transforming found objects and waste materials into imaginative figurative sculptures.
Exploring paper as a sculptural medium, using techniques like folding, cutting, and scoring to create 3D forms.
Designing and constructing mobiles that explore balance, movement, and air currents.
Creating relief sculptures using various materials, focusing on how forms emerge from a flat background.
Investigating examples of public sculptures and discussing their purpose and impact on a community.
04Textiles and Storytelling
Exploring the history of fabric arts and using sewing and weaving to share personal narratives.
Investigating the cultural significance of weaving patterns from diverse global communities.
Using basic stitch techniques to 'draw' a story onto fabric surfaces.
Analyzing historical textiles as a primary source for understanding the past.
Experimenting with resist dyeing techniques to create patterns and designs on fabric.
Learning the process of wet felting to transform loose wool fibres into a cohesive fabric.
Creating collages using various fabric scraps, threads, and embellishments to explore texture and composition.
Exploring the art of quilting and patchwork, focusing on geometric patterns and storytelling through fabric pieces.
05Digital Worlds and Media
Using technology as a creative tool to manipulate images and create short animations.
Combining photographs and digital drawing to create surreal and imaginative landscapes.
Learning the principles of frame-by-frame animation to bring inanimate objects to life.
Understanding the rule of thirds and how to compose a compelling photograph.
Exploring digital painting software, focusing on different brush types and the use of layers for complex artwork.
Adding simple sound effects and music to short animations to enhance storytelling and mood.
Discussing the ethical considerations of using digital images, including copyright, fair use, and sharing artwork online.
Designing and developing original characters using digital drawing tools, focusing on expression and personality.
06Art Through the Ages
A survey unit connecting modern practices to ancient traditions and historical movements.
Exploring the origins of human creativity and the use of natural pigments.
Investigating the shift towards realism and perspective in the works of Da Vinci and Michelangelo.
Discovering how artists use colour and shape to express feelings and ideas, moving beyond realistic representation.
Exploring the symbolic language and storytelling in ancient Egyptian art, including hieroglyphs and tomb paintings.
Investigating how artists create sculptures of people and animals, focusing on different materials and simple forms.
Studying art forms from various indigenous cultures, focusing on their connection to nature, spirituality, and community.
Exploring the Pop Art movement and how artists like Andy Warhol transformed everyday objects and popular culture into art.
Investigating how abstract artists use color, shape, and line to express feelings and ideas without representing recognizable objects.
Exploring the history and impact of street art and graffiti as forms of public expression and social commentary.