United Kingdom · National Curriculum Attainment Targets
Year 8 Art and Design
This curriculum focuses on developing technical proficiency and conceptual depth through the study of human form, environmental impact, and cultural heritage. Students refine their ability to record observations and manipulate diverse media to communicate complex ideas and personal responses.
The Architecture of the Face
Students explore portraiture through the lens of anatomy and expression, moving beyond simple likeness to capture character and mood.
An investigation into the mathematical relationships of facial features and the use of construction lines to build form.
Using the works of the German Expressionists to understand how line quality and color can convey internal emotional states.
Students create a final mixed-media self-portrait that incorporates symbolic elements representing their personal history.
Urban Decay and Industrial Texture
A study of the beauty found in weathered surfaces, focusing on texture, pattern, and the passage of time in built environments.
Exploration of physical textures through rubbing, layering, and the use of non-traditional drawing tools.
Creating relief printing plates using recycled materials to explore industrial shapes and repetitive patterns.
Analyzing how contemporary artists document the decline of industrial spaces and the reclaiming of nature.
Cultural Patterns and Global Textiles
Students examine the significance of pattern and craft in different cultures, focusing on Adinkra symbols and Islamic geometry.
Technical drawing of complex patterns using compasses and rulers to understand the mathematical basis of Islamic art.
Researching the meanings behind Adinkra symbols and creating original motifs that communicate personal values.
Applying knowledge of pattern to fabric using wax-resist or gutta techniques to explore color layering.
The Moving Image: Narrative Art
An introduction to sequential art and animation, focusing on how artists tell stories through a series of images.
Learning how to use camera angles and framing in drawings to create a sense of drama and movement.
Exploring the persistence of vision by creating simple flipbooks and short claymation sequences.
Analyzing how text and image interact to convey complex themes in contemporary graphic literature.
Environmental Activism in Sculpture
Students investigate how art can be used as a tool for social change, focusing on ecological issues and recycled sculpture.
Creating three dimensional forms by assembling discarded materials, focusing on structural integrity and balance.
Exploring works created in and for nature, understanding the relationship between an artwork and its environment.
Examining how artists use public installations to raise awareness about climate change and plastic pollution.
The Surreal World: Dreams and Logic
A study of the Surrealist movement, challenging students to combine disparate objects to create dreamlike and illogical imagery.
Using techniques like doodling and frottage to bypass the rational mind and discover hidden imagery.
Learning how to manipulate the size and context of objects to create a sense of the uncanny or 'weird'.
Students combine their technical skills in painting and drawing to produce a polished, surrealist-inspired final piece.