Visual & Performing Arts · Kindergarten · Art History and Appreciation · Weeks 28-36

Art in Our Community

Students identify and discuss different types of art found in their local community, such as murals, sculptures, or architecture.

• Common Core State Standards
• NCAS: Responding VA.Re7.1.K
• NCAS: Connecting VA.Cn11.1.K

About This Topic

Art in Our Community asks kindergarteners to look at the world around them as a gallery that is already open. Murals on building walls, sculptures in parks, decorative tiles in subway stations, and the architecture of their school building are all fair game for this investigation. In the US K-12 arts framework, this topic activates the Responding strand (VA.Re7.1.K) and the Connecting strand (VA.Cn11.1.K), grounding abstract art concepts in the students' immediate environment.

For five-year-olds, the most significant shift this topic produces is the realization that art is not just something that happens inside museums or classrooms. Artists make things for public spaces, and those things communicate ideas about community pride, local history, and shared values. A neighborhood mural is a community's way of telling its own story.

Active learning strategies that take students outside the classroom (or bring community examples in via photographs) are especially powerful here. Students develop the habit of looking closely at their environment and asking why someone made this choice rather than that one.

Key Questions

1. Explain how public art can make a community more beautiful or interesting.
2. Analyze what a piece of public art might communicate about the community it's in.
3. Design a simple idea for a piece of art that could be placed in our school.

Learning Objectives

• Identify examples of public art in the local community.
• Explain how public art contributes to the aesthetic appeal of a community.
• Analyze what a piece of public art might communicate about its community.
• Design a simple concept for a piece of art suitable for the school environment.

Before You Start

Elements of Art

Why: Students need a basic understanding of line, shape, color, and texture to identify and discuss visual elements in community art.

Introduction to Artists and Artmaking

Why: Understanding that people create art helps students connect the concept of community art to intentional human creation.

Key Vocabulary

mural	A large painting applied directly to a wall or ceiling surface, often found on the outside of buildings.
sculpture	A three-dimensional work of art made by carving, modeling, or assembling materials.
architecture	The art and science of designing and constructing buildings, including their style and appearance.
public art	Art created to be displayed in public spaces, accessible to everyone in the community.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Art only belongs in museums and galleries.

What to Teach Instead

Help students list public art they pass regularly without noticing. The goal is to build the habit of looking, which is exactly what the community art walk or photo gallery activates.

Common Misconception

Public art is decoration and does not have a meaning.

What to Teach Instead

Most public art is commissioned or created with a specific community message in mind. Asking 'why do you think someone made this here?' shifts students from passive observers to active meaning-makers.

Active Learning Ideas

Gallery Walk: Art Hunt Photos

Print or display 6-8 photos of public art from familiar US contexts (school murals, park sculptures, decorated buildings). Students walk the photo gallery and use a tally sheet to count how many types of art they can identify: mural, sculpture, mosaic, building design.

20 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: What Does This Say About Us?

Show a photo of a community mural depicting local history or cultural heritage. Pairs discuss: what is this mural trying to say about this neighborhood? Share responses and compare interpretations.

10 min·Pairs

Design Challenge: Art for Our School

Each student sketches a simple design for a piece of art that could go somewhere in the school (hallway, entrance, playground). Students present their idea to a small group and explain: where would it go, and what would it tell visitors about the school community?

30 min·Small Groups

Neighborhood Art Walk (or Virtual Walk)

Take a 10-minute walk around the school building or neighborhood to spot community art. Alternatively, use Google Street View for a virtual walk. Students sketch or photograph one piece they find interesting and describe it to the class afterward.

25 min·Whole Class

Real-World Connections

• City planners and urban designers work with artists to commission murals and sculptures that enhance public spaces like parks and plazas, making neighborhoods more inviting for residents and visitors.
• Local historical societies often partner with artists to create public art that tells the story of their town or city, preserving heritage through visual narratives on buildings or in public squares.
• Tourists often seek out famous public art installations, such as Chicago's 'Cloud Gate' sculpture or the murals in Philadelphia, using them as landmarks and points of interest during their travels.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Provide each student with a drawing paper. Ask them to draw one example of public art they saw in their community or at school and write one word describing how it made them feel.

Discussion Prompt

Show students a photograph of a local mural or sculpture. Ask: 'What do you think this art is trying to tell us about our town?' and 'How does this art make our community different or more interesting?'

Quick Check

As students walk through the school building or a designated outdoor area, ask them to point to one example of art (a painting, a decorative tile, an interesting doorway) and explain why they think it is art.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I incorporate community art into a kindergarten lesson?

Start with photographs. Print or project images of public art from your school's neighborhood or from well-known US examples. A photo gallery walk requires no field trip and can be completed in 20 minutes, giving students the visual literacy practice they need.

What types of community art are most accessible for kindergarteners?

Murals and mosaics are easiest because they are flat, colorful, and often tell a visible story. Sculptures work well too when they represent recognizable figures or animals. Start with art that has clear subject matter before moving to abstract public work.

How does active learning help students connect with public art?

Active strategies like art hunts, design challenges, and structured observation turn public art from background noise into intentional communication. When students design their own piece for the school, they step into the artist's decision-making process and develop genuine appreciation for public art.

How do I connect this lesson to social studies for kindergarteners?

Community art is a natural bridge to learning about neighborhoods, cultures, and community helpers. Ask whose story the mural tells, or what the architect wanted people to feel when they enter the building. These questions connect VA standards to social studies concepts about community and identity.