Digital Unit Plan Template

Unit Title: Positive and Negative Space

Name: Vanessa Cirillo

Content Area: Art

Grade Level: 10

CA Content Standard(s)/Common Core Standard(s):

1. ARTISTIC
PERCEPTION
1.1 Identify and use the
principles of design to
discuss, analyze, and
write about visual
aspects in the
environment and in
works of art, including
their own.

Analyze Art
Elements and
Principles of
Design
1.4 Analyze and
describe how the
composition of a
work of art is
affected by the use
of a particular
principle of
design.

2. CREATIVE 2.4 Review and

EXPRESSIO refine observational
drawing skills.
N
2.1 Solve a
visual arts
problem that
involves the
effective use of
the elements of
art and the
principles of
design.

Big Ideas/Unit Goals:

Visualizing how artistic concepts exist in our daily environment

Applying technical drawing skills in a new medium, scratchboard, and learning new skills specific to that medium.
Understanding the importance of positive and negative space.
Analyzing and discussing art with content specific terms.
Unit Summary:

This unit focuses on the importance of positive and negative space within art as well as in our everyday environment.
Students will be able to identify, analyze, and apply the elements of space in their own art and when looking at other
works of art or architecture that exists in the world. They will use prior knowledge of technical drawing skills and apply it
to the medium of scratchboard.
Assessment Plan:
Entry-Level:
Class discussion based on images: How is
the element of space in art applicable to
our environmental surroundings?

Formative:
Guided notes

In what ways does the space surrounding

the main image affect the overall
appearance?

Practicing scratchboard techniques

Survey on basic scratchboard information

Double column notes with student drawn

examples and written explanations

Lesson 1
Student Learning
Objective: Students
will determine how
both positive and
negative space is
important in art as
well as in our
environment.
Lesson 2

Acceptable Evidence
(Assessments): Class
discussion responses
and feedback, written
responses.

Lesson Activities:
-Class discussion, peer feedback
-Guided notes

Summative:
Completed final scratchboard piece with
focus on positive/negative space,
evidence of time, effort, planning,
creativity, etc
Rubric that outlines criteria for
scratchboard composition

Student Learning
Objective:
Students will recall
their prior knowledge
of value and use this
to determine how to
effectively incorporate
this principle of design
in order to push the
positive and negative
space using
scratchboard.

Acceptable Evidence:
-Practice sheets
showing different
applied scratchboard
techniques
-Webquest worksheet
completion using links
to figure out
responses
-Completed survey
-Double column notes
where students have
drawn their own
samples of what
positive and negative
space looks like along
with identifying and
explaining where
these concepts are
seen in the examples.

Lesson Activities:
-Demonstration of techniques and linking of scratchboard techniques to prior drawing
skills.
-Webquest
-Survey following lecture on scratchboard information
-Completion of double column notes following lectures and concept map activity with
peers

Acceptable Evidence:
-Completed final
scratchboard drawing
completely following
the expectations
outlined by project
rubric

Lesson Activities:
-Finishing final composition focused on positive and negative space, craftsmanship,
time and effort, creativity, planning
-Review of rubric which was given at the beginning of the unit which outlined
expectations for the project

Lesson 3
Student Learning
Objective:
Students will create a
scratchboard
composition based on
a building in their
area. Their drawing
will be based on a
reference photograph
and their final
composition will focus
on composition,
positive and negative
space.
Unit Resources:

http://study.com/academy/lesson/positive-negative-space-in-art-definition-examples.html
http://www.scratchboard.org
http://www.artistsnetwork.com/articles/art-demos-techniques/scratchboard-art-steady-hand-studied-technique
https://youtu.be/6WXO7uywT_E
https://youtu.be/i2IejFIb_Bk
popplet.com
https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/u/0/

Useful Websites:
https://www.sitepoint.com/a-solid-understanding-of-negative-space/
https://designschool.canva.com/blog/negative-space/
https://principlearttalk.com/tag/m-c-escher/
http://tangyauhoong.com