Art Class Syllabus 2016
Art Class Syllabus 2016
Homework:
Any artwork completed outside of Art class (and not for a different class, i.e. a
Social Studies project) can be turned in for extra credit.
I like to encourage students to draw as much as possible, because the more they
draw, the more they will develop their artistic skills, so any extra artwork will be
awarded extra credit points.
Electronics:
Students are welcome to bring their personal electronics to Art class for
research and personal music purposes only! Students MUST bring
their own headphones if they want to listen to their own music while
working on their projects.
***However, if a student is using his or her technology inappropriately or
in a way that is disruptive to his or her own learning or to the learning of
others, I reserve the right to confiscate the technology for after school
pick-up in the front office.***
***Students bring technology to class at their own risk; the school will not
be held responsible for any damage to student-elected technology that
occurs during class.***
Grading:
20% Participation, 80% Assessment
A=90-100% B=80-89% C=70-79% D=60-69% F=below 60%
The +/- System will be applied to grades.
Each project will be graded on specific artistic qualities, such as composition, successful
application of media and techniques, effort, and conceptual components. Please see the
following page for a more detailed explanation of how I grade each assignment.
All projects must be turned in before the last day of the quarter. I will have an open studio
session once a week on Mondays from 3-4:30pm only for students who need extra
time outside of class to work on Art projects, although this may be subject to change.
Otherwise, open studios are specifically reserved for students who participate in National
Junior Art Honor Society. Any student who attends an open studio MUST have a safe
way of getting home at 4:30.
If students cannot attend any open studio sessions and cannot complete their Art projects
during the allotted class time, it is their responsibility to complete the assignment as
homework. They can check out art supplies to take home if necessary, or they can
schedule an appointment with me to come in before or after school to work on their Art
projects.
I will accept late work for full credit at any time BEFORE THE LAST DAY OF THE
QUARTER. HOWEVER, if a student chooses not to use the allotted class time to work
on the project, and chooses instead to socialize or be otherwise off-task, I will only
accept the assignment for .75 credit BEFORE grading (meaning the students work
would have to be A+ quality just to earn a 75% on that assignment)!
All artwork should contain content that is school-appropriate, meaning there shouldnt
be any blatant or suggestive content relating to gangs, drugs, violence, or other material
that is clearly not middle-school-appropriate. Failure to comply with this rule will result in
an automatic grade of zero for the assignment. If at any time a student is unsure of
whether the content of his or her artwork is school-appropriate, he or she should ask
Ms. LeSage before completing the artwork.
Students receive a participation grade each week that reflects how well they stay on task
during class, and how respectful they are to me, their classmates, and their supplies. All
students start the week with 100% of the participation grade, and as the week progresses,
they will either keep their 100% or they will lose points due to failure to stay on task or to
a failure to be respectful in the Art room. If they lose points at the beginning of the week,
they have the opportunity to earn them back throughout the rest of the week by
demonstrating extra helpful or respectful behavior toward classmates or by helping clean
up areas of the Art room that are not their direct responsibility. Friday is the last day that
participation points for the week can be added or taken away.
Due to the fact that I give students this kind of flexibility in my grading policy, you may
notice fluctuations in grades throughout the quarter.
*Did you consult the Composition Corner for tips on how to create an
appealing composition?
*Did you apply any of those tips to your artwork?
4. Effort (60points):
*Did you spend each class period working hard and trying your best on
your artwork?
*Did you ask yourself, what else can I do to make this better? instead
of telling Ms. LeSage, Im done right away?
5. Originality (10points):
*Does your artwork look like the artwork of your classmates? Does it
look similar to examples shown in class? (I hope your answer to both
of these questions is NO!)
*Did you take your artwork to the next level by applying the same
techniques and media as others but doing it in a unique way with unique
images? (I hope your answer to this question is YES!)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Parents or Guardians, after you have read the syllabus, please fill out your
students name and sign and date on the lines and have your students bring this
part of the syllabus back to Art class for a participation grade (they should have a
1/2 sheet of paper for you to sign that they received in Art class).
Student Name_______________________________________
Parent or Guardian Signature_________________________________________
Date__________________