Grade 3 · Art
Quarter 1 · Week 9 · TEKS
This Grade 3 art lesson introduces students to the elements of art as the fundamental building blocks used to create artworks and the principles of design as the organizers that arrange these elements effectively. Students will develop visual literacy by observing and discussing artworks, identifying how elements and principles work together, and creating their own original art pieces applying these concepts. The lesson aligns with TEKS.ART.3.01C and supports students in using their senses, imagination, and critical thinking to explore and express ideas through art.
Students should have basic experience with observing and creating simple artworks and be familiar with common art materials such as crayons, markers, paint, and paper.
The elements of art are the basic visual components artists use to create artworks. These include line (a mark connecting two points), shape (a two-dimensional area), color (hue, value, and intensity), texture (how something looks or feels), form (three-dimensional shapes), and space (the area around or between objects). Understanding these elements helps students see how artworks are constructed from simple parts.
The principles of design are the rules or guidelines that artists use to arrange the elements of art in a way that is pleasing, balanced, or expressive. These include balance (even distribution of visual weight), contrast (differences that create interest), emphasis (focal points), movement (path the viewer's eye follows), pattern (repetition of elements), rhythm (visual tempo), and unity (harmony among parts). These principles help organize the building blocks into a complete artwork.
Elements of art are like the ingredients in a recipe, while principles of design are like the instructions that tell you how to combine those ingredients. For example, an artist might use lines and shapes (elements) arranged with balance and emphasis (principles) to create a painting that feels calm or exciting. Recognizing this relationship helps students understand how artworks are made and how they communicate ideas or feelings.
Teachers can show artworks and guide students to identify elements and principles they see. For example, pointing out the use of bright colors (element) and how the artist creates emphasis by making one shape larger than others (principle). Asking questions like 'What do you notice about the colors?' or 'Where does your eye go first?' encourages critical thinking and vocabulary use.
Students apply their knowledge by planning and making an artwork that uses at least three elements of art and two principles of design. For example, drawing a picture using lines, shapes, and colors arranged with balance and pattern. This hands-on experience reinforces understanding and allows personal expression. Reflection on their choices helps deepen learning.
Look at this painting showing a tree with bright colors and a big sun. Identify two elements of art you see and one principle of design used.
The bright colors and shapes of the tree and sun are elements of art. The artist uses balance by placing the tree on one side and the sun on the other to make the painting feel stable.
Elements: color and shape. Principle: balance.
In a drawing with repeated circles and lines, what principle of design is shown and which elements are repeated?
The principle of pattern is shown by repeating circles and lines. The elements repeated are shape (circles) and line.
Principle: pattern. Elements: shape and line.
Show students a colorful, simple artwork and ask them what they notice about it. Write down their observations about colors, shapes, and how the artwork feels organized.
Observe the artwork and share what they see about colors, shapes, lines, and how the parts are arranged.
This activity introduces students to the elements of art as the parts they notice and the principles of design as how those parts are arranged to create the whole artwork.
Provide students with art materials and ask them to create a simple drawing using at least three elements of art (line, shape, color). Encourage them to think about how to arrange these elements using principles like balance or pattern.
Create an original artwork using lines, shapes, and colors, trying to organize them in a balanced or patterned way.
This hands-on activity helps students practice using elements of art as building blocks and principles of design as organizers in their own creations.
Discuss with students the definitions of elements of art and principles of design. Use visual aids to explain each element and principle with examples. Relate these to the artworks they observed and created.
Listen and ask questions about the elements and principles. Identify examples in artworks and their own creations.
This phase clarifies the concepts of elements as building blocks and principles as organizers, reinforcing vocabulary and understanding.
Have students share their artworks in small groups, describing which elements and principles they used and why. Encourage them to listen and ask questions about each other's choices.
Present their artwork, explain their use of elements and principles, and respond to peers' questions.
Sharing and reflecting helps students deepen their understanding and appreciate different artistic decisions.
Ask students to explain or demonstrate the key skill by identifying elements and principles in a new artwork or their own. Use a short exit task where students list elements and principles they used or observed.
Describe elements and principles in an artwork or their own, and complete the exit task listing these concepts.
This assessment confirms students' understanding of elements as building blocks and principles as organizers of art.
Create an original artwork using lines, shapes, and colors, trying to organize them in a balanced or patterned way.
Name three elements of art you can find in a simple drawing.
Line, shape, and color.
Explain what the principle of balance means in an artwork.
Balance means the artwork looks even or stable because the parts are arranged so no side feels heavier than the other.
Create a drawing using at least two elements of art and organize them using the principle of pattern. Describe your choices.
A drawing with repeated shapes and colors arranged in a pattern. For example, circles and squares repeated in rows with alternating colors to create rhythm.
Look at a painting and identify which elements of art are used and how the principles of design organize them. Explain your reasoning.
The painting uses elements like color, line, and texture. The principles of emphasis and contrast organize the elements by making one area bright and detailed to draw attention.
Compare two artworks and discuss how the artists used different principles of design to organize similar elements of art.
One artist used balance and unity to create a calm feeling, arranging shapes evenly. The other used contrast and movement to create excitement by placing bright colors and lines leading the eye around.
Provide visual aids with pictures and simple definitions of elements and principles. Allow students to work in pairs during art creation for support. Use guided questions to help students identify elements and principles in artworks.
Use clear, simple language and repeat key vocabulary. Provide picture cards for elements and principles with labels. Encourage students to use drawings to explain their ideas if language is limited.
Challenge students to use more elements and principles in their artwork. Ask students to explain how changing one element or principle would change the artwork's feeling. Encourage students to research an artist and identify elements and principles in their work.
Encourage students to find examples of elements of art and principles of design in artworks or decorations at home and share their observations with family.
In this lesson, students learned that the elements of art are the basic building blocks like line, shape, and color that artists use to create artworks. The principles of design are the rules that organize these elements to make the artwork interesting and balanced. By observing, discussing, and creating art, students practiced identifying and applying these concepts, helping them understand how artworks are made and how artists communicate ideas visually.
Use the exact standards alignment and retrieved-source provenance stored with this enrichment.