Why Elements of Design?

This blog will be focused on the elements of design, as would be explained to 5th grade students. I wanted to choose this topic because the elements of design are fundamental to understanding and creating art. In order to make sense of a work of art, we have to understand color, line, shape, texture, space, form, harmony, and balance; these are the seven elements of design. These elements are not universally agreed upon, but they are the ones I will be focusing on. (This link provides brief overviews of all the different elements listed, and more.)

This topic is easily broken down into bite-sized chunks that can be explained individually, or taught together as a whole. In a classroom I would do an overview of the elements of design and their importance in art, and then dive deeper into each element.

Around 5th grade, elementary students should be in the Pseudo-Naturalistic stage of their artistic development. In this stage they are very critical of their own work, and are often eager to be given rules and steps to follow when creating art in order to make sure that their work turns out the way they want it to. All of this makes the 5th grade a great time to dive deeply into the different elements of art, because they are the structure and backbone that artists use in their everyday work. Becoming familiar with these elements will help students to feel as though they have control over their work, and will help them stay focused and motivated throughout the process.