ELEMENTARY

Leigh Drake

When I introduce the elements and principles to students, I use the analogy that the elements of art are the building blocks for a work of art. They are the ingredients of the cake. Artists use the elements in planned and organized ways. They are organized according to the principles of design. This could be considered the recipe for the cake. I explain to students that we wouldn’t have art if we didn’t have the elements and principles.

Stunning photographic results from fourth- and fifth-grade students. What elements and principles can you identify?

To get started, I often show students a video clip on the elements of art and principles of design. For even more clarification, we break down and explore each element and principle. As a class, we also look at famous artworks and pick out the various elements and principles we see. Once I feel that students have an understanding of the elements and principles, I guide them into our activity.

This school year, I had each student choose a device that could take a photograph. Devices included phones, digital cameras, iPads, and Chromebooks. I asked students to walk around their home, either inside or outside, and to first start with the elements of art. I asked them to take photos of each of the elements of art they could find around their home. We discussed photographing techniques such as zooming and cropping to capture the elements effectively. For the next class, I had students repeat the process with the principles of design.

Once students had a collection of photographs, I asked them to choose their best photo of an element and best photo of a principle. I used Padlet (see Resource) to create an online wall onto which students could upload their photographs and provide feedback on each other’s work.

This activity gave students a foundation for understanding the elements and principles, which can now be used throughout the school year.

Students uploaded their images without labeling which element or principle their photo contained. It was then the task of their peers to see if they could name the elements and principles their peers photographed.

Students had a great time exploring their homes and using digital photography to capture the elements and principles. Several students have commented that, after having done this activity, they can’t stop seeing the elements and principles everywhere, and often photograph them again, just for fun.

This activity gave students a foundation for understanding the elements and principles, which can now be used throughout the school year in class discussions, critiques, and artist reflections.

Leigh Drake is a visual arts teacher at Old Donation School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. leigh.drake@vbschools.com
Elements & Principles Scavenger Hunt