Elements of Art: Line, Shape, Color, and Texture in Visual Art

Elements of Art: Line, Shape, Color, and Texture in Visual Art

Grade K · Visual Arts · NYS Arts Standards VA:Cr1.1.Ka / VA:Cr2.1.Ka · 40 Minutes

NYS-Aligned Standards

VA:Cr1.1.Ka — Engage in exploration and imaginative play with art materials. VA:Cr2.1.Ka — Through experimentation, build skills in various media and approaches to art-making. NYS Learning Standards for the Arts (2017)

Learning Objectives — “I Can” Statements

• I can name 4 elements of art: line, shape, color, and texture.
• I can find examples of these elements in artwork and in the world around me.
• I can use different art materials to explore each element.

Essential Question

How do artists use lines, shapes, colors, and textures to create a picture?

Lesson Sequence

Hook / Warm-Up (7 min)

Show 2–3 projected images of colorful artworks with clear elements (teacher selects public domain works — e.g., Wassily Kandinsky’s “Several Circles” is in public domain in many countries; or teacher-created equivalent examples).

Ask: “What do you see? What colors are there? What shapes? What lines?”

Direct Instruction (10 min)

Introduce the 4 elements using a large anchor chart with examples:

• Line: Straight, curved, zigzag, thick, thin
• Shape: Circle, square, triangle, heart, star; organic vs. geometric
• Color: Primary (red, blue, yellow), secondary (green, orange, purple)
• Texture: What something FEELS like (rough/smooth) or LOOKS like it feels

Students find each element in the projected artworks.

Exploration Activity (18 min)

Students create a personal “Elements of Art” page divided into 4 quadrants:

1. Lines section: Draw at least 3 different kinds of lines
2. Shapes section: Draw at least 4 different shapes (some geometric, some creative)
3. Color section: Use crayons/markers to fill in a simple shape with 3+ colors
4. Texture section: Do a crayon rubbing over a textured surface (leaf, sandpaper, coin)

Sharing (3 min)

Students share with a partner: “Find ONE element of art in your partner’s page that is different from yours.”

Closure (2 min)

Whole class: “Call out one kind of line! Call out one shape! Call out one color! Call out one texture word!”

SDI & Differentiation Block

Supports for MLLs/ELLs

Entering/Emerging (NYSESLAT Levels 1–2):

• Label each quadrant with a visual: line (wiggly arrow), shape (star), color (rainbow), texture (sandpaper icon)
• Use gestures: “This is SMOOTH (stroke arm). This is ROUGH (rub palms).”
• Vocabulary cards with images for each element

Transitioning/Expanding (NYSESLAT Levels 3–4):

• Art vocabulary: line, shape, color, texture, geometric, organic, primary, secondary
• “Find it, name it, draw it” routine for each element

Supports for Students with IEPs

SDI Adaptation Dimensions: content, methodology, delivery

• Content: Focus on 2 elements only (line and color); reduce quadrants to 2
• Methodology: Use tactile materials (bump dots for texture, large crayons for motor support); guide hand for rubbing activity
• Delivery: Allow extra time; reduce number of shapes to 2; pair with peer helper for sharing

Suggested Placement: ICT, Resource Room, Self-Contained

Answer Key / Assessment Note

This is a creation task — no single correct answer. Assess based on: (1) Did student engage with all 4 elements? (2) Can student name each element when asked? (3) Did student explore materials?

Alignment Record