TETAC Guidelines for Arts-Centered Instructional Units

Checklist for Evaluating Written Arts-Centered Curriculum Units
This checklist is offered as a preliminary evaluative tool for individual, local, state, or commercial arts education curriculum units.

Design

_____ Key unit and lesson components are present and clearly indicated.
_____ Units are centered on works of art or ideas about art.
_____ Objectives are truly outcomes for learning as compared to activities that promote learning.
_____ There is diversity in the artworks and artists studied.
_____ Developing technologies are utilized in a variety of ways that promote effective learning.
_____ Community resources, such as museums or resident artists, are utilized whenever possible.

Unit Foundations

_____ The unit addresses enduring ideas about the human experience.
_____ The unit addresses enduring ideas about the arts.
_____ The unit addresses key concepts and essential questions.
_____ The unit objectives, instructional activities, and assessment tasks are aligned.
_____ The unit goals and objectives are aligned with local, state, and/or national standards.

Content

All four disciplines are appropriately developed with enduring ideas about art, relevant knowledge, and skills.

_____ Art Production
_____ Art Criticism
_____ Art History
_____ Aesthetics
_____ The unit addresses sufficiently the knowledge and skills that need to be taught in order for            students to achieve the unit goals and objectives.
_____ The unit addresses knowledge and skills in logical sequence.
_____ Concepts/key terms are sufficiently developed and defined.
_____ The enduring ideas, key concepts, and essential questions provide focus and cohesiveness.
_____ Concepts and skills are appropriate for student development levels.
_____ Substantive connections between art and other content areas are developed as appropriate.
_____ The necessary resources/background materials for teaching the unit are listed along with sources             for obtaining them.

Instruction/Pedagogy

_____ Activities and questions provide substantive engagement for students.
_____ Connections to prior knowledge and skills and real life situations are provided.
_____ There are assessment expectations for students.
_____ Opportunities are provided for practice of new skills and concepts.
_____ There are opportunities for students to ask questions.
_____ There are opportunities for student-directed discussion.
_____ A variety of learning activities allow students to make individual and collaborative      substantive contributions to the group effort.
_____ There are opportunities provided for student self-reflection and metacognition.
_____ There are opportunities for critical thinking.
_____ There is an audience for student work and responses.
_____ Materials are appropriate for student developmental levels.

Assessment

_____ Enduring ideas, key concepts, and important skills are assessed.
_____ Specific criteria for assessment tasks are used.
_____ Assessment tasks are relevant and engaging to students.
_____ There is evidence of student learning.
_____ There are opportunities for student self-assessment.