PYP Visual Art Central Ideas

The central idea genie

I hate coming up the right wording for with central ideas, especially for Units Outside the Programme Of Inquiry.  It's hard when you don't have a team to bounce ideas off of.  Anyway, I always wished that there was a Central Idea Bank where a PYP art teacher could go to "steal" a central idea and tweak it to fit their needs.

So I did it.  Ta da!! Art related central ideas, cut and pasted from schools all over the world, in one place.  Most are How We Express Ourselves.  Maybe one day I'll divide them up by Transdisciplinary theme...or site the school where they're from (oops)...or write the grade levels or throw in the lines of inquiry.  But this will do for now. *sigh*

Visual Arts Central idea Bank:

People use different materials and resources to express feelings, ideas and understanding.

Architecture often reflects culture.

Cultural traditions can be preserved in artwork, and can help people express their identities.

Celebrations and traditions are an important part of our cultural identity.

Colors are used and interpreted in a variety of ways around us.

The fine arts provide us with the opportunity to reflect on, extend, and enjoy creativity.

Noticing and analyzing patterns helps us interpret, explain and respond to our environment.

Visual representations facilitate our understanding of the world around us.

People can express themselves in many ways.

In life and in art, people use their bodies to express who they are and how they feel.

Personal histories allow us to reflect on who we are and where we’ve come from.

Culture may be expressed in a variety of ways.

The natural world inspires and challenges artistic development.

We are able to choose what we think and how we express ourselves.

Art can be used to communicate ideas and experiences creatively.

We have unique ways to express our point of view.

Art is an expression of human feelings and ideas and is open to interpretation.

Our cultural heritage allows us to celebrate who we are, and shapes our vision of the future.

Visual expression is an art form.

We choose and use different forms of digital media for specific purposes and specific audiences.

Through the Arts people express, explore and interpret ideas and feelings.

Art reflects the times in which it was created.

Visual art is a language through which people explore ways to communicate personal ideas, thoughts and emotions.

People communicate through the arts to express their beliefs and feelings.

Traditional art help us make sense of our world and to understand aspects of culture.

Images and ideas from our imagination can be expressed in many ways.

Celebrations are important to people all around the world.

Through the arts people use different forms of expression to convey their uniqueness as human beings.

Personal experiences provide the sparks for artistic creation.

Beliefs, values, and ideas are represented and communicated through symbols.

Lives are changed through encounters with people of different beliefs and cultures.

Creative expression provides many ways to communicate ideas and emotions.

Artistic expression can be a reflection of the social consciousness of the time.

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Personal perspectives influence how people communicate through the arts. 

Everyone belongs to an ethnic group, each having its own forms of expression.

Visual arts is a language through which people explore ways to communicate personal ideas, thoughts and emotions.

Images and ideas from our imagination can be expressed in many ways.

Celebrations are important to people all around the world.

There is more than one way to tell a story.

Effective communication takes many forms.

Ideas and feelings are expressed and interpreted through the visual arts.

Expression of beliefs is all around us.