Standard Grade Art & Design

AIMS OF COURSE

- To build on skills and experiences gained in the S1/2 course towards expressing ideas in a range of media. 

- To consolidate previous work in problem solving using the design process. 

- To prepare pupils to respond to Art and Design issues within the context of their own lives. 

COURSE CONTENT

The course consists of three areas of study:  Design Activity, Expressive Activity and Critical Activity.

Over the two year course, pupils will complete 4 Units of study, 1 Expressive and 1 Design in each year and critical activity which is an integral part of all units.

The course is set within the context of the pupils' daily lives and experiences providing stimulus and sources of study which are flexible and promote personal responses.

All units contain a similar approach, i.e.

Research and Investigation

- Through observational drawing, colour study, collecting information from magazines and books, taking photographs.

Considering possibilities

- In Design, considering colour, pattern, texture shape etc. as relevant to the design brief and in

  design only, an  formal Evaluation.   

- In Expressive, considering picture composition, colour, mood, materials etc. towards a final piece of work. 

In all units a parallel study of artists or designers is an integral part of the course work and pupils will produce a written essay based on their studies.

ASSESSMENT

The work in the Art and Design department is marked by continual assessment using Grade Related Criteria set by the SQA.  Individual Units will be marked in the first instance by the class teacher and consolidated through moderation by the Principal Teacher and art staff. Critical written work is marked in the same way with cross marking to confirm grades, again based on the SQA Grade Related Criteria.

In S4, the Design Unit is internally assessed and externally moderated by the SQA and the work from this unit forms one third of the pupil's total mark for Standard Grade.  Two critical essays, one Design and one Expressive are sent to the SQA for marking.  This forms a second third of the total mark for Standard Grade.  The last third of the mark is an Expressive practical exam for which the pupil prepares in advance and spends five hours under exam supervision to produce one final outcome which is sent to the SQA for assessment.  Pupils will have experience of this from their Prelim Exam in December at S4 stage. 

The total marks for all three areas above (i.e. Design/Critical/Expressive) are aggregated to arrive at the final grade.  A breakdown of the grades will be shown on the certificate.