History of Art: Creation to Contemporary

ArtGrades 2–6

About This Curriculum

An art history, appreciation, and activity course covering 32 art movements with hands-on activities, art studies, readings, and biographical sketches.

What makes it unique: Integrates Christian perspective throughout with 'Artists of Faith' biographical sketches and can be coordinated with Veritas Press history curriculum using color-coded timeline strips.

History of Art: Creation to Contemporary: Classical Art History Survey

History of Art: Creation to Contemporary is a classical art curriculum covering 32 art movements chronologically from prehistoric to contemporary times for grades 2-6. The curriculum combines art history knowledge through flashcards and workbook lessons with hands-on activities, emphasizing Western and Christian art within historical contexts.

Best for

Homeschool families and classical education programs seeking comprehensive art history instruction for elementary students, particularly those wanting to integrate art with history studies and Christian worldview

Evaluation Criteria

4 strengths · 1 concern · 1 neutral

Teacher TrainingStrength

The curriculum provides good teacher support through clear materials and optional scripted lesson plans.

The 'You Teach Kit' includes 'scripted lesson plans written for homeschooling parents,' and the workbook provides clear structure with answer keys and detailed content for each lesson

Direct InstructionStrength

The curriculum supports direct instruction through structured lessons and clear content presentation, though it emphasizes knowledge transmission over skill demonstration.

Workbook provides structured lesson introductions, worksheet questions with specific answers found on flashcards, and the optional 'You Teach Kit' includes 'scripted lesson plans written for homeschooling parents'

Vocabulary BuildingStrength

The curriculum explicitly teaches art vocabulary through structured lessons with definitions provided.

Each lesson includes 'a few vocabulary words with definitions' and students are expected to use proper terminology when identifying artworks by 'title, artist, date, and art movement'

Art History KnowledgeStrength

This is clearly the curriculum's primary strength, providing comprehensive coverage of 32 art movements with historical context and cultural connections.

Covers art movements chronologically from prehistoric to contemporary, includes biographical sketches of artists, connects art to historical periods through coordination with history flashcards, and provides cultural and religious context for artworks

Structured Vs OpenConcern

The curriculum is heavily structured around art history content with some creative activities, but lacks balance toward open-ended artistic exploration.

Each lesson follows a set format with introduction, vocabulary, worksheets, and structured activities, but the focus is on learning about existing art rather than creating original works

Technique InstructionNeutral

The curriculum includes some hands-on art activities but appears to prioritize art appreciation over systematic technique instruction.

Activities range from basic tasks like 'coloring a picture of a vase' to more advanced projects like 'making egg tempera paint to use on a drawing of an angel,' but these seem incidental to the main focus on art history

Sources: cathyduffyreviews.com