Uruguay Visual Arts (Arte - Comunicación Visual) - Tramo 6 (9th Grade)

This curriculum for Visual Arts in Tramo 6 (9th Grade) in Uruguay builds upon the foundation laid in previous years (7th and 8th grade), emphasizing a holistic approach to learning—knowing, doing, and being—through specific competencies. It sits within the broader framework of Educación Básica Integrada (EBI). The curriculum prioritizes student-centered learning, inclusion, relevance, flexibility, knowledge integration, participation, and ethical vision.

Specific Competencies

The curriculum focuses on developing the following specific competencies:

• Perceiving and Understanding Visual Culture for Communication: Students learn to interpret and reflect on visual culture in various socio-historical contexts, analyze artistic expressions, and understand the interplay of visual language elements.
• Representing and Creating Visual and Audiovisual Productions: Students experiment with various techniques and resources, both material and digital, to communicate effectively. They develop skills in 2D and 3D representation, static and moving images, and explore diverse instruments and expressive supports.
• Appreciating Visual Culture: This competency fosters aesthetic capacity, awareness of visual surroundings, and an understanding of cultural heritage, including popular and contemporary productions. Students develop an appreciation for artistic expressions and apply visual literacy in diverse social settings.
• Evaluating Visual Processes and Productions: Students develop self-assessment skills and learn to analyze personal and social journeys in art and visual communication. They identify needs and problems within visual culture and explore creative solutions.

Curriculum Structure

The curriculum is organized around the following core thematic areas:

• Art - Time - Diversity
• Image - Composition - Communication

These themes are explored through various content areas, including:

• Audiovisual Image: Students explore the value of audiovisual images in culture, learn basic elements of audiovisual grammar (including film as a cultural expression), and analyze messages in moving images.
• Composition: Students study relationships like contrast, equality, similarity, symmetry, transparency, rhythm, proportion, balance, module, structure, and tension. They learn about light and color as structuring elements of form and space, and explore 2D and 3D design in various cultural fields.
• Communication: Students explore concepts like iconicity, constructed reality vs. represented reality, and coded representation systems. They study visual narratives in various cultural manifestations (advertising, architecture, film, music videos, documentaries, etc.) and analyze the relationship between social identity and design.

Methodological Orientations

The curriculum emphasizes active learning methodologies, including:

• Collaborative learning
• Authentic situations
• Inquiry-based learning
• Project-based learning
• Problem-based learning
• Case studies
• Flipped classroom
• Gamification
• Experimentation

These methods encourage student participation, meaning-making, and the development of critical thinking skills. The curriculum also promotes the use of workshops as a teaching and learning methodology, fostering a collaborative environment where students are active participants in their learning.

Evaluation

Evaluation is an integral part of the learning process, focusing on student performance and the development of competencies. The curriculum suggests using rubrics, checklists, and other tools to assess student progress. Students are actively involved in the evaluation process through self-assessment, peer feedback, and reflective activities. Portfolios and process logs are recommended as tools for documenting and evaluating learning. The curriculum supports the use of CREA, a digital platform, for portfolio development and other learning activities.