Parkland High School (PHS) offers a wide variety of elective art courses for students in grades 9-12, from novice to the more advanced art students and those who are considering future study and/or a career in the field. Areas of study include craft electives: jewelry and metals, ceramics, and traditional crafts; new media lab electives include photography and computer graphics; and fine art electives include drawing, painting, portfolio prep., AP Studio Art and AP Drawing 3 as well as the academic course, AP Art History. Most art electives are one semester while the advanced art electives, including all AP Art courses and Portfolio Prep, are full year courses. The end of the school year is culminated with the PHS Art Show and Festival of the Arts where student art created throughout the year is displayed for the entire Parkland Community.
The 700 Courses: Visual Arts
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- apAdvanced Placement
- hHonors
- pltwProject Lead The Way
- dcDual Credit
- ahcArts & Humanities Credit
- tacTech Applications Credit
- ncaaNCAA/Clearinghouse
- 1 Semester
- 0.5 Credit
- Grades 9,10,11,12
This is an introductory course in the fundamentals of painting incorporating color theory, design, application techniques, composition, and overall technique. Activities that reinforce these elements will be used throughout the course. Beginning as well as more advanced students should take this course either as an extension in further understanding color…
- 1 Semester
- 0.5 Credit
- Grades 10,11,12
Prerequisite: Grade of “B” or better in Painting 1 This course builds upon experiences from Painting 1. Design, composition and technique will be emphasized. Review of methods and techniques will precede each painting activity. Opportunities for continued painting time as well as experimentation are included. Study of specific media may…
- 1 Semester
- 0.5 Credit
- Grades 9,10,11,12
This is an introductory course in the fundamentals of drawing. Beginning as well as more advanced students should take this course. Design and composition principles are an integral part of the instruction. Projects will help students understand the concepts of linear perspective, spherical and cylindrical forms, value, shading, form, and…
- 1 Semester
- 0.5 Credit
- Grades 10,11,12
Prerequisite: Grade of “B” or better in Drawing 1 This is a course that carries Drawing 1 experiences to a higher level. Exercises will include experimenting with drawing materials including mixed media. Design and composition concepts will still be emphasized as an integral part of the lessons. The possibility of…
- 2 Semesters
- 1 Credit
- Grades 11,12
Prerequisite: A grade of “A” or better in Drawing 2 and/or teacher recommendation. This course is an advanced studio class designed as an introductory college level drawing course. The AP course framework presents an inquiry-based approach to learning about drawing. Students are expected to conduct an in-depth, sustained investigation of…
- 2 Semesters
- 1 Credit
- Grades 11,12
Prerequisite: A grade of C or better in Drawing 1, Painting 1, and/or teacher recommendation. This course is designed for students who are preparing advanced level portfolio quality work in order to pursue art studies after graduation. It is expected that these students be highly motivated and committed to their…
- 2 Semesters
- 1 Credit
- Grades 11,12
Prerequisite: Grade of “B” or better in Drawing 1, Painting 1, and/or teacher recommendation. This course is an introductory college-level two-dimensional design course. Students refine and apply skills and ideas they develop throughout the course to produce two-dimensional art and design. Students will create a portfolio of work to demonstrate…
- 2 Semesters
- 1 Credit
- Grades 11,12
Prerequisite: Grade of “B” or better in Ceramics 2, Jewelry and Metals 2, and/or teacher recommendation. AP 3-D Art and Design is an advanced studio course for students interested in creating three-dimensional art while developing their own artistic voice. Building on skills from Ceramics 1 and 2 and Jewelry and…
- 1 Semester
- 0.5 Credit
- Grades 10,11,12
This is a foundation course for students who have an interest in learning photography as an art form. Students will create digital images and collages in Photoshop while learning the functions of a 35mm Digital Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) camera. The history of photography will act as a catalyst for contemporary…
- 1 Semester
- 0.5 Credit
- Grades 10,11,12
Prerequisite: Completion of Photography 1 with a grade of “B” or better. Photography 2 will focus on building image capturing skills through the use of a 35mm film camera. Traditional darkroom techniques, processing negatives, digital cameras, scanner and Photoshop/Lightroom procedures will be discussed. Students will learn to take black and…
- 1 Semester
- 0.5 Credit
- Grades 11,12
Prerequisite: Completion of Photography 2 with a grade of “B” or better. Photography 3 will focus on new lighting techniques and incorporate the dynamics of studio and environmental portraiture. Students will be introduced to the 4X5 view camera and impact on the history of photography. Each student will focus on…
- 1 Semester
- 0.5 Credit
- Grades 10,11,12
This is an introductory course that focuses on using the computer and digital media as a means to create and design art projects. The course will include a variety of drawing, painting, photography, and design projects using exciting art programs through the Adobe Creative Cloud. Apple pencils and iPads are…
- 1 Semester
- 0.5 Credit
- Grades 10,11,12
Prerequisite: Grade of “B” or better in Computer Art 1. Computer Art 2 is an advanced class that builds upon the skills and programs learned in Computer Art 1. It will also introduce students to 2D animation techniques. Additionally, students will learn new Photoshop techniques and complete large-scale graphic design…
- 1 Semester
- 0.5 Credit
- Grades 10,11,12
Prerequisite: Grade of “B” or better in Computer Art 1 or Drawing 1. Computer Animation is an introductory course that will allow students to explore the principles of animation. A history of animation will provide a foundation to explore technological advancements in programs such as Adobe Animate, Adobe Character Animator,…
- 2 Semesters
- 1 Credit
- Grades 10,11,12
This is an excellent course for the college bound student since Art History is often required or taken as an elective at the university level. At the completion of this course, students may elect to take the Advanced Placement Art History examination, which can be used at many colleges for…
- 1 Semester
- 0.5 Credit
- Grades 9,10,11,12
Ceramics 1 is a foundation course focusing on the structural techniques of hand-building, coiling, slab, pinch, and integrated with the sculptural technique of modeling. Students can expect to complete pieces utilizing these techniques centering on functional as well as non-functional concepts and finalized with various glazes and/or finishing approaches. Students…
- 1 Semester
- 0.5 Credit
- Grades 9,10,11,12
Prerequisite: Grade of B or better in Ceramics 1. The skill of throwing on a potter’s wheel will be the goal of student concentration in the beginning stages of Ceramics 2. All assignments will involve advanced hand-building and the potter’s wheel in some fashion. Traditional pieces are to include vessels,…
- 1 Semester
- 0.5 Credit
- Grades 10,11,12
Jewelry and Metals 1 is a metal working class aimed at building jewelry (functional and sculptural) and to explore the enameling process. Students will have the opportunity to design jewelry and to build that design using fabrication. A studio fee of approximately $45 will be expected to help defray the…
- 1 Semester
- 0.5 Credit
- Grades 10,11,12
Prerequisite: Grade of “B” or better in Jewelry and Metals 1. This course involves advanced techniques for hand building and lost wax casting. Advanced hand building techniques will involve multiple plate construction, surface manipulation and stone setting. The introduction to lost wax casting will center on functional as well as…
- 1 Semester
- 0.5 Credit
- Grades 9,10,11,12
A sampling course designed for the student who does not wish to concentrate on a specific medium, but to experiment with a wide variety of traditional craft methods. Centering on three-dimensional design, areas of sampling may be mosaics, 3-D assemblages, sculpture, basketry, tye-dye, etc.