CHLOE WHITE
Urbana High School
My high school student teaching experience highlights the creativity, voice, and growing independence of young artists as they refine their technical skills and develop their personal style. Throughout the semester, I supported students in photography, design, and studio art courses, guiding them through hands-on projects, creative problem-solving, and deeper artistic inquiry. This page showcases the lessons, learning goals, and powerful student work from my time in the high school studio, reflecting a community where students were encouraged to take risks, think critically, and create artwork that expresses who they are becoming.
Design Grid
Grades 9-12 (Studio)
The principles of design help artists organize the elements of art in ways that communicate meaning and engage viewers. As students explore ideas like emphasis, balance, rhythm, proportion, and unity, they learn how visual choices work together to shape an artwork’s message. By creating an intentional Design Grid, students connect their prior knowledge of the elements to these guiding principles, strengthening both their artmaking skills and their visual literacy.
Collage Diptych
Grades 9-12 (Studio)
Collage is an art form where paper, photographs, fabric, and mixed materials are arranged to create layered, expressive images. By exploring techniques like layering, unusual materials, and juxtaposition, students learn how artists use collage to add depth, meaning, surprise, and texture. Through guided practice and exposure to contemporary collage artists, they develop their own voice while thinking critically about how visual choices shape interpretation.
Pinhole Photography
Grades 9-12 (Photo)
Photography connects art and science through technology, light, and human perception. By exploring the history of the camera obscura and building their own pinhole cameras, students learn how simple optical principles evolved into one of today’s most powerful artistic tools. Through hands-on exposure experiments and darkroom development, they discover how creativity and invention work together to shape the way we see the world.
Pinhole Photography Gallery
Sketchbook Cover
Grades 9-12 (Digital)
Sketchbooks are personal spaces where artists experiment, take risks, and express their identities. By designing digital sketchbook covers in Adobe Illustrator, students learn how the elements and principles of design can communicate ideas and strengthen visual storytelling. Through this project, they discover how creative problem-solving and personal identity work together to shape meaningful, expressive artwork.
