Kisa Visual Arts Curriculum

Basmalah

ā€œAnd the Earth, We spread it out, and cast therein firmly set mountains and We have made to grow therein of all beautiful kinds; to give sight and as a reminder to every servant who turns to Allah.ā€ Noble QurŹ¾Än [50:7-8]


Kisa Visual Arts Curriculum

Fashioner, The Shaper). The Noble QurŹ¾Än guides us to observe nature and to reflect on theĀ wonders of creation. Each creature and each phenomenon in nature is a sign of Allah, and these signs when contemplated on, reveal the attributes of Allah. While describing heaven, the Noble QurŹ¾Än uses examples that invoke images of beauty and grandeur in our minds. Allah speaks to us about the beauty and wonders of His creation in SÅ«rah ar-Raįø„mān and in various other verses.

Creating art is one of the ways through which we observe the marvels of nature and connect with our Creator. Art is also essential for a childā€™s emotional, sensory, creative, spiritual and intellectual development.

Education

A well-rounded art education develops a childā€™s visual communication skills, stimulates creativeĀ thinking, and promotes the use of imagination. It cultivates problem solving skills, enhancesĀ socio-cultural development, and is a beautiful way to help develop a childā€™s self-esteem.

Kisa Visual Arts Curriculum

In the recent few decades, there has been an emergence and growth of Islamic schools nationwide, the inclusion of elective courses such as art has often been lacking due to budget.

Developing the Arts Curriculum

Childrenā€™s creative growth is highly essential along with academic and religious learning. With this thought in mind, I began working on creating a custom Islamic art program, Kisa Visual Arts Curriculum, based on the National Core Arts Standards. The curriculumĀ contains various resources to help with planning, organizing, execution and the assessment of art lessons.Ā The theme for this set of lesson plans, draws its inspiration from Al-Kisa Foundationā€™s ā€˜Roots of Risersā€™* character-building themes.

Roots of Risers

The Roots of Risers are based on the teachings of the QurŹæān and Ahl al-Bayt, and it is our hope that by strengthening our roots, our tree of life will be healthier, and bear better fruit. We wish to see this outcome in our students in the form of a more well-rounded life, and prosperous results inshāŹ¾Allāh.

The Roots of Risers are:Ā 

  1. Guardianship, or Wilāyah
  2. Trust, or Amānah
  3. Patience, or į¹¢abr
  4. Mercy, or Raįø„mah
  5. Respect, or Iįø„tirām
  6. Gratitude, or Shukr
  7. Justice, or ŹæAdālah

US National Core Arts StandardsInshāŹ¾Allāh the Kisa Visual Arts Curriculum will make it easy for all Islamic schools to establish a robust Islamic art program, and encourages Muslim homeschooling parents to make art a part of their childrenā€™s learning. The entire collection of lessons and a teachers guide are available for free, aligning with the mission for Al-Kisa Foundation to support educational infrastructure.

Kisa Visual Arts Curriculum aspires to the following goals:

  • Enhance the holistic development of our children.
  • Enable our children to learn the creative nonverbal language of artistic expression.
  • Fortify our childrenā€™s spiritual-social-emotional learning through the creation of art projects based on Islamic principles.
  • Complement and enhance the religious education our children receive.
  • Teach children the rich and diverse history, culture, and heritage of Islamic arts.
  • Help children develop mindfulness through the creation process of traditional Islamic
  • arts.

I sincerely thank you for being a part of this beautiful journey. Please visit the Kisa Visual Arts Curriculum website, try some lessons and give us your feedback.

With duŹæā,
Siddiqua Shahnawaz

Visit Kisa Visual Arts Curriculum webpage

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