The standards in this document are based on previous North Dakota standards, national standards, and standards from other states. The purpose of these standards is to provide a framework from which teachers in North Dakota can design their visual arts curriculum. The expectations for the knowledge and skills that students should acquire are defined in the document using several levels of specificity. Standards are applied to four visual arts disciplines: production, aesthetics, art history, and art criticism. Each standard is supported by benchmarks, specific knowledge, and sample activities for grades K-4, 5-8, and 9-12. The document identifies the following standards in the visual arts: (1) Visual Art Media, Techniques, and Processes; (2) Structure and Function; (3) Subject Matter, Themes, Symbols, and Ideas in Visual Art; (4) Visual Art History and Culture; (5) Merits of Works of Visual Art; and (6) Connections. (BT)