School-based curriculum development has become an important approach to promoting curriculum innovation and improving the quality of primary education. As an essential component of traditional Chinese culture, Chinese painting plays a significant role in cultivating students' artistic literacy, aesthetic appreciation, creativity, and cultural identity. However, existing Chinese painting instruction in primary schools often emphasizes technical training while lacking coherent curriculum planning and authentic assessment. To address these issues, this study aimed to design and develop a school-based Chinese painting module for fifth-grade primary school students based on the Understanding by Design (UbD) framework. Using the Design and Development Research (DDR) approach, the curriculum was developed through backward design by aligning learning objectives, assessment evidence, and instructional activities. The proposed module consists of six interconnected components: Theme, Appreciation, Technique, Conception, Creation, and Exhibition and Review, and is implemented over six weeks. The curriculum integrates situational teaching and the appreciative learning approach to support competency-oriented learning and authentic artistic experiences. The study provides a systematic curriculum model for Chinese painting education that strengthens constructive alignment among curriculum objectives, assessment, and instruction. The findings contribute to the application of the UbD framework in primary school art education and offer practical guidance for the development of school-based curricula that promote cultural inheritance and students' comprehensive artistic development.
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