Building Student Success - B.C. Curriculum

Big Ideas

Engaging in creative expression and experiences expands people’s sense of identity and community.

Artistic expressions differ across time and place.

Dance, drama, music, and visual arts are each unique languages for creating and communicating

art itself is a form of communication

.

Experiencing art

includes but is not limited to the four disciplines of dance, drama, music, and visual arts

is a means to develop empathy for others’ perspectives and experiences.

Content

Learning Standards

Content

purposeful application of elements and principles to create meaning in the arts, including but not limited to:

dance
the elements of dance are universally present in all dance forms and grow in sophistication over time

: body
what the body is doing, including whole or partial body action, types of movement (locomotor and non-locomotor), etc.

, space
where the body is moving, including place, level, direction, pathway, size/reach, shape, etc.

, dynamics (dance)
how energy is expended and directed through the body in relation to time (quick/sustained), weight (strong/light), space (direct/indirect), and flow (free/bound)

, time
how the body moves in relation to time, including beat (underlying pulse), tempo, and rhythmic patterns

, relationships
with whom or what the body is moving; movement happens in a variety of relationship including pairs, groups, objects, and environments

, form
The shape or structure of a dance; the orderly arrangement of thematic material. For example: phrase, beginning, middle, end, ABA, canon, call and response, narrative, abstract

, and movement principles
alignment (mobility, stability, plumbline), weight transfer, flexibility, strength, balance, coordination
drama: character
in drama, taking on and exploring the thoughts, perceptions, feelings, and beliefs of another

, time, place, plot, tension, mood, focus, contrast
music
The elements of music are universally present in all forms of vocal and instrumental music and grow in sophistication over time.

: beat/pulse, metre
groupings or patterns of strong and weak beats

, duration
the length of a sound or silence in relation to the beat

, rhythm (music)
the arrangement of sounds and silences over time

, tempo
the frequency or speed of the beat

, pitch
how high or low a note is

, timbre
the characteristic quality of a sound independent of pitch and dynamics; tone colour

, dynamics (music)
relative and changing levels of sound volume (e.g., forte, piano, decrescendo)

, form (music)
the structure of a musical work (e.g., ABA, rondo form)

, texture
simultaneous layering of sounds (e.g., multi-part music making)
visual arts: elements of design: line, shape, space, texture, colour, form (visual arts)
the visual element that pertains to an actual or implied three-dimensional shape of an image; visual art forms can be geometric (e.g., sphere, cube, pyramid) or organic (e.g., animal forms)

, value
describes lightness or darkness

; principles of design
the planned use of the visual elements to achieve a desired effect

: pattern
a design in which shapes, colours or lines repeat with regularity

, repetition
using the same object, colour, marking, or type of line more than once

, balance
a principle of design concerned with the arrangement of one or more of the elements so that they give a sense of equilibrium in design and proportion (e.g., radial, symmetrical, or asymmetrical)

, contrast, emphasis, rhythm (visual arts)
the combination of pattern and movement to create a feeling of organized energy

, variety, unity, harmony
these concepts are closely related and often overlap; elements are used to create a sense of completeness

processes, materials, movements, technologies

includes both manual and digital technologies (e.g., electronic media, production elements, information technology, sound equipment and recording technologies, etc.); in visual arts, any visual image-making technology (e.g., paintbrush, scissors, pencil, stamp) and includes the improvisational use of miscellaneous items.

, tools, strategies

for example, in drama, strategies refer to the techniques and approaches teachers or students use to explore and create a drama work (e.g., playbuilding, improvisation, tableau, soundscape, voice collage, discussions and debates, teacher in role, writing in and out of role, reflection activities). In music, strategies could refer to the collaboration of performing in an ensemble.

, and techniques to support creative works

choreographic devices

ways of developing movement (e.g., change level, dynamics, time, size, repetition)

a variety of dramatic forms

a medium for the expression of dramatic meaning (e.g., improvisation, tableau, role-play, mime, readers theatre, story theatre); may involve the integration of a variety of media and a combination of the arts

notation

any written, visual, or kinetic form of representing music compositions; for example, use of non-traditional (e.g., guitar tablature) and traditional notation can be extended to represent sound; in dance, this can include written formal and informal systems of symbols, shapes, and lines that represent body position and movement; in drama this can include diagrams indicating stage directions

in music and dance to represent sounds, ideas, movement, elements, and actions

image development strategies

processes that transform ideas and experiences into visual images (e.g., elaboration, repetition, and simplification

symbolism

use of objects, words, or actions to represent abstract ideas; includes but is not limited to colours, images, movements, and sounds (e.g., identity can be represented by abstraction in a self-portrait, melodies, or animal forms in Aboriginal hoop dancing)

and metaphor to explore ideas and perspective

traditional and contemporary Aboriginal arts

dances, songs, stories, and objects created by Aboriginal peoples for use in daily life or to serve a purpose inspired by ceremonies as part of cultural tradition

and arts-making processes

a variety of national and international works of art

the results of creative processes in disciplines such as dance, drama, music, and visual arts

and artistic traditions from diverse cultures, communities, times, and places

personal and collective responsibility

ensuring the physical and emotional safety of self and others when engaging in the arts; being considerate of sensitive content, facilities, and materials

associated with creating, experiencing, or presenting

includes any form of presentation or sharing as outlined in the Connecting, Creating, Presenting, and Responding in Arts Education resource

in a safe learning environment

Curricular Competency

Learning Standards

Curricular Competency

Exploring and creating

Intentionally select, apply, combine, and arrange artistic elements

characteristics of dance, drama, music, and visual arts

, processes, materials, movements, technologies

refers to both digital and non-digital implements and the processes that artists employ in the creation of art, in traditional and experimental ways

, tools, techniques, and environments in art making

Create artistic works collaboratively and as an individual using ideas inspired by imagination, inquiry, experimentation, and purposeful play

learning that uses real-life and/or imaginary situations to engage and challenge learners’ thinking. Through planned purposeful play, students express their natural curiosity while exploring the world around them. It also provides a means for high-level reasoning and problem solving in a variety of ways. Learning can be performed collaboratively in both solo and ensemble contexts.

Explore relationships between identity, place, culture, society, and belonging through the arts

Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of personal, social, cultural, historical, and environmental contexts in relation to the arts

Reasoning and reflecting

Research, describe, interpret and evaluate how artists

people who create works in any of the arts disciplines (e.g., dancers, actors, musicians, visual artists); also includes the students themselves

(dancers, actors, musicians, and visual artists) use processes, materials, movements, technologies, tools, techniques, and environments in the arts

Develop and refine ideas, processes, and technical skills in a variety of art forms

mediums of creative or artistic expression, such as painting, sculpture, plays, improvisations, dances, songs, and performances in both/either solo and/or ensemble contexts.

to improve the quality of artistic creations

Reflect on works of art and creative processes

the means by which an artistic work (in dance, drama, music, or visual arts) is made; includes but is not limited to exploration, selection, combination, refinement, and reflection

to understand artists’ intentions

Interpret creative works using knowledge and skills from various areas of learning

in BC’s provincial curriculum program, the discipline-based fields of knowledge, such as Science, Arts Education and Social Studies; each area of learning contains a set of learning standards

Examine relationships between the arts and the wider world

Communicating and documenting

Adapt learned skills, understandings, and processes for use in new contexts and for different purposes and audiences

one or more individuals viewing or engaging with an artistic work (a completed work or one in progress)

Interpret and communicate ideas using symbols

can be representative of an idea ("symbolism") or a means for communicating performance instructions (i.e., dynamic markings in music)

and elements to express meaning through the arts

Take creative risks to express feelings, ideas, and experiences

Express, feelings, ideas, and experiences through the arts

Describe, interpret and respond to works of art and explore artists’ intent

Experience, document

activities that help students reflect on their learning (e.g., through drawing, painting, journaling, taking pictures, making video clips or audio-recordings, constructing new works, compiling a portfolio)

and present

includes any form of presentation as outlined in the Connecting, Creating, Presenting, and Responding in Arts Education resource

creative works in a variety of ways

Demonstrate increasingly sophisticated application and/or engagement of curricular content

Arts Education 6

Core Competencies

Big Ideas

Big Ideas

Content

Content

Curricular Competency

Curricular Competency

Exploring and creating

Reasoning and reflecting

Communicating and documenting