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Arts Education 8
Curriculum Arts Education Grade 8
PDF Grade-Set: k-9
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Big Ideas
Grandes idées
Creative growth requires patience, readiness to take risks, and willingness to try new approaches.
Individual and collective expression can be achieved through the arts.
arts
includes but is not limited to the four disciplines of dance, drama, music, and visual arts Dance, drama, music, and visual arts are each unique languages for creating and communicating.
communicating
art itself is a form of communication Artists often challenge the status quo and open us to new perspectives and experiences.
Artists
people who create works in any of the arts disciplines (e.g., dancers, actors, musicians, visual artists); also applies to the students themselves challenge the status quo
includes questioning established ideas, exploring historical perspectives and social change, and preserving enduring values. Learning Standards
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Curricular Competencies
Students will be able to use creative processes to:
Exploring and creating
Intentionally select and apply materials, movements, technologies, environments, tools, and techniques by combining and arranging artistic elements, processes, and principles in art making
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 elements
characteristics of dance, drama, music, and visual arts Create artistic works collaboratively and as an individual using ideas inspired by imagination, inquiry, experimentation, and purposeful play
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 Explore relationships between identity, place, culture, society, and belonging through arts activities and experiences
Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of personal, social, cultural, historical, and environmental contexts in relation to the arts
Reasoning and reflecting
Describe, interpret and evaluate how artists (dancers, actors, musicians, and visual artists) use processes, materials, movements, technologies, tools, techniques, and environments to create and communicate ideas
artists
people who create works in any of the arts disciplines (e.g., dancers, actors, musicians, visual artists); also includes the students themselves Develop, refine ideas, and critically appraise ideas, processes, and technical skills in a variety of art forms to improve the quality of artistic creations
variety of art forms
mediums of creative or artistic expression, such as painting, sculpture, plays, improvisations, dances, songs, and performances Reflect on works of art and creative processes to understand artists motivations and meanings
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 Interpret works of art using knowledge and skills from various areas of learning
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 Respond to works of art using one’s knowledge of the world
Communicating and documenting
Adapt learned skills, understandings, and processes for use in new contexts and for different purposes and audiences
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 and elements to express meaning through the arts
symbols
can be representative of an idea ("symbolism") or a means for communicating performance instructions (i.e., dynamic markings in music) Take creative risks to express feelings, ideas, and experiences
Describe, interpret and respond to works of art
respond
the response to a work of art can come in a number of forms including, but not limited to, speaking, writing, or creating new works of art Experience, document, choreograph, perform, and share creative works in a variety of ways
document
activities that help students reflect on their learning and make their learning visible (e.g., through drawing, painting, journaling, taking pictures, making video clips or audio-recordings, constructing new works, and compiling a portfolio) Use the arts to communicate, respond to and understand environmental and global issues
Demonstrate increasingly sophisticated application and/or engagement of curricular content
Content
Students are expected to know the following:
manipulation of elements, principles, and design strategies to create mood and convey ideas in the arts, including but not limited to:
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dance: bodydancethe elements of dance are universally present in all dance forms and grow in sophistication over time, spacebodywhat the body is doing, including whole or partial body action, types of movement (locomotor and non-locomotor), etc., dynamicsspacewhere the body is moving, including place, level, direction, pathway, size/reach, shape, etc., timedynamicshow energy is expended and directed through the body in relation to time (quick/sustained), weight (strong/light), space (direct/indirect), and flow (free/bound), relationshipstimehow the body moves in relation to time, including beat (underlying pulse), tempo, and rhythmic patterns, formrelationshipswith whom or what the body is moving; movement happens in a variety of relationship including pairs, groups, objects, and environments, and movement principlesformThe shape or structure of a dance; the orderly arrangement of thematic material. For example: phrase, beginning, middle, end, ABA, canon, call and response, narrative, abstractmovement principlesalignment (mobility, stability, plumbline), weight transfer, flexibility, strength, balance, coordination
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drama: character, time, place, plot, tension, mood, focus, contrast, balancecharacterin drama, taking on and exploring the thoughts, perceptions, feelings, and beliefs of another
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music: beat/pulse, metre, durationmetregroupings or patterns of strong and weak beats, rhythmdurationthe length of a sound or silence in relation to the beat, temporhythmthe arrangement of sounds and silences over time, pitchtempothe frequency or speed of the beat, timbrepitchhow high or low a note is, dynamicstimbrethe characteristic quality of a sound independent of pitch and dynamics; tone colour, formdynamicsrelative and changing levels of sound volume (e.g., forte, piano, decrescendo), textureformthe structure of a musical work, notationtexturesimultaneous layering of sounds (e.g., multi-part music making)notationcould include use of traditional and non-traditional notation (e.g., guitar tablature); 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
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visual arts: elements of design: line, shape, space, texture, colour, form, valueformthe 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); principles of designvaluedescribes lightness or darkness: pattern, repetition, balanceprinciples of designthe planned use of the visual elements to achieve a desired effect, contrast, emphasis, rhythmbalancea 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), movementrhythmthe combination of pattern and movement to create a feeling of organized energy, variety, proportionmovementdeliberate control of the viewer’s visual path across a work (e.g., a strong diagonal thrust of a colour), unity, harmonyproportionthe relationship in size of parts, to a whole, and to one anotherunity, harmonythese concepts are closely related and often overlap; elements are used to create a sense of completeness
processes, materials, movements, technologies, tools, strategies, and techniques to support creative works
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 strategies
for example, in drama, refers 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) choreographic devices
choreographic devices
ways of developing movement (e.g., change level, dynamics, time, size, repetition) drama forms and drama conventions
drama 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 drama conventions
established ways of working in drama that explore meaning; drama techniques notation in music, dance and drama to represent sounds, ideas, movement, elements, and actions
image development strategies
image development strategies
processes that transform ideas and experiences into visual images (e.g., elaboration, repetition, and simplification) symbolism and metaphor to explore ideas and perspective
symbolism
use of objects, words, or actions to represent abstract ideas; includes but is not limited to colours, images, movements, and sounds (e.g., love can be symbolized by the colour red or the cradling of one’s arms) traditional and contemporary Aboriginal arts and arts-making processes
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 a variety of national and international works of art and artistic traditions from diverse cultures, communities, times, and places
works of art
the results of creative processes in disciplines such as dance, drama, music, and visual arts ethical considerations and cultural appropriation related to the arts
ethical considerations
such as inclusion, diversity, copyright, ownership cultural appropriation
use of cultural motifs, themes, “voices,” images, knowledge, stories, songs, drama, etc. shared without permission or without appropriate context or in a way that may misrepresent the real experience of the people from whose culture it is drawn personal and collective responsibility associated with creating, experiencing, or presenting in a safe learning environment
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 presenting
includes any form of presentation or sharing as outlined in the Connecting, Creating, Presenting, and Responding in Arts Education resource Note: Some of the learning standards in the PHE curriculum address topics that some students and their parents or guardians may feel more comfortable addressing at home. Refer to ministry policy regarding opting for alternative delivery.