Arts Education 8

Core Competencies

Communicating
 
Collaborating
Critical and Reflective Thinking
 
Creative Thinking
Personal Awareness and Responsibility
 
Positive Personal and Cultural Identity
 
Social Awareness and Responsibility

Students are expected to know the following:

Students will be able to use creative processes to:

Big Ideas

Big Ideas

Creative growth requires patience, readiness to take risks, and willingness to try new approaches.
Individual and collective expression can be achieved through the 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
art itself is a form of communication
.
Artists
people who create works in any of the arts disciplines (e.g., dancers, actors, musicians, visual artists); also applies to the students themselves
often challenge the status quo
includes questioning established ideas, exploring historical perspectives and social change, and preserving enduring values.
and open us to new perspectives and experiences.

Content

Learning Standards

Content

manipulation of elements, principles, and design strategies to create mood and convey ideas 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, balance
  • 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

    , texture

    simultaneous layering of sounds (e.g., multi-part music making)

    , notation

    could 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

  • 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, repetition, 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

    , movement

    deliberate control of the viewer’s visual path across a work (e.g., a strong diagonal thrust of a colour)

    , variety, proportion

    the relationship in size of parts, to a whole, and to one another

    , 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)
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
and 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
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., love can be symbolized by the colour red or the cradling of one’s arms)
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
ethical considerations
such as inclusion, diversity, copyright, ownership
and 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
related to the arts
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 and apply 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
, environments, tools, and techniques by combining and arranging artistic elements
characteristics of dance, drama, music, and visual arts
, processes, and principles 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 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
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 to create and communicate ideas

Develop, refine ideas, and critically appraise 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 motivations and meanings
Interpret works of art 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
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
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
Describe, interpret and 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
to works of art
Experience, 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)
, choreograph, perform, and share creative works in a variety of ways
Use the arts to communicate, respond to and understand environmental and global issues
Demonstrate increasingly sophisticated application and/or engagement of curricular content