Arts Education 4

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 expression is a means to explore and share one’s identity within a community.
Artists
people who create works in any of the arts disciplines (e.g., dancers, actors, musicians, visual artists); also means the students themselves
experiment in a variety of ways to discover new possibilities.
Dance, drama, music, and visual arts are each unique languages for creating and communicating.
Exploring works of art
the results of creative processes in disciplines such as dance, drama, music, and visual arts
exposes us to diverse values, knowledge, and perspectives.

Content

Learning Standards

Content

elements and principles that together 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 and focus
  • music

    The elements of music are universally present in all forms of vocal and instrumental music and grow in sophistication over time.

    : beat/pulse, duration

    the length of a sound or silence in relation to the beat (e.g., shorter, longer, equal)

    , 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 (e.g., melodic steps, skips, leaps, or repeated tones)

    , 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., combining singing with other instruments, partner songs)

  • 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

    ; 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., balance of shapes or colours, lightness and darkness)

    , contrast, emphasis, rhythm (visual arts)

    the combination of pattern and movement to create a feeling of organized energy

    , variety
processes, materials, 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 and techniques to support arts activities
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, non-traditional and traditional notation can be used to represent sounds, and students can be introduced to the treble clef and five-lined staff; 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
to represent sounds, ideas, movements, 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 create and represent meaning
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 regional and national 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

Choose artistic elements
characteristics of dance, drama, music, and visual arts
, processes, materials, movements, technologies, tools, techniques and environments using combinations and selections for specific purposes 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 identity, place, culture, and belonging through arts experiences
Explore relationships among cultures, societies, and the arts

Reasoning and reflecting

Observe, listen, describe, inquire and predict 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

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 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
and make connections to other experiences
Connect knowledge and skills from other 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
in planning, creating, interpreting, and analyzing works for art

Communicating and documenting

Adapt learned skills, understandings, and processes for use in new contexts and for different purposes and audiences
Interpret and communicate ideas using symbolism to express meaning through the arts
Express, feelings, ideas, and experiences in creative ways
Describe 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