Visual And Performing R D O F Arts Content Standards

IntroductionDance, music, theatre, and the visual artshave endured in all cultures throughout theages as a universal basic language. The artsconvey knowledge and meaning not learnedthrough the study of other subjects. Study inand through the arts employs a form of thinking and a way of knowing based on humanjudgment, invention, and imagination. Artseducation offers students the opportunity toenvision, set goals, determine a method toreach a goal and try it out, identify alternatives, evaluate, revise, solve problems, imagine, work collaboratively, and applyself-discipline. As they study and create in thearts, students use the potential of the humanmind to its full and unique capacity. The visual and performing arts are a vital part of awell-rounded educational program for allstudents.The Visual and Performing Arts ContentStandards for California Public Schools,Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve, represents a strong consensus on the skills, knowledge, and abilities in dance, music, theatre,and the visual arts that all students should beable to master at specific grade levels, prekindergarten through grade twelve, in California public schools.The standards were built on the components of arts education contained in the Visualand Performing Arts Framework for CaliforniaPublic Schools, Kindergarten Through GradeTwelve, which was adopted by the State Boardof Education in 1996. The strands and standards in this publication describe the contentthat students need to master by the end ofeach grade level (prekindergarten throughgrade eight) or cluster of grades (grades ninethrough twelve at the proficient and advancedlevels).These standards were developed in response to Senate Bill 1390 (Murray), signed byGovernor Gray Davis in September 2000. Thatbill calls for the adoption of visual and performing arts content standards by the California State Board of Education and states thatinstruction in the visual and performing artsshould be made available to all students.However, as with standards in other curriculum areas, the bill does not require schools tofollow the content standards. Nothing in thebill mandates an assessment of pupils in thevisual or performing arts. As stated in the bill,“The content standards are intended to provide a framework for programs that a schoolmay offer in the instruction of visual or performing arts.”Format of the Arts Content StandardsFor each arts discipline the content standards are grouped under five visual andix

INTRODUCTIONperforming arts strands: artistic perception;creative expression; historical and culturalcontext; aesthetic valuing; and connections,relations, and applications. At each gradelevel, prekindergarten through grade eight,content standards are specified for eachstrand. For students in grades nine throughtwelve, the proficient level of achievementcan be attained at the end of one year of highschool study within an arts discipline afterthe student has attained the level of achievement required of all students in grade eight.Many students also elect to take additionalarts courses at the advanced level. That levelcan be attained at the end of a second year ofhigh school study within an arts disciplineafter the proficient level of achievement hasbeen attained.These standards are written to apply to allstudents and at each grade level build on theknowledge and skills the student has gainedin the earlier grades. When reading the standards at a particular grade level, one mustknow the standards for all previous gradelevels to understand how expectations arebased on prior learning.An examination of the standards for anyof the art forms at a given grade level willreveal overlaps and points of connectionacross the strands because the strands andthe standards are intrinsically interrelated.For example, when working with a partneror small group in creating a dance sequence,the student is applying his or her skills andperceptions (Strand 1), is demonstratingproficiency in creative expression (Strand 2),and is reflecting on knowledge of the work ofother dancers (Strand 3). In the same task thestudent is also participating in the critiqueprocess as he or she evaluates the dancesequence (Strand 4), is demonstrating skillsin working with others, and is perhapsincorporating themes from other disciplinesxand reflecting on what a choreographer mustknow and be able to do (Strand 5).This publication is organized according tothe four arts disciplines: dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts. A glossary of keyterms is provided at the end of the standardsfor each of the arts.Guiding Principles of the ArtsContent StandardsEssential guiding principles for arts education programs are contained in the Visual andPerforming Arts Framework for California PublicSchools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve,and are reflected throughout these contentstandards. First, the arts are core subjects,each containing a distinct body of knowledgeand skills. Academic rigor is a basic characteristic of a comprehensive education in thearts, including the following: Learning through active practice, rehearsal, and creation or performance ofworks in the arts Reading about the arts and artists Researching, writing, and communicatingabout the arts Reflecting on the arts in thoughtful essayor journal writing on one’s observations,feelings, and ideas about the arts Participating in arts criticism on the basisof observation, knowledge, and criteriaAnother important goal of the standards isto help students make connections betweenconcepts in all of the arts and across subjectareas. The fifth strand in these standards requires the student to connect and apply whatis learned in the arts to other art forms andsubject areas and to careers.The arts standards respect the multiplicityof cultures represented in California schools.They allow students to experience the arts

INTRODUCTIONfrom the perspectives of American cultureand worldwide ethnic, racial, religious, andcultural groups.Throughout the standards technology isrecognized as an essential tool that enhanceslearning and expression in all the arts disciplines and provides for expanded forms ofexpression in digital and electronic media.New technologies for the arts, arts-relatedcomputer applications, and emerging artsrelated careers are especially vital in California, where the demand for individuals withartistic skills and career orientations has beensteadily growing in the vast arts and entertainment industry.Delivery of a Standards-BasedArts Education ProgramThe standards identify what all students inCalifornia public schools should know andbe able to do at each grade level. Nevertheless, local flexibility is maintained with thesestandards. Topics may be introduced andtaught at one or two grade levels before mastery is expected. Decisions about how best toteach the standards are left to teachers and toschool district staff. Although the standardsdo not specify how the curriculum should bedelivered, they do inspire the use of a varietyof teaching strategies, both teacher-directedand student-centered. Various groupingstrategies (individuals, pairs, small groups,and large groups) provide opportunities forall students to succeed. All students shouldparticipate in dance, music, theatre, and thevisual arts as performers and creators.A comprehensive arts education programis composed of three modes of instruction:1. Subject-centered arts instruction in dance,music, theatre, and the visual arts2. Instruction connecting the arts disciplines3. Instruction connecting the arts and othercore subjectsSubject-centered arts instruction focuseson developing foundation skills in each artsdiscipline. Instruction connecting the artsdisciplines does so in a well-planned, meaningful, focused way. Knowledge of two ormore arts disciplines and skill in performingand creating in those disciplines are mutuallyreinforcing and demonstrate the underlyingunity of the arts. Instruction connecting thearts with other core subjects does so in substantive ways that strengthen the instructional goals for those subjects.A thoughtful curriculum design providesstudents with alternative ways to perceiveand experience the world. A standards-basedarts education program provides a way bywhich all students can work at a personalized pace, develop self-expression and selfconfidence, and experience a sense of accomplishment.xi

DancePrekindergarten1.0 ARTISTIC PERCEPTIONProcessing, Analyzing, and Responding to Sensory InformationThrough the Language and Skills Unique to DanceStudents perceive and respond, using the elements of dance. They demonstrate movement skills, process sensory information, and describe movement, using the vocabularyof dance.Development of Motor Skills and Technical Expertise1.11.2Move in a variety of directed ways.Imitate the movements shown.Comprehension and Analysis of Dance Elements1.3Respond in movement to opposites (e.g., big/small, fast/slow, tight/loose, move/stop).Development of Dance Vocabulary1.4Name the opposites in basic movements (e.g., big/small).2.0 CREATIVE EXPRESSIONCreating, Performing, and Participating in DanceStudents apply choreographic principles, processes, and skills to create and communicate meaning through the improvisation, composition, and performance of dance.Creation / Invention of Dance Movements2.12.22.32Create movements that reflect a variety of daily tasks and activities.Respond to visual and sound stimuli (e.g., bubbles, feathers, bell, clock, ball) withoriginal movement.Respond spontaneously to different types of music and rhythms.

DancePREKINDERGARTEN3.0 HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXTUnderstanding the Historical Contributions and CulturalDimensions of DanceStudents analyze the function and development of dance in past and present culturesthroughout the world, noting human diversity as it relates to dance and dancers.Development of Dance3.1Name and play children’s dance games from countries around the world.4.0 AESTHETIC VALUINGResponding to, Analyzing, and Making Judgments AboutWorks of DanceStudents critically assess and derive meaning from works of dance, performance ofdancers, and original works according to the elements of dance and aesthetic qualities.Description, Analysis, and Criticism of Dance4.1Describe how everyday movements can be used in dance (e.g., walk quickly, stretchslowly).5.0 CONNECTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS, APPLICATIONSConnecting and Applying What Is Learned in Dance to Learningin Other Art Forms and Subject Areas and to CareersStudents apply what they learn in dance to learning across subject areas. They developcompetencies and creative skills in problem solving, communication, and managementof time and resources that contribute to lifelong learning and career skills. They alsolearn about careers in and related to dance.Connections and Applications Across Disciplines5.1Participate in dance games, sing songs, recite poems, and tell stories fromcountries around the world.3

DanceKindergarten1.0 ARTISTIC PERCEPTIONProcessing, Analyzing, and Responding to Sensory InformationThrough the Language and Skills Unique to DanceStudents perceive and respond, using the elements of dance. They demonstrate movement skills, process sensory information, and describe movement, using the vocabularyof dance.Development of Motor Skills and Technical Expertise1.11.2Build the range and capacity to move in a variety of ways.Perform basic locomotor skills (e.g., walk, run, gallop, jump, hop, and balance).Comprehension and Analysis of Dance Elements1.3Understand and respond to a wide range of opposites (e.g., high/low, forward/backward, wiggle/freeze).Development of Dance Vocabulary1.4Perform simple movements in response to oral instructions (e.g., walk, turn, reach).2.0 CREATIVE EXPRESSIONCreating, Performing, and Participating in DanceStudents apply choreographic principles, processes, and skills to create and communicate meaning through the improvisation, composition, and performance of dance.Creation/Invention of Dance Movements2.12.22.34Create movements that reflect a variety of personal experiences (e.g., recall feelinghappy, sad, angry, excited ).Respond to a variety of stimuli (e.g., sounds, words, songs, props, and images) withoriginal movements.Respond spontaneously to different types of music, rhythms, and sounds.

Dance KINDERGARTEN3.0 HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXTUnderstanding the Historical Contributions and CulturalDimensions of DanceStudents analyze the function and development of dance in past and present culturesthroughout the world, noting human diversity as it relates to dance and dancers.Development of Dance3.1Name and perform folk/traditional dances from the United States and other countries.4.0 AESTHETIC VALUINGResponding to, Analyzing, and Making Judgments AboutWorks of DanceStudents critically assess and derive meaning from works of dance, performance ofdancers, and original works based on the elements of dance and aesthetic qualities.Description, Analysis, and Criticism of Dance4.1Explain basic features that distinguish one kind of dance from another (e.g., speed, force/energy use, costume, setting, music).5.0 CONNECTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS, APPLICATIONSConnecting and Applying What Is Learned in Dance to Learningin Other Art Forms and Subject Areas and to CareersStudents apply what they learn in dance to learning across subject areas. They developcompetencies and creative skills in problem solving, communication, and managementof time and resources that contribute to lifelong learning and career skills. They alsolearn about careers in and related to dance.Connections and Applications Across Disciplines5. 1Give examples of the relationship between everyday movement in school and dancemovement.5

DanceGrade One1.0 ARTISTIC PERCEPTIONProcessing, Analyzing, and Responding to Sensory InformationThrough the Language and Skills Unique to DanceStudents perceive and respond, using the elements of dance. They demonstrate movement skills, process sensory information, and describe movement, using the vocabularyof dance.Development of Motor Skills and Technical Expertise1.1Demonstrate the ability to vary control and direct force/energy used in basic locomotorand axial movements (e.g., skip lightly, turn strongly, fall heavily).Comprehensio

performing arts instruction both in regular arts instruction and into other subject areas for interdisciplinary instruction. The visual and performing arts standards reflect our belief that all children should have access to challenging curriculum content, exhibit a high level of performance profi-ciency, and be prepared for the world of tomorrow.