Fourth Grade Arts Standards For The Classroom - Draft

Creating arts

Students know and apply the arts disciplines, techniques, and processes in original or interpretive work. Building on previous knowledge, and skills they:

• Demonstrate understanding of arts elements, qualities, and principles (new and review), and simple art structures, subjects, and design problems (concepts)
• Continue developing personal, social, and physical skills that will support group and individual work and introduce an awareness of quality in the work
• Perform, in the classroom or for selected audiences, dances, music, and short scenes and dramatic readings, and display visual art work that demonstrates introductory technical and conceptual skill
• Improvise, in the classroom, dance movement, musical accompaniments, and simple dramatic scenes, demonstrating an understanding of the basic elements of each art form
• Create simple art works demonstrating an understanding of the elements, structures, materials, and design principles for dance, music, theater and the visual arts
  

Art as inquiry

Students reflect upon concepts and themes and assess the merits of their own work and the work of others. Building on previous knowledge and skills they:

• Describe simple artistic structures (arrangement or composition of the work), genre (category of the work), and style (characteristic manner in which the arts elements are treated)
• Use appropriate terminology to describe the art elements and identify the form, genre, style, and design principles in their own performances and art work and that of others to determine how they are alike or different (description and analysis)
• Reflect on the meaning that an art work has for them and what it may mean for others (interpretation)
• Evaluate their work and that of others to determine how the artistic choices may have improved communication
• Recognize and respect the ideas of others in discussions and evaluations of the work; continue to respect the work of artists during performances and shows (audience)

Art in context

Students analyze works of art from their and diverse cultures and demonstrate how interrelated conditions (social, economic, political, historical) influence the development and reception of thought, ideas, and concepts in the arts. Building on previous knowledge and skills, they:

• Explain the diverse functions of the arts in their lives and in selected countries
• Describe the genre and style of exemplary art works of music and visual arts from selected cultures
• Identify the interrelationships among time, place, and the arts and other disciplines
  

Fourth Grade Integrated Arts Standards for the Classroom and Suggestions for Performance Objectives/Activities

Creating arts

Students know and apply the arts disciplines, techniques, and processes in original or interpretive work. Building on previous knowledge and skills:

Concepts

They demonstrate understanding of arts elements, qualities, and principles (new and review), and simple art structures, subjects, and design problems

• Review art elements (see grades 1-3)
• Learn art elements
  
  • space and design elements:
    color relationships (e.g. tints, tones, color schemes of monochromatic and analogous), repetition (pattern), balance (symmetrical/asymmetrical), proportion (large/small), emphasis (thick/thin, accent), contrast (light/dark, sound, timbre), space (positive/negative), unity
  • musical and movement elements: energy/force (weight, attack, flow) (D,M,T)
    
  • Select an example from their work and describe how it incorporates the new arts elements
• Review arts structures (see grades 1-3)
• Identify new arts structures and give examples from their work or that of others:
  dance: abstract
  • music: rondo (ABACA), theme and variations
  • theater: climax (point at which the problem is solved or not solved) (T,R,W)
  • visual art: abstract and representational forms (VA,D,T)
    (see Grade 3 re what the arts communicate)
  • (see Grade 3 re knowledge about the creative process)
  • Generate ideas for visual arts projects: the natural (landscape) and man-made streetscape/ building interiors); environmental design problems (e.g. school entrance, playground areas, classroom spaces, parks and spaces in homes, etc.) (VA)

Social/personal skills

They continue developing personal, social, and physical skills that will support group and individual work and introduce an awareness of quality in the work

• (see Grade 3 re sensory awareness)
• (see Grade 3 re safety)
• Continue to develop ensemble (group skills) to enhance the planning, composition, rehearsal and performance process, and the development of art exhibits
• (see Grade 3 re respecting the work and personal discipline)

Physical skills

• Explain how healthful practices enhance own ability to dance, sing, act
• Demonstrate movement qualities (e.g. weight [strong, light], attack [smooth, sharp, jiggly, vibratory], flow [continuous, restrained] (D,M,T)
• (see Grade 2 re focus) (D,M,T)
• (see Grade 2 re relationships between bodies) (D,T, VA)
• (see Grade 3 re mirroring) (D,M,T)
• Maintain a steady beat (D,M,T)
• Sing on pitch and in rhythm, using appropriate voice quality, volume levels, and good diction (M,T)
• Skillfully utilize body percussion and classroom instruments, and all ranges of the singing and speaking voices (D,M,T)
• Building on dance skills, use expressive movement qualities in pantomime and the portrayal of a character (T,D)
• Building on singing skills, demonstrate good posture, relaxed breathing, and clear diction while reading outloud and performing improvisations (T)
• Develop skill with familiar and new visual arts media (e.g. photography, weaving/quilting, see also grades 1-3) (VA)

Perform

They perform dances, music, short scenes and dramatic reading, and display art work that demonstrates introductory technical skill

• (see Grade 3 re dance performance) (D,M)
• Continue to make decisions about how a musical work will be performed by self or class (M,T)
• Sing/play or move to a variety of musical games and songs, canons/rounds, and partner songs (two songs which can be sung simultaneously), as well as individual, group, and class compositions (M,D)
• (see Grade 3 re musical accompaniment) (M,T)
• Perform independent instrumental parts while other students sing or play contrasting parts (M)
• Continue to perform improvisations that communicate the story and meaning of the scene to an audience (D,M,T)
• Read their own scenes or those of others with diction and volume (dynamics) that make the work understandable (T,R,W)
• Work collaboratively to design and carry out a classroom exhibit of student work (visit a museum or gallery, bring in a curator to facilitate the students' decisions about the exhibit) (V)

Improvise

They improvise dance movement, musical accompaniments, and simple dramatic scenes demonstrating an understanding of the basic elements of each art form (D,M,T)

• Improvise dance movement based upon one or more predetermined dance elements (e.g. time, space, energy, force) with or without accompaniment (D,T)
• Continue to improvise rhythmic or melodic ostinatos, "question and answer" phrases, and longer musical phrases or sections within a specified time frame (e.g. solo/group improvisations throughout a song, during specified choruses or verses, or during short phrases of a song), using voices, body percussion, or instruments (M,D,T)
• In a group, plan an improvisation by selecting characters, environments, and a dramatic problem, perform the scene, giving it a beginning, middle and end, (D,T)
• Imagine and clearly describe characters (e.g. through variations of movement and gesture, with clear diction and appropriate volume [dynamics]). Play out character wants by interacting with others in a scene, maintaining concentration, and contributing to the forward movement of the "story" being performed (T, D)
• Draw a simple floor plan for the drama indicating placement of structural elements (windows, doors) or geographic elements (trees, lake) and set props (chairs, tables); choose items from the classroom to indicate necessary items for the improvisation (e.g. a chair can indicate a tree; the edge of a desk, the bottom of a window opening) (D,T)

Create

They create art works inventing multiple solutions to aesthetic problems that demonstrate an understanding of the elements, structures, materials and design principles for dance, music, theater, and visual arts

• Dance
  
  • derive movement qualities, patterns, and themes for a choreographic study from an observation (e.g. a congested area such as a shopping center, street intersection, school at lunch time)
  • given a specific movement theme, develop further either individually or in small groups (1) a variation which emphasizes the use of one or more elements (e.g. space-- directional or level change, time--energy/force--tempo, percussive and/or sustained qualities) (2) dance studies to different musical compositions
  • create a dance using AB, ABA, suite, narrative, abstract, or call and response structures
    
  • Formalize improvisations by choreographing a dance study with or without accompaniment, based on the movement discovered in the improvisation (D,T)
• Music
  
  • create a rondo (ABACA), then alter it by changing one section or extend it by adding sections
  • Use a variety of sound sources to give form to a musical composition
    
  • With the help of the classroom teacher or music specialist, utilize simple, standard music notation to record individual, group, or class musical ideas or compositions for preservation and performance (D, M,T)
• Theater
  
  • improvise or write a scene, then after performing or reading the scene, make changes in characters, environment, problem to improve communication with the audience
  • On a figure, draw the outline of a costume for a character in a scene and color it in; describe the lighting for a scene, indicating intensity (light, dark) and color (blue might suggest night or sadness, yellow day or happiness, etc.) (D,T)
  • formalize improvisations by recording, writing, revising and editing the dialogue; include stage directions (T,W)
    
• Visual Arts
  
  • experiment with different size formats (small/large) to express ideas; develop alternatives to improve the function or attractiveness of a design (e.g. school entrance, playground areas, classroom spaces, parks, and spaces in homes). Select and use subjects, themes, and symbols in works of art, expanding knowledge and use of additional different arts media (e.g. crayon, photography, oil pastels, video, weaving), techniques, and processes to communicate a variety of ideas, experiences and responses, and dramatic environments (VA, T)
    

Art as Inquiry

Students reflect upon concepts and themes and assess the merits of their own work and the work of others. Building on previous knowledge and skills, they:

Concepts

They describe simple artistic structures (arrangement or composition of the work), genre (category of the work), and style (characteristic manner in which the arts elements are treated)

• Describe simple structures in each of the arts and give examples from their work and that of others:
  • dance: beginning, middle, end, narrative, abstract, suite
  • music: theme and variations, AB, ABA, call and response, verse and refrain
  • theater: plot sequence (one action leading to the next) with a beginning (including hints about what happened before the start of the scene) middle, climax (where the problem is solved--or not solved), end, flashback (to indicate earlier action, character's thoughts, etc.)
    
    
• Describe visual arts principles (balance, repetition, emphasis, perspective, contrast)
  
  
• Describe genres (a category of the work) and give examples from their work and that of others:
  • dance: modern dance, ballet, jazz, African, hip hop, etc.
  • music: jazz, lullaby, march, bluegrass
  • theater: comedy, serious, cartoon, fantasy, science fiction
  • visual arts: portraiture, landscape, still-life, non- representational, abstract
• Identify style (characteristic manner in which the arts elements are treated) in:
• music: characteristic manner in which the elements are treated, (e.g. media, keyboard style)
• theater: realistic, non-realistic
• visual arts: realistic, non-realistic or abstract, more specifically photo-realism, pointillist, Bauhaus (architecture), raku, etc.

Description and analysis

They use appropriate terminology to described the art elements and identify the form, genre, style, and design principles in their own performances and art work and that of others to determine how they are alike or different

• Increase ability to use appropriate and more specific vocabulary to engage in classroom discussions about images, movement, sound, story in an art work or performance, etc.; include description of structure and genre and style
• dance: analyze and compare elements used in two dances (e.g. use of the body--isolation, relationships, shape/design,etc.); identify the dance genre and characteristic movement for the works
• theater: analyze classroom dramatizations and narrative dances, identify sequence of events, define and discuss the relationship between characters, environment, and problem (D,T,R)
  using comprehension strategies, infer a character's motivations and emotions and predict future action or the resolution to a conflict in the drama (T,R) compare the dramatic elements (character, problem/action, environment) of two films, or tv shadows; compare dramatic elements in television or film from different genres (comedy, drama, fantasy, etc.)
• music: identify form, tension and release, and musical elements in listening to examples as well as in musical performances, sung or played in class; describe and explain music (e.g. composer, or two compositions from the same period or genre)
• visual arts: identify the artistic styles of representational and abstract art works (e.g. Van Gogh vs. Mondrian, Modigliani vs. a northwest Native American mask)
• Identify and discuss the similarities and differences among art works in several media (e.g. dance, music, theater, film, television, visual arts) created by themselves and others

Interpretation

They reflect on the meaning that an art work has for them and what it may mean for others

• Examine the use of design elements (e.g. line, color, shape, texture) and design principles (e.g. balance, repetition, emphasis, perspective, contrast) in art works and theater design and how they are used by artists to communicate meaning (VA,T,D)
• Using appropriate terminology, explain personal preferences for specific art works
• Discuss how interpretations of art works may differ; transfer this knowledge to an analysis of how their work may be interpreted by others
• Present their own dances, musical compositions, dramatic scenes or improvisations, and visual art work to peers and discuss their meaning with competence and confidence

Evaluation

They evaluate their work and that of others to determine how the artistic choices promoted communication and what other choices may have improved communication

• Understand there are various purposes for creating works of art; determine a probable purpose of the artist for a work being studied
• Use class developed criteria, based on art elements and principles of design, to explain their personal reaction to their art work and that of others
• Constructively suggest alternative ideas for: choreographing and presenting dances; performing music; dramatizing roles, arranging environments, and developing situations in classroom dramatizations; their collaborative visual arts projects (e.g. murals, video/film, ceramics, sculpture garden).

Audience

They recognize and respect the ideas of others in discussions and evaluations of the work; continue to respect the work of artists during performances and shows

• Appreciate the uniqueness of each live performance of a dance, play, or musical composition and of each encounter with a work of visual art
• Understand the individual artist/performer's contribution to a performance (D,M,T)

Art in Context

Students analyze works of art from their own and other cultures and demonstrate how interrelated conditions (social, economic, political, historical) influence the development and reception of thought, ideas, and concepts in the arts. Building on previous knowledge and skills:

Function of the Arts

They explain the diverse functions of the arts in their lives and in selected countries

• (See Grade 3 re roles of artists)
• Discuss dance as a vehicle of healing, exercise, socializing and worship as well as for communicating and entertaining (D)
• Identify various uses of music in daily experiences and describe characteristics that make certain music suitable for each use (e.g. songs of celebration, game songs, marches, dance music, work songs, etc.) (M)
• Discuss the role of theater, film, television and electronic media in their lives and in the lives of others (T)
• Discuss the different utilitarian and non-utilitarian uses for visual arts in their and other societies (VA)

Exemplary literature/art work

They describe the genre and style of exemplary art works from selected cultures

• Describe examples of film and television about diverse cultures (T)
• Analyze the elements of works of art from another U.S. region or a country being studied and describe memorable parts (including elements, structure, genres, and for music, theater and visual arts, style), themes they perceive, meaning for them

Interactive effects of art and culture

They identify the interrelationships among time, place, the arts and other disciplines

• Identify influences from their own community/culture that affect their art work (e.g. climate, ethnic diversity, population, urban or rural setting, etc.)
• Identify regional, national and period factors that can affect a culture and its arts (e.g. availability of technology affects how the arts can be done--if there is no access to manufactured musical instruments, artists make their own instruments from wood, or reed, or other available material; if there is no tv or film, a society will have live theater or dance; with computer animation, there can be a JURASSIC PARK)
• Use basic arts vocabulary to compare and contrast similarities and differences within an art discipline in two different cultures (e.g. similarities and differences between: short story form and drama; local architecture and Alaskan lodge architecture or French stained glass windows and Mexican murals; Irish step dancing and American tap; the flutes found in all cultures-- Japanese bamboo flutes, Irish penny whistles, the wooden flutes of Native Americans)
• Use basic arts vocabulary to compare and contrast similarities and differences between the arts as a means of communication and other areas in the curriculum (e.g. how drama is related to the "stories" from other subjects such as social studies, history, literature, and the biographies of famous scientists; how time is measured in math and science and is used in music, dance and theater; how color and shape is measured in the sciences and is used in the visual arts, dance and theater; how choreography is created from dance movement and phrases just as essays, poems, plays and stories are formed from words and sentences; how shapes and patterns are important concepts in math, dance, music, scenic design and visual art.

(D=dance, M=music, T=theater, VA=visual arts, R=reading, W=writing; all unmarked items represent objectives/activities for all of the arts)