Sandie Campolo, Kathy Lindholm Lane, Stephanie Stickford, Sandra Stauffer, Lin Wright

Purpose

The Integrated Arts Standards are based on the Arizona Arts Standards. This document is an example of how the standards can be used as a guideline to create local standards to meet specific grade level needs or educational philosophies.

Why this document was developed

Two basic notions have shaped these standards. The first follows a directive from the State Board of Education that all standards be integrated across the curriculum. We have started by integrating the arts themselves. The arts have many elements in common. For instance, when students create in any one of the arts they use similar skills of perception, analysis and expression. Whether working individually or in a group to create art, or to observe as an audience member, similar concepts relating to form and meaning are practiced. It makes a great deal of sense, particularly at the elementary school level, to help children see the similarities among the arts. It is also time efficient because it avoids duplication.

A second notion shaping these standards is that it is important for students to "know that they know" a subject -- that they think about "how they think." This metacognitive approach helps students gain control of their own education and it also helps them transfer knowledge and skills from one discipline to another.

How this document is set up

These standards have the same three big ideas that make the state arts standards comprehensive:

• Creating arts: students know and apply the arts disciplines, techniques, and processes in original or interpretive work.
• Art as inquiry: students reflect upon the concepts and themes and assess the merits of their own work and that of others..
• 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.

Each major idea is divided into categories so that the sequence of the standards is easy to track:

• Creating arts: concepts; personal, social, and physical skills; performance; improvisation; creation
• Art as inquiry: concepts, description, analysis, interpretation, evaluation, audience behavior
• Art in context: function, exemplary works of art, interactive effects of art and culture

In addition, the Integrated Arts Standards have a one page description of basic standards outlining what the students should know and be able to do, followed by more detailed "Suggestions for Integrated Performance Objectives/Activities" which can aid curriculum writing. Each standard is followed by a symbol indicating the applicable art form(s) (D=Dance, M=Music, T=Theater, VA=Visual Arts, R=Reading, W=Writing).

The hope is that this format will help in the design of curriculum suited to the particular student population at each school. Since student abilities will vary, some students may work at, above, or below the suggested grade level. Whatever is most appropriate for the student should be used.

To help with Arts as Inquiry, a set of questions to help students learn to look and listen. . . and look and listen to learn about the arts conclude the document.

We'd like your help

This is a document in process. In fact, we hope that you will have Lesson Plans ideas to contribute to this site. Artswork will award a stipend for all lesson ideas included with the Standards. Mail, Fax, or e-mail your Lesson Plans ideas and comments about the standards to:

Lin Wright
2037 South Ventura Drive
Tempe, AZ 85282

Fax: 480-965-5351
lin.wright@asu.edu