| Dance | Drama | Music | Visual Art |
Arts Education: A Bibliography for Grades 6 - 8 includes the section, "Musical Compositions Useful for Dance Class". This section lists Western Art Music and Contemporary Works which teacher have found useful for dance.
Titles and annotations for dance music have also been included in the main body of the bibliography. A listing of these titles can be found in the "Media Index" under the subheading Audiorecordings.
Teachers may also find resources in their music collections at school and home or they could ask their students to bring in music they like.
Finding your own music resources is usually a matter of personal preference. Any style of music can be used. What is most important is to select music which makes you and your students feel like moving.
2. I am worried that some of my students will be reluctant to dance. What should I do?
There are many different reasons why students might be reluctant to dance. Some might feel uncomfortable moving their bodies, while others might have a negative stereotype of dance. Involving students in dance is not as hard as you might think. Often it is the approach of the teacher that determines success. The following suggests ways to involve all students in dance.
3. I have never taught dance before. Where should I begin?
After becoming familiar with the dance curriculum, begin with the unit in which you and your students feel most comfortable. Initial lessons may be quite short. Introductory activities might be doing a survey of dance in the students' lives, learning a cultural or social dance or looking at a dance presentation. Some teachers like to begin with dance-making. As you begin to feel more comfortable include a wider range of activities. As one pilot teacher said, "Don't be afraid. It's fun. We're going to make some mistakes. Some lessons are going to be chaos but that's all right because it's all part of the learning."
4. It is hard for me to find space for my dance activities.
Dance, now part of the Core Curriculum, is a required area of study. Many of the activities in the dance curriculum are best done in a large space such as an empty classroom or gymnasium; others can be done in the classroom. The reason a large space is needed is because one of the elements of dance is space. In order for students to fully experience and understand space, it is important that they have enough room to move.
Scheduling of adequate space for dancing activities is encouraged. Teachers, along with their principal, can work cooperatively in scheduling the gymnasium. Activities in both Dance and Physical Education which do not need the gymnasium should be noted when scheduling.
If it is not possible to find a large, empty space, some dance activities will need to be adapted for the classroom. Desks can be pushed to the side and small groups of students can work at a time. Ideally, students should be given the opportunity to move freely in space to experience dance as it is intended in the curriculum.
5. What about students who, for religious reasons, can't dance?
Some parents are reluctant to have their children participate in some aspects of the Arts Education program for religious reasons. Administrators, teachers and parents should work together to avoid a situation where individual students do not take part in some aspects of the program. Parents should be informed about the aim and the objectives of the Arts Education curriculum. This should serve to dispel any misconceptions they might have. Often through discussion, mutually agreeable solutions can be found for those individual students. It is important that in an effort to find such solutions, the intent of the Arts Education program and its objectives are maintained.
6. What is the difference between dance in the Arts Education curriculum and dance in the present Physical Education curriculum?
Dance is one of the strands of the Arts Education curriculum. The dance curriculum is intended to give students a comprehensive understanding of dance. The reasons for studying dance in Arts Education are for students to:
It is widely accepted that regular physical activity is a significant contributor to a person's enhanced wellness.
It is recognized that the achievement of the first two goals is required if the third goal is to become a reality.
General Descriptions of Rhythmics and Dance
Rhythmics: Rhythmics uses implements such as balls, ropes and hoops. These implements must be used in time to music or an accompanying rhythm instrument. In rhythmics, students are developing their abilities to manipulate objects while moving. Strength, flexibility and coordination are important considerations.
Dance: Creative dance or dance-making, part of the creative/productive component, are the activities of the dance strand which share the most similarities with rhythmics. In creative dance or dance-making activities, students explore movement concepts and create movement sequences. These activities develop students' choreographic abilities, flexibility, strength and coordination. Students might use implements in these dance experiences.
Where the dance strand and rhythmics differ is in purpose. The purpose of rhythmics is to promote the development of body management with the assistance of music and small hand implements or apparatus. The purpose of dance is for students to develop their dance techniques and understanding and apply this to express their ideas through improvisation and dance-making. At all times in the dance strand, students' experiences are related to dance as a social and expressive art.
The common characteristics rhythmics and dance share complement each other and are not a replacement for each other. Each area's objectives are specific to that area and cannot be achieved in any other way. Teachers must make clear to students the individual objectives and characteristics of each area and how each area has its own unique value.
The relationship of Physical Education and Arts Education at Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle and Secondary Levels.
Kindergarten: Kindergarten functions as an integrated day. The kindergarten curriculum will include both dance, as outlined in the Arts Education curriculum and rhythmics, as outlined in the Physical Education curriculum.
Elementary Level: In grades 1 - 5, dance is found only in the Arts Education curriculum. Rhythmics is one of the dimensions of the physical education curriculum.
Middle Level: At the Middle Level, the dance strand in Arts Education includes objectives requiring students to learn about various cultures and societies and their dances.
Physical Education includes a dance and/or rhythmics dimension which focuses on social and cultural dances.
Arts Education and Physical Education teachers are encouraged to choose the same cultures and societies thereby creating programs which complement each other.
Secondary Level: The Physical Education curriculum includes one or both of the following:
Arts Education includes objectives requiring students to learn about various societies and cultures and their dances.
Arts Education and Physical Education teachers are encouraged to choose the same cultures and societies thereby creating programs which complement each other.
| Grades | Dance | Rhythmics |
| 1 - 5 |
| yes |
| 6 - 9 | yes and/or | yes |
| 11 - 12 | yes and/or | yes |
Arts Education
| Grades | Dance | Rhythmics |
| 1 - 5 | yes | no |
| 6 - 9 | yes | no |
| 11 - 12 | yes | no |
1. The approach taken to the teaching of drama at the middle level seems quite similar to the one taken at the elementary level, what is it that makes the middle years drama curriculum different from the elementary?
The approach taken to the teaching of drama at the middle level is intentionally similar to the one taken at the elementary level.
The drama strand of the Arts Education program is developed along a continuum that begins at the elementary level, extends through the middle level and culminates at the secondary level. The approach taken to the teaching and learning of drama at the elementary level is "drama in context". The middle level drama curriculum recommends that students continue their exploration of ideas and dramatic art form within dramatic contexts and extend that work through a process of shaping, refining, and polishing to the possible performance of a collective creation. This approach enables teachers to plan drama courses that incorporate the three components of arts education and make it possible for students to achieve the foundational objectives which comprise the required content of the drama strand.
What makes the middle level drama curriculum different from the elementary is this extension of students' work within dramatic contexts to the development and possible performance of collective creations. As well, there is more specific emphasis on the cultural/historical component in Unit Three at each grade level and on the critical/responsive component throughout all units of the drama strand. As students move through the drama strand from the elementary school, into the middle years and on into the secondary level, they will progressively increase their knowledge about dramatic art and strengthen their abilities to construct and communicate meaning through dramatic art form.
2. Middle level students enjoy the challenges of studying and performing scripted plays, does this curriculum recommend that they do so?
This curriculum does recommend that students study scripted plays. At each grade level in the suggested activities section of Unit Three, a detailed play study is provided. These play studies are intended as suggestions only and teachers are encouraged to choose from among the activities suggested and to use them not only as jumping off points for other ideas but also as inspiration for the study of other plays.
While the curriculum recommends that middle years students have some opportunity to celebrate their drama work by communicating it to an audience, it does not recommend that students perform scripted plays.
The drama strand of the Arts Education program from the elementary to the secondary level focuses on the "quality of thinking and feeling" - the internal actions which drama evokes, rather than the external actions of speaking and doing, (that is, the "showing" of thinking and feeling). The curriculum recommends that middle level students continue to explore ideas and dramatic art form within dramatic contexts and to extend their knowledge and expertise through a process of shaping, refining, rehearsing and performing their own collective creations. "The Yearly Plan for the Middle Years Drama Class" section of the curriculum guide provides a clear rationale for this approach and explains a process that will support teachers in planning dramas and developing collective creations with their students.
The curriculum also recommends that students be provided opportunities to see live and recorded plays and to discuss and reflect upon their experiences as playgoers using a process such as "Looking At Plays" which is described in the guide.
3. Why does this curriculum not recommend that students work through an introductory unit that includes warm-ups, games and exercises designed to develop trust, concentration, a spirit of co-operation etc.?
During the 1960's, education in the arts was centred around the development of the individual and the importance of self-expression. "Creative Drama" (also called Child Drama, Informal Drama, Developmental Drama, Spontaneous Drama, etc.) came to the fore in North American schools at that time, claiming to develop the "whole child" - socially, emotionally, intellectually, imaginatively, physically and aesthetically. The means to this end was a collection of warm-ups, games and exercises many of which were borrowed from the lexicon of actor training.
These activities have broad application in all K-12 classrooms in so far as they are used to develop personal and social skills, concentration, imagination and speech skills. As we move toward the year 2000, however, the goals of most drama curricula and the processes and strategies used to achieve them have moved well beyond those of the 60's.
It is not necessary for middle level students to play "drama games" or to "warm-up" before beginning work in drama. Dramatic situations that are thoughtfully structured with input from the very students who work within them provide all the tension necessary for capturing students' commitment to the work. Many games, exercises and warm-ups can be organized around themes and used purposefully and imaginatively within dramatic contexts. As well, if a class choose to rehearse and perform a collective creation, some exercises can be extremely valuable in helping all the students involved to focus their concentration and to prepare the actors physically and vocally.
4. How can teachers who have no drama background be expected to act in role?
When students and teacher assume roles within a drama, they are simply acting "as if" they are someone else. They are experimenting with what it would be like to be in someone else's shoes and developing empathy with those other lives. They are not, like the actor, portraying a fully-developed character but rather "adopting a set of attitudes, the taking of a stance".
By taking on roles the teacher is able to provide the students with a model for working in role through the use of appropriate language and apparent commitment to the work. Role enables the teacher to work with the students close to what is happening and to facilitate the work from within.
It would be very unusual for a teacher to work constantly in one role for the duration of a drama. Within a drama the teacher will shift in and out of role, into other roles and out of role altogether to work in more familiar ways as a side-coach, narrator and facilitator.
A teacher who proves to be too good an "actor" risks inhibiting the students' work in role in a couple of ways. Either the students will simply want to sit back and enjoy the "performance" or they may be intimidated by it to the point that they feel their work in role is not worthy.
Teachers who have no drama background are encouraged to become familiar with the curriculum guide and to begin by structuring a short drama (three of four episodes) which enables them to work in role and allows the students to work in roles of their own choosing, through different strategies and in a range of groupings. This will provide teachers with a sense of how role "works", how dramas "work" and knowledge about their students' ability to function within dramatic contexts.
Teachers should be encouraged by the fact that many of their middle level students will be familiar with assuming roles within dramatic situations and comfortable working alongside their teacher in role.
5. What does a teacher do about a student who won't participate or one who persists in disrupting the drama?
Within a dramatic situation, students and teacher are simultaneously actor and audience, participant and spectator.
In an episode of a drama in which the whole group is working, it is important for the teacher to remember that some students will be more active "participants" and some more clearly "spectators" than others (as they may be in real life). The students who exhibits some passivity in these situations is not necessarily not engaged in the drama. When structuring a work, it is important to include a number of different groupings and a variety of strategies to ensure that all students will discover comfortable ways of working within the drama.
If a student seems to be intentionally interrupting a drama to the extent that it is difficult for the others to sustain their belief, it is probably best to call a temporary halt to the work and discuss the disruption with the whole group. Many of the students will be aware of the problem and peer pressure may well contribute to a solution of the situation. If such behaviour persists on the part of one individual, the teacher would exercise whatever measures would be appropriate within the code of that particular class.
The most effective classroom management strategy for the drama class is to ensure that the dramatic situation is one that will inspire the interest of the students and their desire for ownership. There is no greater classroom control than students' commitment to content.
6. A question that has been asked both by middle level
pilot teachers
and elementary teachers who are working with the
elementary level
drama curriculum is:
"I seem to have difficulty getting beyond the first two or
three
episodes of a drama. I can structure and carry out an
initial whole
group episode, in which I work in role, and a couple of
episodes beyond
that but I don't seem to know where to go next. What is it
that I don't
know? What am I doing wrong?"
The drama strand of the Arts Education curriculum presents an approach to the teaching and learning of drama which is initially unfamiliar to many teachers. Most teachers have not studied drama at any point during their K-12 experience, let alone as part of their teacher training. The ability to teach the drama strand with confidence and relative ease requires a personal commitment that only begins with implementation inservices and a careful study of the curriculum guide. From here, the key ingredient is simply the further and gradual accumulation of experience.
Teachers must patiently build up a base of experience and confidence that is supported by such things as structuring and working within dramas with their students, studying the model units in the curriculum guides and in the recommended resources, attending drama inservice and drama workshops that are part of professional development days and subject council conferences, networking with colleagues who share their concerns and constantly negotiating with their students. As teachers gain more experience, their ability to think on their feet and to incorporate a wider range of ideas, strategies and processes into their drama structures will steadily increase.
Teachers should not be discouraged if they are not yet to the point in teaching the drama strand that they are able to recognize every "teachable moment" in order to advance the drama work.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MUSIC STRAND
1. Do I need to be a music specialist to teach music?
In Saskatchewan school, the arts are taught by both generalist classroom teachers and by specialists. The curriculum, then, must be of use for both. The curriculum has been written to give classroom teachers information to assist in teaching music in the classroom. The specialist may wish to develop the music program directly from the foundational objectives while the classroom teacher may wish to refer more closely to the suggested activities outlined in the guide. Many of the resources refereed to in the guide and in the bibliography provide more detailed lesson plans for the teacher who is new to teaching music. It is recognized that teachers working with a new subject (whether music, math or health) will take time to examine the curriculum.
2. Do I have to teach music in the sequence appearing in the curriculum guide?
No. The information in the music strand is formatted into units based on sample themes to provide the best support for the field. Teachers are encouraged to incorporate various strategies as well as their own activities and in their planning of lessons and lesson sequences. Teachers are reminded that the activities and resources in the curriculum are only suggestions. The foundational objectives describe the required content.
3. Many of my students participate in a school band program. Am I still responsible for teaching music to these students or do I teach the rest of the students music while some are at band?
This is a local school division decision. Some schools require that all students take band as their music education, others see band as an enrichment opportunity meant to supplement the classroom program. It is best to check with your principal and superintendent about how existing band programs and the music curriculum can be accommodated in your school division. Also, check with the band teacher to determine which foundational objectives he or she will be addressing with the students. Together you may decide to share the responsibilities for addressing the foundational objectives for the students who are in the band program.
4. Many students in the middle years do not like to sing. How can I deal with negative attitudes toward singing?
Students in the middle years are sometimes self-conscious and do not generally like to do things that amy make them feel vulnerable, such as singing. Before students will participate willingly there needs to be a trusting environment in the classroom. When students are secure in the knowledge that they will not be ridiculed by their peers they will be more apt to sing. There are also many other activities that can be done with middle years students that do not necessarily involve singing.
The new curriculum requires students to explore the use of the voice in sound exploration activities beginning in the elementary years. Students will feel comfortable using their voice in traditional and non-traditional ways.
5. We have no musical instruments at the present time. Do we need to purchase a quantity of Instruments to teach music?
Traditional classroom instruments, while very helpful, are not essential to the teaching of music. Teachers are encouraged to utilize any musical instruments that are available in their school. As well, teachers can help the student create and discover non-traditional instruments from their surroundings. It may be possible to being a collection of traditional, found and homemade instruments.
6. I am worried about the noise that students make when creating and studying music. What can I do about it?
Not all activities need to revolve around sound exploration. If there is a problem, the teacher can arrange to do the more dynamic activities when the class next door is in the resource centre or gym. When possible, the room used for music could be one backing onto the gym or hallway with as few shared walls with other classrooms as possible. Sound creating can also focus on soft sound and the discovery of subtle sound-making instruments for those times when adjoining classrooms need quiet. Planning ahead with the knowledge of when problems are likely to occur will alleviate many unpleasant situations. Let administrators know in advance that the students will be problem-solving and "on task" and are not "goofing around". The students will be using and developing higher level critical and creative thinking skills, using sound rather than words. These activities develop divergent thinking and require a great deal of concentration, cooperation and communication abilities.
7. Middle years students are influenced by popular culture. How can I deal with this in the classroom when I introduce music from outside the popular culture?
Teachers may wish to use popular music to introduce various concepts in music. The Teaming can be extended to include music from a variety of cultures. Students will begin to see that there are commonalities among all music and possibly become more accepting of music from outside the popular culture. Using the process "Listening to Music" from this guide students will begin to examine music objectively and learn to support their opinions. It is not necessary that students grow to like all the music introduced to them but that they should be able to critically support their opinions about the music.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VISUAL ART
STRAND
1. Where do the art activities that I already do fit into the new program?
It depends what these activities are. Many elementary teachers currently teach "crafts" in their art classes. Crafts such as jewellery-making, weaving, pottery, etc. are very much concerned with design, the elements of art and the principles of composition. In the Grade 8 curriculum guide, the first Mini-unit in Unit II is called "A Sense of Order". You could certainly use craft to teach about order and design in this mini-unit. When teaching crafts, teachers should focus on the following:
The teacher should focus on problem-solving when doing crafts and design- Each student should be allowed to explore and make decisions about shape, colour selection, decoration, etc.
The important thing to remember is that everything the teacher and students do within this program should relate to the foundational objectives. If teachers look through the learning objectives on the Foundational Objectives Development Chart, they will see many points that could relate to learning about craft.
There are several craft objects represented in Saskatchewan Art Works. Teachers can tie these works into their teaching as well.
2. What if I don't have any resources to teach this program -- - such things as slides, art works, art history books, etc.?
First of all, remember that the Saskatchewan Art Works kit is already in all schools in the province. You can take advantage of any offers by administrators or resource librarians to add resources to your school. Give them the names of resources from your bibliography when they are purchasing new materials.
Remember that many video materials are available through Media House. You only pay $1.00 per program for your own copy (plus tape cost). These materials are listed in your bibliography.
Besides these resources, there are many resources in your community -- artists, craftspeople, designers, sign painters, billboards, advertisements, art galleries, architecture, etc. All communities have artists and art works.
You can begin your own collection of resources: post cards with art works on them (about $.5O each, available at art galleries), reproductions of art works from calendars and magazine articles, etc. Laminate these and put any information about the work or the artist on the back.
3. Do my students need to learn to draw? And how can I teach them if I don't know how to draw myself?
Visual art skills are important, just as command over words and sentences is important to language development. Drawing is a skill that can be learned. Some people learn it more easily than others, but most people can develop their ability to draw.
Students in the middle years become very interested in drawing things realistically, and it's at this age that they often stop drawing because their skill doesn't live up to their expectations. There are many things that a classroom teacher can do to help these students develop their skills. First of all, tell them that drawing is something people learn to do. Compare it to a sport, figure skating for example. They can't expect to be able to skate like Kurt Browning without coaching and a lot of practice.
Secondly, provide opportunities and encourage them to draw often and on an ongoing basis. All students should keep a visual journal and draw or record ideas for art works in it everyday.
Thirdly, convince students that, when they are learning to draw, they must look at real objects and use models. Drawing is related to seeing. The more detail you study with your eyes, the more you'll be able to do with your hands.
Fourthly, encourage students to draw an object more than once -- several times in fact, so that they can learn a little more each time they do it. Let them select their own subject matter -- something that interests them enough that they will be motivated to learn the visual details. Allow them to express their sense of humour though their drawings- Students in the middle years love humour.
Finally, provide them with examples through books and other resources of many different kinds of drawings. Show them different artists' drawing styles. Show them that not all drawing is realistic and that skill is also required to distort or abstract something.
4. Do I have to know how to use clay, how to do print-making, how to weave, etc. to successfully teach this course?
Of course having that knowledge would be a tremendous help. The more you know about materials, the more you will be able to guide your students. There are several ways you can learn about materials if don't have the knowledge you feel you need.
5. What if I have no art supplies?
First of all, work to convince your administration of the importance of having adequate supplies.
On the other hand, there are many things you can do with limited supplies. Artists have used the materials at hand for centuries. (Remember Alexander Calder's materials?) Ask students to bring things from home. Re-use and recycle. Scrounge materials from newspaper offices, fabric stores, home decorating centres, lumber yards, etc.
If you have a parents' advisory group that fund-raises for the school, ask them if some of the money they raise could go toward much-needed art supplies.