Core Curriculum

Core Curriculum: Plans for Implementation defines the Core Curriculum as including seven Required Areas of Study, the Common Essential Learnings, the Adaptive Dimension and Locally-Determined Options. Arts Education is one of the seven Required Areas of Study.

Common Essential Learnings

Understanding the Common Essential Learnings: A Handbook for Teachers is a foundation document. It defines the Common Essential Learnings and provides an explanation of each category. Teachers should refer to this document for more complete information on the Common Essential Learnings.

Arts Education offers many opportunities for incorporating the Common Essential Learnings into instruction. The purpose of this incorporation is to help students to understand the subject matter better and to prepare them for future learning, both within and outside of the kindergarten to grade 12 education system. The decision to focus on a particular Common Essential Learning within a lesson is guided by the needs and abilities of individual students and by the particular demands of the subject area. Throughout a unit, it is intended that each Common Essential Learning be developed to the extent possible.

It is important to incorporate the Common Essential Learnings in an authentic manner. Although all subject areas offer many opportunities for incorporation, the development of a particular Common Essential Learning may be limited by the nature of the subject.

The Common Essential Learnings are intended to be developed and evaluated within subject areas. Throughout the four strands of the Arts Education program, the three components (creative/productive, cultural/historical and critical/responsive) reflect an emphasis on the development of the Common Essential Learnings through their content and processes. Therefore, the inherent structure of the curriculum promotes the integration of Common Essential Learnings into instruction. Foundational objectives for the Common Essential Learnings are included in the unit overview charts for all four strands.

Incorporating the Common Essential Learnings into instruction has implications for the assessment of student learning. A unit that has focused on developing Communication and Critical and Creative Thinking should also reflect this focus during assessment. Assessment strategies should allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the important concepts in the unit and how these concepts are related to each other and to previous learning. Questions can be structured so that evidence or reasons must accompany student explanations. If students are encouraged to think critically and creatively throughout a unit, then the assessment strategies for the unit should also require students to think critically and creatively.

Throughout this curriculum guide, the following symbols are used to refer to the Common Essential Learnings:

C Communication

CCT Critical and Creative Thinking

IL Independent Learning

N Numeracy

PSVS Personal and Social Values and Skills

TL Technological Literacy

Communication

In Arts Education, the teacher can further students' knowledge, skills, attitudes and abilities related to Communication by:

introducing vocabulary specific to a strand through planned activities that help students focus on what they know (or can see) and also provide a bridge between students' real life experiences and their school learning (for example, observing live animals, learning from books or taking a field trip)
organizing instruction that allows students to bring forward prior knowledge and to connect to other school learning (for example, a social commentary art project or dance creation)
creating opportunities for students to express their ideas in a variety of ways, allowing them to learn from other students' thinking and to demonstrate their present understanding (for example, through dance creations, art work, role dramas, interviews, essays, journal entries, photographic layouts, visits, discussions, letter writing or sound creations)
introducing students to structures that help them relate and understand the concepts under study (for example, organizational charts, diagrams or tasks that require students to categorize)
planning lessons and designing assignments that stress the possibility and acceptance of many different ways to organize and many potential answers or explanations
planning learning experiences that allow students to draw upon their first-language skills in order to further their understanding and to present this understanding to others
having students use expressive language (spoken, written and non-verbal) in order to explore ideas carefully and conscientiously
providing opportunities for students to use language in different modes (listening, speaking, reading and writing) for a variety of purposes and audiences, and in a variety of mediums, in order to strengthen their understanding in a strand
providing opportunities for students to reflect (for example, through questioning, discussion and journal writing)
casting themselves in the role of observer and listener in order to gather students' ideas to plan future learning experiences.

Numeracy

In Arts Education, the teacher can foster Numeracy by:

using mathematical vocabulary (for example, square, cone, binary form, etc.)
having students experience and demonstrate both quantitative and qualitative differences (for example, 3/4 and 4/4 time signatures)
planning experiences that help students develop an intuitive sense of measurement (for example, bringing students' attention to the creation of spatial volumes as they move so that they experience the concept of volume)
providing opportunities for students to interpret and produce maps, graphs, charts and sketches in order to continue developing students' understanding in a strand
designing learning experiences that develop spatial concepts, such as proportion, symmetry and distance (for example, examining structural elements of animal skeletons, buildings and sculptures)
planning activities to help students learn spatial relationships (for example, looking at art works that have a foreground, middle ground and background or discovering how to create a spatial illusion)
encouraging students to look for and create their own patterns.

Critical and Creative Thinking

In Arts Education, the teacher can foster Critical and Creative Thinking by:

guiding students' analysis of various arts experiences in order to deepen their understanding of the concepts being explored
encouraging students to look for alternatives and give reasons for their decisions (for example, by asking, "How else could you show that idea or do that action? Is there anything you'd like to do differently? Why?")
encouraging students to approach the content in a strand thoughtfully and discriminately by withholding their judgments until they have enough information to respond in an informed manner
allowing for differing expression and interpretation of assignments, and encouraging imaginative responses
planning opportunities for students to think in images and to manipulate visual images for the solutions to a problem (for example, by setting a design or spatial problem).

Technological Literacy

In Arts Education, the teacher can foster the development of Technological Literacy by:

planning opportunities for students to explore all sides of an issue related to technological developments (for example, by having students participate in role on a council, discussing whether to proceed with an Amusement Park project that has implications for the natural environment)
involving students in decision-making processes
integrating content from other subject areas in order to help students understand how technology shapes and is shaped by society (for example, researching the development of electronic musical instruments and synthesizers)
helping students see how constructions influence, and are influenced by, their environment and their function
enhancing students' perceptual abilities and awareness (for example, exploring visual information and its daily effects).

Personal and Social Values and Skills

In Arts Education, the teacher can foster the development of Personal and Social Values and Skills by:

exploring varied cultural content
exploring the themes, characters and conflicts of arts expressions (art works, plays, dances, musical compositions, stories, novels, etc.) to foster greater understanding of various cultures, to develop understanding of people and to develop an awareness of discrimination or bias when present
modelling and encouraging sensitive responses to the ideas, comments and creative expressions of others
providing opportunities for students to respond to and build upon the ideas of others
having students work co-operatively in paired or small group activities
allowing students to participate in activities that help them to explore and develop empathy for those who may differ (for example, persons who are visually impaired).

Independent Learning

In Arts Education, the teacher can foster Independent Learning by:

guiding students in the development of their own dance compositions, dramas, musical expressions and art works

encouraging use of resources both inside and outside the school (for example, by inviting artists to the classroom, collecting newspaper clippings, using magazine articles, visiting museums and galleries, viewing relevant television shows or news reports, etc.)

planning experiences that lead to independent exploration or require students to go beyond what the class lesson provides

encouraging students to talk about arts expressions experienced outside of school in order to discover the relationship between these expressions and their class work

providing time for students to share in class what they have discovered at home about a particular concept that was introduced in the Arts Education program.

The Adaptive Dimension

Special Needs Students

The Adaptive Dimension is an essential part of all educational programs. Like the Common Essential Learnings, the Adaptive Dimension is a component of Core Curriculum and permeates all curriculum and instruction. For more complete information, refer to the Saskatchewan Education document The Adaptive Dimension in Core Curriculum, 1992. The Adaptive Dimension is defined in this document as:

...the concept of making adjustments in approved educational programs to accommodate diversity in student learning needs. It includes those practices the teacher undertakes to make curriculum, instruction, and the learning environment meaningful and appropriate for each student. (p. 1)

A wide range of diversity can be accommodated by using some general guidelines for adaptation:

Alter the pace of the lesson to ensure that students understand the concept being presented or are being challenged by the presentation. One of the most basic adaptations that can be made to assist students is to give them sufficient time to explore, create, question and experience as they learn.
Monitor the use of vocabulary. It is possible to use advanced and simple vocabulary in the same lesson by incorporating both the words in a sentence: "Pat was proficient or good at playing the game." This helps to satisfy the requirements of some students, expand the vocabulary of others, and make the lesson meaningful to others.
Introduce attempts to increase rate of performance only when the student has achieved a high level of accuracy.
Alter the method of instruction to meet the needs and learning style of the individual.
Alter the manner in which the student is required to respond to the teacher and to the instructional approach.
Alter the setting so that the student may benefit more fully from the instruction.
Change the materials so that they enhance rather than impede learning.
Have advanced or challenging tasks available for students who have become proficient.
Use interactive techniques that allow close monitoring of the students' progress.
Encourage as much student participation as possible in both planning and instruction.
Modify evaluative procedures in order to maximize the amount of relevant information received from each student.
The less rigid the setting and the approach -- the easier it is to adapt.
Use support systems extensively (methods and personnel) -- adaptation is not possible without them.

The Adaptive Dimension includes all practices the teacher employs to make learning meaningful and appropriate for each student in the class. Because the Adaptive Dimension permeates all teaching practice, sound professional judgment becomes the critical factor in decision-making. The Arts Education curriculum allows for such flexibility and decision-making.

Special Needs Students In Arts Education Classes

When there are students with special needs or a designated disability in the Arts Education classroom, teachers may need to seek professional advice and other forms of support. Consultative services regarding special needs students may be obtained through local school systems, community resources and Saskatchewan Education, Training and Employment's Special Education Unit. The Education Act defines students with designated disabilities as those persons who are visually impaired, hearing impaired, trainable mentally retarded, severely learning disabled, orthopedically disabled, chronically health impaired, or socially, emotionally or behaviourally disabled.

In Arts Education, as in other subjects, there are adaptive techniques and other technical aids that can assist teachers in meeting the needs of students who face special challenges. Some students may require modified visual art tools or materials, a brailler, a voice synthesizer, a personal amplification system, or computer assisted instruction to derive maximum benefit from Arts Education.

Of particular concern in dance or music might be a student with a chronic physical disability or hearing impairment. These students may achieve the foundational objectives related to the cultural/historical and critical/responsive components of the program with few adaptations or with the same adaptations that are required in other subjects. However, to help the student achieve the foundational objectives related to the creative/productive component, the teacher may require further support. For example, through consultation with a resource person, the teacher could find ways to encourage the student who is physically challenged to create expressive movements to the best of his or her ability. The teacher might discover new ways to encourage a student with a severe hearing impairment to create music with computers and to use different vibration sources such as the voice, homemade and traditional instruments, or found objects to create unique sound compositions.

An adaptation for a student with a visual impairment in the creative/productive component of visual art, for example, may be the use of three-dimensional materials such as clay or wood rather than two-dimensional materials. When learning to respond to visual art that has been created by others, this student might require electronic assistance or braille resource books. The student may rely on interviews, research and the sense of touch when discussing art works.

Arts Education is an exciting and unique way of discovering and knowing about the world and human experience. With innovative adaptations and strong support, every Saskatchewan student can realize the tremendous benefits of an Arts Education.

Locally-determined Options

Core Curriculum policy states that the time allotment for Arts Education at the Elementary and Middle Levels is 200 minutes per week. It also states that time allotted to any Required Area of Study may be reduced by 20% to provide time for locally-determined options. In Arts Education, this means that time could be reduced by 20% in each of the four strands. Students are required to study all four strands of this curriculum, so this percentage could not be taken from one strand only. For more complete information on locally-determined options refer to the Saskatchewan Education document Core Curriculum: Plans for Implementation, 1987.

C	Communication
CCT	Critical and Creative Thinking
IL	Independent Learning
N	Numeracy
PSVS	Personal and Social Values and Skills
TL	Technological Literacy