Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework November 1999 Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148 Phone 781-338-3000 TTY: N.E.T. Relay 800-439-2370 www.doe.mass.edu Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework October 1999 October, 1999 Dear Colleagues, I am pleased to present to you the Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework that was adopted by the Board of Education in June, 1999. This second edition of the Arts Curriculum Framework presents the new statewide guidelines for learning, teaching, and assessment in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts for the Commonwealth’s public schools. Based on scholarship, sound research, and effective practice, the Framework will enable teachers and administrators to strengthen curriculum and instruction from PreKindergarten through grade 12. I am proud of the work that has been accomplished. The comments and suggestions received on the first edition of the Arts Curriculum Framework of 1996, as well as comments on subsequent working drafts, have strengthened this new edition. I want to thank everyone who worked with us to create a high quality document that provides challenging learning standards for Massachusetts students. We will continue to work with schools and districts in implementing the Arts Curriculum Framework over the next several years, and we encourage your comments as you use it. All of the curriculum frameworks are subject to continuous review and improvement, for the benefit of the students of the Commonwealth. Thank you again for your ongoing support and commitment to achieving the goals of education reform. Sincerely, David P. Driscoll, Commissioner Massachusetts Department of Education Masssachusetts Arts Curriculum FrameworkOctober 1999 Table of Contents Overviews: PreK–12 Standards for Dance, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts 1 Introduction 10 Core Concept 11 Guiding Principles 12 The Content of the Arts: Strands and Standards 17 The Arts Disciplines Strand 18 Dance 20 Music 37 Theatre 53 Visual Arts 67 Connections Strand: History, Criticism, and Links to Other Disciplines 87 Appendices A: Arts in World and United States History 108 World History 109 United States History 121 B: Assessment Development 129 C: Research on the Arts and Learning 131 D: Opportunities to Learn the Arts: Organizing Materials, Space, and Time 134 E: Improving Arts Education: What Partners Can Do 135 F: Technology Literacy Competencies and the Arts 137 References 140 Selected Resources: Performing Arts Organizations, Museums, and Bibliography 141 Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework October 1999 Overview The Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework applies to the study of dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts. CORE CONCEPT In dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts, people express ideas and emotions that they cannot express in language alone. In order to understand the range and depth of the human imagination, one must have knowledge of the arts. GUIDING PRINCIPLES I. An effective arts curriculum provides a sequential program of instruction in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts for all students beginning in preschool and continuing through high school. II. An effective arts curriculum emphasizes development of students’ skills and understanding of creating, performing, and responding. III. An effective arts curriculum promotes knowledge and understanding of the historical and cultural contexts of the arts. IV. An effective arts curriculum uses a variety of assessment methods to evaluate what students know and are able to do. V. An effective arts curriculum provides opportunities for students to make connections among the arts, with other disciplines within the core curriculum, and with arts resources in the community. Masssachusetts Arts Curriculum FrameworkOctober 1999 5 DANCE STRANDS AND STANDARDS STRAND PREK–12 STANDARDS The Arts PreK–12 STANDARD 1 Disciplines Movement Elements and Dance Skills Students learn about and Students will identify and demonstrate movement elements and use the symbolic language dance skills. of dance PreK–12 STANDARD 2 Choreography Students will create movement compositions based on choreographic principles, processes, and forms. PreK–12 STANDARD 3 Dance as Expression Students will demonstrate an understanding of dance as a way to express and communicate meaning. PreK–12 STANDARD 4 Performance in Dance Students will rehearse and stage dance works. PreK–12 STANDARD 5 Critical Response Students will describe and analyze their own dances and the dances of others using appropriate dance vocabulary. When appropriate, students will connect their analysis to interpretation and evaluation. 6 Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework October 1999 DANCE STRANDS AND STANDARDS STRANDSTRAND PREK–12PREK–12 STANDARDS STANDARDS Connections:The Arts PreK–12PreK–12 STANDARD STANDARD 1 6 History,Disciplines Criticism, Purposes andSinging Meanings in the Arts and Links to Other Students will describe the purposes for which works of dance, music, StudentsDisciplines learn about and Studentstheatre, will visual sing, arts, alone and and architecture with others, were a varied and are repertoire created, of and, when use the symbolic music.appropriate, interpret their meanings. Studentslanguage learnof music about the history and criticism of PreK–12 STANDARD 2 dance, its role in the ReadingPreK–12 and STANDARD Notation 7 community, and its links to Roles of Artists in Communities other disciplines StudentsStudents will will read describe music written the roles in standardof artists, notation. patrons, cultural organizations, and arts institutions in societies of the past and present. PreK–12 STANDARD 3 PlayingPreK–12 Instruments STANDARD 8 Concepts of Style, Stylistic Influence and Students will play instruments,Stylistic alone and Change with others, to perform a varied repertoire of music. Students will demonstrate their understanding of styles, stylistic influence, andPreK–12 stylistic change STANDARD by identifying 4 when and where art works wereImprovisation created, and by andanalyzing Composition characteristic features of art works from various historical periods, cultures, and genres. Students will improvise, compose, and arrange music. PreK–12 STANDARD 9 Inventions,PreK–12 Technologies, STANDARD 5and the Arts Critical Response Students will describe and analyze how performing and visual artists Studentsuse and will have describe used materials,and analyze inventions, their own and music technologies and the music in their of otherswork. using appropriate music vocabulary. When appropriate, students will connect their analysis to interpretation and evaluation. PreK–12 STANDARD 10 Interdisciplinary Connections Students will apply their knowledge of the arts to the study of English language arts, foreign languages, health, history and social science, mathematics, and science and technology/engineering. Masssachusetts Arts Curriculum FrameworkOctober 1999 7 MUSIC STRANDS AND STANDARDS STRAND PREK–12 STANDARDS Connections: PreK–12 STANDARD 6 History, Criticism, Purposes and Meanings in the Arts and Links to Other Disciplines Students will describe the purposes for which works of dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and architecture were and are created, Students learn about the and, when appropriate, interpret their meanings. history and criticism of music, its role in the community, and its links PreK–12 STANDARD 7 to other disciplines Roles of Artists in Communities Students will describe the roles of artists, patrons, cultural organizations, and arts institutions in societies of the past and present. PreK–12 STANDARD 8 Concepts of Style, Stylistic Influence, and Stylistic Change Students will demonstrate their understanding of styles, stylistic influence, and stylistic change by identifying when and where art works were created, and by analyzing characteristic features of art works from various historical periods, cultures, and genres. PreK–12 STANDARD 9 Inventions, Technologies, and the Arts Students will describe and analyze how performing and visual artists use and have used materials, inventions, and technologies in their work. PreK–12 STANDARD 10 MUSIC STRANDS AND STANDARDS Interdisciplinary Connections Students will apply their knowledge of the arts to the study of English language arts, foreign languages, health, history and social science, mathematics, and science and technology/engineering. 8 Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Framework October 1999 THEATRE STRANDS AND STANDARDS STRAND PREK–12 STANDARDS The Arts PreK–12 STANDARD 1 Disciplines Acting Students learn about and Students will develop acting skills to portray characters who use the symbolic interact in improvised and scripted scenes. languages of theatre PreK–12 STANDARD 2 Reading and Writing Scripts Students will read, analyze, and write dramatic material. PreK–12 STANDARD 3 Directing Students will rehearse and stage dramatic works. PreK–12 STANDARD 4 Technical Theatre Students will demonstrate skills in using the basic tools, media, and techniques involved in theatrical production. PreK–12 STANDARD 5 Critical Response Students will describe and analyze their own theatrical work and the work of others using appropriate theatre vocabulary. When appropriate, students will connect their analysis to interpretation and evaluation. Masssachusetts Arts Curriculum FrameworkOctober 1999 9 THEATRE STRANDS AND STANDARDS Connections: PreK–12 STANDARD 6 History, Criticism, Purposes and Meanings in the Arts and Links to Other Disciplines Students will describe