The Arts in the

Elementary Classroom:
A Visual and
Performing
Arts Content and
Delivery Guide

Developed by
San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools

as part of the
California County Superintendents Educational Services Association
(CCSESA)
ARTS INITIATIVE

Funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation 2008

About the CCSESA Arts Initiative
California County Superintendents Educational Services Association represents 58 county offices of education throughout the state
of California. Knowing that the visual and performing arts contribute to effective schools, the California County Superintendents
Educational Services Association, with generous support of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, launched a statewide
initiative in early 2006 to advocate for and strengthen arts education in California public schools. CCSESA urges every school to
weave dance, music, theatre, and visual arts into the fabric of the curriculum providing all students with a comprehensive education,
kindergarten through high school aligned to the Visual and Performing Arts Framework for California Public Schools. CCSESA sup-
ports schools, districts, and communities in each of the states 58 counties through a fully equipped statewide network. CCSESA is
working at the state, regional, and local levels to impact change in arts education.

CCSESA Arts Initiative

VISION AND CORE PRINCIPLES
The visual and performing arts are an integral part of a comprehensive curriculum and are essential for learning in the 21st century.
All California students from every culture, geographic region and socioeconomic level deserve quality arts learning in dance, music,
theatre, and visual arts as part of the core curriculum.

Rich & Affirming Learning Environments

Create a safe, affirming, and enriched environment for participatory and inclusive learning in and through the visual and performing
arts for every group of students.

Empowering Pedagogy
Use culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy that maximizes learning in and through the visual and performing arts, actively
accesses and develops student voice, and provides opportunities for leadership for every group of students.

Challenging & Relevant Curriculum

Engage every group of students in comprehensive, well-articulated and age-appropriate visual and performing arts curriculum that
also purposefully builds a full range of language, literacy, and other content area skills, including whenever possible, bilingualism,
biliteracy, and multiculturalism. This curriculum is cognitively complex, coherent, relevant, and challenging.

High Quality Instructional Resources

Provide and utilize high quality standards-aligned visual and performing arts instructional resources that provide each group of stu-
dents with equitable access to core curriculum and academic language in the classroom, school, and community.

Valid & Comprehensive Assessment

Build and implement valid and comprehensive visual and performing arts assessment systems designed to promote reflective practice
and data-driven planning in order to improve academic, linguistic, and sociocultural outcomes for each specific group of students.

High Quality Professional Preparation & Support

Provide coherent, comprehensive and ongoing visual and performing arts professional preparation and support programs based on
well-defined standards of practice. These programs are designed to create professional learning communities of administrators, teach-
ers, and other staff to implement a powerful vision of excellent arts instruction for each group of students.

Powerful Family/Community Engagement

Implement strong family and community engagement programs that build leadership capacity and value and draw upon community
funds of knowledge to inform, support, and enhance visual and performing arts teaching and learning for each specific group of
students.

Advocacy-Oriented Administrative/Leadership Systems

Provide advocacy-oriented administration and leadership that institute system-wide mechanisms to focus all stakeholders on the
diverse visual and performing arts needs and assets of each specific group of students. These administrative and leadership systems
structure, organize, coordinate, and integrate visual and performing arts programs and services to respond systemically to the needs
and strengths of each group of students.
Foreword
On behalf of the County Superintendents of the State of California, we are pleased to intro-
duce the Visual and Performing Arts Elementary Content and Delivery Guide as part of the
CCSESA Arts Initiative and the Curriculum and Instruction Steering Committee (CISC) Visual
and Performing Arts Subcommittee.

The California County Superintendents Education Services Association (CCSESA) is an or-

ganization consisting of the County Superintendents of Schools from the 58 counties in Cali-
fornia working in partnership with the California Department of Education. The Curriculum and
Instruction Steering
Committee (CISC) is a subcommittee of CCSESA, consisting of county office associate su-
perintendents, focusing on curriculum, instruction, and professional development. The Visual
and Performing Arts Subcommittee includes regional arts leads representing all eleven ser-
vice regions geared at strengthening support and service in arts education to California school
districts. Through the CCSESA Arts Initiative and the CISC VAPA Subcommittee, county su-
perintendents and their staffs are building capacity to advocate and increase visibility for arts
education in California public schools. One area of this work is in the development of K-12
arts education curriculum resources aligned to the Visual and Performing Arts Framework for
California Public Schools.

This guide was developed and written by Patty Larrick, as Arts Consultant for the San Ber-
nardino County Superintendent of Schools. The project was coordinated by Bonnie Tillotson,
Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator for San Bernardino County Superintendent Schools
and Region 10 Arts Lead. Special thanks to arts specialist Louise McPeeters for input on mu-
sic content, charts and standards.
Also, we extend special thanks to Patty Taylor, CCSESA Arts Consultant, who contributed
greatly to the development and finalization of the document, as well as the CCSESA/CISC
Visual and Performing Arts Regional Leads who provided input for this project. It is our hope
that this will be a tool for schools and districts in the planning for sequential, standards-based
K-6 arts education programs.

Sarah Anderberg
Director, CCSESA Arts Initiative
California County Superintendents Educational Services Association

Francisca Snchez,
Chair, Visual and Performing Arts Subcommittee
Associate Superintendent, San Francisco Unified School District
The California County Superintendents Educational Association and the San Bernardino
County Superintendent of Schools acknowledges the contributions in the creation of
The Arts in the Elementary Classroom: A Visual and Performing Arts Content and
Delivery Guide

Guide developed and written by

Patty Larrick
Project Coordinator
Bonnie Tillotson

Project Consultants
Louise McPeeters
Patty Taylor Gutermute
Sarah Anderberg
Jason Krey

Editing Team
Leilani Fiveland
Vicki De La Ree
Linda Moore
Marie Painter

Graphics Team
David Talbot
Irene Villalpando

Gary S. Thomas, Ed.D., Superintendent

San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools

Beth Higbee, Ph.D., Assistant Superintendent

Education Support Services Division

Studies show us that arts education provides a strong foundation for students academic achievements. Schools that
are able to provide enriching arts curriculum see the payoff in engaged students who flourish across their subject areas.
I would encourage all schools and districts to provide opportunities for all students to study the arts, so that they can
follow a path toward a well-rounded education. Gary Thomas, Ed.D.
 The Arts in the Elementary Classroom:
A Visual and Performing Arts Content and Delivery Guide
Introduction
Educators have taken notice of the current brain research regarding how children learn, be-
ginning with the now familiar work of Howard Gardner on multiple intelligences. Years of re-
search since then have confirmed the importance of the essential understandings that come
only through engagement with the arts. The Dana Foundation recently published Learning,
Arts and the Brain, a Consortium Report on Arts and Cognition (Dana Press, 2008, available
on-line from www.dana.org.). According to the report, The preliminary conclusions we have
reached may soon lead to trustworthy assumptions about the impact of arts study on the
brain.

The education community is also beginning to take note of the huge economic edge the arts
provide to our state and national economy and the ways in which the arts support the kinds of
creative, collaborative and multifaceted thinking required for 21st century job success. It is im-
portant that all students, rural, urban and suburban, have quality arts experiences throughout
the elementary years (and beyond) for the good it does for their hearts and minds.

This guide is intended to speak directly to K-6 generalist, classroom teachers about selecting
and working with lessons and units of instruction that support the VAPA Standards and meet
the needs of all students to be meaningfully engaged in the arts. The guide is also intended to
encourage classroom teachers to learn about the potential power of partnerships and collabo-
rations with cultural agencies and teaching artists to assist in providing standards-based arts
instruction. The guide asks elementary teachers to consider various models for the delivery of
that instruction to make learning in the arts a reality for their students.

This Guide: A Broad, Pragmatic Approach

The guide is meant to present a practical set of approaches for getting comfortable again with
teaching the arts in ones own classroom. The entry point is to encourage teachers to pull out
those favorite arts lessons and see if they address todays visual and performing arts content
standards and to find new sources of lessons and units of instruction. The guide provides tools
to evaluate all kinds of lessons from multiple sources and takes a new look at the California
Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards. This guide is not about creating curriculum
or inventing lessons. Some generalist teachers do that usually in connection with attendance
at teacher institutes or extended curriculum workshops, but that is not a focus here. The rich-
ness and variety of pre-existing materials provides more than enough material to engage the
classroom teacher in meaningful curriculum development. In fact, the vast majority of K-6
elementary classroom teachers who teach the arts already use lessons and units developed
by others. Thus the issue becomes one of learning to read the content standards, learn-
ing the vocabulary of lesson formats and developing criteria for selecting quality lessons and
units. Pre-existing lessons or units are rarely perfect for specific circumstances as written, so
teachers can turn to the ideas developed here related to modifying, adapting, and sequenc-
ing arts-centered and integrated lessons for particular students in particular classrooms in
particular schools and districts.

In their desire to further arts instruction, many schools reach out to local cultural and commu-
nity resources, bringing assemblies, presentations and artists of all kinds into their classrooms
in various levels of partnership with regular classroom teachers. How can teachers judge
the quality of these resources? What are some of the most productive ways of using this
expertise? How can teachers support and extend the learning brought to students by quality
providers? And, most importantly, how can teachers and artists become partners in planning,
teaching and organizing programs? This guide will speak to those issues as well.

K-6 teachers can do more than they think they can with available instructional time even
with the competing priorities they face, but they could use some help in thinking through the
possibilities. Other subjects in the curriculum are scheduled into the instructional day well in
advance of the arts, and the themes and methodologies are also well-known and established.
But what approach is best for the arts? How many art forms can a teacher hope to present?
Can the arts be combined? Should all arts lessons be integrated? How can schools take ad-
vantage of staff members who have a background and enthusiasm for teaching one or more
of the arts? How can schools work with school-wide themes and celebrations? The guide
presents a number of models and examples of various ways to include the arts on a regularly
scheduled basis throughout the school year.

One note about the section of the guide concerning planning for a school year: the examples
presented are both realistic and artificial at the same time. Some will say one or another of
the plans is way too much or not nearly enough. The situation and experience of teachers
in their school and district will, in many cases, be the lens through which the examples are
seen and judged. Each of the models is unique in the sense that each one includes only
one particular and focused point of view. For example, one plan addresses arts across the
school year based on creative scheduling; another is a year-long plan based on school-wide
themes. The most likely result of looking at these plans is that teachers will carefully consider
all the possibilities in light of their day-to-day reality. The real plan will have to be a result of
that thinking. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to making the arts a meaningful part of a
students experience in elementary school.

Once students have received sequential instruction in the arts and are learning meaningful
content, it becomes important to share that learning with parents, colleagues, administrators
and the broader community. The focus here is not formal assessment, but rather, making
learning visible which becomes the most powerful advocacy tool for arts programs, both re-
fined and emerging, can have. Children also need to know that their accomplishments in the
arts are as valued as their accomplishments in any other subject. It is a powerful motivator.

Finally, the guide comes with some helpful information specifically for administrators. Admin-
istrators are the key to the support needed to encourage teachers to work toward standards-
based instruction in the arts. Thus, they need to have some idea of what arts instruction looks
like in classrooms where the arts are being taught well. Understanding instruction in the arts
involves understanding the flow and sequence of a well-designed arts lesson; the differences
and similarities between arts lessons and lessons in other curricular areas; and the differenc-
es between the instructional sequences of performing arts lessons and visual arts lessons.
Its a matter of expectations. When one knows what to expect, then informed judgments can
be made and instruction can benefit.

This guide is intended to help teachers move the arts forward in their classrooms and schools.
The National Endowment for the Arts says, A great country deserves great arts. Another
American enterprise says, Just do it! The guide says our great California kids deserve to
have the arts as part of their elementary education and life and that classroom teachers can
do it.
The Arts
The Arts in the Elementary Classroom:
A Visual and Performing Arts Content and Delivery Guide

Introduction
This Guide: A Broad Programatic Approach

PART ONE
DETERMINING WHAT TO TEACH
1. LESSON SOURCES FOR THE VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS........................................1 - 4
Where Did You Get That Lesson?
The Less than Perfect Lesson
The Full Range of Sources
Sources for Discipline-Specific and/or Integrated Arts Lessons, Units, and Curriculum

2. THE MISSION OF THE SOURCE...............................................................................................5 - 8

State-Adopted Series
County Office or District Curriculum Guides and Sample Lessons
Out-of-State Departments of Education and District Resources
University Arts Education Departments
National and Regional Cultural Institutions
Non-Profit Providers
Non-Textbook Published Materials
Web Sites Created by Teachers and Artists
Professional Organizations for Arts Educators and Generalist Teachers

3. WORKING THE POWERFUL WEB...........................................................................................9 - 11

A Place to Begin
Search Strategies
Premier Web Sites for Units and Lessons

4. LESSON SELECTION CRITERIA...........................................................................................12 - 13

5. READING THE STANDARDS.................................................................................................14 - 16

What Are Standards?
The Big Idea Strands
Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards Strands (stage diagram)
The Strands of the Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards: A Theatre Metaphor

6. THE VAPA CONTENT STANDARDS RE-VIEWED.................................................................17 - 20

Introduction
The Re-Viewed Standards: How They Work
The Headers
Artistic Perception and Creative Expression: The Skills-Based Standards
Historical and Cultural Context: The Context Strand
Aesthetic Valuing: Making Meaning Strand
Connections, Relations, Applications: The Integration Strand

7. COMPARISON OF CALIFORNIA AND NATIONAL VISUAL AND..........................................21 - 23

PERFORMING ARTS CONTENT STANDARDS

8. RE-VIEWED STANDARDS...................................................................................................... 24 - 59
Artistic Perception and Creative Expression: Technical Skills, Concepts and Vocabulary
DANCE STANDARDS K-6
MUSIC K-6
THEATRE ARTS K-6
VISUAL ARTS K-6
Historical and Cultural Context
DANCE STANDARDS K-6
MUSIC K-6
THEATRE ARTS K-6
VISUAL ARTS K-6
Aesthetic Valuing: Technical Skills, Concepts and Vocabulary
DANCE STANDARDS K-6
MUSIC K-6
THEATRE ARTS K-6
VISUAL ARTS K-6
Connections, Relations, Applications
DANCE STANDARDS K-6
MUSIC K-6
THEATRE ARTS K-6
VISUAL ARTS K-6

9. READING A FORMAL LESSON PLAN...................................................................................60 - 63

Formal Lesson/Unit Structure
Common Ideas, Different Vocabulary

10. JUDGING HOW WELL A UNIT/LESSON PLAN ADDRESSES STANDARDS.....................64 - 65

Criteria for Judging How Well an Existing Unit/Lesson Meets Content Standards

MODIFYING AND ADAPTING EXISTING LESSONS

1. MODIFYING LESSONS TO MEET STUDENT AND TEACHER NEEDS...............................66 - 68
Introduction
An Example of Lesson Modification
What Can be Modified in an Existing Lesson
2. INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE: PICTURING INSTRUCTION...............................................69 - 76
Effective Instructional Sequence
Teacher Comfort Level
A Teacher-Friendly Dance Lesson
Modeling and Demonstrating Concepts, Processes and Skills
For Visual Arts
For the Performing Arts
For Dance
For Theatre
For Music
Further Notes on Music for the Classroom Teacher

3. ADAPTING LESSONS.............................................................................................................77 - 80
Adapting Lessons for Special Needs Students
English Language Learners
Gifted and Talented
Lessons Up and Down the Grade Levels

4. THE ISSUE OF PRIOR KNOWLEDGE....................................................................................81 - 83

What Teachers Need to Determine
Too Many Wild Cards
How Do You Know What Your Students Know in the Arts?
Key Standards

SEQUENCING LESSONS
1. FROM EXISTING LESSONS TO UNITS OF INSTRUCTION.................................................84 - 88
Why Sequence?
How the Standards Guide Sequence
Starting with a Single Standard: Creating the Journey
Expanding the Unit to Include Other Standards/Strands
From a Skill Series Outward a Different Journey
Finding Good Units in the First Place

2. DEVELOPING A MANAGEABLE SEQUENCE FROM PUBLISHED MATERIALS...............89 - 90

Masters of Organization
Teachers Editions and Comfort Levels
Lesson Sequence and the Spiral Curriculum

3. A META SEQUENCE APPROACH: UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN...................................91 - 94

Backwards Mapping
Enduring Understandings the Big Ideas
Evidence of Understanding
Planning the Learning Experience
Supporting Conditions
PART TWO
THE POSSIBILITIES OF INTEGRATED INSTRUCTION
1. THE CRITICAL ISSUE OF BALANCE....................................................................................95 - 97
Introduction
Essential Elements for Interdisciplinary Learning

2, INTEGRATION AS INQUIRY....................................................................................................98 - 99
The CAPE Example
How to Develop Good Questions for Inquiry-Based Education

PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS

1. THE ADVANTAGES OF REACHING OUT..........................................................................100 - 108
Creative Collaboration
Finding Quality Providers
Teaching Artists and Content Standards
Establishing Your Own Guidelines
The Collaborative Process
The Arts for Learning Web Library
An Elegant Residency Outline
Inspiration
Selecting Arts Assemblies and Performances
Selection Criteria for Arts Assemblies and Performances

2. OTHER WAYS OF REACHING OUT...................................................................................109 - 114

Pilot Programs
Parents as Volunteers in the Arts Classroom
Docent Programs of Trained Volunteers
Developing a Docent Program
Field Trips to Arts Sites
Arts-Infused Field Trips

PART THREE
PLANNING FOR A SCHOOL YEAR
1. THE CHALLENGE OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME.................................................................115 - 116
What is the Reality?
So, Now What?
Curriculum Mapping

2. YEAR-LONG PLANS BASED ON CONNECTIONS AMONG THE ARTS.........................117 - 128

Cluster and Connect: Integration Among the Arts at the Primary Level
Kindergarten Example of Clustered Arts Integration
A Thematic Arrangement of Kindergarten VAPA Content Standards
A Sample Kindergarten Plan for the School Year
A Third Grade Example of Clustered Arts Integration
A Thematic Arrangement of Third Grade VAPA Content Standards
A Third Grade ARTS CENTERED Sample Plan for the School Year
Beyond Holiday Art

3. A YEAR-LONG PLAN BASED ON CREATIVE SCHEDULING..........................................129 - 136

A Scheduling Model to Include All the Arts over the School Year (4-6)
Before the Beginning of the Instructional Year
At the Beginning of the Year
During the Year
At the End of the Year
Example of Arts Across the School Year, 4-6 Grade Based on Creative Scheduling

4. YEAR-LONG PLAN BASED ON SCHOOL-WIDE THEMES..............................................137 - 141

Working the Calendar
An Ambitious School-Wide Plan Example
A Year-Long Arts Plan Based on School-Wide Themes and Celebrations

5. YEAR-LONG PLAN BASED ON PARTNERSHIPS AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS............142 - 144

An Arts-Centered Approach Based on Partnerships and Collaborations

PART FOUR
SHOWCASING STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENT
1. SHARING STUDENT LEARNING IN THE ARTS................................................................145 - 149
Making Learning Visible: Process Documentation
The Educationally Interpretative Exhibition
The Issue of Product and Process
Portfolios and Assessment
What about Report Cards?
Parent Conferences and Individual Education Plan Meetings/Evaluations
Informal Ways to Share Learning with Parents

2. OTHER WAYS TO SHOWCASE ARTS LEARNING...........................................................150 - 152

The Familiar Formats
Family Arts Nights
School-Wide Thematic Events
Use Technology
A BRIEF GUIDE TO QUALITY ARTS INSTRUCTION FOR
ADMINISTRATORS
1. THE PRINCIPAL AS INSTRUCTIONAL LEADER FOR ARTS EDUCATION.....................153 - 154
Walking into Arts Lessons

2. A GUIDE FOR ADMINISTRATORS: THE VISUAL ARTS...................................................155 - 157

What is the Teacher Doing?
What are Students Doing?
The Learning Environment for Visual Arts Instruction

3. A GUIDE FOR ADMINISTRATORS: THE PERFORMING ARTS.......................................158 - 161

What is the Teacher Doing?
What are Students Doing?
The Learning Environment for Performing Arts Instruction

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IMPLICATIONS

1. THE GUIDE AS A STARTING POINT FOR BROAD-BASED
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT..........................................................................................162 - 164
Multiple Entry Points
A New Way to Understand the Standards
The Guide and Arts Education Planning
The Different Aims of Professional Development in the Arts

2. WHAT THE WORK BASED ON THE GUIDE MIGHT LOOK LIKE.....................................165 - 166
Who Should Use This Guide
Finding an Entry Point that Addresses Particular Needs and Realities

REFERENCES.............................................................................................................167 - 169
About the Resources
The Selected References and Resources from the VAPA Framwork
PART ONE
PART ONE

DETERMINING WHAT TO TEACH

1. LESSON SOURCES FOR THE VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
Where are teachers finding arts lessons?
What can you do with what youve got?

Generally speaking, most classrooms use instructional materials developed by experts.

Much of the curriculum comes in the form of state-adopted textbooks, accompanied by com-
prehensive teachers editions and supporting instructional materials. In the arts, there are
standards-based, state-adopted K-6 textbooks (and teachers editions, as well as extensive
supporting instructional materials) for music, theatre, and visual arts. Yet, not all districts adopt
these materials. Most elementary teachers look to a variety of sources to find lessons and
activities in the arts.

Of course, some elementary teachers do develop their own arts lessons based on past expe-
riences with one or more of the arts and with the knowledge of what works for their students.
Sometimes teachers work entirely on their own, but many times they are part of grade-level
groups or clusters that collaborate on lesson and unit design in the arts. This is productive
because teachers have a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences with the arts and arts
instruction. There is usually a teacher willing to take the lead for visual arts, dance or theatre.
Maybe there is a teacher in the group with a music background. Many times, the music or
visual arts specialist joins in on the planning. Many teachers learn how to develop lessons
by attending professional development workshops and institutes. The lessons resulting may
differ in format but the rigorous thinking that goes into in-depth curriculum development is
consistent.

Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, in the book Understanding by Design (UBD), have develo-
ped one of the most currently influential approaches to curriculum design. It is applicable to
all disciplines. The design concepts, such as backwards mapping, reflect a research-driven
philosophy about teaching and learning based on big ideas and desired outcomes. It is a
different and powerful way of thinking about curriculum, and as Elliot Eisner has said, Cur-
riculum is a mind-altering device. UBD is the approach of choice by the California Subject
Matter Projects, including The California Arts Project (TCAP) and, thus, is prominent in the
institutes and other professional development series they offer teachers. Understanding By
Design is not a step-by-step guide; rather, it offers a conceptual framework and set of design
standards. It is not about any specific curriculum but supports a way to design or redesign
any curriculum to increase student understanding of essential ideas and concepts the en-
during understandings. It is about the learning, more than the teaching. It is based on what
the learner needs.

Even in this results-focused deign, UBD allows the use of existing materials, lessons, and
units of instruction. There are many successful entry points. Teachers can start with content

1
standards, which are the big ideas about what students should know and be able to do, or
they can start with a great resource, an important skill or process or, certainly, an existing unit
or lesson that they can place in the larger context of backwards mapping. Basically, teachers,
through UBD, learn how to work from an understanding of where the learning is going. That
is the same idea that teachers need to use in selecting the lessons and units they will teach.
Teachers are designers. In their day-to-day teaching they must ask themselves what specific
lessons would help their students further their understanding of essential content. By starting
with a focus on the understandings we want our students to learn and apply, then planning
how we will know if they have reached those understandings, (determining acceptable evi-
dence), the activities, lessons and units of instruction can be selected and edited with focus
and intent and become part of a curricular design more likely to help students achieve those
objectives.

The focus of this guide is upon already existing materials: how to find, select, modify, adapt,
and sequence teaching resources and how to make certain that the resulting units of instructi-
on, lessons within these units, and learning activities within these lessons are in alignment
with the Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools (VAPA
Content Standards). The guide reflects many aspects of UBD, but uses multiple entry points
especially focused on the realities of elementary classroom teachers with no particular back-
ground in the arts or in-depth experience with UBD.

UBD is discussed again later in this guide in the section about the critical importance of lesson
sequence.

Where Did You Get That Lesson?

The non-specialist K-6 classroom teacher trying to incorporate one or more of the arts into the
curriculum is always on the look out for useful ideas. Teachers collect many good arts lessons
over the years. Actually, the sources for pre-existing lessons fall into a few basic categories:
the old standbys, the source of which is long lost, the borrowed lessons from the teacher next
door, lessons from how to do it books, sample lessons provided by the school, district or the
County Office of Education, or lessons taken from a state adopted textbook curriculum series
and, more recently, lessons taken from a variety of web sites. Many teachers say they just
want to find some really good lessons somewhere that would get them started on building
a curriculum in one or more of the arts disciplines of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.
So the first question might be, Where should I go to find well written standards-based les-
sons? After good sources are located, teachers will need criteria for the selection of quality,
standards-based lessons. This guide provides that criteria.

The Less Than Perfect Lesson

Regardless of the source, preexisting lessons are rarely perfect, as they were not written with
the teachers specific students in mind. Also, many lessons we find in books or old handouts
from workshops or on the Internet dont mention standards, are pre-standards, or are written
to content standards other than Californias. That does not mean that they dont address our
VAPA Content Standards; it just means that the teacher will have to look carefully at the con-
tent focus. Also, many times the lessons we find are actually activities, descriptions of pro-
cess, or just a set of ideas from which real lessons might be derived. In that case, the teacher

2
will need to think about how to add, enlarge, layer, and expand the concepts until they become
part of an effective lesson. Lessons then need to be sequenced into units of instruction in or-
der that skills and concepts can be built logically over time, and big ideas are addressed. Ex-
isting lessons, wherever they come from, need to be selected with content standards in mind.
Thats why it is so important that teachers understand what the VAPA Content Standards are
asking of students.

The Full Range of Sources

Wouldnt teachers be ahead of the game if they selected lessons from the best sources? The
good news is that there have never been more sources and resources out there for teachers
to access to help them provide quality instruction in the arts for K-6 students. From state-
adopted textbooks to individual teachers web sites, there are lessons, approaches, links and
ideas everywhere. It can be overwhelming at times. Maybe that is why veteran teachers
tend to hang on to old lessons they love and that have been successful over time with many
students who have passed through their classrooms. However, with the introduction of VAPA
Content Standards, curricula, units of instruction, and lessons have become increasingly so-
phisticated. The old favorites may need to be revised, and/or placed in a new context or
sequence of lessons.

3
 SOURCES FOR DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC AND/OR INTEGRATED
ARTS LESSONS, UNITS, and CURRICULUM
Teachers editions of state-adopted textbooks (sample lessons on-line; preview
copies at any and all grade levels available on school or district request);

Your districts curriculum guides with lessons (usually developed over time by
district arts curriculum groups teacher representatives from multiple grade levels);

County office of education curriculum guides - hard copy or on-line;

Other California school district-developed curriculum resources sample lessons or

full curriculum available on-line;

State or district curriculum resources from other states sample lessons on-line;

University arts education department or schools of education - sample lessons

on-line;

Cultural institutions with education departments and educational outreach programs

on-line and/or hard copy purchases;

Non-profit arts providers sample lessons for all arts or specific disciplines;

Published supplementary arts series or individual books of lessons and/or lesson

ideas;

Commercial lesson sources in specific disciplines mostly on-line;

Web sites created by individuals - usually teachers, with lesson samples in specific
disciplines, from simple to quite elaborate (some including step-by-step images);

Professional organizations in each of the arts disciplines lesson books and

materials from conferences and workshops;

Lessons developed in an institute setting by the participating teacher and/or

borrowed from colleagues who attended the professional development;

Lessons developed and shared from other professional development experiences,

such as Orff training, museum outreach; and

Independent teacher-developed lessons in any of the arts disciplines that are

shared with colleagues.

4
 2. THE MISSION OF THE SOURCE
What is typical of the sources?
What can be predicted about the materials offered?
How do teachers get the lessons?

The source of the lesson can tell a teacher a great deal about what s/he is likely to find. Each
of the sources listed on the previous page have a kind of mission an approach, purpose, or
rationale for publishing or making their resources available on-line or in a print version. After
a bit of experience looking at these resources, the point of view and perspective of the source
becomes clear and teachers can begin to predict what sort of materials they will get from a
particular source. That will help narrow the search for the materials needed to improve arts
instruction for students. The one essential criterion for lesson selection is that it addresses
selected content standards in the arts discipline or has the potential to do so. Which are the
sources that assure that?

It is important to point out that these lessons and units may be specific to the arts discipline or
integrated. Many of the sources do both. Specific reference to integrated units and lessons
will be discussed later in this guide. The information below provides an explanation of sources
in general terms; however, further in the guide, specific examples will be presented from some
of these sources.

State-Adopted Series
Without question, any state-adopted textbook series and all the lessons included therein are
based on California Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards. Any lesson or set of les-
sons selected from the music, theatre, or visual arts teachers editions addresses one or more
of the content standards. These published curriculum series have been written by experts
in the field and have a particular scope and sequence. Their mission is to be the series of
choice for as many districts as possible. They are very comprehensive and include linked
instructional materials such as CDs, DVDs, transparencies, and art reproductions. These
series have complex organizational structures based on unit themes. While a teacher may not
teach all the lessons in a series, these lessons are discipline specific and skills oriented and
always provide ideas for interdisciplinary connections. Teachers may need to make decisions
about which lessons to teach and how to sequence the lessons for their students.

County Office or District Curriculum Guides and Sample Lessons

Recent lessons or units developed by a district arts curriculum committee or by a county of-
fice of education are likely to be standards-based. The lesson format will be the same across
the arts disciplines and they may reference local learning objectives more specifically than
published curriculum. The purpose of these lessons is to serve as excellent examples of what
standards-based lessons in dance, music, theatre, or visual arts look like at a particular grade
level or grade span. The sequence of instruction is generally well defined and resources may
reflect quality, local choices. These will be discipline specific or integrated, depending upon
local priorities. Looking outside your own district to other districts can also be very useful.
Individual teachers and curriculum committees working on the arts can find new, thought-
provoking ideas to draw upon. Sometimes a completely different format for a lesson elicits a
different response to the content. Lessons from other California districts will also be comple-
tely standards-based.
5
Out-of-State Departments of Education and District Resources
Teachers can find excellent lessons and units on-line developed by departments of education
and school districts from other states. Again, these resources can open up new perspectives
for teachers. The issue here is that these lessons will be linked to a different set of visual and
performing arts content standards. This should not be a deterrent, however. A good lesson is
a good lesson. It may be the starting point for a new idea. Other state content standards typi-
cally parallel Californias VAPA Content Standards, though the terminology may be somewhat
different. There is an overall, agreed-upon set of big or essential ideas that are behind all
VAPA content standards; many of these are derived from the National Arts Standards. (A
chart comparing the California and National Arts Standards is on pages 22-23).

University Arts Education Departments

University arts education departments offer many lessons on-line. Graduate students, and/
or student teachers who are required to write formal lesson plans typically write these. Les-
sons come in many formats. The newer postings are based on current state or National Arts
Standards or at least on goals and objectives derived from content standards. While lessons
vary in quality, most have been evaluated by university instructors.

National and Regional Cultural Institutions

Cultural institutions from around the country have developed, through their educational de-
partments, highly-refined lessons and units of instruction. They have also established a sop-
histicated on-line presence devoted to information about their exhibits and performances,
special access, programs for students and teachers, and outstanding units and lessons for
generalist teachers to use in the classroom. Large museums, important performing arts cen-
ters, symphony orchestras, and premier dance companies base their lessons, quite appro-
priately, on what they do. The lessons are typically connected to a visit to a visual art exhibition
(or to their permanent collection) or to selected performances. The lessons are many times
focused on preparing students to understand what they will see and hear. They are also
focused on ideas that can be extended beyond the performance or visit. Many of these well-
crafted lessons or units can be easily modified for students not lucky enough to have seen the
performance or exhibit. Teachers can substitute CDs, video, on-line images, or virtual tours
for the real thing to give the lessons the context they need. Most of these lessons are integra-
ted and are written to the content standards. The mission of the cultural institutions in sharing
their expertise through their lessons is ultimately to cultivate audiences, to help students of
all ages understand the art form, and to build a love for the arts for the future. Many of these
institutions also provide professional development opportunities for teachers where original
lessons and units of instruction are developed and refined.

Non-Profit Providers
There is a natural overlap between the national and large regional cultural institutions and the
smaller non-profit providers. The providers are more local and more centered in a particular
community. They also tend to focus their efforts on providing artists in the schools programs.
Sometimes they share lesson samples as a way to preview the content of the programs they
might provide should a district or school engage them to do so. Non-profit providers come in
many sizes and with a wide variety of approaches. Many represent the educational outreach
of local dance and theatre companies. These are especially devoted to children and young

6
people, as well as performing groups associated with a particular ethnic or cultural perspec-
tive such as Mariachi music, African drumming, Chinese dance, and the like. Many of these
providers offer teacher workshops which lead to lessons becoming available when colleagues
share them. Their on-line presence is designed to provide descriptions of programs; however,
if a teacher contacts them to request samples of lesson approaches, they are usually availa-
ble. Visual arts providers are also part of this picture. Sample lessons are commonly available
in this area.

Non-Textbook Published Materials

Certainly one of the most popular starting points for lesson ideas for elementary generalist
teachers are the individual books and the colorful and engaging magazines devoted to dance,
music, theatre, and visual arts. Many of the books are written by recognized experts in the
field and include a valuable rationale for the approach being taken. Many are full of solid les-
sons that are designed to explore specific themes and ideas such as art around the world,
or making dance, or how to make and explore musical instruments, or explore theatre
games and improvisation. Such focus can be extremely valuable to teachers looking for a
specific lesson or topic of instruction. Some of these lessons are written to teach the teacher
as well as the student because there is so much background information typically included.
A number of these books are very narrow in subject (i.e., how to draw cartoon faces or how
to draw in one-point perspective) and are not so much lessons as steps. However, teachers
can turn these into complete lessons. Books like these provide teachers with useful, technical
information.

Magazines, especially for the visual arts, regularly publish featured lessons written by ac-
complished teachers, full of specifics, pictures of student examples and lots of context. Most
of these lessons are based on the National Arts Standards. Sometimes the stories the teac-
hers tell about the development of the lesson are lessons in themselves. These lessons are
typically modified and adapted by teachers over and over again until they become their own
and the original source is completely forgotten.

Web Sites Created by Teachers and Artists

This is where teachers will find the widest variation in approach and quality. These sites are
akin to self-published books. Anybody with an idea and the knowledge to design a web site
can do it. All of these sites have the best intentions. The writers want to share their ideas and
approaches with colleagues everywhere because they think their information will be helpful.
Many times it is, but not always. Some sites are built on a helpful hints approach; some are
rich in resources and links to other sites. Many have a core of favorite lessons or units and
are rarely updated. The majority of individually created sites do not list any content standards
in relation to their lessons. There are a few visual arts sites created by individuals that ac-
company their lessons not only with step-by-step instructions but with pictures of each step
sort of a slide version of the paint along with me videos, which are also a source of good
lesson ideas. Teachers can develop good lessons and units from this material. It is important,
however, to be sure to align the lesson with the VAPA Content Standards.

7
Professional Organizations for Arts Educators and Generalist Teachers
Our California professional organizations include the California Dance Education Association
(CDEA), the California Music Education Association (CMEA), the California Theatre Educa-
tion Association (CTEA), and the California Art Education Association (CAEA). Teachers get
lessons from professional organizations through attendance at state and regional conferen-
ces. These conferences typically have a multitude of K-12 break-out sessions that explore all
kinds of content, themes, and approaches. Many of the organizations produce lesson books
based on the workshops presented. The lessons are usually written in a particular format that
may change over the years. Almost all of these lessons are standards-based. Most of these
organizations have a day or a strand of workshops specifically designed for elementary ge-
neralist teachers. The printed lessons that teachers take from these sessions are valuable
because teachers have seen and participated in the lessons themselves. Thus they are much
more likely to use them. All of the arts professional organizations have an on-line presence,
including rich lists of (usually live) links to resources for curriculum, units/lessons, materials
and supplies, conferences, and much more.

8
 3. WORKING THE POWERFUL WEB
How can teachers keep from being overwhelmed?
What tactics can be used to narrow the search?
Where to begin?

From cyber space, lessons come in all shapes and sizes from elegant to clunky, however,
there is usually something useful to be found in all of them. If teachers have their own per-
sonal lesson format or formal templates (such as backwards mapping) to plug these lesson
ideas into, so much the better. Teachers will want to refer to the Lesson Selection Criteria as
they develop/adapt lessons.

Inquiry can be the basis of lively engagement with content. An Internet search is a kind of
inquiry. It is a good idea to have some questions in mind about arts content as well as some
basic set up the search questions. This guide will suggest many inquiry questions, depen-
ding upon what kind of information teachers are looking for and what they already have. Also,
the specific information that follows about the sources of on-line lesson content will help guide
the search. But to get started, the most basic questions are probably about where to find the
information you are looking for, or about useful places to begin to explore what is available
out there.

A Place to Begin
An idea/lesson/unit search might strategically begin with the arts education links provided by
a selected professional teacher organization web sites at the state or national levels. The Na-
tional Dance Education Organization and the National Educational Theatre Association sites
provide broad lists of arts education links that are not entirely discipline specific. The links con-
nect to advocacy, arts research, government agencies, cultural institutions, national assess-
ment, model programs and providers, and teacher education and preparation sites. This is
an example of an excellent gateway site for teachers and administrators. Links lead to links,
lead to links. The CMEA site links to publishers, allied associations (such as American Orff-
Schulwerk Association), and a variety of other resources for music specialists. The CAEA site
has multiple arts education, lesson, and advocacy links for generalists and specialists alike.

Search Strategies
When looking for lessons or ideas for teaching the skills of a particular arts discipline, use Go-
ogle (or a similar search engine) but be careful about the wording. Dance lessons can lead
to hundreds of entries for dance schools, dance classes, dance studios and the like. Dance
for children also doesnt get it. More dance studios. But dance education lessons provides
multiple useful sites. Arts education is the key wording for a general search.

Broad lesson plan searches yield too much information. By one path or another, many teac-
hers will find sites like Hot Chalks, Lesson Plans Page, http://www.lessonplanspage.com/,
which boasts of 3,500+ free lesson plans. A teacher can select a subject and a grade level.
For example, if one selects music, there are more than 200 lessons, including seven on dance
and movement. The music lessons are under such categories as composition, instruments,
dynamics, patterns, rhythm and melody, speed and tempo, symbols and scale, other musical
9
components, music history and literature, styles and types, singing, and language, math,
science and social studies connections, and multiple other topics.

Many of these lessons are actually no more than games, songs, activities and brief de-
scriptions of various methodologies for teaching students specific skills. Almost none of the
lessons are formally written and they lack context (overview, outcomes, content standards,
assessment, etc.) but some have potential; there is almost always something useful.

Once in awhile a lesson describes an activity that doesnt make sense. Forget it. Move on.
Over time, teachers will begin to know what is out there, what sites are useful, which are up-
dated on a regular basis, and which have links to new and interesting sites in all the arts.

On a recent search, three activities were found that could be developed into excellent les-
sons. One was for K-1 about how symbols can represent rhythm and sound, a sort of early
introduction to notation. The lesson was divided into two sessions and the skills build from
one to another. The kindergarten content standards for music include use icons or invented
symbols to represent the beat and this lesson does that. The second lesson was really an
activity written for second graders to learn about rhythm and dynamics how to keep a steady
beat in 2/4 time and to use quarter and eighth notes. This activity, combined with one or two
others with similar focus, could become a useful lesson that addresses content standards.

The last lesson of this search, just by chance, was full of excellent material. This one was also
not a formal lesson plan, but rather a running script about how to teach the elements of vocal
control. It covered breath, making room for sound (use of mouth and tongue), head voice,
matching pitch, turning the hum into a voice, and directing the sound. The voice of the les-
son is warm, encouraging, and full of specific information. It is extremely teacher friendly,
especially for the elementary generalist teacher.

Premier Web Sites for Units and Lessons

There are no perfect lessons, but good sites yield good lessons. As discussed in the previ-
ous section about lesson sources, teachers can expect elegant units of instruction from natio-
nal cultural sites such as The Kennedy Center, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the
Dallas Symphony, and the Smithsonian. There are many, many more such sites. The Kenne-
dy Centers ArtsEdge site http://www.artsedge.org in particular, is worth visiting. The lessons
and units on the ArtsEdge site are written to the National Arts Standards, which appear down
the left side of the first page. ArtsEdge has whole units of instruction, not just lessons.

A good example of the ArtsEdge approach can be found in a theatre lesson called Acting Up:
A Melodrama (part of the Unit, Little Women). Written for the 5-8 grade level span, this is a
series of four, 45-minute lesson periods. There is a very clear Lesson Overview Statement.
At the end of these four lessons, students, working in small groups, will be ready to present a
scene based on the conventions of melodrama to the class. The instructional objectives lay

out exactly what the students will do throughout the lesson sessions. The instructional sequ-
ence is connected to the lesson outcomes and is in the form of a narrative telling the teacher

10
what to explain, what questions to ask, how to work with the ideas, and how to explain the
background of melodrama.

The lesson includes a very complete list of stock characters (with descriptions) that a teacher
could use in future lessons. There is also a section about recognizing the typical melodra-
matic conventions when watching an old movie of this genre. This lesson could be used as
a starting point and move in a different direction if the teacher was not interested in pursuing
the whole unit from which it came. The lesson even comes with information sheets to give to
students on plot summary and a playwriting outline, as well as several live links to other class-
room ideas for warm-ups, etc. This is the total package. It may be intimidating on first read-
ing, but it provides enough specific information to help classroom teachers implement all the
lessons. Teachers would need to establish the extent of prior knowledge their own students
would have to have to be successful. Some pre-unit exercises might be in order. The Natio-
nal Arts Standards to which this lesson is written are parallel but not exactly like VAPA Content
Standards. Teachers may want to compare those listed with Californias specific grade-level
content standards. ArtsEdge lessons in music, dance, and visual arts are equally complete
and refined.

Another premier site is provided by Young Audiences, Inc. and is called the Arts for Learning
Web Library. This site brings together some of the nations top providers of artists in the
schools programs. Much more will be said about this site under Partnerships and Collabo-
rations in Part Three of this guide. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra has a fine interactive
kids site with a graphic door that links the user to the teachers room. The lessons are
enrichment lessons, not technical music lessons. They could be very useful to a generalist
classroom teacher without any music background who is not comfortable with teaching music.
The lessons are interesting and based on listening, responding, and appreciation. There are
many more such high-quality sites.

11
 4. LESSON SELECTION CRITERIA
Lots of Resources, Lots of Lessons, Now What?
What are the basic attributes that determine a quality lesson?

Now that we have explored the wide variety of sources for lessons in the arts and looked at
the potential and challenge of cyberspace, it is appropriate to define a set of attributes that
good lessons have in common. It is an assumption that the lessons and units that teachers
select, edit, and use, no matter where they started from, will ultimately be in alignment with
the VAPA Content Standards (or on a translation of the National Arts Standards to California
Content standards).

Teachers may find the criteria useful to evaluate the plans, lessons, or units designed by
others. The more of the following criteria a teacher can say yes to, the less work will be nee-
ded in editing the original source to make it a solid, standards-based big-idea lesson.

12
Lesson Selection Criteria

_____ Does the lesson address one or more of the VAPA Content Standards and/or does it
have the potential to do so?

_____ Is it clear what students will be able to do or understand as a result of studying this
lesson?

_____ Is the lesson clear enough so that you can tell what your students would have to
already know in order to be successful with this lesson?

_____ Is the topic or idea worth the study? Does it matter?

_____ Are the activities of the instructional sequence logical and coherent and in alignment
with the stated objectives?

_____ Will the products or demonstrations students produce indicate whether or not
they have learned the key concepts, processes, or techniques?

_____ Is reflection, critique, or self-assessment a part of the lesson as written?

_____ Is in-depth learning promoted? Is it more than a description of an activity?

_____ Does the lesson allow for exploration and unique solutions (as appropriate)?

_____ Can you determine what teaching methods would support student success?

_____ Does the lesson have the potential to be modified or adapted as necessary?

_____ Would/could this be an engaging lesson for your students?

_____ How could this lesson become part of a unit of study?

Many times the ideas, processes or procedures and approaches from less-than-perfect les-
sons seem to hold great promise. They are appealing. They meet needs or they could. If we
are excited by an idea or approach that aligns with content standards and is a good fit for the
students we are teaching, then it becomes very worthwhile to modify, adapt, and eventually
sequence the lesson, then go on to develop a unit of instruction. Some of the best units of
instruction come about in just this way. Lessons from all sources are becoming increasingly
integrated. This criterion does not specifically mention integrated lessons, but the questions
would be much the same with the addition of questions specifically related to integration is-
sues. A full discussion of integrated instruction and set of criteria for evaluating interdiscipli-
nary lessons can be found in Part Two of this guide.

13
 5. READING THE STANDARDS
What are content standards?
What are strands? Why are they important?
What is their relationship?

What Are Standards?

Looking at the Lesson Selection Criteria, note that the first criteria asks, Does the lesson
address one or more of the VAPA Content Standards and/or does it have the potential to do
so? That implies a familiarity with the California Visual and Performing Arts Content Stan-
dards. The California State Board of Education adopted these content standards in 2001.
The Visual and Performing Arts Framework for California Public Schools states that the VAPA
Content Standards provide guidance to schools as they determine the curricula and desired
outcomes for students, ensuring sequential building and expanding of knowledge and skills
as the students advance through the grades. Content standards tell teachers where students
are expected to arrive, but they do not tell teachers how they must get there. Content stan-
dards are intended to provide clarity for the direction of instruction. Content standards define
the expectations for students, that is, what they should know and be able to do at the end of
a period of instruction, usually a school year.

The Big Idea Strands

The VAPA Standards are grouped under a set of encompassing strands shared by all four of
the arts disciplines dance, music, theatre, and visual arts. They are:

ARTISTIC PERCEPTION
CREATIVE EXPRESSION
HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT
AESTHETIC VALUING
CONNECTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS, AND APPLICATIONS

These strands must embody very big ideas, essential understandings, that are absolutely
basic to the arts as a whole. The strands describe the broad landscape and the ways of wor-
king in and thinking about the arts. The teacher does not necessarily teach the strands in any
order. There is no absolute order they are interconnected.

14
15
 The Strands of the Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards
A Theatre Metaphor
What kind of learning are the strands describing? How do these strands interrelate?
Here is one way of looking at the relationships between the strands using the
metaphor of theatre. Think of the essential strands occupying space on a stage.

On one side of the stage is Artistic Perception. It acknowledges that the arts come to us through
our senses: sight, sound, movement, touch, and that we both perceive and respond to what our
senses tell us. This strand also tells us that each discipline has its own unique vocabulary and skill
base. Content standards written under this strand help students to notice, see, hear and move; to
explore, discover, learn, and practice the elements of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.

On the other side of the stage is Aesthetic Valuing which refers to making informed judgments
about the quality of works of art (or indeed, if something is a work of art). What is being judged may
be the works of famous artists, composers, choreographers, writers, directors or actors, ones own
work, or the work of peers. In order to make these judgments, one must go back to the elements of
the discipline to be able to understand the vocabulary and the skill base unique to the discipline. In
other words, aesthetic valuing connects back to artistic perception. Aesthetic valuing is also about
developing a sense of meaning from art. Content standards written under this strand help students
to understand that art, including ones own, has meaning and can be judged as to quality.

There has to be a work of art from which to derive meaning. In the center stage is the Creative
Expression strand. It is about the making and doing of the art form; about creating, performing, and
participating in the arts. It is the strand under which the skills necessary for expression are intro-
duced and sequenced. It is about active engagement in problem solving and the artistic processes
of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts. Content standards written under this strand help students
to understand that skills involved in the arts can be learned. Experience with creative problem solv-
ing and opportunities for practice presented by teachers lead to improvement. Students will under-
stand that a certain level of skills precedes the ability to be expressive.

Shining above the stage, Historical and Cultural Context is the lens through which one under-
stands and makes meaning of the arts disciplines as part of the way we communicate; as part of
society. It helps us understand the place and role of the arts around the world, over time, past to
present. This strand helps develop an understanding of the contributions of famous (and unknown)
artists, musicians, dancers and actors. It defines styles and points of view. Content standards
written under this strand help students understand and appreciate the role and diversity of the arts
over time and place, including contemporary culture and society.

Across the bottom of the stage is Connections, Relationships, and Applications stretching the
arts out into other directions. It concerns making connections among the arts and between the arts
and other subjects. It is the integration strand. This strand also addresses certain habits of mind
and competencies consistent with success in the art form and applicable to success in the broader
world. It explores career possibilities in the arts. It connects to ideas about life-long learning.
Content standards written under this strand help students learn to connect themes and ideas and to
add dimension to their thinking.

16
 6. THE VAPA CONTENT STANDARDS RE-VIEWED
How can the content standards be read with a fresh eye?
What can we learn by looking at the content standards differently?
What insights result from rearranging the content standards?

Introduction
The standards were developed to make the essential ideas of the strands explicit. The con-
tent standards in the VAPA Framework show each arts discipline, dance, music, theatre, and
visual arts (in that order) arranged in columns at each grade level under the Strands. Content
standards for all four arts disciplines under each of the strands are on a single page. It would
take a different kind of arrangement to see all the content standards for a single discipline.
It would take yet another arrangement to see a single strand over K-6 grade range. Each
of these ways provides a specific understanding. One has to do with the breadth of the arts
content standard and the other with the sequence of content and re-arranging them over the
grade levels. Thus, a re-viewing of the content standards by taking them apart might be use-
ful to K-6 elementary teachers.

In this guide, the re-viewed content standards combine artistic perception and creative ex-
pression because if a teacher wants to know what discipline skills, vocabulary, materials and/
or processes are called for at a particular grade level, s/he would have to look at these two
content standards together to provide a more complete picture. The sequence of the introduc-
tion of the skills and vocabulary becomes clear by seeing these two content standards linked
over several grade levels. It is also easier to see how the skills based content is layered and
spiraled and, thus, how each disciplines skill-based content standards are sequential over
the grades. Once the skills, vocabulary, processes, and materials become clear, it becomes
easier to see how the other strands support, expand, and enrich the skills content. The other
content standard strands remain distinct.

The language of the content standards, the 1.1, 2.3, 3.2 etc., under each strand, is verb-
driven. The verbs are formal and always begin with the unstated sentence students will,
as in students will demonstrate the ability, identify, perceive, combine, perform, explain,
dramatize, and respond to various things. In re-viewing the content standards in a different
way, it can be very helpful to examine those verbs and see the actual action called for, which
might be more like sing, dance, use, show, paint, draw, make, put together, find, and so forth.
There are, however, certain set phrases in some of the disciplines that are used over and
over and, thus, should be taken as is, such as the music standards use of the phrase read,
write and perform, and theatres use the vocabulary of theatre, such as both under artistic
perception.

17
 The Re-Viewed Content Standards Charts: How They Work
The artistic perception and creative expression content standards have been combined for
each grade level.

The verbs have been placed in a column to the left and made specific to the discipline and
age of the students. The column defines the action.

The middle column defines the task as written in the content standards. It is about the skills
and essential vocabulary combined, but there are no changes in the original content
standards language.

Each new idea or skill being introduced for the first time is in blue in order to facilitate follo-
wing the sequence. When a skill comes around again, it is in black type.

The elements of dance, music and visual arts are in red. (Theatre does not have elements,
but, instead, uses the term the vocabulary of theatre.)

The connections, relationships, applications, content standards are not color coded as they
are less sequential.

The column on the right is not in the content standards. It contains very basic hints
about what the teacher can do to support the learning of the skills content standards.

Some of the hints will be familiar to any elementary classroom teacher, but may not have
been previously associated with teaching an arts lesson.

Some of the hints are about vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to the teacher. A glossary in
the VAPA Framework includes definitions of all the terms used in the standards.

The Headers
There is one more aspect of the VAPA content standards that is helpful in understanding
what is called for by the specific content standards. The small, italicized headers (purple in
the Framework) further define the meaning of the strand under which the content standards
are listed. The first element of the artistic perception strand in dance is the Development of
Motor Skills and Technical Expertise. The other two are the Comprehension of Dance Ele-
ments and the Development of Dance Vocabulary. Under creative expression in dance, the
previously developed skills are applied to the Creation/Invention of Dance Movements, the
Application of Choreographic Skills, and the Communication of Meaning Through Dance.
There is similar, parallel structure in music, theatre and visual arts. Thus, these two strands
may be seen as a continuum of the same idea: developing, practicing, recognizing, and nam-
ing the skills necessary to be expressive through the art form.

Artistic Perception and Creative Expression: The Skills-Based Content Standards

In re-viewing the content standards, it becomes increasingly clear that the artistic perception
and creative expression content standards contain 90% of the discipline skills students are
to learn. It is also clear that those are the strands teachers will go to first. When the skills are
broken down and the sequence becomes clear, the content standards dont look as daunting.
Concepts are not as hard as they may have first appeared. Teachers can then begin to look
for lessons and units that address specific skill development and, in reading many such les-
sons, teachers themselves learn a great deal about the discipline.

18
The Artistic Perception and Creative Expression strands are also linked because what is per-
ceived and responded to in the one, is expressed in creative ways in the second. For exam-
ple, in the fourth grade, visual arts content standards under artistic perception, students are
to describe the concept of proportion in face and figure and in creative expression apply the
conventions of facial and figure proportion in a figure study. For theatre in the second grade,
under artistic perception, students are asked to use the vocabulary of theatre, such as plot,
including the idea of beginning, middle and end and, under Creative Expression, they are to
dramatize simple stories from the classroom incorporating plot: beginning, middle, and end.
In music, most of the technical skills are introduced and practiced under Artistic Perception.
The Creative Expression Strand is about applying the skills that the Artistic Perception Strand
introduces. The same is true of dance. The skills are developed and practiced under Artistic
Perception and applied in various ways under Creative Expression. When a teacher sees
these connections and reads the Re-Viewed Chart here, lesson selection (or design), revision
and implementation become more focused.

Historical and Cultural Context: The Context Strand

The Historical and Cultural Context Strand provides just that context for some of the tasks in
the skill-based content standards. It is the strand that connects the skill content to social stud-
ies and literature. Some teachers contend that this strand of the arts curriculum can be taught
most easily because it connects easily to other subjects. The content of this strand tends to
include an ethnic and world cultures point of view and also connects the discipline to current
communities and times. This content standard sequences ideas and concepts more than
skills and these concepts are deliberately linked to social studies content standards at the
same grade levels suggesting an interdisciplinary approach for classroom teachers. The key
words in this strand are diverse cultures and time periods. It is the dance, theatre, music,
and visual arts history strand. It deals with the development, application, and meaning of new
media and technology in all of the arts disciplines. The content standards here also support
students interaction with on-line cultural sites. Ultimately, it is about how art reflects life.

Aesthetic Valuing: The Making Meaning Strand

Across the disciplines, under Aesthetic Valuing, the verbs make clear that these content stan-
dards ask students to think. They are to compare, select, discuss, explain, and analyze. Stu-
dents are asked to focus on significant works of art, both historical and current, in each of the
disciplines. They identify the work, see its nuances, then compare it to other works that are
parallel to their own work. In these content standards, students use the vocabulary of the dis-
cipline to defend personal preferences. Thus, teachers develop approaches to help students
get beyond, Its cool! or Its dumb! Students learn that they can understand a work of art
without liking it and that they cant meaningfully judge the quality of a play or dance, a musical
performance, or a sculpture without understanding something about the discipline, the time
period in which the work was produced, and the intent of the artist.

The content standards here also ask students in dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts to
develop criteria for evaluating their own work and the work of peers. Teachers help students
work together to create a rubric or criteria for class work and performances that is fair and
supportive. Students begin to understand what makes a work of art successful. They are also
asked to learn to edit to review and make suggestions for changes in their own work and

19
the work of peers. How could what I have done be improved? Classroom teachers may be
surprised to discover how closely this process of applying criteria and judgment parallels the
editing process in writing.

The Aesthetic Valuing Strand requires the availability of instructional resources (as does the
Historical and Cultural Context Strand). It is important for students to have the images of
famous work to look at, compare, and analyze. They need to see a video of modern dance,
ballet, jazz dance or West African dance to make comparisons and understand differences
and similarities. They need to have music to listen to, read, and discuss. They need to see
plays, musical productions, as well as see images of stage design, costumes, lighting, or
see what traditional Japanese theatre looks like. The instructional materials that accompany
state-adopted curriculum series are the first place to look. On-line is the second resource.
The point of all the comparing and discussing is for students to discover that the arts have
purpose and meaning that they can learn to understand.

Connections, Relationships, and Applications: The Integration Strand

Without exception, the content standards under this strand ask students to apply what they
have learned in the arts to other areas of the curriculum. The specific content standards here
provide examples of how this could be done. Dance and visual arts have the most extensive
set of examples. Dance also specifically relates dance skills to general physical well-being,
nutrition, and health. There are strong links to the physical education curriculum. Music tends
to suggest integration among the arts and talk about the role of music in the community.

Theatre is the most integrated of the arts disciplines to begin with and naturally includes
dance/movement and music, as well as the visual arts in the form of sets, costumes, make-
up, and lighting. The content standards in theatre tell teachers that the students are learning
skills valuable to expressing ideas in any area of the curriculum and use dramatic skills in ma-
king presentations of all kinds. Students dramatize stories, poetry, and historical events. The
theatre content standards provide suggestions for integration with the English/Language Arts
curriculum at all levels. They also suggest that the collaborative skills, as well as the sense
of responsibility developed by learning in theatre, can be transferred to all other areas of the
curriculum.

20
7. COMPARISON OF CALIFORNIA AND NATIONAL VISUAL AND
PERFORMING ARTS CONTENT STANDARDS

21
 Comparison of California and National Visual and Performing Arts
Please note that the California Standards are in black type and the National Standards are in blue type, and/or italicized
DANCE
Processing, analyzing and
responding to sensory
information through the
language and skills unique to
dance
Development of motor
skills and technical
expertise
Comprehension and
analysis of dance
elements
Development of dance
vocabulary
>Identifying and
demonstrating movement
elements and skills in
performing dance
>Understanding
choreographic principles,
processes, and structures
Creating, performing, and
participating in dance
Creation/invention of
dance movements
Application of
choreographic principles
and processes to creating
dance
Communication of
meaning in dance
Developing partner and
group skills
>Applying and
demonstrating critical and
creative thinking skills in
dance
22
Content Standards
MUSIC
ARTISTIC PERCEPTION
Processing, analyzing and
responding to sensory
information through the
language and skills unique to
music
Read and notate music
Listen to, analyze, and
describe music
>Reading and notating
music
>Listening to, analyzing,
and describing music
CREATIVE EXPRESSION
Creating, performing, and
participating in dance
Apply vocal and
instrumental skills
Compose, arrange and
improvise
>Singing, alone and with
others, a varied repertoire
of music
>Performing on
instruments, alone and with
others, a varied repertoire
of music
>Improvising melodies,
variations, and
accompaniments
>Composing and arranging
music within specified
guidelines
THEATRE
Processing, analyzing and
responding to sensory
information through the
language and skills unique to
music
Development of the
vocabulary of theatre
Comprehension and
analysis of the
elements of theatre
>Researching by finding
information to support
classroom dramatizations
Creating, performing, and
participating in dance
Development of
theatrical skills
Creation/invention in
theatre
>Script writing by planning
and recording
improvisations based on
personal experience and
heritage, imagination,
literature, and history
>Acting by assuming roles
and interacting in
improvisations
>Designing by visualizing
and arranging environments
for classroom
dramatizations
VISUAL ARTS
Processing, analyzing and
responding to sensory
information through the
language and skills unique to
the visual arts
Develop visual arts
vocabulary
Analyze art elements
and principles of
design
Creating, performing, and
participating in dance
Skills, processes,
materials and tools
Communication and
expression through
original works of art
>Understanding and
applying media, techniques,
and processes
>Using knowledge of
structures and functions
Choosing a range of subject
matter, symbols, and ideas
 DANCE
Understanding the historical
contributions and cultural
dimensions of dance
Development of dance
History and function of
dance
Diversity of dance
>Demonstrating and
understanding dance in
various cultures and
historical periods
Responding to, analyzing,
and making judgments about
works of dance
Descriptions, analysis and
criticism of dance
Meaning and impact of
dance
>Understanding dance as a
way to create and
communicate meaning
CONNECTIONS, RELATIONSHIPS, APPLICATONS
Connecting and applying
what is learned in dance to
learning in other art forms
and subject areas and
careers
Connections and
applications across
disciplines
Development of life skills
and career competencies
>Making connections
between dance and healthful
living
>Making connections
between dance and other
disciplines
MUSIC
HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CONTEXT
Understanding the historical
contributions and cultural
dimensions of music
Role of music
Diversity of music
>Understanding music in
relation to history and
cultures
AESTHETIC VALUING
Responding to, analyzing,
and making judgments about
works of music
Analyze and critically
assess
Derive meaning
>Evaluating music and
music performances
Connecting and applying
what is learned in music to
learning in other art forms
and subject areas and
careers
Connections and
applications (includes
across subject areas)
Career and career-related
skills
>Understanding
relationships between music,
the other arts, and
disciplines outside the arts
THEATRE
Understanding the historical
contributions and cultural
dimensions of theatre
Role and cultural
significance of theatre
History of theatre
>Comparing and connecting
art forms by describing
theatre, dramatic media
(such as film, television,
and electronic media), and
other art forms
>Understanding context by
recognizing the role of
theatre, film, television, and
electronic media in daily life
Responding to, analyzing,
and making judgments about
works of theatre
Critical assessment of
theatre
Derivation of meaning
from works of theatre
>Analyzing and explaining
personal preferences and
constructing meanings from
classroom
dramatizations and from
theatre, film, television, and
electronic media productions
Connecting and applying
what is learned in theatre to
learning in other art forms
and subject areas and
careers
Connections and
applications (includes
across subject areas)
Career and career-related
skills
>Making connections
between visual arts and
other disciplines
VISUAL ARTS
Understanding the historical
contributions and cultural
dimensions of visual arts
Role and development of
the visual arts
Diversity of the visual
arts
>Understanding the visual
arts in relation to history
and cultures
Responding to, analyzing,
and making judgments about
works of visual arts
Derive meaning
Make informed judgments
>Evaluating a range of
subject matter, symbols, and
ideas
>Reflecting upon and
assessing the characteristics
and merits of their work and
the work of others
Connecting and applying
what is learned in visual arts
to learning in other art forms
and subject areas and
careers
Connections and
applications (includes
across subject areas)
Visual literacy
Careers and career-
related skills
>Making connections
between visual arts and
other disciplines
23
 8. RE-VIEWED STANDARDS

24
 Artistic Perception
RE-VIEWED DANCE andSTANDARDS,
Creative Expression
K6
Technical Skills, Concepts
Artistic Perception and Creative and Vocabulary
Expression
Technical Skills, Concepts and Vocabulary
EDITORS NOTE: I DID THE EDITING RE-VIEWED DANCE
ON THE BOLD FACE STANDARDS,
SO LEAVE AS ISKON 6ALL OF THE REVIEWED
STANDARDS Artistic Perception and Creative Expression , ON ALL OF THE REVIEWED
EDITORS NOTE: I DID THE EDITING ON THE BOLD FACE SO LEAVE AS IS
Note: Blue type indicates the introduction of a new
Technical concept
Skills, or skill. Red
Concepts and type indicates dance elements. The verbs
Vocabulary
STANDARDS
describing what children will do have been translated from formal standards language to age appropriate language. CAP
Note: Blue type indicates the introduction of a new concept or skill. Red type indicates dance elements. The verbs
ALL HEADINGS.
EDITORSwhat
describing NOTE: I DID
children THE
will do EDITING ON THE BOLD
have been translated fromFACEformalSO LEAVElanguage
standards AS IS ON ALLappropriate
to age OF THE REVIEWEDlanguage. CAP
STANDARDS
ALL HEADINGS.
ACTION: WHAT SKILLS/ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY SUGGESTIONS FOR THE
Note: Blue type indicates the introduction of a new concept or skill. Red type indicates dance elements. The verbs
STUDENTS WILL DO (ARTISTIC PERCEPTION AND CREATIVE TEACHER
describingWHAT
ACTION: what children willSKILLS/ESSENTIAL
do have been translated from formal standards language toSUGGESTIONS
VOCABULARY age appropriate language.FOR THE CAP
EXPRESSION)
ALL HEADINGS.
STUDENTS WILL DO (ARTISTIC PERCEPTION AND CREATIVE TEACHER
KINDERGARTEN
EXPRESSION)
Explore
ACTION: andWHAT
move in many different ways VOCABULARY
SKILLS/ESSENTIAL SUGGESTIONS FOR THE
KINDERGARTEN
Explore
STUDENTS and do basic
WILL DO in(ARTISTIC locomotor skills: walk, run,
PERCEPTION AND gallop, jump, hop, and
CREATIVE Stress
TEACHER that dance is built on
Explore and move many different ways
balance
EXPRESSION) locomotor movements
Explore and do basic locomotor skills: walk, run, gallop, jump, hop, and Stress that dance is built on
Try out and
KINDERGARTEN discuss a range of opposites such as high/low, forward/backward, Teach students about the space
balance locomotor movements
Explore anddiscuss
move wiggle/freeze bubble around them
Try out and ain many
range ofdifferent
oppositesways such as high/low, forward/backward, Teach students about the space
Listen to instructions
Explore and do and simple movements such as, walk, turn,
basic locomotor skills: walk, run, gallop, jump, hop, and reach Stress that dance is built on
wiggle/freeze bubble around them
do balance locomotor movements
Listen to instructions and simple movements such as, walk, turn, reach
Move
Try outtoand discuss feelings
a range of such as happy,
opposites suchsad,
as angry,
high/low, excited
forward/backward, Connect movement
Teach students abouttothemeaning
space
do
wiggle/freeze and expression
bubblemovement
around them
Move to feelings such as happy, sad, angry, excited Connect to meaning
Move
Listen to
to instructions and sounds, words, songs,
simple movements suchprops, and pictures
as, walk, turn, reach and expression
Move
do freely to different types of music, rhythms, and sounds Collect unusual, expressive music
Move to sounds, words, songs, props, and pictures
Movefreely
to to feelings types such as of variousmovement
tempos for todance
Move different of happy,
music, sad, angry,
rhythms, and excited
sounds Connect
Collect unusual, expressive meaning
music
FIRST GRADERS and expression
of various tempos for dance
Show they
to can
Move GRADERS vary
sounds, control
words,andsongs,
directprops,
force/energy
and picturesused in basic Work with lots of opposites in
FIRST
Movethey
freely locomotor movements such as skip lightly, turn strongly, mind
Show canto different
vary control types
andof music,
direct rhythms, and
force/energy usedsounds
in basic Collect
Work withunusual,
lots of expressive
opposites inmusic
fall heavily of various tempos for dance
locomotor movements such as skip lightly, turn strongly, mind
Perform
FIRST GRADERS short movement problems, with a focus on the element of Understand the concept of space
fall heavily
space shapes and lines, big/small, high/low (see VAPA Framework glossary)
Show they can
Perform varymovement
short control andproblems,
direct force/energy
with a focus used
on in
thebasic
element of Work with the
Understand lotsconcept
of opposites in
of space
Name basic
locomotor locomotor and
movements axial movements (skip, slide, stretch, See VAPA Framework glossary
space shapes and lines,such as skiphigh/low
big/small, lightly, turn strongly, mind
(see VAPA Framework glossary)
roll)
fall heavily for definition of axial movements
Name basic locomotor and axial movements (skip, slide, stretch, See VAPA Framework glossary
Use improvisation
Perform to different ways to do locomotor and axial
short movement problems, with a focus on the element of for movements such See this exampleconcept
Understand as basicof space
roll) definition the of axial movements
discover as five ways
space shapes to walk, five types of circular movement teaching methodology for dance
Use improvisation to different ways toand lines, big/small,
do locomotor and axialhigh/low
movements such (seethis
See VAPA
exampleFramework
as basicglossary)
Move
Name to lots of different things such as music, books, pictures,
discover asbasic
five locomotor
ways to walk, and five
axialtypes
movements
of circular (skip, slide, stretch, teaching
movement See VAPA Framework
methodology forglossary
dance
rhymes, etc.
roll)of different for definition of axial movements
Move to lots things such as music, books, pictures,
Create
Use improvisation to adifferent
short movement
ways to do sequence
locomotor withanda beginning, middle,such
axial movements and Connect to storytelling
See this example as basic
rhymes, etc.
discover end
Create aas fivemovement
short ways to walk, five types
sequence with of circular movement
a beginning, middle, and teachingtomethodology
Connect storytelling for dance
Create
Move to shapes and movements
lots of different things suchat low, middle,books,
as music, and high levels
pictures, Understand the concept of levels
end
rhymes, in dance (see VAPA Framework
Create shapes andetc.
movements at low, middle, and high levels Understand the concept of levels
glossary)
Create a short movement sequence with a beginning, middle, and inConnect dance (seeto storytelling
VAPA Framework
Imitate simple
end movement patterns One child can teach their original
glossary)
pattern to another in pairs or in
Create
Imitate shapesmovement
simple and movements patterns at low, middle, and high levels Understand
One child canthe concept
teach their of levels
original
small groups
in dance (see VAPA Framework
pattern to another in pairs or in
Move to and express feelings such as angry, sad, excited, happy Remember,
glossary) movement, not
small groups
pantomime (which is theatre)
Imitate
Move to and express simple movement
feelings such as angry, patterns
sad, excited, happy One child can
Remember, teach their
movement, notoriginal
Perform improvised movement ideas for peers Establish
pattern to aanother
safe, supportive
pantomime (which in pairs or in
is theatre)
environment
small groups
Perform improvised movement ideas for peers Establish a safe, supportive
Work with others
Move to and express to solve a dance problem: design
feelings such as angry, sad, excited, happy three shapes high, Establish
Remember, norms for working
movement, not in
environment
medium, and low; create slow and fast movements pairs or
pantomime small groups
(which is theatre)
Work with others to solve a dance problem: design three shapes high, Establish norms for working in
SECOND
Perform GRADERS improvised
medium, andmovement
low; createideasslowfor andpeers
fast movements Establish
pairs a safe,
or small groupssupportive
Show they can do a variety of combinations of basic locomotor movements Check out Interdisciplinary
environment
SECOND GRADERS
Workthey
withcan
others such as walk and run, gallop and jump, hop and skip, slide Learning Through
norms forDance by in
Show do ato solve of
variety a dance problem:ofdesign
combinations three shapes
basic locomotor high,
movements Establish
Check out Interdisciplinaryworking
and roll
medium, andandlow; create slow Overby and Newman available
such as walk run, gallop andand fast hop
jump, movements pairs or small
and skip, slide Learning Through groupsDance by
through Human Kinetics
SECOND GRADERS and roll Overby and Newman available
Show
Show they can do
they can do aa variety
variety of of axial movements
combinations such locomotor
of basic as swing and balanced
movements As above
Check out Interdisciplinary
through Human Kinetics
shapes, turn and stretch, bend and twist
such as walk and run, gallop and jump, hop and skip, slide Learning Through Dance by
Perform short movement problems with a focus on the element of
and roll Relate
Overbythe andelement
Newman of time to
available
time (varied tempos, rhythmic patterns, counting) rhythm and music
through Human Kinetics
Combine spatial ideas with movement problems The movement responses are
determined by the elements
learned
Name a large number of locomotor and axial movements used in Keep a dance word wall with all
dance the new vocabulary 25
Create and improvise movement patterns in sequences Consider this the beginning of
making a dance
Show they can do a variety of axial movements such as swing and balanced As above
shapes, turn and stretch, bend and twist
Perform short movement
RE-VIEWED problemsDANCE
with a focus on the element of
STANDARDS K - 6 Relate the element of time to
time (varied tempos, rhythmic patterns, counting) rhythm and music
Combine spatial ideas with movement problems The movement responses are
determined by the elements
learned
Name a large number of locomotor and axial movements used in Keep a dance word wall with all
dance the new vocabulary
Create and improvise movement patterns in sequences Consider this the beginning of
making a dance
Show lots of ways to solve a movement problem Challenge the students to be
(How many ways can you travel from point A to point B?) original and creative
Create a simple movement sequence with a beginning, middle, Review personal space with the
and end, using level and changes in direction students
Create shapes and movements using fast and slow tempos
Create a dance phrase that has unity Relate to unity as used in the
visual arts
Create, memorize, and original expressive movements for peers Have one half the class perform,
perform one half as audience; switch
Work cooperatively in small and large groups
Show partner skills (imitating, leading, and following) Establish norms for working in
pairs
THIRD GRADERS
Combine and perform basic locomotor skills, moving on specific pathways such Relate pathways to maps,
as skip in circles, slide in zigzags, run in a variety of linear directions, and orientation
paths
Combine and perform locomotor movements and axial movements such as, walk Go to www.HumanKinetics.com
and turn, stretch and slide for resources for all kinds of
dance lessons K-5
Show the ability to start, change, and stop movement
Perform short movement problems, focusing on the element of
force/energy such as swing, melt, explode, quiver
Expand the ability to put together spatial and time ideas to solve Recognize this example as the
movement problems examples: select and combine three seed of a full lesson; build and
locomotor movements traveling in three pathways using layer the concepts across all
three different tempos lessons
Describe dance elements used in personal work and the work of
others
Create and perform complex improvised movement patterns, dance sequences Video tape the sequences for
and studies student self assessment
Improvise and select multiple ways to solve a given movement problem (find Understand that dance is built
four different ways to combine a turn, stretch, and jump) from the vast number of possible
combinations
Create a sequence with a beginning, middle, and end
Name and refine the parts of the sequence (above)
Create a variety of shapes and movements using different levels Let students who get it
in space demonstrate for the class
Perform dances to communicate personal meaning using focus and Challenge students to stay
expression focused
Compare and contrast the role of the dancer with that of a member of the See dance as movement vs. a
audience static moment in time
Show A variety of partner skills such as imitation,
leading/following, mirroring
Create, memorize, and original movement sequences with a partner or small Show DVD or video of partner
perform group dances
FOURTH GRADERS
Show mental concentration and physical control in performing Understand that this is more
dance skills important the older (and bigger)
the students are
Show the ability to use smoother transitions when connecting Stress body control
one movement phrase to another
Show an increased range and use of space, time, and Let proficient students
26 force/energy such as pulse/accents, melt/collapse, demonstrate for the class
weak/strong
Explain The principles of variety, contrast, and unity applying
Show mental concentration and physical control in performing Understand that this is more
dance skills important the older (and bigger)
the students are
Show RE-VIEWED
the ability DANCE
to use smoother STANDARDS
transitions when connectingK - 6 Stress body control
one movement phrase to another
Show an increased range and use of space, time, and Let proficient students
force/energy such as pulse/accents, melt/collapse, demonstrate for the class
weak/strong
Explain The principles of variety, contrast, and unity applying
them to a dance sequence
Describe a specific movement, using appropriate dance vocabulary
Identify, define, and use phrasing in dances, learned or observed Connect to a sentence structure
Create, develop, and set movement patterns and sequences Consider this as learning dance
memorize steps
Improvise extended movement phrases
Describe, discuss, and the process used by choreographers to create a dance Collect CDs featuring famous
analyze choreographers
Create a dance study that has a beginning, middle, and end
Review, revise and refine the above study Link to the choreographic process
Show a range of feelings through shape/postures and movements Video tape the sequence for
when performing for peers students self assessment and
feedback
Perform improvised movement and dance studies with a focus on Have small groups perform one at
expression a time; others say what they see
Show additional partner and group skills such as imitating, Set norms for partnering and
leading, following, mirroring, calling/responding, echoing boy/girl situations
FIFTH GRADERS
Focus on physical control (proper alignment, balance) and Consult with PE specialist for
coordination in performing locomotor and axial ideas for physical warm-ups,
movements alignment, and balance. Invite
dance artists to demonstrate and
teach particular skills as the
students begin to create dance
Name a variety of movements such as isolations/whole body Incorporate into the warm-up
Show a greater dynamic range in movement and utilizing space, Stress body control for large
time, force/energy concepts movements
Include the principles of variety, contrast, and unity with dance Use VAPA Framework glossary
studies for these terms
Use appropriate dance vocabulary to describe dances
Create, memorize, and complex sequences of movement with greater focus, Video tape the sequence for
perform force/energy, and intent students self assessment and
feedback
Invent multiple possibilities to solve a given movement problem
Analyze Problem-solving strategies and solutions Have students keep a dance
journal
Describe and use simple dance forms in dance studies such as AB form, Relate to form in music
cannon
Demonstrate principles of opposing weight and force/energy, balance Relate to science: physics
and counterbalance, or cantilever
Show a wide range of feelings and expressions through gestures, Remember dance can be serious
posture, and movement or funny, soft or brash
Show cooperation, collaboration, and empathy in working with Invite a dance artist to help
partners and in groups (leading/following, mirroring, demonstrate skills and/or teach a
calling/responding, echoing, opposing) series of lessons
SIXTH GRADERS
Demonstrate focus, physical control, coordination and accurate Remember Howard Gardners
reproduction in performing locomotor and axial movement kinesthetic intelligence/physical

27
Show a wide range of feelings and expressions through gestures, Remember dance can be serious
posture, and movement or funny, soft or brash
Show cooperation, collaboration, and empathy in working with Invite a dance artist to help
partners and in groups (leading/following,
RE-VIEWED DANCE STANDARDS mirroring, K - 6 demonstrate skills and/or teach a
calling/responding, echoing, opposing) series of lessons
SIXTH GRADERS
Demonstrate focus, physical control, coordination and accurate Remember Howard Gardners
reproduction in performing locomotor and axial movement kinesthetic intelligence/physical
memory consult with PE
specialist on alignment as above -
5th grade.
Include a variety of force/energy qualities into executing a full
range of movements
Identify and use force/energy variations when executing gesture and Think about contrasts: look for
locomotor and axial movements lessons that link with the physical
environment, especially physics

Use the principles of contrast, unity, and variety in phrasing in

dance studies and dances
Describe and analyze movements observed and performed using appropriate
dance vocabulary
Invent multiple possibilities to solve a given movement problem Video tape the ideas to assist in
selection and editing the dance
Develop the (above) material into a short study
Compare and demonstrate the difference between imitating movements, and creating Understand that this is what
original material separates creating dance from
learning dance steps
Describe and include dance forms into dance studies
Demonstrate the ability to coordinate movement with different musical Consider how the music can
rhythms and styles such as ABA form, cannon influence/change movement
Use the elements of dance to create short studies that Consider having a guest dance
demonstrate the development of ideas and thematic artist help students with some of
material the technical skills
Demonstrate awareness of the body as an instrument of expression Establish expectation for
when rehearsing and performing rehearsal time
Revise, memorize, and dance studies for the purposes of performing for others Develop class norms for the use
rehearse of rehearsal time
Demonstrate an ability to cooperate with a wide range of partners and Show DVDs or video of partner
groups when imitating, leading, following, echoing, and dances from many different
sequence building genres

28
 RE-VIEWED MUSIC STANDARDS, K 6
Artistic Perception and Creative Expression
Technical Skills, Concepts and Vocabulary

Note: Blue type indicates the introduction of a new concept or skill. Red type indicates dance elements. In some cases, the
verbs describing what children will do have been translated from formal standards language to age appropriate language.
CAPS ON HEADINGS

ACTION SKILLS/ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY SUGGESTIONS FOR THE

ARTISTIC PERCEPTION AND CREATIVE TEACHER
EXPRESSION
KINDERGARTEN
Use icons or invented notation to represent beat Build on the essential function of beat in
music
Listen and discuss the meaning of Use visuals of all kinds charts and real
high/low objects
fast/slow Prep classroom for movement
loud/soft
Sing and echo melodic patterns
Sing age appropriate songs from memory Model the singing at an age-appropriate
range (check with a music specialist)
Play classroom instruments and move or make sounds to Research and collect Orff instruments
show the beat and over time and share with colleagues
tempo Link to dance/movement
dynamics
melodic direction Listen to lots of different styles of music
Create accompaniments using voice and classroom Play musical games that support the
instruments skills introduced
FIRST GRADERS
Read, write and simple rhythmic patterns and pitch using beat, rest, Find activities related to these ideas on
perform divided beat the internet
Identify simple musical forms
phrase
AB, echo Link to cultural roots of this form
Look, listen and common instruments in a variety of music Find lots of help on-line and in the
identify adopted music series at grade level
Sing with accuracy in a developmentally appropriate range If possible, play an accompanying
instrument: auto harp, guitar
Sing age appropriate songs from memory
Play simple accompaniment on classroom instruments Demonstrate how to handle the
instruments and mallets
Improvise simple rhythmic accompaniments using body
percussion or classroom instruments
SECOND GRADERS
Read, write and simple rhythmic patterns using Obtain a copy of a teachers edition of a
perform (R/W/P) state-adopted music text at your grade
level for excellent ideas and background
eighth notes Play musical games
quarter notes
half notes and Use visuals of all kinds
rests
R/W/P simple patterns of pitch using solfege Think, do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do
Listen and identify ascending/descending melody and even/uneven rhythm Collect CDs that demonstrate this idea
pattern in selected pieces of music and play for students
Listen and identify simple musical forms emphasizing Show forms visually and make simple
listening maps to go with the examples

29
 RE-VIEWED MUSIC STANDARDS K - 6

students listen to
verse/refrain Show this idea visually
AB, ABA
Look, listen and individual wind, string, brass and percussion Invite a guest musician to the class to
identify instruments used in a variety of music demonstrate and play some of these
instruments
Sing with accuracy in a developmentally appropriate range
Sing age appropriate songs from memory
Play rhythmic ostinatos Use unpitched Orff instruments
Improvise simple rhythmic and melodic accompaniments, using Set up a pentatonic scale on pitched
voice and a variety of classroom instruments instruments (xylophones) so there will
be no dissonance
THIRD GRADERS
R/W/P simple rhythmic patterns using eighth, quarter, half Obtain a copy of a teachers edition of a
notes, rests and state-adopted music textbook and
dotted half notes accompanying CD at your grade level
whole notes for excellent ideas and background, as
Listen and identify melody, rhythm and these will be your primary examples of
harmony the music. Put some emphasis on
timbre content standards from other strands.
in selected music
Look, listen and the four families of the orchestra and the sounds of the Check the educational sites of symphony
identify adult male and female voice orchestras for examples and lessons
Learn about and how sound is produced on various instruments Connect with science collect some of
describe the many integrated lessons on-line on
this subject
Identify simple musical forms such as
AABA, AABB and round Direct and practice rounds
Sing with accuracy in a developmentally appropriate range
Sing age appropriate songs from memory including
rounds
partner songs Find CDs that demonstrate this
ostinatos
Create short rhythmic and melodic phrases in a question and Connect to history call and response
answer form African American music
FOURTH GRADERS
R/W/P melodic notation for simple songs in major keys using Obtain a copy of a teachers edition of a
solfege state-adopted music textbook and
R/W/P rhythmic notation including accompanying CD at your grade level
sixteenth notes for excellent ideas and background.
dotted notes Perhaps focus on content standards from
syncopation the other strands. Also, check the music
eighth notes and eighth references pages at the back of the
eighth note and eighth rest/quarter/ VAPA Framework for many of the
eighth note strategies books available at the
Listen to and describe music according to its elements elementary level.
Classify how a variety of instruments from diverse cultures Play CDs featuring world instruments
produce sounds
idiophone
aerophone
chordophone
Listen and recognize examples of musical forms including rondo Find out about listening maps to go
with the music
Sing a various repertoire of music from diverse cultures Learn songs in Spanish and French
including rounds, descants and songs with ostinatos,
alone or with others
Use classroom instruments to play melodies and

30
 RE-VIEWED MUSIC STANDARDS K - 6

accompaniments from a varied repertoire of music

from diverse cultures by oneself or with others
Compose and simple rhythmic and melodic pattern on classroom Use the sound of language to help
improvise instruments develop patterns and rhythms
FIFTH GRADERS
R/W/P simple melodic notation in treble clef If you dont read music, or have a
R/W/P major and minor scales background in music, some of these
R/W/P rhythmic notation including quarter note technical skills may need to be taught by
triplets a music specialist or guest musical
tied syncopation artists. Or, you could trade classes on a
Listen and analyze the use of music elements in aural examples from scheduled rotation with a colleague who
various genres and cultures knows music. The classroom teacher can
teach to the other content standards
strands.
Listen and identify vocal and instrumental ensembles from a variety of Link to the music of various ethnic
genres and cultures dances
Listen and describe music forms including theme and variation and twelve Use Mozart variations Twinkle,
bar blues Twinkle, Little Star and Musical
Harlem
Sing a varied repertoire of music, including rounds, Find simple examples of these forms on
descants, and songs with ostinatos and songs with two- CD to play
part harmony, by oneself or with others
Use classroom instruments to play melodies and
accompaniments as above
Compose, improvise basic rhythmic, melodic, and chordal patterns
and perform independently on classroom instruments
SIXTH GRADERS

R/W/P intervals with triads Many of the sixth grade technical

R/W/P rhythmic and melodic notation using standard symbols standards are beyond the skills of a
for classroom teacher without a background
pitch in music. It is common to have a music
meter specialist at this grade level. The
rhythm classroom teacher can teach to the other
dynamics content standards strands.
tempo
in duple and triple meters
Transcribe simple aural examples into rhythmic notation
Sight-read simple melodies in the treble clef or bass clef
Analyze and compare the use of musical elements representing various genres
and cultures emphasizing meter and rhythm
Listen and describe larger music forms
sonata-allegro form
concerto
theme and variations
Sing a repertoire of vocal literature representing various
genres, styles and cultures with
expression
technical accuracy
good posture
tone quality
vowel shape
written or memorized by oneself or with others
Level Of Difficulty: 1 on a scale of 1-6 Music specialist teachers know what this
scale means and can show you examples
Sing music in two parts
Perform on an instrument, a repertoire of instrumental literature

31
 RE-VIEWED MUSIC STANDARDS K - 6

representing various genres, styles and cultures with

expression
technical accuracy
tone quality
articulation
by oneself and in ensembles
Level Of Difficulty: 1 on a scale of 1-6
Compose short pieces in duple and triple meters
Arrange simple pieces for voices or instruments, using
traditional sources of sound
Improvise simple melodies

32
 RE-VIEWED THEATRE STANDARDS, K 6
Artistic Perception and Creative Expression
Technical Skills, Concepts and Vocabulary

Note: Blue type indicates the introduction of a new concept or skill. Theatre does not have elements. In some cases, the
verbs describing what children will do have been translated from formal standards language to age appropriate language.
CAP HEADINGS

ACTION SKILLS/ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY SUGGESTIONS FOR THE

ARTISTIC PERCEPTION AND CREATIVE TEACHER
EXPRESSION
KINDERGARTEN
Learn and use the vocabulary of theatre Establish a safe environment
actor Encourage full participation at all times
character
cooperation Remind students: theatre is collaborative
setting Relate to literature
five senses
audience Build a respectful audience
Understand difference between real people and imaginary Link to the differences between
characters biographies and fiction
Perform imitative movements, rhythmic actions
freeze, statue, mirrors
Perform group pantomimes to tell stories Understand the conventions of
pantomime (lots of material on-line)
Use costumes and props for role playing Collect a Theatre Box of stuff
FIRST GRADERS
Use the vocabulary of theatre Keep a word wall of theatre terms
play
plot (beginning, middle and end) Relate to predicting in literature
improvisation Know the rules of improvisation
stage Take students up on stage, if possible
pantomime Create a simple performing space
character/audience (relationship)
Observe traits of a character Use familiar literature
Try out/explore pantomime
Try out/explore tableau Understand the conventions of tableau
improvisation
Dramatize or improvise a familiar story or life experiences using plot Look at short videos or DVDs as an
(beginning, middle and end) through tableau and/or example
pantomime
SECOND GRADERS
Use the vocabulary of theatre Add to the word wall
plot + scene
sets Show pictures of sets and set designs
conflict
script Relate to writing in general
audience
Improvise alternate story endings using body and voice Relate to reading comprehension
Perform group improvisation theatre games to develop Establish group norms
cooperation and concentration Find a great source for theatre games
collect theatre game lessons
Retell familiar story Use classroom favorites
Sequence story points
Identify character and setting and conflict Relate to any narrative
Use improvisation to portray concepts like friendship, Develop lists of successful situations

33
 RE-VIEWED THEATRE STANDARDS K - 6

hunger, seasons that work with your class to use over

time
Create costume pieces, props, and simple sets Establish/add to a costume and prop box

THIRD GRADERS
Use the vocabulary of theatre Add to word wall
character, setting, conflict, Have students keep an idea book for
audience, props these concepts
motivation Look up motivation in the drama
context: what does a character want?
strategies
blocking Look up blocking stage position
Identify who, what, when, where, why Connect to writing
Use use Five Ws to cooperatively write a simple script Establish norms for group work
(or to be the idea for an improvisation) everyone has an important role
Create Simple scenes/scripts that show blocking and stage Find a part of the room or tape off a
area stage area on the floor
FOURTH GRADERS
Use the vocabulary of theatre Add to the word wall
plot, conflict, motivation plus
climax Relate to literature, story telling
resolution
tone
objectives Understand objectives in drama
stock characters Understand stock characters look for
on-line background sources
Identify a characters objectives and motivation that explain Invite local theatre artists to come to the
characters behavior classroom to demonstrate skills
Explore how voice, diction, pace, and volume can be used for Relate to any kind of oral presentation
multiple possibilities: Keep a list of other examples of voice
I want you to go emphasis to use with the class
I want you to go Build on this simple example
I want you to go
Demonstrate emotional traits of a character through Understand gesture in drama
gesture and action
Retell or improvise classroom stories in a variety of tones: Relate to students experience of tone
gossipy, sorrowful, comic, frightened, joyful, sarcastic of voice and meaning (or as in Dont
take that tone with me!)
Design or create costumes, props, make-up or masks to use in a Keep a simple make-up box and/OR
performance to communicate meaning collect a variety of mask-making lessons
FIFTH GRADERS
Use the vocabulary of theatre Have students keep a theatre journal
sense memory
script Integrate with writing assignments
cue
monologue Find examples from plays on DVD
dialogue
protagonist Connect to literature
antagonist Connect to literature
Identify structural elements of plot: exposition, complication, Relate to literature, story telling and
crisis, climax, resolution written drama
Actively explore complex ideas and universal themes in literature and Consider what the stage looks like from
(through participation) life through blocking, stage areas, levels and actors the point of view of the actors and the
position on stage: point of view of the audience
full front
quarter Give audience members a chance for
profile constructive feedback - create norms for

34
 RE-VIEWED THEATRE STANDARDS K - 6

full back that

Create formal or informal theatre productions using all the Establish a comfortable atmosphere for
above risk taking and performance
Establish who the audience will be
Invite theatre artists to help with
productions, large and small
SIXTH GRADERS
Use the vocabulary of theatre Have students keep a theatre journal
action/reaction
vocal projection Link to public speaking
sub text Link to poetry
theme Link to literature
mood Link to visual art
design Link to visual art
production values Link to movies, TV
stage crew Rotate students to be stage crew
Identify how production values can manipulate mood to Link to historical context
persuade and disseminate propaganda Take students to see live theatre
Use effective vocal expression and timing to create Invite local theatre artists to come to the
character classroom to demonstrate skills
Write and perform scenes or one act plays Select individual and/or small group
work
Include monologue, action, and setting with a range of Define audience for the performance
character types Take students to see live theatre
performances or bring performing
groups to your school
Collect examples of monologues and
one act plays for students to use as
examples
Connect with a local theatre specialist
teacher (at the high school) for ideas and
approaches

35
 REVIEWED VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS, K 6
Artistic Perception and Creative Expression
Technical Skills, Concepts and Vocabulary

Note: Blue type indicates the introduction of a new concept or skill. Red type indicates the elements of art, and green type
indicates the principles of design. Some of the verbs describing what children will do have been translated from formal
standards language to age appropriate language.

ACTION SKILLS/ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TEACHER

ARTISTIC PERCEPTION AND CREATIVE
EXPRESSION
KINDERGARTEN
See and describe simple patterns in the environment and in works Keep a collection of books with pictures of
of art the natural world
Recognize and name art materials: clay, paint, crayons
See, find, and point to the elements of art Get a basic book on the elements of art
line There is no particular order they interact
color
shape/form
texture Gather a collection of textures
value (not an emphasis at K)
space (not an emphasis at K)
in the environment and in works of art, with a Keep a word wall of visual art terms
focus online, color and shape
Make patterns with line, shape and color
Make a three dimensional art work using scissors, glue Teach cutting techniques
and paper Teach how to glue without a mess
Make a collage with cut or torn paper shapes Demonstrate the differences
Paint pictures about family and neighborhood Have/collect lots of visual examples to
show the students
Paint and draw lines that express feelings See Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain,
Betty Edwards
Make/create a work of art using geometric shapes circle, Relate to math/geometry
square, triangle
Create a 3-D form a real or imaginary animal Use clay or paper
FIRST GRADERS
Describe and imitate repeated patterns you see in nature and art Link to math concepts
Recognize and name art materials such as clay, paint, drawing Use large art reproductions (lots of sources)
materials in works of art or on-line images
See and discuss texture in the environment and works of art Distinguish between real texture and the
illusion of texture in paintings and drawings
Make/create two and three dimensional art and include
texture
Explore and mix secondary colors (green, orange, purple) Check that students know primary colors
Use tempera paints
And tell how you did it Focus on keeping steps in order
Create artwork using clay, paper, or paper mache and Can use modeling clay for practice
include texture Establish clean-up rules for messy media
(paper mache)
Use line variations, color and texture to Understand individual expression in
communicate feelings visual art
Create an original sculpture based on people, animals or Use simple materials cardboard and paper
buildings can work
Draw or paint a still-life using secondary colors Collect and use real objects for still-life
setups close to each group of students
Make an original work of art based on observation of Talk about representational art it looks
actual objects and/or everyday scenes like what it is (vs. imaginary)
Draw what is there, not what you think is
there

36
 RE-VIEWED VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS K - 6
SECOND GRADERS
See and describe repetition and balance in nature, the Look up the principles of designthey are
environment and works of art used to compose a picture. Look on-line for
background information
See and discuss how mood is created by warm and cool colors Show students examples from many artists
See and discuss line, color, shape/form, texture and space in Understand the difference between 2-D
nature, the environment, and works of art shape and 3-D form
Try out, explore printing Try out any unfamiliar materials and
processes in advance of the demonstration
crayon rubbings Have students stand up for the rubbing so
they can apply pressure
collage
stencil Keep the shapes small
oil pastels Differentiate from crayons use more like
paint blend colors
watercolor Talk about transparent (watercolor) and
opaque (tempera paint)
tempera paint Keep a good, current art supply catalogue in
your desk drawer
Understand and use overlapping shapes
placement in the picture plane Show high, low, middle placement of
shapes
relative size to create the illusion of space Understand flat picture plane
Create a painting using warm and cool colors Link warm and cool colors to mood and
expressively feelings with examples
Learn about and use bilateral or radial symmetry to create balance Link to math and to the structure of nature
(science insects) connect to ethnic art,
especially masks
THIRD GRADERS
See and discuss rhythm and movement in the environment and Show examples from nature pictures and
works of art compare to art
See and describe how artists use tints and shades Understand tints and shades
See and describe foreground, middle ground and background in Obtain a copy of a Teachers Edition of a
works of art and how it creates the illusion of state-adopted visual textbook at your grade
space level for excellent ideas, exercises and
lessons. Consider the instructional
materials that match.
See and compare and two works of art made with different media (art Select good visual examples in advance
contrast materials)
See and discuss value in the environment and works of art Understand value related to dark and
light and color.
Explore ideas for art in a sketchbook Have the students make sketchbooks at the
beginning of the year
Mix, use tempera paint to make tints and shades and Link earth colors to some ethnic art and to
neutral colors (earth colors) the pigments that make paint
Paint/draw a landscape, seascape, cityscape and show the Define scapes for your students
illusion of space Collect and show many examples to the
class
Create art based on observing objects and scenes in Review observational drawing
daily life and focus on value changes
Create original art using a printing process and focus on rhythm Check books that show how to set up a
and balance classroom for printmaking
Explain the difference between a picture
and a print

37
 RE-VIEWED VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS K - 6
FOURTH GRADERS
See and use shading (value) to make 2-D shape appear to Show examples of circles to spheres and
be 3-D form squares to cubes
Learn and use correct facial proportions Find a clear example of how to make facial
proportions and post, or make copies for
each student
correct figure proportions Find a clear example of how to make figure
proportions
Connect both to math: unit of
measurement, division, etc.
Make a sculptural form by adding on or taking away Check out the many how to do it books
(additive or subtractive methods) on sculpture for students
Make a simple weaving using fibers or other materials Check out the how to do it books for
simple weaving ideas
Draw or paint an expressive portrait using correct facial Show students many examples of
proportions representational portraits
Define a portrait
Draw or paint expressive figure using correct body Show students many examples of
proportions representational figures
Make an expressive work of art using positive and Understand positive and negative space
negative space
Make an expressive work of art using complementary Understand contrast and emphasis in art
colors for contrast and emphasis Have a large color wheel in the classroom
FIFTH GRADERS
See and discuss unity and harmony in the environment and Understand unity and harmony
works of art
See and describe characteristics of representational works of art Understand that this is a continuum from
abstract works of art realistic through degrees of abstraction to
non-objective works of art where the object is no longer represented
Collect and show many examples of each
style; such styles are an artistic choice
Describe similarities and in works of art and in the environment using all Encourage students to use the correct art
differences of the elements of art terminology
Learn about and practice the illusion of space using one point perspective Find examples, visual diagrams, etc. of how
one point perspective works
Link to math
Show a step by step video for students to
follow
Create observational drawings using gesture and On occasion, invite an artist to demonstrate
contour lines or co-teach technically-based lessons;
students and teachers will learn about how
artists think about materials, processes and
the creative process
Try out, explore digital imagery: computer generated images, Draw upon district/school tech support if
digital photography and/or videography needed; find examples to show students
Check out interactive web sites for students
Connect with high school art teacher for
approaches
Create an abstract composition based on real objects Collect and show examples
Assemble found objects into a sculpture Start a box of stuff to use to make art
Create an expressive mixed media, 2-D composition Think about photo collage with paint or
that uses harmony and communicates a theme cut/torn paper as an example
Create an original real or imaginary scene using Find some examples of surrealistic art for
perspective that communicates values, opinions ideas
and personal insights through art

38
 RE-VIEWED VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS K - 6
SIXTH GRADERS
Identify all the elements of art Keep an art idea journal/sketch book
Discuss works of art as to Check the many lessons available from
local and national art museum educational
outreach programs
theme
genre Look up genre, collect examples
style Look up style, collect examples
idea
media differences Take the same subject through several
media for comparisons
See and describe how artists can express the same theme using Collect good examples to show the students
different media and styles
See and describe how symmetrical, asymmetrical and radial Look to ethnic art for examples and ideas
balance is used effectively in works of art
Depict a variety of subject matter using observational Have students keep a year-long sketchbook
drawing skills for practicing observational drawing
Apply two-point perspective to create an original work Find videos or DVDs that show a step-by-
of art step process for students to follow
Create a drawing using varying tints, shades, and color Try chalk pastels or colored pencils
intensity
Create increasingly complex artwork reflecting Assign a subject, let students pick the
personal choices and increased technical skills media, or assign the media and let students
pick the subject
Select specific media to express moods, feelings, Try using the same subject, but use several
themes, and ideas different materials
Create an original work of art using technology Check out the web sites of
schools/departments that have strong arts
technology programs they usually display
student art examples

39
 RE-VIEWED DANCE STANDARDS, K-6
Historical and Cultural Context
Understanding the Historical Contributions and Cultural Dimensions of the Dance including the development, history and
function and diversity of dance. Blue type indicates the introduction of a new concept. CAP HEADINGS BELOW

ACTION CONCEPTS, UNDERSTANDINGS, AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THE

VOCABULARY TEACHER
KINDERGARTEN
Name and perform folk dances/traditional dances from the United Show small pieces of dance examples
States and other countries available on-line at folk dance sites
FIRST GRADERS
Name and perform folk/traditional dances from other countries
Describe aspects of the style, costumes, and music of Find picture books of costumes and dance
dance costumes from around the world
Look at, learn about (list) commonalities among basic locomotor Look at line dances, circle dances, square
movements in dances from various countries dances
Look and learn about where and when people dance Find childrens book on dance and
(identify) celebration
SECOND GRADERS
Name and perform social and traditional dances from various Use resources as above
cultures
Explain commonalities among basic locomotor and axial Play segments from two cultures that use
movements in dances from various countries the same kind of movements
Name and perform rhythms from different cultures through Check district IMC for materials
clapping, stamping, using the whole body
movement
Describe dances seen in celebrations and community Search the internet under international
events folk dancing
THIRD GRADERS
Describe commonalities among and differences between Check out one of the most complete sites
dances from various countries for dance: www.humanKinetics.com
under dance for links, books, DVDs, etc
for all grades
Describe and demonstrate ceremonial and folk/traditional dances that Check both ethnic dances, as well as
show work activities such as harvesting, fishing, modern dance interpretations such as
weaving Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre
Describe how costumes and shoes influence dance Look for dance costuming on-line
movement
Explain the function of dance in ceremonial and social Connect to a community resource that
community events in Native American cultures could demonstrate the dances
Describe how costumes and shoes influence dance Bring in some real dance shoes: ballet,
movement clogs, tap shoes, etc. and show pictures of
dance companies and folk dances with
costumes
Name and demonstrate dances of Native Americans Try to find a Native American dance
troop that might perform at the school
FOURTH GRADERS
Perform and identify dances from various countries with different Connect to local dance groups that might
arrangements of dancers such as lines, circles, send some dancers to demonstrate to the
couples class
Check the dance history web sites
Name the musical accompaniments and
Explain how it relates to the dances they have studied
Perform and describe dances that reflect the geographical place in For example, African tribal dances,
which the dances are performed such as deserts, Eskimo, Balinese, Hawaiian, etc.
rain forests, islands (sources available on-line)
Perform and identify folk/traditional and social dances from For example, Mexican, Chinese,

40
 movement clogs, tap shoes, etc. and show pictures of
dance companies and folk dances with
costumes
Name and demonstrate dances of Native Americans
RE-VIEWED DANCE
RE-VIEWED STANDARDSTry
DANCE STANDARDS K --to66that
K
troop
find a Native American dance
might perform at the school
FOURTH GRADERS
Perform and identify dances from various countries with different Connect to local dance groups that might
arrangements of dancers such as lines, circles, send some dancers to demonstrate to the
couples class
Check the dance history web sites
Name the musical accompaniments and
Explain how it relates to the dances they have studied
Perform and describe dances that reflect the geographical place in For example, African tribal dances,
which the dances are performed such as deserts, Eskimo, Balinese, Hawaiian, etc.
rain forests, islands (sources available on-line)
Perform and identify folk/traditional and social dances from For example, Mexican, Chinese,
California history traditional American, & European dances

FIFTH GRADERS
Describe how and why a traditional dance may be Invite a local dance company to perform
changed when performed on stage for an at school and/or invite dancers to come to
audience class to talk to students
Identify and perform folk/traditional, social, and theatrical dances Check resources at the Society of Dance
done by Americans in the eighteenth and History Scholars web site
nineteenth centuries
Select traditional dances that men, women, or children Contact local ethnic dance groups to see
perform and explain the purpose(s) of the if they will perform for or talk to the class
dances
SIXTH GRADERS
Compare and contrast features of dances already performed from Look at and try out line dances, circle
different countries dances, square dances
Explain the importance and function of dance in Use biographies of famous dancers as a
students lives starting point
Explain the various ways people have experienced dance Check out one of the most complete sites
in their daily lives such as Roman for dance: www.humanKinetics.com
entertainments, Asian religious ceremonies, under dance for links, books, DVDs for
baby naming in Ghana, Latin American all grades.
celebrations There are also many dance history web
sites

41
 RE-VIEWED
RE-VIEWEDMUSICMUSICSTANDARDS,
STANDARDS,K-6 K-6
Historical and Cultural Context
Historical and Cultural Context
Understanding the Historical Contributions and Cultural Dimensions of Music including the role and diversity of music.
Blue type indicates the introduction of a new concept. CAPS IN HEADINGS BELOW

ACTION CONCEPTS, UNDERSTANDINGS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THE

VOCABULARY TEACHER
KINDERGARTEN
Listen to, learn about the various uses of music in daily experiences Think about playground songs, game
(identify) songs, etc.
Sing and play simple singing games from various cultures Check music education on-line sites
Use developmentally appropriate movements in The Orff Music approaches to teaching
responding to music from various genres and would be especially useful here
styles (rhythm, melody)
FIRST GRADERS
Listen to and discuss music and celebrations of the cultures Might connect to school-wide arts days or
(recognize) represented in the school population other more low key performances; select
local visiting performance groups
Sing and play simple singing games from various cultures
Use a personal vocabulary to describe voices, Listen to CDs of ethnic stories with
instruments, and music from diverse cultures music
Use developmentally appropriate movements in The Orff approach which combines
responding to music from various genres and language, movement, rhythm and melody,
styles (rhythm, melody, form) would be most helpful
SECOND GRADERS
Identify the uses of specific music in daily or special Connect to celebrations or holidays such
events as Chinese New Years, Cinco de Mayo,
etc.
Sing simple songs and play singing games from Use beat passing games, play Party
various cultures Games/ America
THIRD GRADERS
Identify the uses of music in various cultures and time Link to folk dances of the time, also
periods Mexican dance
Sing memorized songs from diverse cultures Use Orff percussion instruments as
accompaniment
Play memorized songs from diverse cultures Use Orff instruments
Listen to and discuss and in music from various cultures Use the resources from and background
identify differences and information in one of the state-adopted
commonalities music series teachers editions
FOURTH GRADERS
Explain the relationship between music and events in Find songs about the gold rush, or going
history west, etc.
Listen to and identify music from diverse cultures and time periods Look up the Classical Music Navigator
on line
Sing and play music from diverse cultures and time periods Try MERL: Music Education Resource
Links www.soundpiper.com
All grades, or Elementary Education
Resources: Music
www.pitt.edu/poole/eledMusic
Compare musical styles from two or more cultures Listen to Mexican, Chinese, Russian
music as it represents California History
Recognize the influence of various cultures on music in As above, especially Mexican, Latin
California rhythms look at traditional and modern
sources
FIFTH GRADERS
Describe the social functions of a variety of musical Use sea chanteys, Irish dances, call and

42
Compare musical styles from two or more cultures Listen to Mexican, Chinese, Russian
music as it represents California History
Recognize the influence of various cultures on music in As above, especially Mexican, Latin
California rhythms look at traditional and modern
RE-VIEWED MUSIC
RE-VIEWED MUSIC STANDARDS
STANDARDS sources
KK -- 66
FIFTH GRADERS
Describe the social functions of a variety of musical Use sea chanteys, Irish dances, call and
forms from various cultures and time periods response form, songs from the
(such as folk songs, dances) underground railroad tradition
Identify different or similar uses of musical elements in Refer to and/or use resources from one of
music from diverse cultures the state-adopted music series or check
the music references in the VAPA
Framework
Sing and play music from diverse cultures and time periods

Describe the influence of various cultures and historical
events on musical forms and styles
Describe the influences of various cultures on the music
of the United States
Try MERL: Music Education Resource
Links www.soundpiper.com
All grades, or Elementary Education
Resources: Music
www.pitt.edu/poole/eledMusic
Consider a unit on Jazz, the Harlem
Renaissance, poetry, literature and art

SIXTH GRADERS
Compare music from two or more cultures of the world as
to the function the music serves and the roles of
musicians
Listen to and describe the role of music in ancient civilizations (such
as Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, Indian, Roman)
Describe distinguishing characteristics of representative
musical genres and styles from two or more
cultures
Listen to, describe, and music of various styles from a variety of
perform cultures
Classify by style and genre a number of exemplary
musical works and explain the characteristics
that make each work exemplary
Find references in the social studies
textbooks (teachers editions) and/or
books on music history compare Greece
and Egypt
Look on ancient music sites
Have the class, as a whole or in small
groups, develop listening maps for the
music
Try The Classical Music Navigator,
www.wku.edu/~smithch/music

43
 RE-VIEWED THEATRE STANDARDS, K-6
Historical and Cultural Context
Understanding the Historical Contributions and Cultural Dimensions of Theatre Including the Role and Cultural Significance
of Theatre. Blue type indicates the introduction of a new concept. CAPS
ACTION CONCEPTS, UNDERSTANDINGS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THE
VOCABULARY TEACHER
KINDERGARTEN
Retell or act out stories, myths, fables, and fairy tales from Use familiar sources, maybe the same
various cultures and times ones used for language arts
Pretend to be (portray) people in the community such as firefighters, Stories and pictures are helpful
family, teachers, and clerks through role-
playing activities
FIRST GRADERS
Find out about (identify) the cultural and geographic origins of stories Where do stories come from?
Locate story origins on a map
Learn about (identify) theatrical conventions such as props, costumes, This is related to live theatre (but can
masks and sets be found in movies, TV, etc.
Look at a video of a play
Describe the roles and responsibilities of the audience Teach audience skills develop audience
and the actor norms with the students
SECOND GRADERS
Describe and identify theatre and storytelling forms from different Collect similar stories from different
cultures places
Talk about (identify) universal characters in stories and plays from The hero, heroine, fool, trickster, villain,
different periods and places magician, etc.
THIRD GRADERS
Act out (dramatize) different cultural variations of similar stories Collect several versions from different
from around the world cultures of the same basic story
Learn about and identify universal themes in stories and plays from
different periods and places
FOURTH GRADERS
Learn about and identify theatrical or storytelling traditions in the Connect to California history
cultures of ethnic groups throughout the history For example, Chinese, Native American,
of California Mexican, European cultures
Learn about (recognize) key developments in the entertainment industry Check school or district IMC materials
in California, such as the introduction of silent Check on-line theatre history sites
movies, animation, radio and television, There are many PBS programs (and
broadcasting, and interactive video learning guides) in these areas
FIFTH GRADERS
Select or create appropriate props, sets, and costumes for a These could be drawn or cut out or found
cultural celebration or pageant on-line or involve the class in an actual
celebration or pageant at your school
Interpret how theatre and storytelling forms of various Check on-line background sources from
cultures, past and present, reflect their beliefs educational theatre sites; check IMC
and traditions materials
Analyze ways in which theatre, television, and film play This is an introduction to media
a part on our daily lives awareness check on-line under media
literacy children or media literacy
education
Identify types of early American theatre, such as Check the Kennedy Centers ArtsEdge
melodrama and musical theatre unit on Melodrama; take the students to a
local high school musical production
SIXTH GRADERS
Create scripts that reflect particular historical periods Pre-teach dialogue and script-writing
or cultures basics
Learn about/talk about use theatrical traditions of cultures throughout Use these cultures or others consistent
(differentiate) the world, such as those in Ancient Greece, with the cultures represented in the
Egypt, China, and West Africa classroom; check on-line culturally-based
theatre traditions

44
 RE-VIEWED VISUAL ARTS
RE-VIEWED
Understanding the Historical Contributions and Cultural Dimensions of the Visual Arts including the Role and Development
and Diversity of the Visual Arts. The blue type indicates the introduction of a new concept. CAPS ON HEADINGS BELOW
ACTION
KINDERGARTEN
Look at and discuss
Look at and discuss
Look at and discuss
FIRST GRADERS
Look at and discuss
Look at and discuss
Look at and describe
Look and learn about
Discuss
SECOND GRADERS
Discuss
Understand and use
Discuss
Discuss
THIRD GRADERS
Look and compare
Learn and discuss
Learn and discuss
Look and describe
Look for and describe
Write about
ARTS STANDARDS,
STANDARDS, K
K-6:
- 6:
Historical and Cultural Context
Historical and Cultural Context
CONCEPTS, UNDERSTANDINGS AND
VOCABULARY
objects of art that are used (are functional)
compared to works of art that are for looking at
works of art that show people doing things
together
art from a variety of times and places
the design of objects of everyday life from
different cultures
the different subject matter for art: landscapes,
seascapes, portraits, still life
art from different cultures
art objects from different places and
how they are the same and different (examples:
Japanese screen painting, Mexican tin art,
African masks)
how artists use their artwork to tell about what
has happened in their life or to share their ideas
about things
the vocabulary of art to describe art objects
from different cultures, past and present
how art is used at events and celebrations
around the world, past and present
how art is used in their own life
works of art that have a similar theme but were
created at different times
artists from their own community, region or
state
regional art traditions
the differences between representational,
abstract, and nonrepresentational art
different objects from around the world when
they visit museums or galleries, such as
puppets, masks, containers, etc.
a work of art from his/her own background
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE
TEACHER
Ask students if useful things can also be
beautiful and why we make things just to
look at
Look on-line: Impressionism has many
examples; American artists: Hopper,
Sloan, Eakins, Shahn
Get a good art history book as a guide
Define design collect real objects or
pictures for examples
Shorewood has a very large inventory of
prints
Check multiple museum sites starting
with the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
New York, and go from there
Collect images (or sources for images)
and/or the real thing to show to students
Investigate Van Gogh, Chagall, Picasso,
Kalo, Rivera, OKeeffe, Thiebaud, and
many others
Keep a word wall of art vocabulary
including artists, objects, styles, genre,
etc.
Investigate Olympics, parades, festivals,
etc.
Remember to include design
For theme think subject matter or
emotional mood
Keep a list of local artists they might be
available to come into the classroom
Invite regional and local artists and
craftsmen to visit the class or arrange a
studio visit for the class
Understand the terms: check the glossary
in an art history book. Think about these
forms of representation as on a continuum
from realistic to where the object(s)
disappear.
Take students to local and regional art
museums, big and small
Have students bring non-valuable objects
or pictures of objects to class
45

FOURTH GRADERS
Look at and describe
Identify and discuss
Look and focus on
Find out about and describe
FIFTH GRADERS
Find out and describe
Identify and describe
Look at, identify and
compare
Look at
Discuss
SIXTH GRADERS
Research and discuss
Using
Look at
Describe
Select and compare
RE-VIEWED VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS K - 6
how art reflects life such as in photography,
quilts and architecture
the subjects depicted in past and present
California art work
how different cultures contributed to
Californias history and art heritage
the influence of religious groups on California
art and architecture
how local and national art galleries and
museums conserve art
fine art, traditional art and folk art from
historical periods around the world
works of art from various regions of the United
States
selected works of art from a major culture
the changes in materials and styles over a period
of time
the role of the visual arts in selected periods of
history
a variety of print and electronic resources
selected works of art from a culture
how they have changed or not changed in theme
and content over a period of time
representative (typical) images or designs
through writing or oral report
Look for the many on-line sources for
each of these categories; lots of books as
well have them available for the class
Try the Oakland Museum of Art, Crocker
Art Museum, the Cantor Center for the
Visual Arts at Stanford and the Pasadena
Museum of California Art, among others
Connect to curriculum on California
history see the CD that comes with the
VAPA Framework for visual images
Investigate missions, but think beyond
missions as well
Connect to museum or gallery field trips
Fine art includes painting, drawing,
printmaking, sculpture, photography, etc.
Include fine art and folk art
Pick a culture that aligns with social
studies or literature themes
Get a good American art history book
Focus on how art reflects and leads
culture
Do on-line research of links to the major
museum collections
Get a good, basic world art history book
Connect to the world history curriculum
Check the Museum of California Design
on-line, among others

46
 RE-VIEWED DANCE
RE-VIEWED DANCE STANDARDS, K-6
STANDARDS, K -6
AESTHETIC VALUING
AESTHETIC VALUING
Responding to, Analyzing, and Making Judgments About Works of Dance: including Description, Analysis, and Criticism of
Dance and Meaning and Impact of Dance. Blue type indicates the introduction of a new concept. CAP HEADINGS
ACTION SKILL AREA/ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY
KINDERGARTEN
Explain basic features that distinguish one kind of dance
from another (speed, force/energy, costumes,
setting, music)
FIRST GRADERS
Use basic dance vocabulary to identify and describe
a dance observed or performed shape, levels,
directions, tempo/fast-slow
Describe the experience of dancing two different dances
Describe how they communicate an idea or a mood in
dance (e.g., with exaggerated everyday gesture
or emotional energies)
SECOND GRADERS
Use basic dance vocabulary to name and describe a
dance observed or performed (levels, rhythm,
patterns, type of energy)
Describe how the movement in dances of peers
communicates ideas or moods to the viewer
(e.g., ocean environment or sad or joyous
dance)
Describe the similarities and differences in performing
various dances (directional changes, steps, type
of energy and tempo)
THIRD GRADERS
Name specific criteria to assess the quality of a dance
performance of peers (e.g., focus, level of
personal involvement, physical control)
Explain and demonstrate what it means to be a good audience member
Explain how a performers dance skills contribute to
communication of ideas and moods when
performing a dance (focus, strength,
coordination)
FOURTH GRADERS
Use dance vocabulary to describe unique
characteristics of dances they have watched or
performed from countries studied in the history
social science curriculum (e.g., rhythm, spatial
patterns, gestures, intent)
Name and use specific criteria in assessing personal and
professional dance choreography (contrast,
phrasing, unity)
Describe ways in which a dancer effectively
communicates ideas and moods (strong
technique, projection, and expression)
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE
TEACHER
Have students look at DVDs/video of
different kinds of dance: styles (jazz,
ballet, modern, etc.) or ethnic
Keep a dance word wall up all year so
students learn the words. (Have them see
the words in other contexts as well)
Plan very simple movement patterns
Create dances based on everyday
movement combing hair, reaching for a
top shelf, putting on shoes, digging a
garden, etc.
Use good DVD or video examples; have
them see common elements used over and
over in many examples
Have them tell what they notice about the
dance phrases they create in relation to
the creative expression standards
Ask: What kinds of movements are easy
for you?
What kinds are more difficult?
What kinds are you working on to make
better?
Make lists with the class about what
should be present for each dance they
perform before they do it, then compare
Stress the audience responsibility of
paying focused attention to detail, not just
being quiet
Look at professional level examples;
invite a dance group to the school for a
performance and follow up with a class
discussion about communication
Go to the www.humankinetics.com site
for complete resources for dance DVDs
Work with the class to develop rubrics for
selected dance performances -- they do
not have to be complex.
Start with students describing their own
experiences
47
 being quiet
Explain how a performers dance skills contribute to Look at professional level examples;
communication of ideas and moods when invite a dance group to the school for a
performing a dance (focus, strength, performance and follow up with a class
RE-VIEWED DANCE STANDARDSdiscussion
coordination) K - 6 about communication
FOURTH GRADERS
Use dance vocabulary to describe unique
characteristics of dances they have watched or
performed from countries studied in the history
social science curriculum (e.g., rhythm, spatial
patterns, gestures, intent)
Name and use specific criteria in assessing personal and
professional dance choreography (contrast,
phrasing, unity)
Describe ways in which a dancer effectively
communicates ideas and moods (strong
technique, projection, and expression)
List expectations the audience has for a
performance and vice versa
FIFTH GRADERS
Use dance vocabulary to identify and support
personal preferences for dances observed or
performed
Apply specific criteria to analyze and assess the quality
of a dance performance by well-known dancers
or dance companies (e.g., technical skill,
musicality, dynamics, mood)
Identify the special and challenging characteristics of the
experience of dancing for an audience
Explain how outstanding dancers affect audience
members emotionally or intellectually
SIXTH GRADERS
Apply knowledge of the elements of dance and the
craft of choreography to critiquing (spatial
design, variety contrast, clear structure, etc.)
Propose ways to revise choreography according to
established assessment criteria
Discuss the experience of performing personal work for
others
Distinguish the differences between viewing live and
recorded dance performances
48
Go to the www.humankinetics.com site
for complete resources for dance DVDs
Work with the class to develop rubrics for
selected dance performances -- they do
not have to be complex.
Start with students describing their own
experiences
Ask the students what kind of an audience
they would like to have when they dance.
Ask them to share their audience
experiences for live dance or theatre
Help students go beyond I like it and I
dont like it by citing specific aspects,
using dance vocabulary, etc.
Let them know need to understand the
intent of the dance before they can judge
Have the class create a high level criteria
for a professional performance, then show
dances from the video the PBS series
Dance in America and apply the criteria
How do dancers remember all the steps?
How do they do the dance the same every
time?
Introduce the dance stars that students
should know about from classical ballet,
modern dance, jazz, and the musical
theatre-the Dance in America series is a
great resource
Introduce the work of famous
choreographers, especially in modern
dance
Be sure students understand what a
choreographer does: have them take
turns being the lead as the choreographer
in their small groups.
Establish a rubric for the work
Have students keep personal dance
journals that keep track of their personal
experiences with dance
Record in the dance journals
 RE-VIEWED
RE-VIEWEDMUSIC
MUSICSTANDARDS,
STANDARDS,K-6
K-6
AESTHETIC VALUING
AESTHETIC VALUING
Responding to, Analyzing, and Making Judgments About Works of Music: including Deriving Meaning and Analyze and
Critically Assess Music. Blue type indicates the introduction of new concepts. CAPS ON HEADINGS

ACTION SKILL AREA/ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY SUGGESTIONS FOR THE

TEACHER
KINDERGARTEN
Create movement that goes along with specific music Use props such as scarves, balls (yarn or
nerf) ribbons, etc. to highlight music
Identify, talk about, sing or music written for specific purposes like work Think about playground songs and game
play songs, lullaby, etc. songs across cultures
FIRST GRADERS
Create movements to music that reflect focused Have students move individually, as well
listening as in groups and in unison as a class
Describe how ideas or moods are communicated through Play music of highly contrasting mood:
music strident and powerful vs. soft and happy
SECOND GRADERS
Use the terminology of music in discussing
individual preferences for specific music
Create developmentally appropriate movements to Thats high and low, fast and slow, loud
express pitch, tempo, form, and dynamics in and soft
music
THIRD GRADERS
Select and use specific criteria in making judgments about the Start with performances by the class;
quality of a musical performance develop the criteria together using
familiar music terms
Create developmentally appropriate movements to
express pitch, tempo, form, and dynamics
Describe how specific musical elements communicate Take CD examples from a state-adopted
particular ideas or moods in music music series
FOURTH GRADERS
Use specific criteria when judging the relative Compare first time through to
quality of musical performances performance after practice or rehearsal
against performance of their own work or
compare different performers or groups
with each other
Describe the characteristics that make a performance a Take a field trip to hear a concert or bring
work of art local performing arts groups in for an
assembly
FIFTH GRADERS
Identify and analyze differences in tempo and dynamics in Listen to CDs from the state-adopted
contrasting music selections music series
Develop and apply appropriate criteria to support personal Have students keep a music journal with
preferences for specific musical works comments about all the music they hear
Play familiar and unfamiliar music
SIXTH GRADERS
Develop criteria for evaluating the quality and Find examples of such criteria check the
effectiveness of musical performances and California Musisc Education Association
compositions, including arrangements and web site and the materials associated with
improvisations, and apply the criteria in the state-adopted music materials
personal listening and performing
Explain how various aesthetic qualities convey images, Connect these ideas to a visual arts lesson
feeling, or emotion or paint or draw to music and compare
or have students write words/poems to
various musical samples
Identify aesthetic qualities in a specific musical work Think about the elements of music

49
 RE-VIEWED THEATRE
RE-VIEWED THEATRESTANDARDS,
STANDARDS,K-6
K-6
AESTHETIC
AESTHETICVALUING
VALUING
Responding to, Analyzing, and Critiquing Theatrical Experiences: including Critical of Assessment of Theatre and
Derivation of Meaning from Works of Theatre. Blue type indicates the introduction of new concepts. CAPS IN HEADINGS
BELOW

ACTION SKILL AREA/ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY SUGGESTIONS FOR THE

TEACHER
KINDERGARTEN
Respond appropriately to a theatrical experience as audience members Create class norms for audience behavior
Compare a real story to a fantasy story
FIRST GRADERS
Describe what was liked about a theatrical work or a Encourage reasons and as much theatre
story vocabulary as the students know so far
Identify and talk about emotional reactions to a theatrical experience Take students to see what older students
are doing in theatre
SECOND GRADERS
Critique an actors performance as to the use of voice, This links back to the introduction of the
gesture, facial expression, and movements to elements in Artistic Perception
create character
Respond to a live performance with appropriate audience Take students to see a Childrens Theatre
behavior production
Identify the message or moral of a work of theatre Relate to the moral of a story
THIRD GRADERS
Develop and apply appropriate criteria or rubrics for evaluating Create criteria with the students; have
theatrical experience them apply it to their own work first
Compare the content or message in two different works of Find video of short theatrical works for
theatre the students to see and discuss
FOURTH GRADERS
Develop and apply appropriate criteria or rubrics for critiquing Have students develop criteria
performances as to characterization, diction, collaboratively
pacing, gesture, and movement
Compare and contrast the impact on the audience of theatre, film, Think about where the audience is
television, radio, and other media
Describe their responses to a work of theatre and explain Connect the scriptwriter to the storyteller
what the scriptwriter did to elicit those or author, except that a script is all
responses dialogue
FIFTH GRADERS
Develop and apply appropriate criteria for critiquing the work of Define what a director does; find
actors, directors, writers, and technical artists in information on technical theatre
theatre, film and video
Describe devices actors use to convey meaning or intent Connect to visual literacy and broader
in commercials on television uses of advertising and/or propaganda
SIXTH GRADERS
Develop and apply appropriate criteria for evaluating sets, lighting,
costumes, makeup, and props
Identify examples of how theatre, television, and film Find resources on-line under media and
can influence or be influenced by politics and the arts: theatre; talk about films and TV
culture with political themes

50
 RE-VIEWED VISUAL
RE-VIEWED VISUAL ARTS
ARTS STANDARDS,
STANDARDS, K-6
K-6
AESTHETIC
AESTHETICVALUING
VALUING
Responding to, Analyzing, and Making Judgments About Works in the Visual Arts: including deriving meaning and making
informed judgments. Blue type indicates the introduction of new concepts.

ACTION SKILL AREA/ESSENTIAL VOCABULARY SUGGESTIONS FOR THE

KINDERGARTEN
Discuss their own works of art, using appropriate art
vocabulary such as color, shape, form, texture
Look at and describe what is seen, including both literal and
expressive content, in selected works of art
Discuss how and why they made a specific work of art
Give reasons why they like a particular work of art they
made, using appropriate art vocabulary
FIRST GRADERS
Look at and discuss works of art created in the classroom focusing
on selected elements of art such as shape/form,
texture, line, color
Look at discuss various reasons for making art
(identify and describe)
Look at and describe how and why they made a selected work of art,
focusing on the media and techniques
Select something they like about their work of art and
something they would change
SECOND GRADERS
Compare ideas expressed through their own works of art
with ideas expressed in the work of others
Compare different responses to the same work of art
Use the vocabulary of art to talk about what they
wanted to do in their own works of art and how
they succeeded
Use appropriate vocabulary of art to describe the
successful uses of an element of art in a work of
art
THIRD GRADERS
Compare and contrast selected works of art and describe them, using
appropriate vocabulary of art
Identify successful and less successful compositional
and expressive qualities of their own works of
art, and describe what might be done to improve
them
Select an artists work and, using appropriate
vocabulary of art, explain its successful
compositional and communicative qualities
TEACHER
Go back to the word wall you have been
keeping; save students art in portfolios
What you actually see, and what it seems
to mean
Plan reflection time into lessons
This links back to the introduction of the
elements in Artistic Perception
Invite local artists to talk to the class
about their work
Link to storytelling and/or dictated
writing
The beginning of self assessment
Find art images (study prints or on-line)
that parallel the subjects or themes the
students are using
Develop norms for discussing artwork
and for valuing the opinions of all
The beginning of an awareness of
intent in art
Have the elements of art posted in the
classroom
Link the selections to the content and/or
styles or elements of art they have been
using in their own work
Consider doing a lesson again to let
students actually improve a work of art --
artists do it all the time
How it is put together (composition) and
how well it communicates the intended
feelings/mood

51
 RE-VIEWED VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS K - 6

FOURTH GRADERS
Describe how using the language of the visual arts helps It isnt about I like it or I dont like it,
to clarify personal responses to work of art its about why it does or does not work
related to the use of art elements
Identify and describe how a persons own cultural What does a particular culture identify as
context influences individual responses to art?
works of art What do the students parents value?
What kind of art does the community
value?
Discuss how the subject and selection of media relate to What can an artist say with a sculpture
the meaning or purpose of a work of art that is different from what can be said
with a painting or drawing?
Identify and describe how various cultures define and value art For example, Eskimos (and other
differently peoples) have no word for artist
everyone creates; hip hop youth culture
values some graffiti art
Describe how the individual experiences of an artist may Use an artist with a compelling personal
influence the development of specific works of story and follow the story through the
art development of the work; example
Georgia OKeeffe or Chagall
FIFTH GRADERS
Identify how selected principles of design are used in a Principles of design are compositional
work of art and how they affect personal tools how does balance or
responses to and evaluation of the work of art harmony, for example, make you feel?
Compare the different purposes of a specific culture for Decoration, expression of the inner mind,
creating art capturing reality, etc.
Develop and use specific criteria as individuals and in groups to Student and teacher created rubrics
assess works of art
Assess their own work of art, using specific criteria, The beginning of the critique process;
and describe what changes they would make for establish norms for supportive feedback;
improvement the criteria comes from the requirements
of the lesson
SIXTH GRADERS
Construct and describe plausible interpretations of what they perceive There are no right answers
in works of art
Identify and describe ways in which their culture is being reflected in Think about contemporary, cutting
current works of art edge art, not necessarily what you or
your students like
Develop specific criteria as individuals or in groups to Create a rubric with the whole class
assess and critique works of art
Change, edit, or revise their works of art after a critique, articulating Have students write about the changes
reasons for the changes made and add to their portfolio

52
 RE-VIEWED DANCE STANDARDS,
RE-VIEWED STANDARDS, K-6 K-6
Connections, Relationships and Applications
Connections, Relationships and Applications
Connecting and Applying What is Learned in Dance to Other Art Forms and Subject Areas and to Careers including
connections and applications, development of life skills and career competencies CAPS ON HEADINGS BELOW

ACTION CONCEPTS, SKILLS, VOCABULARY AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THE

ATTITUDES TEACHER
KINDERGARTEN
Give examples of the relationship between everyday Keep a list: swimming, playing
movement and dance movement sports, reaching, dressing, etc.
FIRST GRADERS
Demonstrate curricular concepts through dance (like the growth Count on the science/dance
cycle, animal movement) connection to work it does
Give examples of how dance relates to other subjects Check on the many dance lessons
math: shape, counting; language arts: beginning, based on these connections.
middle, and end Good resource: Interdisciplinary
Learning Through Dance, Young,
Post and Newman: comes with CD
SECOND GRADERS
Use literature to inspire dance ideas, like poems, cartoons,
nursery rhymes
Demonstrate marks through language arts concepts through dance (show different
movement punctuation)
Describe how choreographers create dances Use dance DVDs or videos
Describe how dancing requires good health-related habits Connect with PE specialist or link to
(adequate nutrition, water, and rest; proper the PE standards
preparations for physical activity)
THIRD GRADERS
Explain relationships between dance elements and other
subjects (spatial pathways-maps and grids; geometric
shapesbody shapes)
Describe how dancing develops physical and mental well-
being (control, flexibility, posture, strength, risk
taking)
Explain how the time management, problem solving, and self-
discipline skills required for composing a dance apply
to other school activities
Give examples of ways in which the activities of Work with the biographies of
professionals in the performing arts are similar to famous dancers, musicians, and
each other (observing discipline, practicing skills, actors (or directors)
rehearsing performances)
FOURTH GRADERS
Explain how dance practice relates to and uses the vocabulary Keep a dance word wall and parallel
of other art subjects (positive/negative space, shape, it with the key words in other
line, rhythm, character) disciplines
Remember that dance is a visual art
from the point of view of the
audience
Describe how dancing develops strength, flexibility, endurance
in accordance with physical education standards
Demonstrate a recognition of personal space and respect for the
personal space of others
Analyze the choreographic process and its relation to the Have students keep journals that
writing process (brainstorming, exploring and follow the progress of making a
developing ideas, putting ideas into form, dance.
sequencing)

53
 RE-VIEWED DANCE STANDARDS K - 6
FIFTH GRADERS
Describe how historical events relate to dance forms (the Get video tapes/DVDs of popular
rebellion of the 60s was represented in popular dance in America over the years
social dances with a move from partners to individual Have the students do research on the
expression) internet
Describe how dancing requires good health-related habits
(individual and group goals for flexibility, strength,
endurance, stress management, nutrition)
Cite arts examples of the use of technology in performing Do an on-line search for ideas and
resources
Demonstrate social skills that enable students to become
leaders/teachers and followers/learners
SIXTH GRADERS
Describe how other arts disciplines are integrated into dance Research famous artist/dance
performances (music, lighting, set design) collaborations (Picasso, Matisse,
etc. did the sets and backgrounds for
famous dance choreographers)
Describe the responsibilities a dancer has in maintaining Have students keep a dance journal
health-related habits (balanced nutrition, regular
exercise, adequate sleep)
Identify careers in dance and dance-related fields (teacher, Have students do on-line research
therapist, videographer, dance critic, choreographer on one of these areas

54
 RE-VIEWED
RE-VIEWED MUSIC STANDARDS, K-6
MUSIC STANDARDS, K-6
Connections, Relationshipsand
Connections, Relationships andApplications
Applications

Connecting and Applying What is Learned in Music to Other Art Forms and Subject Areas and to Careers including
connections and applications, and careers and career-related skills. CAPS ON HEADINGS

ACTION CONCEPTS, SKILLS, VOCABULARY AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THE

ATTITUDES TEACHER
KINDERGARTEN
Use music, together with dance, theatre, and the visual Choose a story the students love and
arts for storytelling develop it
Identify and discuss the reasons artists have for creating Encourage self-expression
dances, music, theatre pieces and works of visual art
FIRST GRADERS
Recognize and explain how people respond to their world Ask students about their favorite
through music songs and music and when they sing
and listen to music
Describe how the performance of songs and dances improves Make before and after video or audio
after practice and rehearsal tapes of a selected performance
SECOND GRADERS
Identify similar themes in stories, songs, and visual art forms
like patterns, texture
Identify and discuss who composes and performs music Pick some books on famous
composers to share with the class
THRID GRADERS
Identify the use of similar elements of music and other art Take one concept through all four
forms (form, pattern, rhythm) disciplines
Identify what musicians and composers do to create music Look at biographies
FOURTH GRADERS
Identify and interpret expressive characteristics in works of Create individual listening maps as
visual arts and music works of visual arts
Integrate several art disciplines (dance, music, theatre or the Plan and present a performance for
visual arts) into a well-organized presentation or parents or for a school-wide theme
performance performance
Relate dance movements to express musical elements or Look at dance videos where the
represent musical intent in specific music choreography is done to very
different styles of music
Evaluate improvement in personal musical performances after
practice or rehearsal
FIFTH GRADERS
Explain the role of music in community events Think about the Olympics, award
ceremonies, half-time shows, etc. and
compare to more historical uses
Identify ways in which the music professions are similar to
or different from one another
SIXTH GRADERS
Describe how knowledge of music connects to learning in Think about the music-math
other subject areas connection
Identify career pathways in music Have students do internet research on
the various careers in music,
especially those not about
performance

55
 RE-VIEWEDTHEATRE
RE-VIEWED THEATRESTANDARDS,
STANDARDS,K-6 K-6
Connections,Relationships
Connections, Relationshipsand
and Applications
Applications
Connecting and Applying What is Learned in Theatre, Film/Video, and Electronic Media to Other Art Forms and Subject
Areas and to Careers including connections and applications, and careers and career-related skills. CAPS IN HEADINGS
BELOW

ACTION CONCEPTS, SKILLS, VOCABULARY AND SUGGESTIONS FOR THE

ATTITUDES TEACHER
KINDERGARTEN
Dramatize information from other content areas Use simple childrens stories or
Use movement and voice, for example, to reinforce nursery rhymes as a starting place
vocabulary such as fast, slow, in, on, through, over,
under
Demonstrate the ability to participate cooperatively in performing Tell the students that theatre is all
a pantomime or dramatizing a story about cooperation
FIRST GRADERS
Apply the theatrical concept of beginning, middle, and end Use any kind of story or rhyme
to other content areas, for example, act out the life
cycle of a butterfly
Demonstrate the ability to work cooperatively in presenting a Tell the students that actors always
tableau, an improvisation, or a pantomime support each other
SECOND GRADERS
Use problem-solving and cooperative skills in
dramatizing a story, a current event or a concept
from another subject area
Demonstrate the ability to participate cooperatively in the Note all the jobs (putting objects in
different jobs required to create a theatrical place, turning the lights or music on
production and off)
THIRD GRADERS
Use problem-solving skills to dramatize a story or a
current event from another content area, with
emphasis on the five Ws
Develop problem-solving and communication skills by Get a good book on theatre games
participating collaboratively in theatrical and use it for short, collaborative
experiences exercises once or twice a week
FOURTH GRADERS
Dramatize events in California history Use tableau it works well here
Base some tableau on historic art or
photographs
Use improvisation and dramatization to explore concepts Include dramatic elements in all
in other content areas reports and presentations
Exhibit team identity and commitment to purpose when
participating in theatrical experiences
FIFTH GRADERS
Use theatrical skills to dramatize events and concepts, Have students do internet research on
from other curriculum areas, such as reenacting the historical reenactments
signing of the Declaration of Independence in
history-social science
Identify the roles and responsibilities of performing and Have students find resources on
technical artists in theatre, film, television and technical theatre careers and report
electronic media on them to the class
SIXTH GRADERS
Use theatrical skills to communicate concepts or ideas
from other curriculum areas, such as a
demonstration in social science of how persuasion
and propaganda are used in advertising
Research career opportunities in media, advertising, Assign various individual or group
marketing, and interactive web design reports on these and other theatre-
related careers

56
 RE-VIEWED
RE-VIEWED VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS, K -6
K-6
Connections, Relationships and Applications
Connections, Relationships and Applications
Connecting and Applying What is Learned in the Visual Arts to Other Art Forms and Subject Areas and to Careers
including connections and applications, visual literacy and careers and career-related skills.

ACTION CONCEPTS, SKILLS, VOCABULARY SUGGESTIONS FOR THE

AND ATTITUDES TEACHER
KINDERGARTEN
Draw geometric shapes/forms and repeat them in
movement
Look at and draw something used every day (scissors, toothbrush,
fork)
Describe how the object is used
Learn about and find images (photographs, paintings, murals, Help the students understand what an
ceramics, sculpture) and symbols found at image, symbol or icon is, providing as
home, at school, and in the community, many simple examples as possible
including national and state symbols and icons Think about patriotic and cultural
symbols: flag, heart, etc.
Make a happy flag
Discuss the different kinds of things artists make like Have samples; experiment with some of
ceramics, paintings, sculpture and what they the materials with the students
make these things out of
FIRST GRADERS
Clap rhythmic patterns from song lyrics and use A link to music
symbols to make the patterns visual
Look at and compare folk art objects from different cultures and times
Look at and sort pictures into categories according to the Use this as an extension for learning the
elements of art, looking for line, shape, color, elements of art
form and texture
Describe objects designed by artists like furniture, Collect sample pictures of modern, well-
appliances, cars designed objects
SECOND GRADERS
Show opposites like up/down, in/out, over/under, Consider this a seed idea for a lesson
together/apart by using overlapping shapes, size that could be developed
differences, and placement on the paper
Paint or draw a portrait of a hero using colors to create a mood
and show personality
Sort pictures into categories according to expressive Collect lots of pictures (laminate them)
qualities such as theme and mood for this exercise; use them many times
over the year
Discuss artists in the community that make different Make a list of community artists; invite
kinds of art some to come talk to the students
THIRD GRADERS
Describe how costumes help bring meaning to dance Look for images on-line; think about
theatre as well
Write a poem or story about their own art
Look at representational (realistic) artwork Link to theatre and all kinds of literature
(paintings, drawings, etc.) and predict what and storytelling
might happen next
Point out the clues in the pictures that make them think
Describe how artists, like architects, book illustrators,
muralists, industrial designers, have affected
peoples lives

57
 RE-VIEWED VISUAL ARTS STANDARDS K - 6
FOURTH GRADERS
Select a nonobjective painting Define nonobjective
Work in small groups to interpret it using Establish norms for group work
dance/movement
Write a paragraph about the experience (what Have students write about their artistic
happened in the group) processes as well
Find modern artists that use bilateral symmetry in
their work
Create artwork using bilateral or radial symmetry
FIFTH GRADERS
Use linear perspective to depict geometric objects
Identify design icons, logos, and other graphic devices Understand visual symbolism and how
as symbols for ideas and information something very simple (but powerful) can
represent big, complex ideas, for example
the yin/yang symbol
Find out and report about what architects, designers, graphic artists, Use on-line resources, as well as books
animators do, what they create and how their and actual examples; this could be an
work affects the environment individual or group presentation
SIXTH GRADERS
Research how art has been used in theatrical productions Think about set design, background
in the past and present painting, lighting, etc.
Research how traditional characters are represented in art Use Commedia Dellarte characters as
and illustrations (such as the trickster) well, or fools, or nymphs, etc.
Create artwork with visual metaphors that express the Help students understand metaphor and
traditions and myths of selected cultures then visual metaphor
Describe the tactics (tricks) advertising uses to sway the
viewers thinking
Collect examples to share
Develop criteria to use in selecting artwork for specific Have students work in small groups or as
kinds of exhibitions (and shows) a whole class
Think about showing artwork at your own
school for different occasions

58
59
 9. READING A FORMAL LESSON PLAN
Why are there so many different formats?
What difference does it make anyway?
How does a lesson plan structure influence teacher thinking?

Formal Lesson/Unit Structure

Formal plans tend to be written as units of instruction, which include multiple, sequenced les-
son plans, each designed to further the larger goals, broader content standards, bigger ideas,
understandings, and questions. Lessons within those units tend to have the same, or nearly
the same, contextual information. This is especially true with lessons found on-line from
cultural institutions, university departments of education, and state, county, or district offices
of education. The lessons found in state-adopted visual art, music, or theatre textbooks are
always arranged under large units of instruction with elaborate context. Each of the lessons
follows very specific lesson design sequences that do not change throughout the book. The
lessons are contextualized at the beginning of the book and/or before each unit.

What follows is an outline of the most common elements found in formal visual and perform-
ing arts lessons and/or units of instruction. The vocabulary reflects a wide variety of lesson
sources. Formal lessons have most of these elements. Other good lessons have some of
these and many lessons (which might actually just be activities) have very few of these
elements. Part One lists the plan elements having to do with placing the lesson in a broader
context. Part Two describes all the elements of the instructional sequence (what many teach-
ers call the actual lesson). Even if the classroom teacher rarely includes all of this, it is good
to know that the writers of formal plans for others do. It means they have thought about the
significance of the teaching and learning outcomes proposed.

60
 THE ELEMENTS OF FORMAL UNIT/LESSON FORMATS

PART ONE: CONTEXT

THE BASIC INFORMATION about the lesson includes such ideas as:
Arts discipline (or disciplines if integrated)
Grade level or grade level range
Lessons place in a unit of instruction
Lesson time frame
The title of the lesson

THE ARTS CONTENT STANDARDS

Selected California VAPA Content Standards (or National or out of state content
standards
What students will know and be able to do
If integrated, selected content standards from linked discipline(s)

Pre-content standards (and some content standards-based) lessons use words/phrases

such as:
Benchmarks and/or objectives
Learning goals and/or objectives
Student outcomes and/or instructional objectives
Target learning and/or assessment criteria

THE BROADER CONTEXT FOR THE UNIT/LESSON

Larger educational goals and district learning goals
Essential questions
Enduring understandings and/or big ideas

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE / EXPERIENCE FOR SUCCESS

What students need to know and be able to do before the lesson in order to
be successful

ASSESSMENT
Sometimes included in the context part of the formal lesson or unit plan

CONTENT: WHAT IS THIS LESSON ABOUT?

The lesson plan may use such terms as:
Overview or lesson introduction/description
Lesson focus
Problem to solve
Lesson rationale
Art understanding(s)

THE PRE-TEACHING SPECIFICS THE SET-UP

Materials, supplies, equipment (sometimes space)
Resources necessary to teach (or prepare to teach)
Vocabulary and words to know
Classroom set up and presentation
Teaching tips
Background statement related to the content

61
 PART TWO: INSTRUCTION

THE INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE or INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN

This is the lesson/teaching sequence, process, or procedure broken down into steps
and the pedagogy/ methodology of the lesson. Formal lessons include all or some of
the following elements:

Introduction, Motivation, Background Information, Prior Knowledge

Intended to engage students in the new lesson
Physical Warm Up
Essential for performing arts lessons, especially dance
Demonstration/Modeling
Presents new material, artistic processes, techniques and/or building skills
and practice, or direct instruction
Guided Practice
Problem solving, corrective feedback, exploration
Independent Practice
Application, construct and produce, main event, creating, perform,
present, explore
Culminating Activity
Sharing, performance (individually, in small groups, whole class)
looking at artwork
Closure, Reflection, Critique, Debrief
Analyze, connect, perceive, and reflect
journal writing
Cool Down, Clean-up
Intended to transition to next activity

THE POST-TEACHING ASSESSMENT

Formal and informal assessment
Evaluation
Sample rubrics
Assessment checklists
Meeting expected outcomes

ADAPTATIONS
Differentiated instruction
Special needs
Tips for English Language Learners

EXTENSIONS AND VARIATIONS

Additional steps
Connected lessons about the same content
Lessons that make connections to other disciplines

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS
(If not previously listed in the context at the beginning of the lesson/unit plan.)
Arts across the curriculum
Curriculum links
62
Common Ideas, Different Vocabulary
Elementary teachers are routinely involved in curriculum mapping activities that try to bring
together complementary themes from various content standards and lesson plans to make
instruction more effective and interesting. Yet, often the arts are left out of this picture. Teach-
ers sometimes think of the arts as unstructured or as a series of activities with no particular
plan behind that. If elementary teachers spend some time looking at formal lesson/unit plans
in the arts, they will discover that there are many commonalities with formal lesson plans writ-
ten to content standards among all subject areas.

Some lessons are extremely rich in context all the stuff before the instructional sequence
and what the children will actually do. Can a lesson or unit plan have too much context? Can
a lesson or unit contain all context with little content? Yes. Sometimes there is not enough
information to know what to do.

63
 10. JUDGING HOW WELL A UNIT/LESSON PLAN ADDRESSES
CONTENT STANDARDS
How does a teacher judge how well the lesson addresses a particular standard?
How does a teacher judge the degree to which a lesson, even one that sites specific
content standards, helps students meet content standards?

A teacher can select lessons to teach big and little concepts and/or specific skills and enduring
understandings. In music, for example students are asked to compose on classroom instru-
ments, a short melody that uses Middle C, D, E, F, and G and to identify the letter names of
the lines and spaces in treble clef. These are small but necessary skills toward creating a
short piece of music. In visual arts, students should be able to identify complementary colors
(a small task) but they should also be able to understand that complementary colors create
contrast and that contrast can be a compositional element in a painting. In order to do the lat-
ter, they will have to paint a picture using complementary colors as a compositional element.
If the lesson does not ask for that but just describes a series of little tasks that are about nam-
ing complementary colors, it probably does not teach the standard as well as it could. Many
so-called arts lessons are actually exercises. As such, they probably dont teach a selected
standard very well. However, if the exercises are followed by an application, an open-ended
problem-solving opportunity for the students to apply the ideas of the exercise, then the les-
son as a whole probably does a good job of teaching the standard.

It is important to remember that the lesson tasks are often the performance tasks. Being
able to do them is the assessment. Does a single lesson have to address all the content
standard strands? No, but over the course of a unit of instruction, all the strands should be
addressed. Thats why in formal lesson design approaches such as Backwards Mapping from
Understanding by Design, teachers design units of instruction that include sequenced lessons
that build upon each other, and as a whole address the essential questions and enduring
understandings of the discipline.

Making a judgment about how well an existing lesson/unit meets content standards is prob-
ably the most difficult aspect of selecting and designing lessons in the arts or in any other
subject. Many lesson tasks work that is, they help students to understand various content
standards concepts and skills; however, how well they work will always be a matter of judg-
ment. The more a teacher knows about an arts discipline and about lesson/unit and lesson
structure, the better judgment they will have. Teachers will learn more and more about both
the discipline and the pedagogy represented by the lesson plan by teaching selected lessons
to their students over time.

64
 Criteria For Judging How Well
An Existing Unit/Lesson Meets Content Standards

The Basics
Are California or National Arts Standards specifically cited in the lesson?
If none are cited, are the stated learning objectives in alignment with one or more of
the content standards?
If there are no stated learning objectives, are the lesson activities an expression of
specific content?

If the lesson in question does not meet any of the above criteria, find a new lesson or take
the appealing ideas from the lesson and re-write it to meet the criteria. If the lesson does
have one or more of these attributes, move to the evidence.

The Evidence
Where in the pedagogical sequence do you see evidence that the referenced
content standards are being addressed?
What specific activities demonstrate potential for helping students to meet the
standard(s)?
Are the activities in the instructional sequence all focused on the cited standard(s)
and/or learning objectives?
Are introductory exercises, warm-ups, games, or other activities followed by an
application task?
Are the events of the lesson designed to have an impact on a students thought
processes?
Do the activities called for make the standard(s) come to life?
Is the content authentic to the discipline?

If the unit/lesson in question has these attributes, move to the last criteria.

The Outcomes
At the end of the lesson,
Would the students know why they did what they did?
Would the students know why it matters?
Would the students know how to apply what they have learned to a new situation or
task or creative problem?

If the teacher answers yes to these final three questions and the unit/lesson has met the
previous criteria, then it is likely that the unit or lesson would be effective in helping students
to meet the content standards to which the lesson refers.

65
 MODIFYING AND ADAPTING
EXISTING LESSONS
1. MODIFYING LESSONS TO MEET STUDENT AND
TEACHER NEEDS
Why do teachers modify existing lessons and units?
How can modification make lessons more teacher-friendly?
How are lessons adapted to meet specific student needs?

Introduction
Teachers modify existing lessons for their students, for themselves and to respond to con-
ditions in their school. They modify existing lessons to better align with their students prior
learning experiences in the selected art form. They modify to strengthen alignment to content
standards. Modifications take into consideration the sequential instruction or lack thereof that
students have had in a particular arts discipline. Teachers also modify existing lessons to
make them easier to teach or to bring them into a comfort zone where they can feel a degree
of confidence. Lessons are modified to increase student engagement and achievement; and,
teachers modify existing lessons to align with conditions such as time, space, and the availa-
bility of resources, equipment, and materials. Teachers will not choose lessons that dont do
enough, or that wouldnt result in a good outcome or that are not challenging enough for their
students. Sometimes they see a good idea with the potential for improvement; thus, existing
lessons can be simplified or made more complex and interesting.

Dance, music, theatre and visual arts lessons are regularly modified to fit into an available
time slot, or to utilize the resources, equipment, materials and space available. A visual arts
lesson written for 55-60 minute time frames could become two, 40-minute lessons. Or a
dance lesson that assumes the class will be in a gym or multi-purpose room may need to be
modified if it must take place in a classroom with the desks pushed back, producing good,
but different outcomes from the original. Primary music lessons that assume a collection of
Orff instruments might still be accomplished with modifications, using found and hand-made
instruments. Teachers also make modifications to lessons based on student outcomes. If a
significant number of students didnt get it, then the teacher will take a good look at the les-
son and make changes. If the lesson did not engage students as completely as the teacher
thought it would, modifications will also be made.

Teachers know there is no such thing as a completely original lesson. Lessons and units
evolve, ideas circulate and as they do so, are changed and modified by everyone who comes
in contact with them. Lesson ideas are like a game of telephone they change in transla-
tion from one teacher or one source to another. Every teacher wants to make a lesson his/her
own. Once that happens, the lesson tends to be taught over and over again until it is time to
modify it in light of new students, new information, and growth on the part of the teacher.

66
An Example of Lesson Modification
An example of lesson modification can be found by comparing two excellent theatre lessons,
one from the Kennedy Centers ArtsEdge on-line archive, and the other from the San Diego
Unified School District (SDUSD) both written for third grade (also available on-line). The ArtsEdge
lesson is called A Character Lifebox and the San Diego lesson, Life in a Box. Remember,
there is no such thing as an original lesson, so the life box idea has probably been around
for a long time, so either lesson could have been written independently of the other or either
could have come from the other. For the sake of the discussion, lets say the ArtsEdge lesson,
which is part of a large unit based on the play, The Shakespeare Stealer (and a book of the
same name) came first, and that other arts educators saw that lesson and modified it to be
more useful for a broader range of applications.

A Character Lifebox is written to the National Visual and Performing Arts Standards. The
Life in a Box lesson is written to California Content Standards. Both lessons address the
same general ideas, although the ArtsEdge lesson is more concerned with research through
asking students to find information to support classroom dramatizations. The SDUSD les-
son is specifically linked to Grade 3 Artistic Perception standards: 1.1 and 1.2, as well as
being connected to the ideas of backwards mapping in the use of essential questions. The
instructional objectives for the Character Lifebox are quite specific to the context of the unit
based on Shakespeare, while the modified lesson broadens the idea to be about creating
original characters. The original lesson is also more integrated as it asks students to write a
rhyme royal to describe the character depicted in their life box.

The part of the lesson that has been kept the same is the idea that the objects people put in
purses, backpacks, gym bags, brief cases or suitcases tell a lot about what they do or where
they are going. You could call these things character life boxes, because they reveal so-
mething about a persons life. The ArtsEdge lesson calls for students to do research about
particular Shakespearian characters and then create a life box that contains items that are
uniquely representative of that character. Students are called upon to find, make, draw or
otherwise represent these items in various kinds of boxes and present them to the class.

The SDUSD lesson is not connected to Shakespeare, but to the idea of creating a character
using actual objects/props to stimulate ideas. The emphasis has moved from creating a box
based on an existing, historical character to creating original characters using real items that
help define who a character is. The second lesson also has students pair up and discuss
what kinds of things they carry in their own backpacks that identify who they are. The second
lesson is thus more closely aligned with the experience of the students. The original lesson is
more academically based and more integrated.

In terms of the instructional sequence, the SDUSD lesson provides the teacher with more
specific steps. It has a list of items that might be collected for the boxes, or, alternately sug-
gests that the objects could be written on slips of paper. The guided practice provides oppor-
tunities for students to work in small groups to use the character box items to create a unique
character and to develop a scenario for each character including setting and environment,
action, mannerisms, gestures, and obstacles.

67
So in selecting one or the other of these existing lessons, it isnt about which lesson is the
best but about which lesson is most appropriate for a particular group of students, and which
comes the closest to helping those students achieve the learning objectives teachers have
selected. What is most likely is that whichever lesson is selected, further modification will take
place. Or, perhaps one of these lessons might lead to the other.

WHAT CAN BE MODIFIED IN AN EXISTING LESSON

Change the focus from a specific context to a general or more generic context
Change the focus from an integrated lesson to an arts-specific lesson
Change the focus from an arts-specific to an integrated lesson
Substitute one set of materials/media for another (visual arts)
Change the format: size, shape, background paper, etc. (visual arts)
Substitute specific resources such as a particular piece of music or a visual image
Change/substitute one musical instrument for another
Redesign activities to fit existing/available space (dance, theatre)
Redesign to accommodate available time frames: one lesson into two or more
sessions
Combine or collect exercises or activities from several sources into a single, better
lesson
Add layers to the original lesson incorporating extension ideas directly into the
lesson
Add depth to ideas in the original lesson by exploring them in more detail
Make changes to the instructional sequence:
add more details, more written out steps to follow
reorder the steps to make more sense within specific circumstances
speed up or slow down the steps/processes
build in demonstration/modeling that wasnt in the original lesson
provide more time for practice, exploration, experimentation
Use the same processes, but change the subject (art), the scene/play (theatre),
music, or dance form
Add concepts not included in the original lesson such as closure, reflection
questions, student-led critique, and self-assessment rubrics
Add the context pieces missing from the original lesson, if it is to be a formal lesson
write-up (standards, overview, learning outcomes, etc.)
Add the specific standards that the lesson modification now includes

Now teach the new lesson several times, note student engagement and level of accom-
plishment and modify again if necessary.

68
 2. INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE: PICTURING INSTRUCTION
What does the lesson look like from the teachers point of view?
How does teacher comfort level in the arts affect choice and pedagogy?

Teachers consider student needs first and foremost, thus they may tend to move directly to
the instructional sequence in looking at the lesson plan. However, the contextual parts of a
quality, formal lesson/unit plan are vitally important, especially in thinking about lesson design.
For example, backwards mapping starts with the assessment: how will the teacher know if
students have understood? What will students know and be able to do and how will teachers
know? What evidence will be acceptable? Once that is established, then the teacher consi-
ders what learning opportunities need to be provided in order for students to get there. Next,
the teacher decides what steps must be completed so that students will be able to produce
that evidence and meet outcomes. Those learning opportunities are what many teachers
think of as the lesson. It is this instructional sequence, what happens with students in those
30 to 60 minutes, that teachers look at most specifically. Teachers are initially concerned with
content, but after having established that the lesson is standards-based, they are concerned
with the pedagogy and teaching methodology. Teachers are looking for a plan that outlines
effective instruction. The ideas below might be a guide for teachers in selecting (or writing) an
arts instructional sequence that will work in the classroom.

AN EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE

IS FOCUSED. It is clearly about something, not everything, or too many things, and
what it is about is clear. All the parts of the sequence support the focus.

HAS FLOW. The order of the instruction the methodology makes sense. The se-
quence of events is logical and do-able.

CENTERS ON STUDENTS. The student is present in the lesson. All the activities
and processes of the lesson are student-centered and all the tips and steps try to an-
ticipate the ways students will interact with the content of the lesson. Scripted les-
sons talk directly to students and anticipate their questions.

INTRODUCES ITSELF. There is sufficient information about how to introduce the

lesson to the students. There are examples of what to say to begin to engage them
in the learning. The introduction lets students know why, what they will be doing,
is important within the discipline and within the specifics of this lesson. In dance and
theatre, physical warm-up may be part of this introduction.

PROVIDES SUFFICIENT INFORMATION. There is enough information for the teac-

her to teach the lesson. (It is not underwritten related to necessary steps to carry out
the procedures.) Not every good lesson has long lists of multiple steps. Some great
lessons are very economical in that regard. Three simple, clear steps can some
times be the most effective lesson. The less one knows about a discipline, however,
more information may be needed. Teachers are counting on the lessons sequence
steps to guide them, as well as the students.
69
 IS PRACTICAL. The materials, space and instructional resources are available, or
not hard to find, or it would be easy and appropriate to make substitutions for various
supplies, images, songs, scripts, stories, etc. The focus of the lesson would be
the same.

HAS LEGS. A teacher can immediately see it going in many directions, work at
many levels, work with many different kinds of students and in many different
settings. It is possible to see what could come before and how the ideas could
be extended. There are interdisciplinary possibilities.

DEFINES THE APPROPRIATE MODELING. There is enough information in the lesson

so that the teacher can picture how to model the new information to be presented to
students.

SUPPORTS MULTIPLE APPROACHES. There are suggestions for other ways of

approaching aspects of the lesson you could do this, or, with more students, you
could do that, or if you have less time, you could do this, or if you cant use the gym,
you could make these changes. It has suggestions or tips that make it easier to
implement.

LEADS TO EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING. What the students will be able

to accomplish by way of all the steps of the instructional sequence of the lesson is
proof that they have understood the concepts, skills and processes presented. They
understand what they have done and why it is important and that they can assess
their own success in terms of the learning objectives.

IS MOTIVATING, INTERESTING AND A GOOD CHALLENGE for both students and

the teacher.

Teacher Comfort Level

Far too often the elementary generalist classroom teachers feel uncomfortable with teaching
one or more of the arts disciplines because they have not had the background or training to
do so. Pre-service teacher training programs do not spend much time on the arts. There are
no longer any specific requirements for preparing generalist to teach dance, music, theatre
or visual arts. It may be the case for younger teachers that the arts were not even a part of
their elementary experience. Such teachers often describe themselves as arts phobic even
though, at the same time, they strongly support the arts for students. Even teachers, who
used to teach the arts as part of their curriculum, may have left arts lessons behind for years;
but excellent professional development in the arts is out there, and more and more teachers
are participating.

Those teachers who have not participated in in-depth professional development in the arts
depend on finding quality lessons and units and hoping that the lessons provide them with the
context, content and strategies necessary to be successful; but there will be some work invol-
ved, as is always the case with good teaching in any subject. How willing is the teacher to do
a bit of work ahead of the lesson? Who can they ask about the lesson? Where can they get
advice, clarity, and tips? Has anyone else on the staff taught this lesson or something like it?
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Maybe another teacher, who knows more about it, can teach the lesson first and report back.
Can the lesson be taught as a collaboration between the teacher and a guest artist? These
are a few approaches a teacher can take to strengthen confidence.

It comes back to the quality of the existing lesson/unit selected to teach, and how much sup-
port that lesson provides. The discipline of dance, for example, sometimes frightens teachers;
but a lesson on the ArtsEdge site written for grades 3-4 provides so much guidance that even
the dance phobic might give it a try. The lesson is called Dancing Winds and is part of a
unit on Weather on the Move. If a teacher has success with this lesson, the whole unit is
available on-line and could be modified to become an 8-10 week curriculum.

A Teacher-Friendly Dance Lesson

The lesson has everything, beginning with the usual Kennedy Center focus on National Stan-
dards. This is an integrated lesson, so standards are cited for dance and for science. The
National Standards are parallel to our California content standards and can all be placed
under our content strands. (See Chart on page 22 and 23). The lesson talks about what the
students should know about dance/movement before the lesson is taught. The instructional
objectives are absolutely clear there are seven of them, and they relate to each step of the
lesson sequence. The lesson addresses the basic elements and concepts of dance: locomo-
tor and axial movement, shapes, paths, energy, expression and sequence. It also addresses
basic science concepts in relation to weather. It is yet another example (and there are many
on the web and elsewhere) of dance content connected to the physical world. The weather
concepts are covered with the same detail as the dance content. There is real balance here.
The activity sequence is a good blend of the ideas from science finding expression through
the vocabulary and skills of dance.

The instructional plan addresses teacher preparation and specifically includes directions
for the teacher to help in the management of movement. Not just directions, but a whole
set of ideas that any teacher would want to keep as a reference for future lessons. These in-
structions could help teachers without a dance background to develop a whole methodology
for teaching dance. They include such ideas as the space bubble a dancers personal
space, cues, freezes, spatial arrangements for students, partners, time limits, and continuous
feedback in the form of specific praise that reiterates dance vocabulary. For the creative pro-
blem of making a wind dance, the lesson provides students with three different themes and
subjects that could form the basis of a dance. This list, that teachers would give students or
put on the board, is included in the lesson. Students might work from scientific principles, from
a list of famous winds (Blue Norther, Santa Ana, etc.), or from poems about the wind. They
then construct their dance using guiding questions and the skills they developed in the first
part of the lesson. The assessment is based on the questions and is included in the unit. It is
clear that the dances the students make would confirm their learning and the goals of the les-
son. The lesson, all along the way, is also full of helpful hints, which greatly increase teacher
comfort level. To teach this lesson well, 45 minutes seems way too short, however. This could
easily be two, or even three lesson sessions.

Not all lessons reach this level of design clarity; but a lesson like this, once taught, re-taught,
and possibly revised provides teachers with the confidence to help students achieve.

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Modeling and Demonstrating Concepts, Processes and Skills
One of the things that makes teachers the most nervous about teaching arts lessons, particu-
larly when they dont have a background in the discipline, is how they will teach the skill-based
concepts and processes. Teachers wonder if they will be able to foresee where students will
have the most difficulty and then how they will help them get past those difficulties. Modeling
and demonstrating concepts and skills is important in teaching any discipline, and teachers
do it all the time, but sometimes teacher comfort level drops considerably at the prospect of
demonstrating and modeling in the arts. However, there are ways to do it that do not depend
on being good at the discipline. There are also some differences between modeling and de-
monstrating concepts in the visual arts and in the performing arts.

For the Visual Arts

Many teachers insist they cant draw, as though that was a reason not to teach art. Students
can draw, and paint and make things, and so can teachers. Its just that the students are
more willing to try and to experiment and to fail and try again. Demonstration and modeling
of processes is an important aspect of teaching visual art, but there are many ways to go
about it. The most positive point of view a teacher can take is to be a learner along with the
students. The advantages the teacher has, of course, are teaching experience, patience and
advance planning. There are many nearly fail-safe ways to demonstrate for students. Some
suggestions:

ALWAYS try a new lesson out in advance. Go through the process and produce a
sample. Note areas where you had problems, or where you were less sure of what
to do. Resolve how that will go when you teach the lesson, to eliminate most of the
problems.

Make simple examples of the steps toward a finished piece of work to post for the
class before and as they are working.

Demonstrate steps in very simple ways, without details, such as drawing shapes in
place of figures, trees, still life objects, etc. (That might be less directive as well).

When drawing in front of the class, use large chart paper with light pencil lines drawn
in advance then draw over lines with felt pen or crayons.

Admit that you are trying things out, just as they will be doing. You can invite student
input: Does this look right? Does this look like a cat? What will happen if I add lots
more water to this paint? Lets experiment with making a rubbing.

Mistakes also teach. Make some mistakes on purpose. The students will catch
them every time. Ask them how you can fix the problem. This approach anticipates
the mistakes they will make and provides a good example for fixing things up instead
of giving up.

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 Have students demonstrate how they would go about drawing a tree or a figure, or
where they would place an object to make it look up close or further away. Get many
responses. It is always easier to edit than to originate. This approach will let you
know where the students are in terms of their skill levels.

Preview first and then use some step-by-step videos for demonstrating particular
skills-based content, such as facial proportion, figure drawing, perspective, or
for how to use particular media (watercolor) or process (printmaking).

When students, working independently, ask, how do you draw a whatever, show
examples, or if you are comfortable, show them the basic shapes on a separate
piece of paper. NEVER draw or paint on student artwork.

Get students used to having their work shared with the class at all stages of the pro-
cess. Their work will always be the best examples a teacher can have.

For the Performing Arts

Some teachers are comfortable demonstrating movement skills or singing in front of the class.
Some can play a recorder or guitar. Many are willing to take on a character to demonstrate ac-
ting for students. But how can teachers demonstrate certain skills if they think they dont have
them? Some teachers dont want to or are not able to run and skip or stretch and slide across
the multi-purpose room, but that does not preclude teaching dance. Many world-famous
chorographers and dance teachers continue teaching into old age when actual demonstration
is impossible. They get their dancers to demonstrate, and they use constant feedback to
improve what they are seeing. Teachers seem to have fewer issues with K-6 theatre lessons
presumably because they are so linked to language and literacy skills, to reading, writing and
storytelling, to narrative and understanding content, all of which are part of what teachers do
every day in their classrooms. Many language arts standards include drama/theatre activities
as part of the teaching approach. Music presents the greatest challenge for teachers, especi-
ally after the third grade, but there are ways to improve the situation.

For Dance
Observe the class and pick those students who clearly have the idea. Allow them to
demonstrate movement skills such as the locomotor and axial movements.
It is often more appropriate for them to demonstrate a position or movement.

Research and select clips from videos and DVDs that demonstrate the skills of the
lesson. Let the clips demonstrate. Be sure and ask students again and again, What
did you see? Push for very specific answers. Insist on active engagement.

Help students to visualize certain movement skills. Talk them through a movement
sequence like a coach talks a student through a batting swing or golf stance. Tell
students to close their eyes and picture doing the movement or sequence of move-
ments.

Have the students talk through a movement sequence themselves before they do it,
much as they would talk through a science experiment or a math problem. Have
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 them talk through a successful movement sequence, describing exactly what they did.

Remember that dance is a visual art when viewed from the point of view of the
audience. Watch the students very carefully in order to make specific suggestions
for them to try out.

Dance warm-ups do not have to be mirrored. Verbal directions will work they may
have to be very specific. Selected students can take turns leading the group with a
warm-up script.

Choose strong images to share with students. Picture books and metaphors help
students to understand movement.

If/when you demonstrate movement for students, be enthusiastic and realistic and
have fun.

The comfort level for dance is addressed directly in the introduction to Interdisciplinary Lear-
ning Through Dance by Lynette Young Overby, Beth C. Post and Diane Newman. Teachers
often think they have to be able to dance in order to use it in the classroom. But that is not the
case. Teachers only have to be able to appreciate dance for the learning it lends, just as they
appreciate music, or history, or the magic of the written word. As educators,we are responsible
for directing the learning of our students, not necessarily being able to excel at every aspect
ourselves.

For Theatre
Demonstrate the basics, which have much in common with good teaching (speak
with feeling, focus, etc.) to get the students started, select the students who get it
and have them demonstrate for others.

Model focus and seriousness of purpose all of the time that is probably the most
important kind of modeling a teacher can do in a theatre class.

Always ask the students, What did you see? What could you do differently?
which can lead to, Show me what you would do.

In theatre, for the teacher, it isnt so much demonstration or modeling as side

coaching, which is a constant flow of ideas to improve performance, given quietly to
individuals or groups.

Use well-selected video and DVD clips to demonstrate more complex concepts and
ask students very specific questions about what they saw and heard.

Be willing to try things out in many different ways: It could be like this or like that,
and then open it up to student interpretation.

Get students used to sharing what they are rehearsing, both for purposes of demon
stration and for active, on-going feedback.

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 Be enthusiastic in any demonstration.

For Music
Refer to the last few pages of the VAPA Framework under Selected References and
Resources and go to Music References, where there are several books on strategies
for teaching various levels of music including Strategies for Teaching K-4 General
Music

Use CDs to teach the songs. The voice on the CD, if it is for children, will be at an
appropriate pitch.

If you are unsure of the appropriate singing range for children, consult a specialist.
Practice singing in that range.

Find and use a wide variety of musical games to teach simple musical concepts.
American Play Party games (available on line) are part of our cultural heritage. Often
they are based upon Solo Tutti form and give children several musical experiences
at once. Name Games, beat passing games, circle games, call and response are
just a few of the many types of musical games that children the world over play.

Teach music notation using all kinds of visuals these can be found in hundreds of
activities on-line, in music text books and in music resource books.

Let children create their own notation symbols in the early grades.

Focus on listening skills and upon the non-technical content standards, especially
music history, form and style.

Collect/purchase, over time, a set of classroom unpitched percussion instruments:

shakers, tambourines, hand drums, sticks, wood blocks, cymbals, rubbing instru-
ments (Guiro), and ethnic instruments.

Create sound categories (timbre or tone color) for the unpitched instruments. Keep
them at easy access to accompany a language, math, singing, dramatic or
movement lesson.

Use the echo, call and response, question-answer and the rhythm of words to teach
rhythmic pattern.

Play John Phillip Souza marches or other strong rhythmic music and let the children
play to the beat with their classroom instruments. Hold up coded cards asking
different sections or groups to play. Let the children take turns conducting.

Further Notes on Music for the Classroom Teacher

If pitched and unpitched Orff Instruments are available, teachers can look for workshops that
explore techniques for their use. The American Orff-Schulwerk Association has workshops all
over the world that are especially designed for classroom teachers (www.AOSA.org). Local
75
chapters have introductory workshops. All of the state adopted textbooks for music now have
sections and notations for using Orff instruments and approaches.
There are two types of listening: passive and active. Students experience passive listening
often during the school day. Active listening suggests a purpose that goes along with learning
about music. Active listening aims at an end result or understanding, such as recognition of
high and low pitch, of theme and variation, of mood, or of musical form or style. Go to a mu-
sic textbook series and find two or three listening lessons at a grade level. Find a composer
that relates to the literature or language series and play their music. Clear the desks for ac-
tive listening. Create a visual listening map (many examples can be found in music series
textbooks) and point to the different sections of the musical excerpt as they happen. Keep the
selections for listening at age appropriate length and difficulty. An excellent approach to this
kind of listening is to be found on the Arts For Learning web site from the Stanford School of
Education.

When classroom teachers do have a music specialist who teaches classroom music, they
should make the most of the situation and participate and learn with the students. That will
empower teachers to do the exercises with the class and children appreciate the fact that their
teacher is a student, too. Ask the specialist for suggestions on how to extend the lesson.
Always remain in the classroom in active participation mode.

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 3. ADAPTING LESSONS
How can we ensure the active participation of ALL students?
How can lessons be moved up and down the grades?

Adapting Lessons for Special Needs Students

Lessons are also adapted to ensure full participation of students with special needs, including
physical and emotional, as well as children with learning disabilities and English Language
Learners. Adaptations are based on the particularized knowledge classroom teachers have
about their own students. The VAPA Framework discusses providing access for all students,
and states, Arts instruction should be modified to encourage the successful participation
of students with disabilities. The advent of theatre for the deaf, wheelchair dance, museum
tours for the visually impaired, and access by touch to musical sounds makes the arts more
accessible. The VAPA Framework also recommends that classroom teachers consult and
collaborate with special education teachers to plan adaptations of units and lessons to be
inclusive of special needs students.

Adaptations can be made according to student interests, functioning level and the students
abilities and skill level. Not all activities must be adapted. There are three key questions to
keep in mind when adapting activities for special needs students:

Does the adaptation change the activity so much that it is no longer recognizable as
the same activity?
Does the adaptation match skill levels?
Will the student be able to participate with others or does modification restrict choice?

The idea is to be as inclusive as possible. Physical warm-up in dance can include physically
handicapped students by creating an agreed upon alternate script for the movements. Wheel-
chairs move. These students can have various partners for movement activities. Include
these students in small group work after class norms have been established for how the
groups are to interact with such students. Theatre classes offer many opportunities for physi-
cal and learning disabled students to shine. There is a good balance in these classes between
active and verbal activities and lots of opportunities for collaborative work. Pantomime and
tableau are highly inclusive activities. There is a huge range of theatre games, some more
or less appropriate for the special needs students. They may participate as their skills allow,
have partners for some games or choose to observe a few. The most appropriate theatre
games would be those that promote cooperation over competition and participation over eli-
mination. As stated in one of the state adopted music series, in rhythmic music games that
pass objects to the beat, students who are not physically able to pass the object may use any
mobility they have to demonstrate the strong beat, such as tapping fingers or nodding the
head. If using the voice is an issue, students can use tuned or untuned classroom instruments
to accompany singing.

The VAPA Framework notes that, Because in the visual arts most production is individuali-

77
zed, different learning styles can be accommodated. Many visual arts lessons contain adap-
tations for special needs students that include substituting media or processes: use sponges
or fingers instead of brushes, use thicker crayons or markers for better control, tear rather
than cut paper. Almost all kinds of physical issues can be mitigated in an art class. Frustration
will likely be the biggest issue, so complexities of the lesson might be reduced and steps sim-
plified. Such students may sometimes be given more freedom regarding how they express
the basic ideas of the lesson. Clay is a favorite media for many students, not just those with
disabilities. The modeling clay or Play Dough used in process lessons can be mashed up and
reused. Students with various degrees of Aspergers Syndrome sometimes have aversions to
some arts materials but a real comfort level with others. Once those preferences are known,
lessons can be reinterpreted for these children through the favored media.

Many of the sources for lessons that have been discussed in this guide routinely include adap-
tations for special needs students, especially those with physical disabilities. The kinderarts.
com web site has live links to other sites that specialize in instruction for these students. All
arts textbooks adopted by the State of California must include adaptations of lessons for spe-
cial needs students found in teachers editions. One music series reminds teachers that some
students with disabilities have social and language deficits that can be helped by participa-
ting in group work with other children. Such students need the opportunity to be contributing
members of the group.
marie

English Language Learners

Many lesson adaptations are for reaching English Language Learners. The arts are a very
effective way to teach English because the language used in teaching is intimately connec-
ted to the activities, the action, the tools, the materials and the processes in which students
are engaged. Scissors are used to cut materials like paper and string. There are many
concrete experiences in the arts. Almost all of the scaffolding strategies used to teach and
adapt materials for English Language Learners are parallel to the natural process of doing
and teaching the arts, especially modeling and demonstrating. Singing and the emphasis
on correct pronunciation will be beneficial to language learners. Children naturally learn lan-
guage through song lyrics and music. One music textbook suggests using movement to help
students understand the difference between hop and jump (lyrics to a song); and, as they do
them, to repeat the correct words each time. It suggests that the teacher use his/her hands
and feet to illustrate the word beat.

Gifted and Talented

There is another group of special needs students. These are the students who excel in one
or more of the arts and need to be challenged, engaged at a deeper level, and encouraged to
be the artist they are. Again, textbooks have many ideas for engaging these students. Often
they come in the form of extensions to the core lessons. The best approaches are not about
having students do more of the same, but rather increase their learning through a new level
or a more complex interpretation or application of knowledge and skills. They can also work
more independently in the visual arts.

For the performing arts, there may be students who have had private lessons, especially in

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music or dance and may be miles ahead of the rest of the class. They must continue to be
challenged, but they must also learn to be a supportive part of the ensemble. They can extend
their learning and be proud of their level of accomplishment by sometimes modeling various
techniques for the class, but not to the point of showing off. Gifted students in the performing
arts can be idea motivators for group work. Thus, on occasion they can be part of groups that
need extra help and sometimes they can be part of a group where they can take their skills
and creativity to new levels. In theatre, casting can be a big issue, becoming more pressing
at the upper grade levels. Teachers have to think about how they will deal with that issue.
At the primary level, at least, all children should have a chance to experience taking on the
big parts they may surprise you! Again, the clearly talented child must learn how to work
cooperatively. There should be no elementary prima donnas, but in any case, these students
need to be challenged. Teachers might consider providing related lessons at the next grade
level for gifted students.

Lessons Up and Down the Grade Levels

Teachers are good at adapting lessons up or down the grade levels. Many arts lessons,
especially those found on-line, are written for a grade range, thus adaptations are to be ex-
pected. The lessons are typically for K-3 and 4-6. Adaptations will almost certainly be neces-
sary. Even lessons written for specific grades have underlying assumptions about what kind
of experiences students have had up to that point that make the lesson appropriate. But only
the experienced classroom teacher can judge if a particular lesson, no matter the stated grade
level, is appropriate for his/her students.

Taking a lesson up the grades would require a teacher to expand on ideas and add new steps
that align to the upper grade and de-emphasize steps that students already know how to do.
When taking a lesson down the grades, the teacher might identify or develop some exercises
that would prepare younger students for success. Going up or down, teachers might find it
helpful to look to the Re-viewed Standards in this guide and to make a list of the sequenced
skills in the grade level they teach, as well as the one before and the one after. Or, if their
students have had little or no instruction over their school experience in the discipline, then
start the list several grades before the current grade. If the lesson being considered meets
the standards of any of those previous years, it could be effective. Or the lesson might be
considered introductory and be followed up quickly with a second (or third) lesson taking the
skill and/or concept up another notch. That would be an example of spiraling curriculum,
which is an essential idea in adapting lessons up and down the levels, as well as sequencing
lessons.

Good examples of the spiraling curriculum can be found by looking through the on-line Arts
Tool Kit developed by the Hawaii Department of Education (www.arts.k12.hi.us). Click on the
Arts Tool Kit and then on a grade level. There are four or five sample lessons in dance, music,
theatre and visual arts for each grade, K-5. The lessons are well written and completely con-
textualized. They are written to their own state standards, which are similar to the California
VAPA Standards. Regarding taking lessons up and down the grades, a good example may
be found in comparing two visual arts lessons, one at the first and one at the third grade, both
simple and straight forward lessons about creating the illusion of volume from a flat shape
through the uses of shading (value).

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The first-grade lesson is a four-step process of guided drawing that turns a simple rectangle
into a cylinder: draw the rectangle, erase the straight top and bottom line and make them
curves (as shown), then shade (as shown). End of lesson. The third-grade lesson takes the
same concept, flat to form, deeper, by using an apple as the subject, introducing the term
chiaroscuro (Italian for light/dark) and having the students draw three overlapping apples,
in three states: whole, one bite out, and the apple core. Drawing pencils are used for both
lessons. The third-grade lesson would not be appropriate for most first graders, but the first-
grade lesson might be the perfect into lesson for third-grade students who have no prior
experience with the concept of flat to form or value, or with the technique of shading. It could
be a sort of warm-up exercise for third graders. The teacher might then create a bridge les-
son, spiraling the same idea again, say, using a circle/sphere, and then the students would
be ready for the third-grade lesson as written. Second-grade teachers might go either way,
using the first or third-grade lesson, or both. A fourth-grade teacher might use all three les-
sons and then find a lesson on the same idea written for the fourth-grade students. All of this
moving of lessons up and down the grades has everything to do with the role of students prior
knowledge in lesson selection and planning.

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 4. THE ISSUE OF PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
How prepared are your students to be successful with the selected lesson?
How do you know?
How could you assess prior knowledge?

The ideas in relation to taking a lesson up or down the grade levels are strongly connected
to an understanding of student prior knowledge and how that affects a teachers lesson se-
lection. As seen in the previous example, the choice of using the first-grade lesson as an
introductory exercise for third-grade students would be in response to a teachers assessment
that his/her students needed more understanding of the basic concept (creating the illusion of
volume) and the process (using a pencil for shading). The VAPA Framework states, When
reading the standards at a particular grade level, one must know which standards were ac-
complished in all the previous grade levels to understand how expectations are based on prior
learning. That is easier said than done.

What Teachers Need to Determine

Most lesson plans do not indicate what skills or understandings students must have in order to
succeed. It is a glaring omission in formal lesson plan formats, and, when looking for a great
lesson in the arts, some teachers, without a lot of subject matter background, sometimes
dont think about it until after teaching the lesson, when the results were not what they thought
they would be.

Thus, when evaluating a lesson for possible use, the teacher will need to determine:

What concepts and ideas students are being asked to understand;

What completely new skills the lesson is teaching;
What skills the lesson assumes are in place with students;
The vocabulary the student will have to understand to do the lesson;
What ways of working, alone or with peers do students need; and
The level of experience with risk-taking, open-ended solutions and creative problem
solving a student has had previously.

Too Many Wild Cards

What are the students being asked to do in the unit/lesson? Do they have the prerequisite
skills? In order to do any lesson that proposes to teach something new, there are skills, proces-
ses, and understanding that will already need to be in place. For example, in visual arts, if the
lesson uses watercolor as the media and does not address how to use watercolor, but goes
directly to other ideas, the writer of the lesson is assuming that the students already know how
to use this media. Many seemingly simple lessons assume all kinds of skills. There can only
be so many wild cards in a lesson; that is, there should be only one or two new concepts or
processes, not a lesson containing multiple new ideas. If a lesson is about using tempera to
paint a landscape in the style of the Impressionists, using tinted warm and cool colors, there
may be too many things going on. Students would have to know how to work with tempera
paint, know that it is opaque and what happens when it is used alone or mixed with water,
how to tint colors with tempera, how to compose a landscape (foreground, middle ground and
background); and finally, what impressionistic painting looks like. All of this is perfectly pos-

81
sible IF the teacher can be sure that students have had lessons or experiences that prepare
them for the new information. If so, the teacher can simply review past concepts. If not, the
lesson is overly ambitious and the students are likely to become frustrated and disappointed
with the results. The teacher will need to break down the skills and understanding called for
and teach the new ones that are missing one lesson at a time to build the capacity to do
the layered lesson in the example.

If a music lesson takes for granted that students understand solfege, (verbal syllables for
the degrees of the musical scale) and they havent learned or worked with that system, the
lesson will not work that is, until the sequenced foundation skills are identified and taught
in separate lessons, previous to the one the teacher has in mind. When that series of les-
sons is put together, you have the beginning of a unit of instruction. Students also have to
be prepared to work in the ways that are traditional to the art form. Dancers move, a lot. It
is all about being physical. That may be daunting for some children. Lots of exercises and
small, safe tasks may have to precede creative dance lessons. Theatre can be intimidating
for shy students and a place to show off for others. So before active participation lessons can
succeed, students have to learn how to work together, how to support and trust each other.
That may take a lot of theatre games and exercises. The lesson itself, if its well written, takes
the students through an introduction, activities and exercises that aim to prepare the students
for the new ideas. These kinds of things are intended to get students ready for the new con-
cepts of the lesson.

How Do You Know What Your Students Know in the Arts?

Is it possible to get some base-line information about what students know and are able to do
in dance, music, theatre and visual arts? It is, if teachers think about it at the beginning of the
year or at the beginning of a unit of instruction. After looking at the VAPA Content Standards
for visual arts for her fourth grade and noting that they include correct facial and body propor-
tions, a teacher can, at any point before teaching the skills involved, ask her students to draw
a face or a human figure with no other input except to do as good a job as possible. From
those base line drawings, the teacher will know what misconceptions the students still have
about correct facial and body proportions, where the most number of students are making
mistakes and then she can find/modify/design lessons to meet those student needs.

Teachers can have students sing right away, or play rhythm games to determine if they can
match pitch or keep a steady beat. For dance, it is always a matter of being able to control the
movement. This is a sort of cross between dance skills and behavior and attitude on the part
of the students. Prior knowledge is thus going to include ideas about personal space, focus
and intent. The teacher would also have to know if the students at the fifth grade have ever
actually learned the basic locomotor and axial movements, and if they can name and distin-
guish between them. She can ask and/or she can have small groups of students demonstrate
what they think they know.

Many times students have prior knowledge based on misconceptions. For example, many
upper elementary students think improvisation is a gotcha game. They think the idea is to
verbally throw something at your partner that they cant deal with. Improvisation is just the
opposite of that. The first rule of improvisation is to support your partner. The second is to

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always say yes, and the third is to do no harm. A classroom teacher could find out quite a
bit about his/her students by letting them try improvisation with no instruction (just once!) and
then talk about what happened (or didnt happen) and with the class, and thus discover the
rules of improvisation.

In order to assess where students are in a particular arts discipline, teachers will need to go to
the content standards, not just at their grade level, but also to standards from previous grades
and those at the next grade. To help assess where students are, the Key Standards, located
at the beginning of each grade level, help in this process.

Key Standards
The arts are not formally assessed in most schools, especially at the elementary level, so
there will be no record that will come with students to indicate the level of the previous arts
learning. How does a teacher know where to start? The content standards at each grade
level guide instruction but they also assume previous learning. If that learning has not taken
place, students have to be brought up to grade level. Do the key content standards provide
a guide to do that? How are they different from other standards? First, they are not different
from the content standards. They are selected from the content standards for each grade
level. The VAPA Framework tells us that the key content standards provide a beginning point
for standards-based instruction in each of the grades, focusing on fundamental content that
students with any level of prior knowledge need to move to the next level of understanding
and expression. They are thus seen as an entry point and as essential to move to the next
grade level.

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 SEQUENCING LESSONS
1. FROM EXISTING LESSONS TO UNITS OF INSTRUCTION
Why is sequenced instruction essential?
How can teachers develop an effective sequence of lessons?
What is best practice in developing units of instruction?

Why Sequence?
In this guide we have discussed criteria for selecting quality, standards-based lessons, as
well as what teachers can do to make the not-so-perfect lesson or set of activities into solid
lessons. The first step in that process is to sequence activities into a focused lesson, but that
is just the beginning. The next critical step is to create a coherent unit of instruction by sequ-
encing the now solid lessons. Sequence is the single, most important concept in lesson and
unit design and in instruction. One look at the teachers editions of adopted textbook series
tells us that. Instruction must first be developmentally appropriate and then utilize the organi-
zational principles that best teach and serve student needs and the arts discipline. Sequential
instruction is a bedrock value of best practice in teaching.

What is sequential instruction based upon? There are some misconceptions about sequence
in the arts. For example, many teachers with no background in the visual arts see sequence
as a progression of materials, thinking that somehow the essence of visual arts is in the art
media. The standards do suggest particular materials and methods at particular grade levels,
but that is based primarily on age-appropriate motor skills. The essence of the visual arts is
in the elements and principles of art, not the paint or chalk or clay. Learning how to use the
materials and processes of visual arts is essential, but students learn these things in order to
be expressive.

The same is true in the other disciplines. Standards-based dance instruction is not primarily
based on learning dance steps, but upon learning the tools necessary to make dances. Chil-
dren learn the skills of locomotor and axial movements, level and shape, but soon learn that
time, space and energy are the real language of expressive dance. Music is highly sequen-
tial. Students learn pitch, rhythm and notation in order to sing or play a musical instrument
accurately; but ultimately, the goal is expression, built on a large set of sequential skills lear-
ning. The key building blocks of theatre are approached through the introduction of the voca-
bulary of theatre in the order suggested by the VAPA Framework. Students learn the rules of
improvisation so that they can develop the quick response, imagination and focus required of
the actor. Theatre skills are constantly layered and reinterpreted at ever-deeper levels. Se-
quencing instruction is about going from activities to lessons to units in a way that supports
and encourages students to develop the skills and the deeper concepts and understandings
necessary to express their own ideas and interpretations.

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How the Standards Guide Sequence
Elliot Eisner tells us frames of reference make a huge difference in what we see. The
strands and the content standards are a frame of reference for what is worth learning in the
arts for K-12 students. Since these are specific grade-by-grade content standards, we as-
sume that the understandings, concepts and skills build upon one another, year after year.
The VAPA Framework gathers all five strands of all four disciplines under each grade level.
Thus, in reading the content standards as they appear in the VAPA Framework, the sequence
of a particular discipline over a span of grades may not be obvious.

The Reviewed Standards Charts separate out the kind of learning that the strands call for,
such as skills, cultural understanding, questions of meaning and judgment and points of intel-
lectual and practical integration with other subjects. Within each of these areas, the sequence
of the introduction of new concepts is highlighted and can be determined. It is possible to trace
the introduction of skills or the progress of developing judgment about the value of works of
art, over selected grade spans. That is important because teachers cannot assume that they
will only be dealing with the skills or concepts at their grade level. They may need to go back to
pick up missed pieces or forward to challenge students. Sequence is built into the standards.
Pedagogical skill involves knowing how to build one idea or skill upon another, how to make
strong connections between what was learned yesterday and what will be learned today, and
to think ahead to tomorrow.

Starting with a Single Standard: Creating the Journey

This is just a scenario. It may or may not be typical, but it illustrates a sequence of thinking
and actions that are plausible for a classroom teacher. Lets say a fourth grade teacher has
looked over the skill standards in the visual arts and seen that students are to make an ex-
pressive work of art using complementary colors for contrast and emphasis. That idea is
appealing. The teacher then goes to a commercial art supply site and finds that she is able to
search the lessons by grade or subject or category. She looks for complementary color and
finds two lessons: Complementary Color Experiments (which is essentially a color wheel)
and Complementary Color Letters (a highly structured lesson using two complementary co-
lors and letter shapes). Neither lesson is grade-level specific, but she knows that they both
address the fourth grade standard. However, while both lessons provide an opportunity for
students to learn about and experiment with the effects of complementary colors, neither is
really about applying that knowledge in an expressive way. These first two lessons would,
however, provide the skills and understandings necessary to take that next step. They would
provide the prior knowledge the students need to be expressive.

The teacher then checks some of the premier sites she knows that provide excellent lessons.
She explores the Arts For Learning site where she finds an art lesson called Making Shapes
Pop with Color. This very formal lesson is complete with target learnings and assessment
criteria. It takes the concept of the expressive use of complementary colors another step by
adding references to the work of the artist, Jacob Lawrence, and introducing informal balance.
Students would now be engaged in making a visual composition using complementary colors
and also seeing how an artist uses those ideas expressively. The teacher now has three
sequenced lessons based on an important fourth grade standard. She feels she needs one
more. She could go with something related to the work of Jacob Lawrence or go further with

85
informal balance or she could do one more thing with complementary colors. The fourth grade
teachers class next door has been studying birds and their environments, and have done an
art lesson using brilliant chalk pastels on black paper to create brightly colored birds in con-
trasting colors, and it suddenly falls into place. She determines to teach the students how to
complete a composition based on the depiction of informal balance of real or imaginary tropi-
cal birds, drawn with bright chalk pastels on black paper, using complementary colors. (There
may have to be a warm-up lesson on the use of the media.) She now has a fully expressive
lesson for the unit.

This example of sequencing lessons into a unit is just one of a number of possibilities. Even
within this example, teachers might find many other directions the sequence could have gone
in rather than the one used here. Creating sequenced lessons or selecting and sequencing
lessons involves creative thinking and can be very exciting. The teacher is creating a journey
for the students in order to come to an important understanding. The teacher started with a
fourth grade standard and understood that all the activities of the lessons were necessary to
build the knowledge toward a big idea. The four lessons, taken together, were clearly a plan-
ned, sequential learning experience and the product of this sequence provided evidence of
the learning. Later, she will establish criteria for how well students have accomplished the
learning objectives.

Expanding the Unit to Include the Other Standards/Strands

The teacher in the above example started with a skills standard, that is, one from the com-
bined Artistic Perception and Creative Expression strands, but a unit of instruction should,

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over the course of all the lessons, address ALL the standard strands. The unit under con-
struction above, does include a piece of the Historical and Cultural Context strand through
the inclusion of the Jacob Lawrence example. After drawing the high contrast birds, a lesson
on the bird illustrations and paintings of John James Audubon might be added; but in terms of
Historical and Cultural Context at the fourth grade level, it might be even more productive to
follow a different connection. For example, the teacher could go back to the main idea of the
expressive use of complementary colors and explore how a California artist such as Wayne
Thiebaud uses color to create highly personal and original views of repeated objects and the
California landscape. That would speak to the fourth grade Historical and Cultural Context
content standard says to identify and describe the subjects depicted in past and present
California art work. There are several childrens books (as well as adult books) on the art of
Wayne Thiebaud for inspiration and background. Finally, the students could read a biography
or story about Thiebaud, and make reports about how he mirrors his time and culture. That,
in essence, is standard 5.4 of the fourth grade Connections, Relationships, and Applications
content standard. With all these additional pieces, our fourth grade teacher would have de-
veloped a complete, standards-based unit of instruction.

From a Skill Series Outward A Different Journey

Another choice in sequencing the instruction above would be to place the two initial skills
lessons on complementary color and the Arts for Learning lesson into a unit on color theory.
Looking back to our re-viewed standards chart under Artistic Perception and Creative Expres-
sion, the skills standards, we can trace the introduction of the color concepts:

Kindergarten: Primary Colors (identify and use)

First Grade: Secondary Colors (mix and use in original artwork)
Second Grade: Warm and Cool Colors (use to express mood and feelings)
Third Grade: Tints and Shades (use expressively)
Fourth Grade: Complementary Colors (use for emphasis and expression)
Fifth Grade: (Not a focus)
Sixth Grade: Color Intensity (for expressing feeling, mood and emotions)

If our teachers fourth grade students didnt have a background in how warm and cool colors
create mood or how to make and expressively use tints and shades, those lessons could be
easily found and put into the sequence before the lessons on complementary colors. Artists
known for using one of these color ideas as a key concept in their work could be used as
examples for each lesson, thus addressing the Historical and Cultural Context strand. Using
the work of artists will also lead to the inclusion of the Aesthetic Valuing strand at the fourth
grade level. One of the content standards under that strand asks students to describe how
using the language of the visual arts helps to clarify personal responses to works of art. The
use of color is highly subjective. The fourth grade students could talk about their own respon-
se to color as found in the artist examples. They would express their opinion using the correct
vocabulary. They might discuss how their own cultural background influences how they judge
the use of color by artists, (which addresses another Aesthetic Valuing content standard at the
fourth grade level). Perhaps children from cultures that consistently use bright, contrasting
colors in art, clothing, design, and folk art, can understand why they might not particularly
like the soft, tinted colors of the impressionist palate. A unit like this would fully explore color

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(Artistic Perception), apply the explorations to expressive work (Creative Expression), link to
artists, styles, and cultures (Historical and Cultural Context) and encourage the use of arts
vocabulary and cultural orientation to state opinions about art (Aesthetic Valuing).

Finding Good Units in the First Place

If adding all the other strands to the unit starts to sound like a lot of work, then another choice
is to find a complete unit of instruction. Teachers may start by going to a quality source such
as the Kennedy Centers ArtsEdge web site. Our example this time is a fifth grade classroom
teacher who has a music specialist to teach the technical music content standards. The class-
room teacher wants an integrated unit to teach content standards in the Historical and Cultural
Context strand. The ArtsEdge site has a lesson plan called Musical Harlem. It turns out to
be four, 45-minute lessons and is in fact, part of a whole unit called Harlem. The four sequ-
enced lessons can be seen as a small unit of instruction in themselves. The unit is directed
to the 3-4 level, but on reading the lesson, it seems to our teacher that it works for the fifth
grade especially since her students have not had a sequential program in music before grade
five. She looks up the Historical and Cultural Context content standards for the fifth grade and
discovers that every one of them is covered by these four lessons, even though they were
written to the national standards. The lessons also include a number of hands-on activities
that explore rhythmic notation and rhythmic patterns, fifth grade skills. Even the Connections,
Relationships and Application strand is covered through the exploration of the role of music in
community events.

The unit is thoroughly contextualized with references to targeted national dance, music, visual
arts, history, and language arts standards. It has a lesson overview, and instructional objec-
tives across the disciplines. Even though it is a cross-disciplinary unit, it is music centered.
The instructional plan has four parts: History of Jazz, Getting to Know Jazz, Mood and
Image, and Harlem Renaissance Jazz Musicians and Their Styles. Each part includes
specific resources and where to get them, including many on-line sources such as finding a
jazz timeline on PBS Kids. An assessment rubric is provided (though it is very general and
will need some modifications to include more specific learning in music). Finally, there is a
whole page of suggested extensions that take the unit in an even more integrated direction,
especially including other arts disciplines.

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 2. DEVELOPING A MANAGEABLE SEQUENCE FROM PUBLISHED
MATERIALS
Developing a sequence from a state-adopted series

One way for teachers to create sequential instruction is to use the teachers edition of a state-
adopted music, theatre or visual arts series at their grade level. There is no state-adopted
dance series at this time, but there are good books available containing sequential dance
lessons and matching resources. But, one might ask, Why would a teacher need to develop
a sequence? Arent those sources already sequenced? They are, but there are between 40
and 80 lessons in most of these series, more than most classroom teachers could teach in a
school year. So how does a classroom teacher decide which lessons to choose if only 15 or
20 can be taught? Some series identify key or core lessons with the implication that, when
choice is necessary, these are the ones to teach.

Masters of Organization
The various textbook series are organized using different approaches, even though they are
all specifically standards-based. The lessons in the teachers editions in music, theatre and
visual arts are all arranged in large units, which can have as many as 40 lessons each. One
music series is organized around concepts, skills and links to other disciplines. One visual arts
series is organized around the elements and principles of visual arts. In another art series,
learning and practicing the skills of a discipline are in the first unit, the expressive application
in the second. The third unit has lessons based on ethnic, historical and folk themes, where
many of the three dimensional and all of the crafts-based lessons are to be found. The last
unit has lessons based on contemporary applications of visual arts concepts such as architec-
ture, graphic design, advertising and news media. The state-adopted theatre series uses
key theatre vocabulary to organize lessons, such as, at level one, plot, character, sound and
voice, visual elements, movement and subject and mood. The theatre and some of the visual
arts teachers editions put a teachers handbook, or technique or activity tips in the back
of the book for later reference. All of the teachers editions list an array of resources, beyond
the instructional resources that come with and are aligned to the lessons in these books.

These teachers editions are especially helpful to elementary classroom teachers in the se-
quential organization of skills. Teachers could use the skills-based lessons as introductions
to favorite lessons from other sources. Or teachers can follow the recommended core or key
lesson guide. Teachers may also use the various teachers editions as a place to look up
specific lessons on particular skills or concepts to strengthen the other ideas they have for
creating sequenced units of instruction. It is not likely that a teacher would pick an all-skills
unit and just teach that, unless those lessons also contain the other strands of the standards,
which they do in many cases.

Teachers Editions and Comfort Levels

Much will depend upon teacher comfort level with the textbook material and on what stu-
dents already know and are able to do. For example, the classroom teacher will need to look
carefully at the content of the lessons in the music series. Teachers of primary grades will
most likely be able to teach the lessons dealing with most of the technical rhythmic, singing

89
and playing skills, but may not be comfortable teaching the unit on music reading. It makes
sense to select comfortable lessons and follow the general order set in the book. One of the
advantages of going to a music series teachers edition for the generalist teacher is to take ad-
vantage of a pre-arranged sequence. The classroom teacher may leave some of the lessons
out. Teachers will also pay close attention to how the students do with the lessons, how well
and at what rate they are learning the concepts. If rhythmic patterns are proving difficult, the
teacher will select more lessons that teach that concept, as he/she would do for any discipline.
As music moves up the grades, the technical issues loom larger for the non-specialist, and the
strategy for selecting lessons from the series may change. At that point, teachers may look
for other lesson/unit resources, particularly those that focus on the non-technical strands and/
or those that integrate music with other arts and/or other disciplines.

Lesson Sequence and the Spiral Curriculum

Sequencing existing lessons involves linking the activities in which students are engaged
from one lesson to another in a coherent way. A set of sequenced lessons becomes a unit of
instruction. Linked units become a curriculum. The content standards give teachers the list of
big ideas. The content standards are built on the idea of a spiral curriculum: important ideas
introduced at one grade level come back over and over again through the grades, each time
asking for understanding at a more complex level. For example, in theatre, character and
setting are not left in kindergarten. The same is true of the important ideas in each of the arts
disciplines. A child tells her teacher she isnt going to draw any more people. I drew a person
last year! The child would only be right if ideas never came around more than once, but the
teacher knows that the new lesson will involve new concepts about drawing a person based
on the childs previous learning.

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 3. A META SEQUENCE APPROACH:
UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN
What are the big ideas of Understanding by Design?
Is that process compatible with using existing materials?
How do the VAPA Standards relate to UBD?

Backwards Mapping
We have been discussing the selection and sequencing of existing units and lessons in this
section and looking at different approaches teachers might take toward this work. What would
represent best practice? If elementary generalist teachers created their own units of instruc-
tion in one or more of the arts according to the tenants of Understanding by Design (UBD) by
Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, that would be it. The research-based Understanding by De-
sign targets achievement through a backwards design process that focuses on assessment
first and relevant instructional activities last. Teachers establish spirals of learning in which
students use and reconsider ideas and skills, vs. a linear scope and sequence. Teachers
think of the curriculum in terms of desired performances of understandings and then plan
backwards to identify the concepts and skills students will need to have.

The planning has three parts:

1. Identify the desired results;

2. Determine acceptable evidence that the results have been achieved; and
3. Plan effective and engaging learning experiences and instruction that makes it
possible for students to produce that evidence.

This is the order of thinking outlined by the backwards mapping template. Understanding by
Design is not arts-specific. It is best practice for planning instruction in all subjects throughout
the curriculum.

Enduring Understandings the Big Ideas

Teachers first develop the enduring understandings the big ideas that they want students to
leave with. Teachers can use the VAPA content standards and strands as the entry points to
the big ideas. The enduring understandings are not original, they come from many sources.
Next, the teacher identifies the essential questions that will frame the teaching and learning
and which suggest meaningful inquiry into content. They determine what students should
know and be able to do. Again, the standards can guide the formation of these kinds of ques-
tions. Many teachers understand this part of backwards mapping as lesson context, but it is
really bigger than that. It is the foundation for instruction.

Evidence of Understanding
The second step of backwards mapping asks teachers to determine what will be acceptable
as evidence of understanding. This is challenging, as . . . it matters greatly that we specify
what types of student work and assessment evidence characterize a student as really under-
standing. Without this clarification, we retain assessment habits that focus on the more su-
perficial, rote out-of-context, and easily tested aspects of knowledge. (Grant Wiggins and Jay
McTighe), Understanding by Design. We need to look at what we are asking students to do in
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the arts and see if they know why it works, why it matters and how they apply that knowledge.
This "evidence of understanding" idea is particularly well suited to the arts. What the students
do as a result of instruction, exploration, and practice related to the problem or challenge set,
IS the evidence. There is nothing more authentic than children presenting their dances, or
singing as a choir, or playing in a band, or acting out their improvisation or scene, or, though it
is not a performance in the same way, holding up their finished picture. Thats it. Did they get
it? Do they know why they did it? Did they follow the parameters of the assignment or task?
The teacher then sets the bar for how well students must achieve.

One could say that performance assessment is inherent in the arts. The ultimate visual arts
assessment is the portfolio the collection of drawings and paintings and notes and sketches
done over a particular period of time. Teachers can design additional tasks specifically for as-
sessing certain skills and understandings, and they can develop or use the written materials
(quizzes, multiple choice and fill-in paper and pencil tests) that come with the state-adopted or
other curriculum series. Also, important to understand, authentic work in the arts, especially
the performing arts, includes embedded assessment. This assessment is part of the lesson
itself. For example, side coaching is a staple of theatre instruction. The teacher, in leading
a theatre lesson, does what a director does for professional actors: gives on-going feedback,
asks questions as the work progresses, and asks students to consider alternative ways of
solving the problem. Dancers work and comment, work and comment, then refine and edit; so
do children learning dance. Music teachers listen, correct, suggest, and encourage through-
out the lesson.

Planning the Learning Experience

Finally, in the backwards mapping process, teachers plan the learning experience and the
instruction that will provide the opportunity for students to learn the skills and come to the
understanding of ideas and concepts that they have identified as the evidence of understand-
ing of the big ideas. Keep in mind, the backwards-mapping process does not preclude using
activities, lessons, or pieces and parts of lessons and units that already exist. There is no
requirement that the lessons for backwards mapping be original. Remember, the backwards
mapping design process is non-linear and that it is not necessary to complete the design tem-
plate in order. Teachers, under the tenants of backwards mapping, place those found sources
into this new, broader and deeper context. It takes practice, time, and some level of expertise
and experience in the discipline for which the lessons are being planned.

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Supporting Conditions
Certain supporting conditions must be in place for UBDs research-driven philosophy of in-
structional planning to take hold and flourish and ultimately change the way teachers, espe-
cially elementary generalist classroom teachers, view thinking about instruction in the arts.
Those conditions include:

The support of over time for planning and collaboration among teachers;

Accessible, on-going professional development to increase discipline expertise in

dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts;

Professional development in which teachers learn and practice the methods

of UBD; and

Permission by site and district administration for teachers to provide standards-

based instruction in the arts as an authentic part of every childs education.

No matter what lesson development methodology a teacher is using, the most important thing
is to weave in the VAPA strands and content standards to ensure deeper understandings of
big ideas, themes, and identified understandings. In some cases, the strands or standards
themselves are the big ideas. Teachers generally rely upon their ability to modify, adapt, and
sequence selected units and lessons into coherent, sequential instruction by the methods that
make sense to them. If selection, and refinement of the learning experiences for students are
based on standards, then big ideas are guiding instruction.

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94
PART TWO
PART TWO
THE POSSIBILITIES OF INTEGRATED INSTRUCTION
1. THE CRITICAL ISSUE OF BALANCE
How can the arts be an equal partner with other disciplines?
What criteria should guide integrated instruction?

Introduction
Integration of the arts is evident in many of the examples used so far in this guide. Much work
has been done over the past few years on what constitutes a quality approach to interdisciplin-
ary instruction in the arts. CCSESA published a Curriculum Resource Guide on the subject that
examines the rationale, the various models and the relevant learning theory in support of inter-
disciplinary learning. (The guide can be found on-line at www.ccsesaarts.org). The education
departments of national and regional cultural arts organizations and arts providers have been in
the forefront of those interested in defining and developing an integrated approach to arts instruc-
tion. They are aware that schools are looking carefully at their limited instructional time. Teachers
ask that arts residencies, or lessons that build upon visits to museums, be integrated in order to
cover not just the arts content, but content in other disciplines as well. They want to see the arts
extended to enhance learning in other disciplines. Teachers want the arts to open up ways in
which students can understand concepts in other disciplines.

When looking at integrated instruction the teacher should ask the critical question, Is the art
form an equal partner with the other academic discipline(s) included in the unit or lesson? Is
there equal attention paid to both subjects the science and the dance, the math and the music?
Teachers know the academic content very well but tend to know less about the arts content to
be integrated. The teacher has to have accurate, workable arts content information upon which
to build the integration. Quality integrated content is dependent on strong content from all the
disciplines involved. The science content may be strong, but the song about being green may
simply be an add on.

The balance between the integrated disciplines does not have to come all at once in one les-
son. There can be interplay between lessons that are part of an integrated unit of instruction. An
example would be the ArtsEdge interdisciplinary lesson, Systems of the Body: Movement and
Choreography. This lesson is actually five, 45-minute sessions, pairing dance and science (sys-
tems of the body). Prior to the beginning of the dance exploration, teachers are to have fifth- and
sixth-grade students explore the BBCs Interactive Body, a series of expeditions into the body.
Students can learn about the systems of the body as they explore each game-like interactive.
The intent is to establish the prior knowledge in science necessary for students to build a set of
movements and eventually a dance sequence upon.

As the students go through the dance processes, they learn more about the body through the
dance, and they learn many dance skills and how to apply them through the choreographic pro-
cess. As stated in the instructional objectives for the lesson, students will discover and create
movement patterns that express information about the basic systems, organs and processes of

95
the human body. Through the course of the lessons they also explore mirrored actions, comple-
mentary actions, and small group planning of the dance and performance. Even in this example,
however, the steps for teaching the dance explorations are less specific than the activities and
vocabulary for the science. The lesson assumes a great deal of prior knowledge about dance on
the part of the students.

Everything that has been described in this guide about how to select, modify, adapt and sequence
arts lessons applies equally to integrated lessons. However, there are some additional consider-
ations for integrated lessons. One of the best definitions of quality interdisciplinary learning in all
arts disciplines is to be found in the publication Authentic Connections: Interdisciplinary Work in
the Arts, from the Consortium of National Arts Education Associations, 2002.

The Consortium of National Arts Education Associations supports quality interdisciplinary

learning in all arts disciplines that:

Is student centered;
Maintains the integrity of each discipline;
Increases depth of understanding and student achievement;
Aligns with established learning standards;
Provides a balance among the disciplines being studied;
Incorporates multiple intelligences and learning modalities;
Sets clear expectations for student work;
Encourages formative and summative assessment;
Develops higher order thinking skills;
Involves community resources in and out of school; and
Acknowledges and is sensitive to the diversity of learners and society.

Essential Elements for Interdisciplinary Learning

When planning integrated arts learning, it is important to consider the following essential ele-
ments:

Incorporation of learning experiences that promote meaningful connections between

and among disciplines;

In-depth study of the content of the disciplines, using accurate and carefully selected
examples, materials and terminology;

Involvement of students in processes that are authentic to the arts (creating,

performing, and responding); and

Use of assessments that are compatible with the arts.

The document also contains a statement of criteria for developing new interdisciplinary units or
evaluating the plans of other teachers. It is a simple checklist that draws attention to the nature
of learning in the arts and the strength of the connections between the arts and other disciplines.
Questions based on these criteria can help teachers identify elements that are essential for inter-
disciplinary learning with the arts.

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What follows are the checklist questions from Authentic Connections.

In the interdisciplinary unit of study, consider these questions:

_____ Are meaningful connections made between or among the disciplines?
_____ Is in-depth learning promoted?
_____ Are high quality examples from the art(s) and other discipline(s) used?
_____ Is appropriate terminology used?
_____ Are the artistic processes of creating, performing, and responding incorporated?
_____ Is assessment ongoing throughout the project?
_____ Is there a final evaluation of student learning?

The publication also defines the enabling conditions that allow teachers to create and/or evalu-
ate and implement strong interdisciplinary projects. They include:

Common planning time or sufficient opportunities to meet with other teachers;

Access to local, state, and national standards and curriculum in the disciplines;
Flexible scheduling;
Appropriate resources;
On-going professional development;
Curriculum development;
Community support and involvement; and
Administrative support and involvement.

In Part Three of this guide, which deals with partnerships and collaborations, the Young Audi-
ences Arts For Learning Web Library, http://www.youngaudiences.org is featured where teachers
will find highly integrated projects. Many of the residencies are based on inquiry-based projects.
Those examples, and many others, are a recognition of the fact that much art content at the el-
ementary level is taught in an interdisciplinary context.

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 2. INTEGRATION AS INQUIRY
How does inquiry function in integrated lessons?
What are the characteristics of good inquiry questions?

The CAPE Example

Among quality arts providers nationwide, the Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE)
has an excellent guide for teachers and teaching artists about how to develop good questions in
inquiry-based education. The ideas expressed there are also in alignment with many of the ideas
of Understanding by Design most particularly as they address the differences between big and
little ideas. CAPEs often-quoted Executive Summary, about how to develop good questions in
inquiry-based education, includes the following about big ideas:

Big Ideas:
Arts integration is not about art activities tacked on to regular instruction to spice it up.

Arts integration is not about covering the standards.

Arts integration is about uncovering the standards, exploring their mysteries, and
engaging in the arts to create poetic and metaphoric expressions of those
explorations.

Arts integration is activated around big ideas: challenging themes and interesting
questions that bring content standards to life, that require critical thought and original
research.

Make your big ideas big enough. Arts integration will only work if the big ideas are actually inter-
esting to both the adults and the students involved in the integration. It is worth the time it takes to
discover the truly interesting ideas and questions in the content you teach. Provocative, engaging
ideas typically explore questions with multiple answers.

How to Develop Good Questions for Inquiry-Based Instruction

From CAPE: Characteristics of Good Questions

They are answerable.

They are challenging.
The answers are not obvious not yes or no questions.
They open up complexity.
They open up multiple points of view.
They require investigation and evidence to be answered.
They suggest investigation and evidence to be answered.
They are interesting representing real curiosity.
They are personally meaningful to the investigators.
They are written in language that draws in participants balancing the
poetic and the scientific.

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 They invite exchange of ideas between learners.
They call for rigorous application of skills and content knowledge.
They make old material new expanding and illuminating content.
They invite further questions.

Selecting and modifying, or developing quality, authentic integrated instruction can take some
time and effort on the part of teachers, but teachers dont have to do this by themselves. Integrat-
ed instruction is often designed, implemented and evaluated in collaboration with other teachers,
arts specialists, community artists, and cultural resources. The delivery of content is often shared
between teachers or between teachers and visiting artists, as in the case of the CAPE projects.

There are probably few better examples of inquiry-based, fully balanced, and fully documented
integrated instruction than those teachers can find on the CAPE web site, www.capeweb.org
On the site there is the question, Why Arts Integration? The answer from CAPE is:

When well planned and implemented, arts integration is one of the most
effective ways for a wide range of students, with a wide range of interests,
aptitudes, styles and experiences to form a community of active learners
taking responsibility for their own learning.

Once on the site, go to the Action Research Examples, where projects can be accessed by grade
level and strand. One particularly well-documented and clearly described integrated project is
Cultural Symbols from the Robert Healy School. This was a four-week project for sixth graders.
The inquiry was based on the following questions:

How can students explore ways to express themselves artistically through a study of
cultural symbolism?
What is a symbol? How can a symbol send a message or tell a story?
What is culture and how would you describe your culture?
How can a symbol tell about your culture and the culture of your peers?

The classroom teacher made the following comment at the end of the project:

In my opinion, our project was successful in many ways. I believe that most of my students
learned not only about their culture and the culture of their peers, but they also learned how to
think and behave as artists. While completing the pre-activities, interviews and compositions, the
students learned to look at themselves in a different way. They were asked to describe them-
selves not by their physical characteristics but by their connections to their feelings, beliefs and
family histories. These self-analytical exercises are higher order thinking skills, which are vital to
educators. This was a painless way for students to become more mature in their ways of making
connections and realizing their importance in the world.

Such is the promise of integrated arts instruction.

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 PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATIONS
1. THE ADVANTAGES OF REACHING OUT
What do visiting artists bring to a school?
What are the attributes of a good collaboration?

When it comes to bringing the arts to students in a meaningful way, the elementary classroom
teacher does not necessarily have to do it alone. One important way to enhance learning experi-
ences for students in the arts is to reach out to professional artists as partners in this work. There
are many important issues involved in establishing collaborative projects with artists and arts-
provider agencies. One of the most complete guides to the ins and outs of this collaboration is to
be found in the publication, Creative Collaborations: Teachers and Artists in the Classroom, Pre-K
Grade 12, by Vicki R. Lind and Elizabeth Lindsey. It was published in 2003 by The California
Alliance for Arts Education and the San Bernardino City Unified School District, and funded by the
California Department of Education.

Creative Collaborations
The Creative Collaborations document sets out the territory and the issues related to the relation-
ship between artists, teachers and students in a clear and concise manner. It describes the students
and includes an excellent guide to understanding K-12 developmental stages specifically related
to each of the arts disciplines. This is helpful to classroom teachers in selecting and especially in
adapting lessons and units of instruction. The discussion of the arts content for the projects, and
units of instruction developed by artists and teachers, is centered on the California VAPA strands
and content standards.

Artists in the schools programs, even artist-in-residence programs, are not intended to replace
sequential arts instruction over time; but, especially at the elementary level, their presence can
be extremely valuable to teachers and their students. Creative Collaborations reminds us that
Artists are contracted to work in schools because of their expertise in a particular arts discipline.
They serve as role models for students . . . they demonstrate passion for their disciplines, and
intense artistic engagement. They bring high expectations for student work in the arts and can
help to develop artistic skills, risk taking and problem solving capacities in students. By their
presence in the classroom, artists also teach the teacher about the art form and its processes.
Through the collaboration with the participating teacher, the artist learns about diverse teaching
methodologies, classroom management techniques and how to negotiate and even flourish in the
more structured world of the school.

Creative Collaborations suggests that work with artists be substantial, certainly more than a one-
time visit. The guidelines support collaboration over some set time frame. It need not be a full
residency, which can keep an artist connected with a school for a semester, on-track time frame or
a full academic year; but it does imply at the very least, a series of connected, sequenced lessons
over a period of time. It might be a ten-week residency, with one lesson a week or the residency
might include eight sessions over a quarter or 12 lessons over a trimester, or a concentration of
eight lessons in a row over just two weeks. (An example of a well-defined residency is described
later in this section).

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Finding Quality Providers
The choices available to teachers regarding who they might invite into their schools for an artistic
collaboration for the benefit of students will, in many ways, depend on where they are located.
Geography matters here. The urban areas are rich in high quality, sophisticated arts resources and
people. Also, many suburban areas have cultural community resources to offer. Rural areas may
or may not have such resources; the more remote the school, the more of a challenge it becomes
to find appropriate resources. However, rural areas may have folk, ethnic, historical or craft-based
resources cities do not have. Urban and suburban schools can select educational outreach
programs from many cultural institutions. However, rural areas with very specific resources can
sometimes get to know them more deeply over time. No matter where teachers find themselves,
they can develop a resource list of local artists who work in the schools as a first step to planning
how this kind of collaboration would fit into their instructional plan for the year.

A Partial List of Organizations that Provide Resources for Schools

Local/regional arts councils with designed artist in the schools programs;

State and city Arts commissions;
Local/regional performing arts centers with educational outreach programs;
Local/regional arts museums with educational outreach programs;
Local/regional arts centers with small galleries, studio space for classes and educational
outreach programs;
Urban community centers with on-site and residency programs in the arts;
Higher education with school residencies provided by graduate student apprenticeships,
usually from schools of education or arts education departments;
Regional non-profit arts organizations that provide assemblies and performances, as well
as artist-in-residence programs such as Young Audiences;
Regional non-profit arts-in-the-schools organizations devoted to programs specific to
dance, music, theatre or the visual arts;
Local performing arts groups or companies, many times organized around a cutural
perspective such as African drumming, Chinese theatre, Mariachi music, Indian
dance, etc.;
Local artists associations of visual artists interested in working in schools;
Local tribal councils willing to share their artistic culture and skills with students;
Local craftsmen guilds or associations of artists and craftsmen who want to share their
work and/or studios with children; and
Local and regional individual artists known to the school.

Teaching Artists and Content Standards

Over the years, arts organizations and artist in the schools program providers have become
increasingly sophisticated about working with schools. They have learned about the VAPA
content standards in depth and have used the standards to guide their programs and the training
they provide the artists who will represent them in the schools. The providers have, in most
cases, made sure the artists they work with understand how essential it is that they play their part
in implementing standards-based instruction in the arts. The projects developed by artists who
regularly work in the schools may have become increasingly interdisciplinary. Many are using the

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standards from other content areas, as well as the arts to plan their work. Many teaching artists
also have learned to work with the classroom teachers most important themes and generally
want to know what those themes will be so they can use them as a starting point for planning.
Many artists develop a written description of the kinds of learning experiences they can offer
students and teachers and want to be as relevant as possible while maintaining and featuring
whatever artistic processes are their expertise and their passion.

Establishing Your Own Guidelines

Many times having guest artists or hiring an artist-in-residence is a school-wide decision and may
be part of an overall arts education plan established by the school and/or the district. Having an
arts education plan to guide these kinds of choices would certainly represent best practice. Arts
providers and artists may be extremely competent and prepared to make available programs and
teaching artists; however, teachers and administrators should never lose sight of the fact that
they, and not the provider organization or the artist, are responsible for the arts program in their
schools for its content, for the instruction and for the enrichment the artists bring. Artists in
the schools programs need to be selected in relation to pre-established agreements among
teachers about how such resources would strengthen arts instruction for students. Teachers and
administrators might consider what the most effective use of visiting artists would be.

Visiting artists might:

Demonstrate discipline skills for students and teachers;

Inspire kids to create and problem solve and appreciate the arts;
Guide and help structure a large artistic project or production;
Provide the art part of an interdisciplinary project;
Engage students with in-depth instruction in a selected discipline perhaps one that is
not taught at the school yet, such as dance;
Provide professional development for teachers through teaching demonstration lessons
and providing written lesson plans;
Bring a cultural or ethnic perspective to students and teachers;
Bring an aesthetic and historical perspective to students and teachers; and
Help teachers develop arts curriculum.

Any combination of the above approaches could provide a good starting point for a school in
reaching out to available resources and in order to begin the conversations that will guide a
productive collaboration. Priorities will most likely have to be established. Even a very long
residency might not be able to achieve everything on that list. Making the best and most effective
use of time will be a prime consideration.

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Other key factors to decide:

The discipline focus: dance, music, theatre, visual arts or arts integration;
The grade-level focus;
The content standards focus, decided through a collaborative process between
teachers and artist(s);
The time frame: the number of sequenced lessons over a specific time period;
How many and which classes will be served; and
The budget: how much can be made available to fund the guest artist(s) or residency.

Once these factors have been decided, teachers can learn about the providers that are available
and what they do what programs they offer and how they work with schools. Ask for brochures,
DVDs, videos or any other promotional materials artists or their agencies may have. Ask to see
the organizations or particular artists sample lesson or unit plans. Be very specific about what
the schools focus for the work will be and what outcomes are desired. It will soon be clear if the
providers program and the schools goals align. If so, the collaborative process can begin.

The Collaborative Process

One of the most helpful sections of the Creative Collaborations document is the description of
what is needed for the artist and teacher collaboration. For genuine collaboration, artists and
teachers must:

Establish time for planning;

Understand and respect each other;
Develop a common vision for the collaboration;
Agree upon the roles and responsibilities for both the professional artist and the
professional educator;
Develop an organization and structure that allows enough flexibility to respond to the
unexpected; and
Find ways to assess and evaluate the process.

Again, from Creative Collaborations, this sample exchange of points of view from the artists and
the teachers perspectives, would help provide a new way to find common ground.

The artist explains:

His/her understanding or philosophy of art and learning;

What he/she is currently working on professionally;
His/her approach to teaching art to children (what the artist will do);
His/her comfort level in the classroom; and
His/her expectations of students and teacher while the artist is working in the classroom.

The teacher explains:

The instructional context of the collaboration;

His/her understanding or philosophy of the arts and learning;

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 His/her approach to teaching children (what the teacher does); and
His/her expectations for working with the artist.

Both need to ask:

When the collaboration is completed, what do we want students to have achieved; and
What will students know and be able to do? (How have standards been addressed?).

Creative Collaborations also includes some very practical resources, such as sample contractual
agreements. It includes these two separate documents:
Artists Contract with School and/or District
End of Artists-in-Residence Evaluation by Artist, by Teacher(s) and by Principal

The Arts for Learning Web Library

The Arts for Learning Web Library from National Young Audiences (www.arts4learning.org) is
a premier site for teachers and administrators interested in artist-in-the-schools programs. The
library may be used to locate regional resources that might be engaged for the school or district,
in or near an urban area. Beyond that, the site is a place to find models from across the United
States for how artist-in-the-schools programs or longer arts residency programs can be structured.
The site also has visual arts units, position papers and program planning models available. This
is not just a list of links or simple descriptions of projects. Almost every entry has video clips of
examples of the project, art form, performance/workshop or residency. They feature comments
from the arts administrator, artists, and teachers involved. Each mini-site that is part of the web
library provides a lively window through which a viewer can learn about the project and be inspired
by the outcomes. The projects do not usually specifically identify the content standards being
addressed, but in all cases, national and/or state standards are guiding instruction. It is a site that
is well worth exploring.

Several of the Arts for Learning sites feature what are called Dreamlab projects. These are
generally 10-week residencies by local Young Audience artists that explore large concepts through
integration among the arts, as well as between the arts and other subjects. One such project is
called, Inside the Heart of Music. The video clips and accompanying written materials describe
the optimal relationship between an artist teacher, a classroom teacher and the students. It
outlines the richness a residency can bring. This particular project (like the other three Dreamlab
projects) is based on the popular Imax film Pulse: A Musical Odyssey by the performing group
Stomp. The Inside the Heart of Music site defines the project objectives and posts the complete
outline for the residency.

An Elegant Residency Outline

This example is based on a description of the 10-week residency for Inside the Heart of Music.
This 10-week residency includes:

A pre-residency artist/teacher/staff meeting;

A school-wide kick-off performance (can be presented via school-wide live video
broadcast in schools where available);

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 Workshops with individual classes (the number of sessions per class is determined by
each school. It is possible to meet with some grades more frequently than others. It is
also possible to identify a select group of students, a core group or a grade level, to
receive additional sessions);
One (or more) teacher development workshop(s) topics spun off from residency, (such
as integrating music into the curriculum, introduction to world music, building simple
instruments for classroom use, etc.); and
The culminating performance of original works by students and artist.

The following is an edited outline of the arts content of the 10-week residency taught by the artist
teacher in collaboration with several teachers and classes. (many more details to be found at the
Arts for Learning site):

Week One: Introduction to Pulse and Percussion

Week Two: Pulse, Meter and Rhythm in Music
Week Three: Journaling and Creative Process
Week Four: Composing and Form
Week Five: Composing and Intention
Week Six: Composing and Refining
Week Seven: Trial Run: Assessment and Revisions
Week Eight: Building the Program
Week Nine: Putting it all Together: Dress Rehearsal
Week Ten: The Performance

There are activities teachers are expected to do with students before, during and after a 10-week
residency (Heart of Music example):

Pre-residency activities include the following:

Introduce the students to the artist through her bio and briefly describe the Residency;
View the Imax film, Pulse: a Musical Odyssey if possible, OR the video Stomp out
Loud; and
Create K/W/L Charts:
> What do the students know (or think they know) about music,
musicians, composers.
> What do the students want to learn. Generate 10 questions.
> After the residency, finish the chart. What did the students learn?
What questions do they still have?
Writing preparation: Students begin a journal about their life experiences and inspiration
This can be in free form or verse.

Additional pre-residency suggestions:

Students can research fiction and non-fiction books about music, musicians, musical
instruments, composers and composing;
Students can listen to recordings of percussion music from around the world; and
Students can view a video of professional percussionists performing new music (such as
Stomp out Loud, Blast, Kromata Percussion Ensemble).

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During the residency:
Students can create their own instruments using recycled materials and bring them to
the sessions with the artist and use them in performances, or this can be done as part of
the residency;
Students currently studying a musical instrument can be encouraged to perform a brief
selection for their classmates;
Students can bring their favorite CDs to share. Have them identify the percussion
instruments being used;
Students can play a listening game where the class remains silent for a pre-determined
period of time during which they listen intensely to the sounds still remaining. Have the
students (silently) make a list of the sounds they hear, then share lists with each other
and write in their journals; and
Students can search newspapers and magazines for reviews of concerts featuring
new music.

After the residency:

After the final student performance, students write about the following questions:
What did you most enjoy about the residency?
What didnt you like?
What thing would you change about the residency?
What did you learn during the residency?
Have the students send something to thank the artist for the residency it could be a
letter, poem, painting, or recording of a new composition.
Compose a class song together. Write the lyrics together and add the body percussion
or found sounds to create the accompanying music.

The activities the teachers do with their students before, during and after the residency are
particularly important. This is how to get the very most out of the experience. Some might say
that doing more in the classroom would take too much time; and yet, most of what is suggested
is integrated instruction that accomplishes necessary work in reading, writing, research skills, and
history.

The teacher is always present at all sessions with the artist, not only for legal reasons, but also
for professional development through participation along with their students. The teachers in this
project noted that students loved to see their teachers learn along with them. Many residencies
(especially in the visual arts) are a more simple collaboration between an artist and one teacher
and one class. Still, many of the ideas suggested for the parallel activities to the on-going
residency might apply.

Inspiration
One of the most dominant themes that emerged from looking at the Dreamlab projects was the
idea of inspiration. Each of the projects was inspired by the film Pulse: A Musical Odyssey. All
the artists talked with the classes and teachers about the role inspiration plays in the creative
process. In the video clip for the Heart of Music example, the artist asks the students what they
think inspiration is and a little boy answers, When something encourages or motivates you to
do something. Thats the whole idea. In another of the Dreamlab projects on The Flamenco

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Tradition from Arts Orange County in California, the teacher talks about inspiration and passion.
He says the students need passion, (which they call fun) and that an experience like this residency,
gives students a mountain top experience and if you have this, you have it all.

Selecting Arts Assemblies and Performances

Providing the opportunity for students to hear and see quality performing arts live is giving them a
valuable gift. Live performances bring entertainment, inspiration, information and enrichment to
a school community. There are many organizations and groups from which to select. There are
also regional traveling companies that specialize in school performances as part of their mission,
especially theatre and dance companies. They often send promotional information to the schools
about what they offer. As with other visiting artists, or artist-in-the-schools programs, it is the
teachers who must decide if the program fits into the arts goals of the school. If a school has many
choices (such as they do in urban and suburban areas) then teachers can pick performances that
align most closely to their arts goals, their academic themes or other predetermined ideas. In more
isolated, rural areas, sometimes it has to be the reverse: only so many quality performing groups
or individual performing artists may come to town, so teachers then plan arts and interdisciplinary
lessons around what is available, as long as it is of high quality and relevant to the educational
goals.

Performing groups, companies, or individual performing artists may or may not have the VAPA
Content Standards in mind. There is a continuum of live performances and assemblies for schools
from formal concerts by orchestras, dance or theatre companies, with or without background
information for the students, to what might be called teaching or demo/performances where the
performance is a kind of teaching. Some performers involve students in the show, which is very
engaging. Most groups that specifically offer services to schools have added demonstration and
background information to their performance. They usually have a spokesperson who tells the
students all about what they will be seeing and hearing. This is especially true for ethnic groups
that perform for schools: there might be a West African storyteller to tell the tale of the papa drum
and the mama drum and about how the music and dance express the culture. Or someone
will explain the basic movements of a North Indian Kathak dance before, during and after the
performance. Individual artists also explain to the students the what, how and why of what
they are doing. When groups or individual artists do this, they are addressing the Historical and
Cultural Context strand and probably Artistic Perception as well.

It is always best to have an overview of the desired outcomes related to the arts to guide the
selection of arts-based assemblies and events. They can be a significant budget consideration,
thus schools should get as much out of the experience as is possible. The following criteria may
help teachers and administrators with the selection of quality assembly events for their school
and district.

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 Selection Criteria for Arts Assemblies and Performances

The performing group or individual artist under consideration:

Is part of an established providers selected and vetted school performance groups

(where geographically appropriate or possible);

Offers content that is in all regards appropriate for the age and experience level of the se-
lected audience of children;

If independent, has references from other schools where he/she has performed and/or
professional reviews (or if local, is known to the school staff);

Provides the school with adequate materials so teachers can tell what kind of program is
being offered (as well as costs, time frame, grade level appropriateness, etc.);

Provides a study guide or background information to help teachers prepare students well
before the scheduled performance;

Can explain how the performance addresses VAPA content standards (as appropriate);

Represents a particular cultural or ethnic art form authentically, (if applicable);

Allows for a question and answer period before and/or after the performance;

Has lesson plans or activities that extend the content of the performance;

Is willing, for an additional fee, to add one or more workshops for selected students
based on the content and skills of the performance; and

Is willing, for an additional fee, to provide a teacher workshop based on the content of the
presentation/performance.

Most important of all, does the performance align with the goals of the schools arts education
plan or for the arts program or other priorities established by teachers for their students?

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 2. OTHER WAYS OF REACHING OUT
What kinds of district or school-level programs can take the place of residencies?
How can parents and volunteers become part of the delivery of the arts?
What is involved in developing a docent program?

Pilot Programs
A pilot program in the arts may be an outgrowth of a residency, but it has an important difference.
It is implemented to provide a pragmatic working model of a program that the school or district is
considering making a regular part of the curriculum. For the arts, the focus may be an art form for
which the school or district does not yet have a program, or it could be an extension of a program,
say music, for a grade level that is not yet covered. It may not involve any outside artists at all
there may be in-house expertise in the form of teachers on special assignment that design and
implement the plan. But in many cases, the pilot involves a discipline or approach with which
teachers are not familiar. Visiting artists can highlight the discipline and demonstrate how it can
be taught by classroom teachers and/or specialists.

These pilot programs introduce the art form to the students and teachers, provide professional
development for the teachers and show administrators how such a program could fit into
the instructional day, once teachers feel comfortable enough with the lessons. It is basically
demonstration teaching. In that case, many times district arts specialists and teaching artists
are engaged by the school to provide the lessons to classes at selected grade levels over a
few weeks, a quarter or longer. An example might be a Kindergarten Orff Program for a district
where music currently starts at grade one. District teachers or administrators would develop the
details and organization of the program in order to bring the arts discipline content standards
to life for students and teachers. Lessons might be co-taught by a district music specialist on
special assignment in collaboration with one or more guest artists musicians trained in the Orff
methodology. The pilot could be available to all kindergarten classes in the district on a rotating
basis, for a quarter in each location. The kindergarten teachers would be required to actively
participate, perhaps co-teach some lessons and the artists (and/or lead teacher) would provide
written lesson plans and resource lists. The following year, kindergarten teachers would teach
their own Orff units. For success, such a program requires very close collaboration, monitoring,
on-going assessment, feedback and documentation.

Parents as Volunteers in the Arts Classroom

Many teachers have found another very useful human resource to help them teach the arts in their
classrooms. Parents, especially those with a background in one or more of the arts, often volunteer
to come into a classroom (usually the class in which their child is enrolled) to teach activities, or
demonstrate skills. These are usually very informal arrangements and may depend upon when
the parent is available. Parents generally are not familiar with the VAPA content standards. What
a classroom teacher can do is to provide the appropriate standards-based context for the parents
work in the classroom. Perhaps a parent wants to teach several watercolor lessons to a third-
grade class. It would be effective if the teacher looked to the content standards and developed
several units of instruction for visual art to teach that year. One of those units might be about
painting a landscape or seascape where watercolor would be an excellent media choice. The
parent then might demonstrate the technical skills of watercolor in one or more lessons.

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If parents come to help out with the arts, the teacher must be sure the parents know the correct
information, procedures, processes and ways of working in the arts. If a teacher has an art lesson
where erasers are not permitted (for all kinds of good reasons) and the parent doesnt understand
why or wants to help the kids out and gives them erasers when they ask, then its not a good
situation. It is important for teachers to be sure parent volunteers understand the point of the
lesson and all the activities they will be helping with and that certain directions for the students
are there for a purpose.

Parents can be strategically engaged in instructional tasks as described above, but they can
also be just plain helpful for helping to implement complex, materials intensive lessons, and that
is always welcomed. Plus, having parents involved in the arts at school sites can help build
advocacy and support for school-wide arts programs.

Docent Programs of Trained Volunteers

Many schools have developed a cadre of trained volunteers, mostly parents, to provide an
organized, supervised arts program to their students. Models for this are the art docent or Meet
the Masters approach, probably developed simultaneously in many different districts. The model
is based on famous artists and/or famous composers/musicians and is centered in teaching
children to look at art (or listen to music) with great care and focus, to learn the vocabulary of
the art form, to understand the historical and cultural context of the work and then to take part in
a hands-on lesson in the style of the artist or, for music, explore some of the musical elements
connected to the music being studied. The docents usually present paired lessons, the first being
the interactive looking/listening and talking about; and the second, the hands-on project. The
content of the program will be standards-based if it is developed by teachers, specialists and/or
arts coordinators using all the ideas thus far presented about selecting, modifying, adapting and
sequencing lessons. Some pre-developed programs are available.

This approach is probably more common in districts that have an arts coordinator who can
oversee the program. However, there are examples in which a teacher on special assignment, or
a lead teacher has set up and organized such a program at the district level. It is also possible to
have an accomplished and knowledgeable parent develop the program, under district or school
supervision. A district or school could hire someone from the local arts council to develop the
content materials and lessons and oversee the training of the volunteers. It is also possible to
develop this model for a single school site with the advantage that all of the teachers could have
input about what artists and content to include, as well as having the program available to them
more often than would be possible if they were sharing it across the whole district. The program
can operate with a small core of dedicated docents, perhaps as few as 6 10 depending on the
number of classes to be served. The volunteers can come and go as long as all active docents are
properly trained, not only in the content of the lessons but in the approaches to take with children
to insure student engagement and success.

Schools find various ways of scheduling these classes. Sometimes there is a menu of offerings
from which teachers can select. There may not be enough resources to provide the program to
every teacher at every grade level, or teachers may only have one chance to have a presentation
for their class. Again, best practice would advise that there be a school-wide plan for how such
a program could work most effectively. Teachers might select a particular artist to enhance an

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integrated unit and work together with colleagues to see to it that those sessions were scheduled
well in advance to accommodate everyone.

Developing a Docent Program (on the Meet the Master Model)

The program must be built upon a solid foundation. Here are some of the things needed to
create such a program:

Select the art form focus for the program;

Research available instructional support materials such as

> large reproductions of art
> CDs of selected music
> childrens books about the life of artists/composers
> other visuals as appropriate;

Determine the artists/composers to be included start small five or six to begin, and
then maybe develop a new portfolio every year;

Find/develop background materials about the artists or composers that will be sufficient
for the docent to use for 30 50 minute sessions with ideas that will be engaging for
students;

Order the instructional materials and provide a place to keep them together and make
them available when needed;

Select/develop the hands-on lessons use the standards as a guide many times
lessons are developed for a grade range, (K-3 and 4-6) using any of the standards
from that range;

Create a materials list for each lesson using materials that are available in any classroom;

If certain special supplies are needed such as wire or Chinese brushes, purchase a
class set or two to go along with the portfolios;

Recruit parent and community volunteers who love kids and are interested in the art form;

Develop a training program for the volunteers, perhaps on one artist/composer at a

time volunteers can just learn those they like best;

Develop the system of scheduling the classes; and

Create teacher evaluation forms for feedback and suggestions for program content
and improvement.

This may sound like a great deal of work, and it can be initially; but there are several important
advantages to this approach. The program can be planned and developed over time. Schools

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can get outside help in putting it together. It is very cost effective usually less expensive than
a residency and it lasts longer. It is flexible. It involves parents and community members in an
organized way, and it can help build lasting support for arts education. This is a particularly
effective approach for small districts or for large one-school districts in rural areas.

Field Trips to Arts Sites

Most local and regional art museums have excellent education departments that develop, with
teacher input, materials designed to enhance the experience of students of all ages who visit the
museum. Museums generally have an on-line presence that is easily accessible to teachers. The
sites for teachers are usually listed under educational programs, or teachers and schools or
for the educator. The materials include overviews or background information of the changing
and permanent collections, curriculum materials for purchase, lesson plans available on-line and
suggestions for pre- and post-visit activities.

The Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento has a very useful document available on-line at
www.crockerartmuseum.org. Under Education and Events, go to Schools and Teachers and
then to At Your School, which will lead, to the Art Ark and to the Art Ark Activity Package, which
can be downloaded in its entirety. The materials include pre- and post-visit activities that are
very focused and can easily be adapted to any field trip visit to an art museum (or even historical
or science museums to some extent). This guide has to do with looking at art with a purpose in
mind. The steps in the guide provide a script for a teacher to follow in relation to selected works
of art that students will see on the visit. The steps can be adapted up and down the grade levels.
They would also be appropriate back in the classroom when students are looking at any art image
and learning and using appropriate art vocabulary. Each activity, listed below, has detailed steps
for the teacher to follow.

From the Crocker Site: Pre- and Post-Visit Activities Outline

Activity One: Questions to Ask When Looking at Art

Looking and establishing a dialogue
Introducing arts terms
Compare and contrast works of art
Activity Two: Observation and Perception
Perception games
What do you see? What did you miss?
Activity Three: Stories in Art
Letters from painting characters
Storytelling based on the work of art
Activity Four: Story Sequences
Find the narrative sequence in artwork that shows sequence
Telling stories with pictures
Who, what, when, where and why?
Character, setting, beginning, middle and end
Creating an autobiographical sequence

The guide is correlated to the content standards in language arts, social studies and visual arts.

112
Arts-Infused Field Trips
There is an interesting model of arts-infused field trips from the Kentucky Center to be found on
the Arts for Learning Web Library site. Children visited places not considered traditional arts sites
such as the homes of historical figures, archeological sites, environmental sites and architecturally
interesting sites. The program was developed for the learner to experience a field trip with more
depth by employing the arts as entry points for discovery. On a field trip to a historic house by
the river, the students wrote poetry, sang traditional songs and later, did an art project connected
to the site.

The premise is that the arts can be the tools for exploring and responding to a field trip experience.
As explained on the site, the Arts-based activities help to:

Deepen and broaden the educational impact of a field trip;

Make connections across the curriculum;
Provide a powerful way to experience and remember field trips;
Increase the immediacy of content for the student;
Encourage more focused and detailed observation; and
Provide an effective way to teach arts content.

The arts are an essential part of our world. The skills and processes students learn in school are
the same in essence as those learned and practiced by professional artists of every kind. When
dance, music, theatre, or visual arts reach a certain level of competence and expression, it is
exhibited and performed for audiences, large and small, around the world. Students need their
teachers to reach out beyond the school to the rich arts resources that are available. They need
to meet and work with artists, see art in museum and gallery settings, attend live theatre, musical
and dance performances. These experiences are remembered for a lifetime. They help create a
future arts-literate public. These opportunities should be part of every childs education.

113
114
PART THREE
PART THREE
PLANNING FOR A SCHOOL YEAR
1. THE CHALLENGE OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME
What do we know about how instructional time is allocated to the arts?
How can we provide time for learning in the arts?

What is the Reality?

Instructional time those hours and minutes of every school day are the currency of the school
system. An SRI study commissioned by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, called An
Unfinished Canvas, Arts Education in California: Taking Stock of Policies and Practices, found that
Californias elementary schools face unique challenges in providing all students with sequential,
standards-based arts education. In particular, elementary principals identified inadequate funding
and insufficient instructional time as significant barriers to providing arts education for students.

SRIs Key Findings Regarding Instructional Time Allocated for Elementary Arts Education

Few California elementary schools offer sequential, standards-based instruction in

both music and visual arts;
Many California elementary schools offer arts programs to only a portion of the student
body;
Typical California elementary schools devote little time to theatre and dance;
Schools in other states may have more time for arts instruction because they have
longer school days;
In other states, elementary classroom teachers preparation periods are often used for
instruction by arts teachers; and
A few exemplary schools in other states save time by integrating arts instruction with
other subject areas, an approach that appears to require ample support to be successful.

Because California elementary schools do not dedicate enough instructional time for all students
to participate in the arts instruction they offer and many do not allocate instructional time for the
arts at all, California elementary schools fall short of meeting the states goals for arts education.
The gap between policy and practice is most stark in Californias least affluent schools, which
are less likely to offer arts instruction than more affluent schools. In contrast, exemplar schools
located in communities ranging from rural Kentucky and Minnesota to urban and suburban New
Jersey and Massachusetts offer sequential arts instruction in at least two disciplines. (SRI: An
Unfinished Canvas, Summary Report)

So, Now What?

It may be a long time before all four disciplines are part of the curriculum for ALL students as a
standards-based, sequential program taught over the full academic year. To achieve that goal
would require a longer instructional day and that is a policy with far-reaching implications. Maybe
we cant match the status of the exemplary schools from other states in the SRI study any time

115
soon, but there are some things we can do to move us in that direction. Teachers can increase
arts instruction to students in all grades through multiple approaches to content, scheduling and
instructional strategies.

Innovative scheduling, integration, and/or partnerships can increase the time students can en-
gage meaningfully in the arts. If there is currently nothing, there are ways to create something. If
there are currently programs in music and visual arts, they can be strengthened and expanded. If
there is very little time devoted to dance and theatre, there are ways to think about their inclusion
on a more consistent basis that will be effective. Schools all over California are currently develop-
ing arts education plans (often in response to the strategic spending of the Arts and Music Block
Grant funding of the past two years). The instructional time issue is a strong concern everywhere,
but with careful planning and openness to new approaches, much can be accomplished.

Curriculum Mapping
There is only so much time, and most teachers would probably say that there is not enough to
go around; not enough to do all that they would wish to do, especially related to arts instruction.
And while this is undeniably true, teachers can be innovative about how they plan the time they
do have. The key to including the arts is planning. That is essentially what curriculum mapping is
all about. Teachers, usually working in grade-level groups, define all the major curricular themes
for the year and place each one on an academic year calendar. Once all the themes are placed
in a time frame, teachers can see where connections may be made between the disciplines.
Teachers often start with language arts and mathematics, then add in the themes from science
and social studies and the arts. The arts have the advantage of being quite flexible in this kind of
planning. The integration factor can guide how, and in what context, themes and arts skills will be
introduced. There are issues of sequence to the arts, however, that need to be taken into consid-
eration; but there will be a way to connect one or more art forms to at least one of the academic
themes at any point in time. The task is to decide what those connections will be and then to look
for the standards-based units and lessons that will bring those connections to life.

The arts inclusion on the curriculum map does not necessarily mean that all the lessons will be
integrated. There will be some that will be discipline specific, but the ideas will still relate to other
disciplines such as pattern in music, art, math, poetry, and science. Teachers experienced in cur-
riculum mapping know that not everything lines up perfectly, but that solid relationships can be
drawn if teachers make them implicit. The only caution is that the arts part of the map needs to
be as developed in terms of specific standards-based content as the other disciplines are. That
means that teachers need to come to the table with good, solid and specific resources in the arts
that are to be included, whether that be from the state-adopted text books (teachers editions) or
from a set of well-sequenced lessons and units from multiple sources. Bring excellent units and
lessons to the curriculum mapping planning session and it might be the case that those lessons
will influence where and how discipline themes are connected and placed on the calendar.

116
2. YEAR-LONG PLANS BASED ON CONNECTIONS AMONG THE ARTS
How can the arts at the primary level be connected to concentrate instruction?
What common elements connect the themes found in the content standards?

Cluster and Connect: Integration Among the Arts at the Primary Level
If primary teachers look closely at the content standards for dance, music and theatre all the
performing arts they will notice a great many overlapping themes and some very similar vocabu-
lary. In Kindergarten and the first grade, for example, students learn the basic locomotor move-
ments, (walk, run, gallop, jump, and hop as well as balance). In music, they begin to understand
the idea of beat, as well as high/low, fast/slow, loud/soft. Those two sets of skills are overlapping
and each contributes to the other. In theatre, kindergartners are learning about mirroring and
working together. They will find these same ideas in music and dance. At the second-grade level,
students are putting together dance elements to make short combinations in varied tempos and
rhythmic patterns, which is exactly what they are doing in music. In second-grade theatre, they
are playing theatre games that sharpen focus and concentration and that encourage cooperation
and risk taking, skills necessary for all the performing arts. Primary teachers will also find that
many aspects of the visual arts at these levels echo the same themes and vocabulary.

Students at these grades dramatize familiar stories in theatre, but they could also dance the sto-
ries and they could create accompaniment, playing Orff instruments in the pentatonic scale. In
fact, the Orff methodology is inclusive of dance, music and language at the primary level and may
provide one of the best organizing methodologies for the teachers who are familiar with the ap-
proach. A wise primary teacher, with not enough time to include each performing arts separately,
can develop, select, modify, adapt and sequence lessons from all three disciplines into integrated
instructional units of 4 10 lessons to be scheduled in her master calendar over the academic
year. Selecting materials from all three disciplines gives the teacher a broader choice of lessons
and resources. Visual arts could be easily added.

Kindergarten Example of Clustered Arts Integration

Teachers will immediately notice the overlapping standards across the arts at the Kindergarten
level. Those essential questions from backwards design begin to jump out: How do opposites
create structure? or, How do the arts communicate feelings and express moods and emotions?
Those are the essential questions. It is important to begin to investigate those ideas at a young
age. Themes also emerge that can form the basis of integration with other subject areas. The
idea of pattern can be explored in each of the arts disciplines, as well as in math and language.
Rhythm can be explored through all of the arts and through the rhythms of nature, and the rhythm
of words and linguistics. Connecting all these themes would allow teachers to reach all their stu-
dents through multiple modes: kinesthetic, aural, visual, language. Following is an abbreviated
form of almost all of the VAPA content standards for Kindergarten. They are color keyed to bring
attention to the underlying themes that can help teachers unite ideas for arts instruction that com-
bines all of the arts.

117
 A Thematic Arrangement of Kindergarten VAPA Content Standards
Arts Discipline and selected standards from all five Sample Essential Questions or
strands Themes that Link the Disciplines
Through the Standards (Other
questions could be developed using
different connections)

Colors corresponds to the four essential questions

Dance
Dance
Explore and move: walk, run, gallop, jump, hop and How do opposites create
balance How do opposites
structure across the create
arts?
Explore opposites: high/low, forward/back, structure across the arts?
wiggle/freeze
Move to feelings happy, sad, angry, excited
Move to sounds, words, songs, props, pictures
Do folk dances describe the costumes and music
How do the arts express mood
Learn about where and when people dance
See the differences between dances and personal feelings?
See how everyday movement can become dance

Music
Use invented notation
Listen/sing high/low, fast/slow, loud/soft, melodic How do the arts tell stories?
patterns, melodic directions
Show the beat, tempo, dynamics
Learn about music in everyday life How do the arts express mood
Play musical games from other places and personal feelings?
Respond to music through movement
Sing lullabies, game songs, work songs, etc. What are patterns? Why are they
Put music together with dance, theatre and the visual essential to all and to nature?
arts

Theatre
Learn about actor, character, setting, audience
Learn about cooperation, the five senses How do the arts tell stories?
See the difference between real and imaginary
Try out imitative movements, rhythmic actions
freeze, statue, mirrors
Use pantomimes to tell stories
Use costumes and props for role playing
Act out stories, myths, fables and fairy tales
Role play people in the community: teacher,
firefighter, family
Learn to be a good audience member
What are patterns? Why are they
Visual Art essential to all the arts and to
See and make patterns, recognize and name line, nature?
color, shape, and texture
Use (various art materials)
Paint pictures about family and neighborhood
Paint and draw lines that express feelings
118Make pictures of real and imaginary animals
See that some art objects are useful and beautiful
Make pictures about people doing things together
 patterns, melodic directions
Show the beat, tempo, dynamics
Learn about music in everyday life How do the arts express mood
Play musical games from other places and personal feelings?
Respond to music through movement
Sing lullabies, game songs, work songs, etc.
Put music together with dance, theatre and the visual
Aarts
Thematic Arrangement of Kindergarten VAPA Content Standards
Theatre
Learn about actor, character, setting, audience
Learn about cooperation, the five senses How do the arts tell stories?
See the difference between real and imaginary How do opposites create
Try out imitative movements, rhythmic actions structure across the arts?
freeze, statue, mirrors
Use pantomimes to tell stories
Use costumes and props for role playing
Act out stories, myths, fables and fairy tales
Role play people in the community: teacher,
firefighter, family How do the arts express mood
Learn to be a good audience member and personal feelings?
What are patterns? Why are they
Visual Art essential to all the arts and to
See and make patterns, recognize and name line, nature?
color, shape, and texture
Use (various art materials)
How do the arts tell stories?
Paint pictures about family and neighborhood
Paint and draw lines that express feelings
Make pictures of real and imaginary animals
See that some art objects are useful and beautiful
Make pictures about people doing things together
Look at art from the past and look at the art of today What are patterns? Why are they
Talk about famous artwork and your own artwork and essential to all and to nature?
why you like what you like
Think about why people make art
Learn about visual symbols found at home and at
school

119
The following Kindergarten plan has a first semester/second semester format, going from October
to December and from March to April. The plan could be expanded to include integrated units
based on different connections across the arts for January and February, (such as the set on
patterns) or the teacher may need to focus on other requirements. Certainly, many of the fourth
weeks (except December) could be filled in with integrated lessons. It might also start in Septem-
ber. May might be the month of culminating activities, such as a classroom art show and various
performances for parents. It is apparent here, that dance, music, theatre and visual arts can be
taught together during the year and that doing so will help children understand important ideas
about the arts at an early age and teachers will wisely use instructional time by integrating across
the arts. It is just one possible way the idea of clustering of arts standards could be achieved. It
is a very modest, achievable plan for Kindergarten teachers.

120
 A Sample Kindergarten Plan for the School Year:
Common
A Sample
Kindergarten Through
Common Themes Through the Arts
OCTOBER
First week (four 30-minute
sessions over the week)
THE BASICS - Introduction
Dance locomotor movements to
music
Music keep a steady beat
Theatre statue/move and
mirroring
V. Arts all kinds of patterns
NOVEMBER
First week (30-minute sessions
twice a week)
STORYTELLING
Dance: explore how everyday
movement can become dance
DECEMBER
First week (30-minute sessions
three times a week)
STORYTELLING
Theatre: role play; retell fairy
tales and nursery rhymes
APRIL
First week (30-minute sessions
twice a week)
EXPRESSION AND MOOD
Theatre: Explore pantomime and
emotion and storytelling
ThemesPlan
for the the Arts
School Year:
Second week (three 30 50- Third week (two 30 50-minute Fourth
minute sessions over the week) sessions over the week) week
OPPOSITES OPPOSITES Continued
Dance high/low, forward/back, Visual Arts - line: soft/sharp,
wiggle/freeze, hard/soft, slow/fast, thick/thin, horizontal/vertical,
etc. happy/angry
Music high/low, fast/slow, shape: geometric/organic
loud/soft form: 2-D to 3-D
Theatre real/imaginary
characters: happy/sad, alert/lazy,
confident/scared, calm/angry, etc.
Second week (20-minute sessions Third week Fourth
three times a week) week
STORYTELLING
Music: use music singing,
sounds, rhythms, patterns, to help
tell stories
Second week (45-minute sessions Third week Fourth
twice a week) week
STORYTELLING (Expand any of the art forms into
Visual Arts: Draw and paint ideas appropriate for the holidays)
pictures about family and
neighborhood; draw and paint
pictures about fairy tales and
nursery rhymes
MARCH
Second week (30-minute sessions Third week (30-minute sessions Fourth
twice a week) twice a week) week
EXPRESSION AND MOOD EXPRESSION AND MOOD
Dance: movement and emotion Music: use music to help tell a
the sad dance, the happy dance, story; listen to moody music
the sneaky dance, the mysterious
dance, etc. tell a tiny story
Second week (40-minute sessions Third week Fourth
twice a week) week
EXPRESSION AND MOOD (Extensions of any of the arts
Visual Arts: express feeling forms as appropriate)
through color using several
different media

TheTheplan is based
plan is basedonon
three
threeunits:
units:1)1)Opposites
Opposites inin the
the Arts; 2) How
Arts; 2) Howthe theArts
ArtsTell
TellStories;
Stories; and
and 3) 3)
Expression
Expression and Mood
and MoodThrough
Throughthe the Arts.
Arts. The Theplan
plancould
could have
have also
also included
included a unit
a unit on Patterns
on Patterns in
in Art and Nature. That unit could fit into the January/February time frame.
Art and Nature. That unit could fit into the January/February time frame. It could follow the It could follow
samethe
sametimetime frame
frame as storytelling
as storytelling or it could
or it could follow
follow the more theinterlaced
more interlaced
frame as frame as the unit.
the Opposites
Opposites unit.
121
A Third Grade Example of Clustered Arts Integration
Again, teachers will notice the big ideas emerging from the third-grade VAPA content standards.
The idea that artists in whatever discipline create within structure and form is an important one.
The arts are highly structured and they are creative. Structure supports creativity. This would be
an enduring understanding for third graders to take with them throughout their life. Third-grade
teachers could approach this idea in many ways. They could develop four to six lesson units in
each of the arts disciplines linked by the theme, made explicit, each time, and taught over one
or both semesters. Or, they might create one longer unit that integrates all four arts, taught in
intervals over a period of several weeks. Or, they might integrate other subjects across the cur-
riculum, by exploring the idea of how structure is essential in nature, math, government, writing,
and sports as well as the arts. If teachers do expand this idea out to other disciplines, there are
great advantages to starting with the arts as the way to introduce the idea through the senses.
The teaching and the understanding will be more powerful that way.

A second theme that comes through all of the arts disciplines in the third grade is how to under-
stand and judge what makes a work of art good. This is another point of inquiry for teachers and
students. Learning to develop aesthetic criteria starts in the third grade for all the arts. It is the
beginning of aesthetic valuing. Having criteria acknowledges that there are works of art in dance,
music, theatre and the visual arts that are valued and prized and recognized as great. Students
might ask why: Why this painting and not that one? Why this piece of music over another? Who
chooses? What are their reasons? A unit of instruction that explores the ideas of good, better
and best, or likes and dislikes, will help children understand that there are some criteria that apply.
They will also begin to understand that judgment is not possible without understanding: You cant
judge what you dont know. They will also realize that they can understand an artistic product,
even one that others value, and still not like it. But they will know why it is considered important or
meaningful or high quality. Students, beginning in the third grade, also learn that they can develop
and apply criteria to their own work and the work of their peers, which will lead to further learning
and improvement.

122
Finally, from the third grade on, there is a strong unifying theme regarding the relationship between
the arts and culture. This is a theme that opens up multiple teaching and learning opportunities.
Teachers could begin to collect the resources necessary to have students learn and watch dances
from different cultures and talk about how they are the same and different and how you can tell
one from another. Then they can look at artwork and art objects from the same set of cultures and
list the attributes of each and learn to tell one from another: What makes an African mask African?
What do you see that tells you it is African, not Chinese? Make art in the style of several cultures.
Learn about theatre and storytelling from different cultures. Sing songs and play musical games
from other cultures. Decide what all of these art forms tell you about what a culture values what
is important, what is characteristic, then link these ideas to their history, past and present.

The following sample third-grade arts-centered plan is based solely on the first theme about struc-
ture and creativity. The plan sequences the arts over the school year. By increasing the time for
the arts, two (or more) could be taught within the same time frame. Or, with more time, another
theme could be implemented on the same general format, or all three themes could be combined.
It is assumed that the lessons in each discipline of the example would include, over time, all of
the content standards, which would be incorporated into lessons regardless of the overarching
themes. It is also assumed that after the arts-specific units, the teacher would integrate the arts
into other areas throughout the school year. Dance is emphasized in this plan as an introduction
to a new discipline for most of the students. It might be co-taught with an artist.

123
 A Thematic Arrangement of Third Grade VAPA Content Standards
Arts Discipline and selected standards from all five Sample Essential Questions or
strands Themes that Link the Disciplines
Through the Standards (Other
questions could be developed using
different connections)
Colors indicate a direct match with one of the themes/essential questions

Dance
Dance
Layer axial and locomotor movements
Learn/create pathways: how many ways to get from point A to point
B?
Learn/create movement patterns and sequences with a beginning, a How can structure
middle and an end alone or with a partner enhance creativity?
Improvise multiple ways to solve a given movement problem
focusing on time
Use a variety of shapes and levels to make a dance
Communicate personal meaning through a dance sequence
See commonalities and differences between dances from different
cultures
Describe ceremonial and folk/traditional dances How do the arts
Develop specific criteria to talk about the quality of dance reflect thier time and
performances your own work and the work of others place?
How is making a dance like the writing process?
How can structure
Music
enhance creativity?
Write simple rhythmic patterns using notation
Listen and identify melody, rhythm, harmony and timbre
Learn how different instruments produce sound
Learn and use musical forms such as AABA, AABB, rounds, partner
songs, ostinatos, call and response What makes a work of
Identify the uses of music in other cultures, times and places art good?
Play and sing songs from diverse cultures
Sing lullabies, game songs, work songs, etc.
Put music together with dance, theatre and the visual arts
Develop a criteria to judge the relative quality of musical
performances
Identify the use of similar elements form, pattern, rhythm in other
arts How do the arts
reflect their time and
Theatre place?
Continue with character, setting; add conflict, strategies, blocking
Use who, what, when, where and why to write a simple script
Act out different cultural variations of similar stories from around the
world
Learn about universal themes in stories and plays from different
periods and places
Develop an appropriate criteria for evaluating theatrical experience
Compare the content and message in two different scenes, plays
Use the five ws to dramatize a story to current event
Develop communication skills by participating collaboratively in What makes a work of
theatre art good?
124
Visual Art
See, discuss and make art using rhythm and movement
world
See commonalities and differences between dances from different
Learn about universal themes in stories and plays from different
cultures
periods
Describeand places and folk/traditional dances
ceremonial
Develop
Develop specific criteria criteria
an appropriate for evaluating
to talk about theatrical
the quality of danceexperience
Compare the content and message in two different
performances your own work and the work of others scenes, plays
Use the five ws to dramatize a story to current
How is making a dance like the writing process? event
Develop communication skills by participating collaboratively in What makes a work of
theatre How can structure
art good?
A Thematic Arrangement of Third Grade VAPA Content
Music Standards
enhance creativity?
Write simple rhythmic patterns using notation
Visual Art identify melody, rhythm, harmony and timbre
Listen and
See, discuss and make
Learn how different art usingproduce
instruments rhythm and movement
sound
See, describe and use foreground, middle ground and background How can structure
Learn and use musical forms such as AABA, AABB, rounds, partner
in works of art to create the illusion of space enhance creativity?
songs, ostinatos, call and response
See and discuss value in the environment and in works of art
Identify the uses of music in other cultures, times and places
Make art based on careful observation of real objects and scenes
Play and sing songs from diverse cultures
See that some art objects are useful and beautiful
Sing lullabies, game songs, work songs, etc.
Compare works of art with similar themes from different times
Put music together with dance, theatre and the visual arts
Learn and discuss community, regional art traditions
Develop a criteria to judge the relative quality of musical
Describe masks, puppets, containers from around the world
performances
Explain successful and less successful compositional and How do the arts
Identify the use of similar elements form, pattern, rhythm in other
communicative
arts qualities in ones own work and the work of others How do
reflect thetime
thier artsand
reflect their time and
place?
Theatre place?
Continue with character, setting; add conflict, strategies, blocking
Use who, what, when, where and why to write a simple script
Act out different cultural variations of similar stories from around the
world
Learn about universal themes in stories and plays from different
periods and places
What makes a work of
Develop an appropriate criteria for evaluating theatrical experience
Compare the content and message in two different scenes, plays art good?
Use the five ws to dramatize a story to current event
Develop communication skills by participating collaboratively in What makes a work of
theatre art good?

Visual Art
See, discuss and make art using rhythm and movement

125
 A Third Grade ARTS CENTERED Sample Plan for the School Year
The Unit: How Do Artists Create Within Structure?
OCTOBER Visual
Arts
First week (Thursday, Second week (Thursday, Third week (Friday, AM Fourth week (Thursday
PM 50 minutes) PM 50 min) 50 minutes) PM 50 min)
Cut paper shapes Foreground, middle Foreground, middle Landscape painting
arranged ground and background ground and background using only tinted color
big/small, high/low, and in a still life. Media: in a landscape. Media: in impressionist style
overlapping to create the paper collage and crayon tempera Media: tempera
illusion of space
NOVEMBER Music
First week (Thursday, Second week (Thursday, Third week (Tuesday Fourth week (Monday
AM 50 minutes) AM, 50 minutes) PM, 50 minutes) and Wed. AM 30
minutes)
Painting using only City at Night Rhythm and Musical forms: call
shaded color (a field of (overlapping shapes, repetition: The and response African
spooky pumpkins) value changes on the Dancing Ladies cut American songs
Media: tempera and buildings, light source) paper collage with oil
black crayon Media: oil pastels pastels

DECEMBER Music
First week (Monday Second week (Monday Third week (Monday Fourth week
and Wed. AM 30 and Wed. AM 30 and Wed. AM 30
minutes) minutes) minutes)
Musical forms: partner Musical forms: rounds Musical forms: (Winter Break)
songs (songs of the same familiar and new ABACA- rondo A is
chord sung together that the same, B is rhythmic,
blend see music C is improvised on Orff
textbook) instruments tuned in
pentatonic scale
JANUARY Theatre
First week (Wednesday, Second week Third Week Fourth Week (Friday,
AM 40 minutes (Wednesday, AM 40 (Wednesday, AM- 40 AM 40 minutes)
minutes) minutes)
Who, what, when, The rules of Improvisation based Improvisation based
where and why in improvisation, improv on motivation on strategies
theatre games, improvisation
practice
FEBRUARY Theatre
First week (Wed. 40 Second week (Tu. 40 Third week Fourth week
min.) min.)
Begin writing short Blocking scenes, use Practice scenes with Practice, perform
scenes in small groups of stage space, practice teacher side coaching scenes on stage
based on improv ideas scenes
MARCH Dance
First week (PE time) Second week (PE time) Third week Fourth week (PE time)
Review basic Introduce pathways (Spring Break) Combine 3 locomotor
locomotor and axiel getting from point A to and 3 axiel movements
movements, combine point B pathways traveling in 3 pathways
and layer; in small exploration; create a plan a movement
groups, plan a movement sequence in sequence
movement sequence small groups
APRIL Dance
First week (PE time) Second week (PE time) Third week (PE time) Fourth week (PE time)
126 Combine 3 locomotor Movement sequences Select best sequences, Improvise movement
and 3 axiel movements with beginning, middle experiment with three patterns teach to
First week (PE time) Second week (PE time) Third week Fourth week (PE time)
Review basic Introduce pathways (Spring Break) Combine 3 locomotor
locomotor and axiel getting from point A to and 3 axiel movements
movements, combine point B pathways traveling in 3 pathways
and layer; in small exploration; create a plan a movement
groups, plan a movement sequence in sequence
movement sequence small groups
APRIL Dance
First week (PE time) Second week (PE time) Third week (PE time) Fourth week (PE time)
Combine 3 locomotor Movement sequences Select best sequences, Improvise movement
and 3 axiel movements with beginning, middle experiment with three patterns teach to
traveling in 3 pathways and end with partners selections of music partner, then to small
and add three different not the effect group
tempos
MAY Dance
First week (PE time) Second week (PE time) Third week (PE time) Fourth week (PE time)
Incorporate best Practice, get feedback Practice, refine dance Perform dance studies
improvisations with from peers and refine for the class; reflection
pathways to create a dance on process and
group dance study performance
Video tape final dances

127
Beyond Holiday Art
One of the oldest traditions in elementary schools is to pair the arts with holidays and seasons.
Though there has been a tradition of this kind of instruction, it has tended to not be inclusive of
all cultural and religious traditions. Some schools have adopted a policy of celebrating many of
the cultural holidays related to the cultural heritage of their communities, such as El Da de Los
Muertos, Native American Days, Columbus Day, Black History Month, and other observances.
Songs, dances, skits, plays, and especially art projects are most in evidence around Thanksgiv-
ing, Valentines Day, Mothers Day and so forth. Recall the hand turkey, the cut-out hearts, the
handprint clay plaque and leaf prints. The problem is not linking the arts with holidays; it is the
way they are linked. Many of the activities and projects connected to holidays are not standards-
based, but they certainly could be. Music is probably the closest to being standards-based if stu-
dents are singing and playing music with seasonal content and they are also learning about the
songs, and the structure of the music and all of the musical elements half notes, quarter notes,
rests, measures, as well as melody, harmony, etc. along the way. Bigger ideas need to be found
within the holiday or seasonal content from which to structure lessons and units. For the visual
arts, it could be an opportunity to explore cultural symbols or visual symbolism. Why the heart
at Valentines? How is it represented? A strong unit on visual symbolism could result. Seasons
suggest color. Color theory goes through all the grades in the visual arts content standards.

Halloween is especially rich for character study, improvisation, script writing, storytelling, song,
composing music on Orff instruments, studying the skeleton and its articulation points, drawing
the skeleton (in many different contexts), or drawing pumpkins with curving contour and cross
contour lines to show volume. Dance can express the emotions of the day in an exploration of
movement that conveys meaning through the layering of movement skills with pathways and
levels to form small dances taking on Halloween characters. The four seasons are equally rich
in terms of thematic material not only for the arts, but for arts integration. Teachers are very fa-
miliar with the possibilities; but teachers, in order to implement content standards, will need to go
beyond the single leaf print; to observational drawing of leaf structure (art and science); to trees
and how they grow and how to represent them; to leaf paintings in the style of Georgia OKeeffe;
or drawings of fanciful leaf houses. Teachers are moving away from the disjointed, cute projects,
songs, dances and skits that have been typical in the past. The seasons and holiday traditions
can be a rich source of lesson ideas and could even thematically structure a year-long curriculum
in any of the arts, if the themes are expressed through the larger ideas of the content standards
and important skills, and concepts are taught in every lesson.

128
 3. A YEAR-LONG PLAN BASED ON CREATIVE SCHEDULING
How can all the arts be taught sequentially over the school year?
What are the most important considerations?
What might such a plan look like?

The same kind of clustering of themes taken directly from the content standards in the previous
examples for Kindergarten and the third grade can be equally effective at the upper elementary
levels. However, from the fourth through the sixth grades, teachers believe that it becomes more
difficult to find time for the arts and the arts curriculum becomes more technical in their eyes.
Most classroom teachers believe that music should be taught by a specialist music teacher at
fourth grade and beyond. It might be a pull-out program, which may benefit the students involved,
but not all students. Sometimes music and PE are scheduled back to back, taught by specialists.
That has several advantages in that it becomes part of dedicated time, it is for all students and it
provides planning time for teachers. It also puts the more technical music skills in the hands of
specialists. Not all schools have these specialists, however, so other approaches may have to
be found.

A Scheduling Model to Include All of the Arts over the School Year (4-6)
How could an elementary classroom teacher include all the arts throughout the year on a regular
basis, in a way that does not compromise in any way, the required time devoted to the rest of
the curriculum, and helps students meet the content standards at grade level in the arts? It may
sound impossible, but there are ways to make it happen.

This example looks particularly at fourth and fifth grades (and sixth in a school where the sixth
grade is still in a self-contained classroom)

The Givens for This Example

There is a music specialist for the fourth, fifth and sixth grades who takes the class
once a week for 40 minutes. This provides prep time for the teachers during the
school year.

The teachers all teach PE on their own. It is dedicated time twice a week for 30 minutes.

There are three or more teachers at each grade level: fourth, fifth, and sixth.

The key to success is planning. Teachers must look at the coming year as a whole well in advance
in order to get the schedule and resources in place.

Before the Beginning of the Instructional Year

Teachers
Note all the dates that are not available for arts instruction: holidays, buy-back days,
early release days, half days, back to school night, open house, etc. Fill in the field trips
as soon as possible;
129
 Meet in grade-level groups. Determine the strengths in the arts among the teachers;

Decide that they can teach their own theatre lessons because the content is parallel to
the language arts standards;

Decide to share theatre lessons and consider a very simple culminating event that brings
all the instruction together at the end of the year;

Agree to include short, 10-minute theatre exercises over the whole year to build skills
and focus and collaboration;

Recognize that one teacher has strength in the visual arts, while another has great
science units, and another loves social studies, and so they plan a grade-level rotation of
science/art/social studies every other week, on Friday afternoons;

Set up the rotation schedule and vow to stick to it;

Look for/develop, modify and sequence lessons and units that integrate visual arts with
science and social studies, all of which will be standards-based;

Determine where outside expertise will be the most helpful and the most strategic
a dance artist would be a good choice;

Recommend the dance artist, whose lessons are standards-based, be contracted by

the school;

Meet with the artist before the beginning of the year to plan how the dance units during
PE time will be scheduled;

Determine with the dance artist, the focus/theme of the demonstration lessons; and

Provide the music specialist with a list of the grade-level themes for the year.

At the Beginning of the Year (any period of instruction, traditional or year-round)

Teachers
Confirm all the planning: calendar, dance artists schedule, rotation schedule, etc.;

Consider arts-related field trips and assemblies to suggest to staff;

Make sure art supplies are on hand and sufficient for the lessons being planned;

Determine where supplies will be stored (individual rooms or a central location);

Make plans to keep all of the student artwork in portfolios over the school year;

Draft a letter to be sent home that explains why most projects will be kept;

130
 Plan how theatre will be integrated into the language arts program; they will be using
ideas from the teachers edition of the new, state adopted theatre series;

Decide that in order to determine prior knowledge in the visual arts

The 4th grade teachers agree to have their students draw their best face
and their best figure as base-line evidence for the teacher who will provide
the visual arts lessons on a rotational basis. (Facial and body proportions
are a focus of the fourth grade curriculum);

The 5th grade teachers will quiz their students about their knowledge of all of
the elements of art. (By the fifth grade the standards assume students can
identify and describe all of the elements of design as described in the VAPA
Framework); and

Identify the music content under the Historical and Cultural Context strand
(which includes listening to music from diverse cultures and comparing music
from various cultures) and plan ways to integrate it into their curriculum when
appropriate.

During the Year

Teachers
Monitor and continue to plan the details of the visual arts, dance and theatre
instruction making adjustments as necessary;

Compare notes regarding the integrated language arts/theatre lessons to see how the
students are progressing;

Check the standards at grade level to make sure the lessons are addressing all the
content/standards;

Establish a set of theatre games that they do with their classes in short, 15-minute
segments, one or two times a week over the whole school year (especially right after
lunch to re-establish collaboration and cooperation skills games can be repeated);

Have all the students keep sketchbooks and theatre journals (and dance journals, when
the dance units come up in the PE schedule);

Video tape as many of the dance lessons as possible in part or whole;

Share student artwork at the grade-level meetings on a regular basis determine

progress toward standards;

Share evidence of student work in theatre journals, student-written scripts, videos

of scenes and presentations, etc. and determine progress toward standards;

131
 Invite guest artists from the local theatre company to come in to provide three
demonstration theatre lessons in the spring;

Work with the music teacher to implement the social studies/music integration ideas;

Select one or two special, arts-based assemblies, perhaps theatre and dance, from
outstanding local resources and ask for pre- and post- performance curriculum materials
in order to prepare classes for the event and to teach follow-up concepts;

Plan one or two arts-related field trips: maybe a local art museum and a concert;

Work with the dance teacher regarding the demonstration lessons, refine expectations
for the artist, teachers and students;

Plan a low-key dance performance of works in progress for peers and parents at the
end of the dance demonstration lessons with the dance teacher; and

Prepare ways to share all of the arts for open house.

At the End of the Year

Teachers
Evaluate the dance program, artist, lessons and student work and student response;

Determine what went well, what changes need to be made and what not to repeat;

Determine what kind of professional development would be useful to increase

discipline expertise and see if there is funding to support participation by interested
teachers over the summer (or off-track) time;

Decide what will remain the same and what will change for the next school year and
begin to plan accordingly; and

Keep everything that worked well in place, add to the resources and instructional
materials; and know that the second year, and those thereafter, will be easier to
implement, for the essential and enduring knowledge it brings to students.

The sample schedule that follows is given to illustrate how it might be possible to implement this
plan and include all the arts disciplines, even at the very busy, curriculum-intense fourth- through
sixth-grade levels. This example does not examine the content of the integrated rotations or the
integrated theatre or the dance lessons. Visual arts is included through rotation, taught by a
classroom teacher who feels comfortable with the subject. In small rural schools where there are
fewer than three teachers at these grade levels, grades can combine for the rotation. It would be
difficult to include music without a specialist. Music appreciation or history might be integrated,
but the skills of music would have to be taught by a teacher with a music background. If there

132
was no music specialist, the music might be on the rotation schedule taught by a teacher with
that background, or by a visiting artist on a less frequent basis. Teachers would pick up their own
visual arts lessons, integrated or not. Theatre, in this plan, is taught by the classroom teachers
as an integrated part of their language arts curriculum. This is not difficult to do. It is an obvious
integration that strengthens both subjects. Dance is included, taught by a dance artist teacher,
using dedicated PE time.

It may seem an ambitious schedule, however, it is based on multiple successful school examples.
This example is also not presented as the ideal. It does not do justice to dance, but the artist
teacher does introduce various approaches to the teachers, who are required to be active partici-
pants and observers. Teachers would have to be careful to provide a standards-based sequence
for the integrated visual arts. Performance opportunities may be lacking for theatre, yet it is a re-
alistic beginning when there has been little previous opportunity for students to explore and learn
in the arts. Any model or example excludes as much as it includes. More than likely, teachers will
come to an approach that selects ideas from the multiple models provided.

133
 Example of Arts Across the School Year, 4-6 Grade Based on
Creative Scheduling
Example of Arts Across the School Year, 4-6 Grade Based on Creative Scheduling
The givens for this example:
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AUGUST
First Week Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
Teacher planning in grade (Teacher prep/meetings) Welcome Back Visual Arts: Base line figure
level groups More grade level group drawing (20 min)
planning (Keep work)
SEPTEMBER
First Week Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
Music lessons begin: one Theatre is integrated with Class norms for theatre Visual Arts/Science/Social
day a week for 40 minutes. Language Arts throughout games and activities are Studies Rotation Friday
the year. established. afternoons begin
Start 10-minute theatre
games 1 or 2 X a week
where it fits

Music, Tues. 12:45 Music, Tues. 12:45 Music, Tues. 12:45

OCTOBER
First Week Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
Visual Arts/Science/SS No rotation too close to
Rotation Halloween and school-wide
Friday afternoon parade of characters
Pre-performance lesson from
The As You Like it Company
10-min. theatre games 10-min. theatre games 10-min. theatre games

Music, Tues. 12:45 Music, Tues. 12:45 Music, Tues. 12:45 Music, Tues. 12:45

134
NOVEMBER
First Week
The As You Like It
Shakespeare Company
performs
10 min theatre games Post-performance
Music, Tues. 12:45
DECEMBER
First Week
Field trip to local concert
10 min. theatre games
Music, Tues. 12:45
JANUARY
First Week
Dance Demo Lessons #1
begin as part of PE, twice a
week for 30 minutes. Unit
lasts for 4 weeks (Providing
8 lessons over 8 sessions)
Dance during PE 2 X a week
Music, Tues. 12:45
FEBRUARY
First Week
10 min. theatre games
Music, Tues, 12:45
Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
Visual Arts/Science/SS (Thanksgiving week) Visual Arts/Science/SS
Rotation Rotation
Friday afternoon Friday afternoon
10 min theatre games
lesson/reflection
Music, Tues. 12:45 Music, Tues. 12:45 Music, Tues, 12:45
Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
Visual Arts/Science/SS (Winter break begins at the
Rotation end of the week)
Friday afternoon No rotation this week
School-wide music concert
10 min. theatre games
Music, Tues. 12:45 Music, Tues. 12:45 Music, Tues. 12:45
Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
Visual Arts/Science/SS Visual Arts/Science/SS
Rotation Rotation
Friday afternoon Friday afternoon
10 min. theatre games
Dance during PE 2 X a week Dance during PE 2 X a week Dance during PE 2 X a week
Music, Tues. 12:45 Music, Tues. 12:45 Music, Tues. 12:45
Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
Visual Arts/Science/SS Visual Arts/Science/SS
Rotation Rotation
Friday afternoon Friday afternoon
10 min. theatre games
Music, Tues. 12:45 Music, Tues. 12:45 Music, Tues. 12:45
135
MARCH
First Week Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
Visual Arts/Science/SS Visual Arts/Science/SS
Dance Demo Lessons #2 Rotation Rotation
begin as part of PE, twice a Friday afternoon Friday afternoon
week for 30 minutes. Unit
lasts for 4 weeks (Providing
8 lessons over 8 sessions)

Dance during PE 2 X a week Dance during PE 2 X a week Dance during PE 2 X a week Dance during PE 2 X a week
Music, Tues. 12:45 Music, Tues., 12:45 Music, Tues. 12:45 Music, Tues. 12:45
APRIL
First Week Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
SPRING BREAK TESTING TESTING/Make-ups) Visual Arts/Science/SS
Rotation
Friday afternoon

10 min. theatre games 10 min. theatre games

Modified Music Schedule Modified Music Schedule Music, Tues. 12:45

MAY
First Week Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
Collect work for Visual Arts OPEN HOUSE Field trip to regional art In-class Theatre
Show Pre-teaching for art field trip museum; post-trip reflections Demonstration-performances
for peers
Students take Visual Arts
Portfolios home

10 min theatre games

Music, Tues. 12:45 Music, Tues. 12:45 Music, Tues. 12:45
JUNE
First Week Second Week Third Week
Close the school year Grade level meetings: reflect
on program

CELEBRATE!

136
 4. YEAR-LONG PLAN BASED ON SCHOOL-WIDE THEMES
What are successful school-wide themes and how do they support the arts?
How does interdisciplinary instruction work in this context?
What does a schedule based on themes look like?

Working the Calendar

There are many reality factors that influence the individual calendar of a classroom teacher who
is trying to include the arts in a sequential way over the year. The absolutes go in first: the holi-
days, early release days, buy-back days, etc. But more important for instruction are the days
that provide potential opportunities for the arts. Put Back-to School-Night and Open House on the
calendar and do more with them through the arts. Many teachers are in schools where there are
a number of school-wide theme days that have become part of the calendar every year. Schools
plan special activities for such things as the 100th day of school, Earth Day, Martin Luther King
Day (or Black History month), Read With Dr. Seuss Day, and various academic themes such as
Oceans Week or American Heritage Week or various activities related to ethnic celebrations
such as Cinco de Mayo or Chinese New Year.

A school-wide thematic approach based on celebrations, holidays and special events can be an
entry point for including the arts for all students. Typically the emphasis will be on interdisciplinary
instruction. To take just one example from many: Chinese New Year and the culture it represents
could become a focus for a school in late January and early February. (It is actually a 15-day
celebration beginning on the first day of the lunar month to the 15th and comes at a slightly
different time each year on our Gregorian Calendar). One look at the Wikipedia entry about
Chinese New Year would give teachers enough information for a quarters worth of interdisciplin-
ary instruction. The celebration covers geography, the Chinese calendar and numbering systems,
superstitions, Chinese astrology based on animals and the elements wood, fire, earth, metal, and
water. It includes the Dragon dance and music, Chinese cultural symbols, social customs (the
red envelopes), myths, flowers, ornaments and much more. This same pattern can be followed for
other ethnically based celebrations, such as Day of the Dead or Cinco de Mayo, or festivals and
celebrations from other less known cultures.

Well-chosen school-wide themes provide potentially rich and meaningful lessons for every dis-
cipline in the curriculum. It would take planning, assignment of various themes and subjects to
various grade levels, discussion of culminating events, and securing resources; but it could be
an effective way to include units in dance, music, theatre and the visual arts for all grades. These
kinds of school-wide themes can be built a bit at a time over the years. Start with a few grade
levels and/or themes and add year by year. Add the culminating event after several years, not all
at once. The first time is the most work, then it becomes easier every time thereafter. The resulting
programs might become a school tradition.

An Ambitious School-Wide Plan Example

Teachers might be interested in looking carefully at a sample of what a school year (traditional
calendar) might look like for a school that planned its arts program on the basis of school-wide cel-
ebrations, holidays and special events. Most of the arts units are interdisciplinary. Some, like the
Artists Birthday, start with the arts, most do not. The Oceans Week themes are from science,

137
and Patriots Month from social studies. Dance is the focus in April, during testing, as a release
and pleasure for the students, as well as a way to take advantage of using dedicated PE time to
include a 4-week dance unit. The dance emphasis is folk and ethnic here, but it could have been
a more basic building dance approach. It is important, however, that the dance company invited
to present the performances that introduces dance to the students, match the style and approach
teachers are taking to the dance unit in which students will be engaged: modern to modern, folk/
traditional to folk dance. In the real world, there probably would not be quite so many things going
on. It is just an example pulled from many sources. It is ambitious. It would take a lot of planning,
but it does show what such a fully developed and implemented plan might look like. Schools are
not likely to do all of this, but perhaps there are one or two elements that teachers could add to
what is already done in their schools, or it may provide new entry points toward including the arts
or stimulate new thinking about possibilities.

There are few specific givens for this plan. There may or may not be a music specialist. Teachers
may or may not teach their own PE, but there is dedicated PE time. It does require a fairly high
degree of staff collaboration and a willingness to seek out the necessary resources to support the
instruction. Teachers would have to take individual responsibility to carry out the lessons of the
theme in a sequenced and standards-based way over the year. Lessons and units would have
to be developed and materials and resources put in place. This plan, too, is not ideal. Again,
dance is not sufficiently covered, although there is a good concentration in the spring. With this
much integration, teachers also run the risk of not covering the basics of the arts disciplines well
enough. It is most likely that teachers working with this guide would see ways in which the arts
content could be approached in a more systematic manner.

138
 A Year-Long
A Year-Long ArtsArts
PlanPlan Basedon
Based onSchool-Wide
School-Wide Themes
Themesand Celebrations
and Celebrations
OCTOBER Celebrations, Holidays, School-Wide Themes
First week Second week Third week Fourth week
Artists Birthday: This (Visual arts work being Picassos Birthday Science: skeletons, upper
year, Picassos birthday, completed) Celebration, K-3 grades (4-6)
10/25 - For grades K-3 Art Show of Picasso-style Visual Arts: Day of the
Visual Arts: Introduce the Language Arts: Poems paintings in the library Dead Miss America
work of Picasso across the about Picassos images Picasso poetry about the skeletons drawn from model
grades (appropriate images paintings in white pencil on black
for primary grade levels) Guest artist portrays Picasso paper, with accessories to tell
create artwork in the style of in selected classes what he/she used to be.
one of Picassos artistic Begin Day of the Dead Theatre 4-6: Skeleton
periods (as decided by activities, grades 4-6 Improvisations
teachers) Social Studies: customs in Music (Specialist, 4-6)
the Mexican community rhythmic and melodic
what it means structure of Mexican music
NOVEMBER
First week Second week Third week Fourth week
Introduce the theme of Language Arts: I am (Thanksgiving) Visual Arts: What We are
Thanksgiving and Harvest thankful for poems Thankful For: Paper Quilt
all grades or selected levels various styles, all grades First part of the week: one square from every
as appropriate PE/Nutrition: Getting the Social Studies: What were student in the school to be
Science: What grows best from the harvest the first colonists thankful displayed together in the
where? Ecology, geography for? Writing, research, etc. library (mounted on Kraft
and crops across the grades paper panels)
Dance: look at examples of
work and harvest dances
DECEMBER
First week Second week Third week Fourth week
The Beginning of Winter Science: What Brings Assembly of (Winter Break/Christmas
Theme Winter? Appropriate grades Christmas/Winter vacation)
Visual Arts: the symbols of Music: Background on Performances: Music under
cultural celebrations, 4-6 what will be presented at the the direction of the music
Dance K-2: Start creating music assembly all grades specialist
Winter Dances (Freeze Dance: working on winter Dance: perform winter
and Thaw, Snowflakes) dances, K-2 dances between
Theatre: Radio Theatre, Radio Theatre: practice K-2 classes
various dark, winter (add sound effects) Selected Radio Theatre
stories as radio drama, 3-6 presentations

139
 A Year-Long Arts Plan Based on School-Wide Themes and Celebrations
JANUARY Theatre
First week
School-wide Black History
Month
Introduction as appropriate
by grades of significant
background of Black
History through social
studies and/or literature
Theatre, 3-4: Tableaus
from Civil Rights
Planning begins
Music: Spirituals, Black
anthems, call and response
all grades as assigned
Visual Arts/Language
Arts, 5-6: Art based on the
book The Block, collages
by Romare Bearden and
poetry by Langston Hughes
FEBRUARY
First week
School-wide theme:
Patriots Month,
Social Studies: each grade
level picks an American
Patriot (in alignment with
their curriculum Fifth
grade = Lincoln) research,
writing
Visual Arts: Portraits of
Patriots selected grades,
different media and
concepts
Theatre: Historical
Tableau/Scenes in class
presentations, 3-6
Music: American Patriotic
Songs
140
Second week
Social Studies, 4-6:
Research, practice for Black
History tableaus (and/or
short scenes)
Music, All grades: practice
their musical contribution to
the assembly and the key
song everyone will sing
Dance, 3-6: view Alvin
Ailey Dance Companys
Revelations from the Dance
in America PBS series.
Language Arts: Writing
related to Revelation, 3-6
Work on art
Second week
Valentines Day
Visual Art: Various lessons:
K 2 patterns with hearts
3- Jim Dine heart paintings
4- Notan Heart Designs
5 Heart Characters
6 Printmaking (heart
theme)
Science: the heart muscle
Language Arts: various
writing assignments with
love theme
Music: The Beat, show the
video Stomp Out Loud
Music unit continues to
explore these ideas, 3-6,
under direction of music
specialist.
Third Week
School Assembly in
celebration of Martin
Luther King Day: whole
school attends, all classes
take part, open to all parents
during the school day
Complete art
Third week
Complete Patriots Month
activities as needed
grades
Fourth Week
Language Arts, 2-3:
African American Folk Tales
the Trickster
Theatre, 2-3 dramatizing
the trickster tales
Social Studies, grade 5:
begins Harlem Renaissance
Unit (goes through second
week of February) includes
art, poetry, jazz and dance
videos from Alvin Ailey and
others
Music, K-2: additional call
and response songs, musical
games from Africa and the
African-American tradition
Fourth week
Beginning of Earths
Oceans Week: School-wide
theme (begun as a science
foundation grant 7 years ago
and continues to this day
Science: ocean habitats by
zones assigned across the
grades (i.e. Kinder = tide
pools, etc.) Research projects
Language arts: literature,
writing, reports, poems, etc.,
about oceans, ocean
creatures, and the sea all
Visual arts: various projects
by grade level from past
Oceans curriculum, K-6 all
three week units
 A Year-Long Arts Plan Based on School-Wide Themes and Celebrations
MARCH
First week
(Oceans week)
APRIL
First week
Dance Assemblies: Folk
Dance Group that
demonstrates dances from
many cultures.
One performance and demo
for K-3, another for upper
grades, 4-6 with workshops
in selected upper grade
classrooms
MAY
First week
May Day Dance Around
the World: Outdoor
performance for parents and
community. Classes
perform in turn. One class
does the May pole weaving
to finish the performance.
(Classes that do not perform
dances, sing songs)
(The May Day theme could
be replaced by Cinco de
Mayo theme dance and
music)
Second week
(Oceans week)
Second week
(Testing week)
Dance in PE: all grades
learn various folk dances by
grade level as assigned
Music: songs and games
from around the world all
grades as appropriate
Second week
Various Mothers Day
Projects, K-5
Language Arts: poetry;
letters to Mom; some classes
do a Mothers Day Literary
Tea: based on favorite
childrens literature authors
and illustrators.
Art/Theatre: Dress in the
style of characters, present
story as readers theatre or
tableau; art gallery of story
pictures.
Third week
Oceans Week Celebration:
Afternoon classes rotate
through displays in the
library and in every
classroom. Parents are invited
to take the tour with the
students
Third week
(Testing week)
Dance in PE: all grades learn
various folk dances by grade
level as assigned
Music: songs and games
from around the world
Third week
Open House preparations
Collecting art work from
classes (saved all year in
portfolios)
Music practice: music
specialists (upper grades)
prepare for program
Fourth week
Fourth week
Dance in PE: all grades
practice dances for May Day
Festival
Music: songs and games
from around the world
Fourth week
Open House
School-wide visual arts
show in the multi-purpose
room pre-mounted on large
Kraft paper panels hung by a
parent group
End-of-the-Year Music
performance band and
vocal
141
 5. YEAR-LONG PLAN BASED ON PARTNERSHIPS
AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS
How can partnerships with arts providers and teaching artists enrich instruction?
How are multiple arts residencies scheduled for the year?
How do district-developed pilot programs work in a school?

Sometimes the arts dont happen in a school because no one can figure out how to schedule
them into an already busy instructional calendar; and, sometimes they dont happen because
teachers feel overwhelmed and want help. Elementary generalist teachers want and need more
professional development in dance, music, theatre and the visual arts. They need more informa-
tion about the basics of the arts disciplines; they need to develop a greater comfort level with the
material and the teaching methodology.

District/school arts education plans increasingly include funding to support a variety of profes-
sional development opportunities for teachers to help initiate programs or further improvements
and refinements in arts instruction and program design. One effective methodology is for teachers
to learn through observation and participation in demonstration lessons with their own classes
during the school year. In this context, teachers work closely with artist-teachers and in many
cases, co-teach some of the lessons. The residencies are interlaced with professional develop-
ment workshops for teachers beyond the classes themselves. The artist-teachers, under such ar-
rangements, plan with teachers and write up all the lessons, including a list of all resources used
to give to the teachers during or after the residency. There is always a pre-residency meeting and
survey, a mid-point workshop and an end-of-residency survey and evaluation session. The in-
tended outcome of these kinds of collaborative residencies is to empower teachers to implement
the units the following year with their classes on their own.

The collaboration and help teachers need may not always come from outside the district. Districts
themselves can develop pilot programs in the arts to see if they are viable for the future. They
generally create these programs in response to missing pieces in the program; for example, a
pilot-Kindergarten Orff program for a district or school that has no music at that level, or a dance
program for selected grades to begin to address the complete absence of dance in the curricu-
lum. Pilot programs (discussed in more detail in Part Three of this guide) can provide additional
expertise and professional development. In the example that follows, a district music specialist
becomes a teacher on special assignment to provide demonstration lessons to all Kindergarten
teachers on teaching music based on the Orff approach. In the following plan, this approach in-
cludes several artist residencies.

A plan based entirely on collaborations and pilot programs is probably not realistic beyond the
first year, but it could be a way to provide the experience and inspiration needed to have teachers
begin to teach the arts, one discipline at a time. Real school plans will draw from elements from
the many models presented here, as particular elements relate and are appropriate to the specific
reality of a school or district.

142
 An Arts-Centered Approach Based on Partnerships and
Collaborations
The givens for this example:
Each art partnership has a grade level focus;
This school had a theatre residency the year before this and it worked very well. Teachers
at the 4-6 levels have all the lessons and are integrating them into the Language Arts
and Social Studies curriculum this year;
Teachers are used to doing their own visual arts lessons K-6 and do them on a regular
basis;
There is no standards-based, sequential music program before grade four. The priority is
to build a music program from the bottom up and to engage and expand upper grade
music at the same time; and
The kindergarten ORFF music will be taught by a district music specialist on special
assignment.
The residencies are planned and implemented as professional development. The
approach was outlined in the District Arts Education Plan. Funding comes from the
Arts Block Grants.
AUGUST
First Week Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
Grade level meetings to Meeting between Teachers will integrate
confirm all residency Kindergarten teachers art into their curriculum
dates and Orff teacher. and keep portfolios.

SEPTEMBER
First Week Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
BACK TO SCHOOL Kindergarten Orff
NIGHT: Teachers talk Pilot Plan kick-off:
about upcoming art workshop for
residencies Kindergarten teachers
OCTOBER
First Week Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
Kindergarten Orff Pilot Kindergarten Orff Kindergarten Orff Kindergarten Orff
Program begins. 40 Lessons Lessons Lessons
minutes once a week for Classroom teacher is
12 weeks taught by Orff active participant and
specialist a district observer
music teacher on special
assignment
NOVEMBER
First Week Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
Kindergarten Orff Kindergarten Orff (Thanksgiving week Kindergarten Orff
Lessons (Mid-point workshop too difficult to schedule Lessons
with Kindergarten for Orff)
teachers and Orff
specialist)
DECEMBER
First Week Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
Kindergarten Orff Kindergarten Orff Kindergarten Orff Winter Break
Lessons Lessons Lessons

JANUARY
First Week Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
143
Kindergarten Orff 10-Session Dance Kindergarten Orff ends Dance 2-3
Lessons Residency for grades 2- Complete curriculum Pre-residency
Kickoff for dance 3 begins: one- hour is given to teachers; workshop for 4-6
residency: workshop for sessions once a week Evaluation meeting. teachers, discussion of
2-3 teachers and taught by a dance artist Dance 2-3 expectations and
completion of pre- through the local arts responsibilities
 teachers and Orff
specialist) APRIL
DECEMBER First Week Second Week Third We
First Week Second Week Third Week TEST Fourth Week TESTING SCHEDULE TESTING
Kindergarten Orff Kindergarten Orff PREPARATIONS
Kindergarten Orff Winter Break
Lessons Lessons Lessons (Teachers request no
other activities)
JANUARY
First Week Second Week Third Week MAY Fourth Week
Kindergarten Orff 10-Session Dance First ends
Kindergarten Orff Week Dance 2-3 Second Week Third We
Lessons Residency for grades 2- Music Residency
Complete curriculum 4-6
Pre-residency Music Residency 4-6 OPEN HO
Kickoff for dance 3 begins: one- hour is given to teachers; workshop for 4-6ends with Documen
residency: workshop for sessions once a week Evaluation meeting. performance
teachers, discussion of for Kinderga
2-3 teachers and taught by a dance artist Dance 2-3 expectations andschool and parents; Program,
completion of pre- through the local arts responsibilitiesCurriculum materials residency
residency survey council are given to teachers. residency
FEBRUARY featured.
First Week Second Week Third Week JUNE Fourth Week
Dance 2-3 Dance 2-3 (schedule Dance 2-3 First Week Dance 2-3 Second Week Third We
Beginning of the 4-6 may have to be altered Music Residency 4-6 Staff
Music Residency 4-6meeting to
Music Residency based to accommodate the evaluate and reflect on
on the Arts for Learning two presidents day all residencies and
Inside the Heart of holidays) special projects with
Music Model 10 Music Residency 4-6 input for next years
weeks, one-hour lessons Midpoint Dance program
taught by a music artist. workshop for teachers
MARCH
First Week Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
Dance 2-3 Dance 2-3 Dance 2-3 ends; Lesson Spring Break
Music Residency 4-6 Music Residency 4-6 plans and resource list is
(Mid-point music given to teachers;
residency workshop for Dance evaluation
artist and teachers) meeting
Music Residency 4-5

APRIL
First Week Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
TEST TESTING SCHEDULE TESTING MAKE-UPS Music Residency 4-5
PREPARATIONS
(Teachers request no
other activities)

MAY
First Week Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
Music Residency 4-6 Music Residency 4-6 OPEN HOUSE Music Residence
ends with Documentation from the evaluation meeting
performance for Kindergarten Orff Pilot
school and parents; Program, the Dance
Curriculum materials residency and Music
are given to teachers. residency programs are
featured.
JUNE
First Week Second Week Third Week Fourth Week
Staff meeting to
evaluate and reflect on
all residencies and
special projects with
input for next years
program

144
PART FOUR
PART FOUR

SHOWCASING STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENT

1. SHARING STUDENT LEARNING IN THE ARTS
How can learning be made visible?
Who should know what and how students are learning in the arts?
Do we grade in the arts in elementary school?

Once sequential, standards-based curriculum in dance, music, theatre and the visual arts are in
place and teachers are able to write, select, modify, sequence and implement quality lessons,
units of instruction and curriculum, and students are learning, how do we share their growth and
accomplishments? Some schools and districts have made the decision not to give grades in the
arts especially at the primary level, for a number of good reasons; but this is about the bigger is-
sue of sharing student learning in the arts with parents, administrators and the school community.
It is about acknowledging and supporting the fact that given the right circumstances, students can
and do learn to be skilled and expressive in dance, music, theatre and the visual arts. The ques-
tion is how does a teacher make learning in the arts visible not only to parents and administrators,
but to the students themselves. How can teachers inform parents about the skills and knowledge
their students are learning?

Making Learning Visible: Process Documentation

The Alameda County Office of Education has been working on this question for several years.
They have developed a valuable process as part of their Art IS Education initiative. It is called
Making Learning Visible: Process Documentation. All of the information about this protocol
(and all aspects of the Art IS Education program) is available on-line at www.artsiseducation.org.
Making Learning Visible is a way of presenting student work that makes the learning evident not
only to the student and teacher, but to parents and the community. It provides a vehicle for the
viewer to learn more about what students are actually thinking, and what and how they are learn-
ing. In addition, it enables teachers, parents and visitors to ask more in-depth questions about
the student learning that is taking place.

The focus is on the process of student learning rather than on the finished work. Instead of sim-
ply exhibiting finished student work (and in many places that has meant the best work), it has
process documentation on display. They call it a thinking wall and say, The display itself is a
living document charting the teaching and learning journey through photographs, student quotes,
teacher reflections, examples of student work and class hand-outs and other material. Docu-
mentation can also include things such as student-led tours, demonstrations, and enactments of
the learning process, web sites, photo essays and storybooks. As such, it can document learning
in dance, music and theatre, as well as the visual arts. Further documentation of the learning
process in the performing arts can include videotapes of rehearsals, planning sessions and con-
versations with students, etc. There can also be different kinds of performances presented for
parents such as demonstrations of process followed by student-led discussions of what they were
learning and why it is important.

145
The Educationally Interpretative Exhibition
The work undertaken through the Alameda County Office of Education on making learning visible
is a type of process documentation that emerged from the work in Italys Reggio Emilia schools
where documentation is considered the second skin of the schools. Harvards Project Zero has
helped bring this work to the U.S. Elliot Eisner, in his book, The Arts and the Creation of Mind,
sites this kind of work as a vivid example of situated learning which itself comes from John
Deweys emphasis on the importance of creating communities of learners so that children could
learn from each other.

Eisner maintains, The evidence of growth is displayed in what the child makes and is able to see
and say about the work. In other words, the teacher can use the childs work not only to display
something that is charming, but to reveal significant forms of cognitive development. Eisner calls
this the educationally interpretative exhibition. Most exhibitions of childrens artwork are modeled
after a gallery display, with the best works displayed with nothing more than the childs name,
age, and perhaps the title of the piece. The educationally interpretative exhibition explains to
viewers the features of the work on display and describes the forms of thinking that the child had
to engage in to create the work. The point is not to assume that the educational importance of
the work speaks for itself. Such displays can include pictures of students working, sketches and
studies for the final work, student statements about the process and the challenges, and their
assessment of the final work. The display can also include quotes from the children while they
are working, teachers statements about learning objectives and/or the lesson plan overviews. At
the most formal level of this kind of display, quotes from the field of art education can be shown
above groups of student work and process information, to illustrate the big ideas and the enduring
understandings that the materials displayed make evident.

The Issue of Product and Process

Performances and exhibitions are typically about product. The making learning visible and the
educationally interpretative exhibition approaches are about process. When it comes to show-
ing off the arts to parents and the community, schools tend to feature the finished pictures, the
school play, the spring recital. Teachers can get completely caught up in the product, especially
in the performing arts. Once committed to a performance, teachers sometimes turn lessons into
one rehearsal after another, without teaching any new skills or concepts. When product rules, it
may be the case that no other strands of the content standards are being taught except the skills.
What happens to lessons on historical and cultural connections? What happens to aesthetic valu-
ing? Sometimes they are completely left out. In teaching visual arts, product oriented teachers
sometimes overstep the help they give students and do too much for them, or develop lessons
that are so step-by-step that almost everyone gets a good product, but they are all the same and
little emphasis put on exploration or personal expression.

The reality is that good process produces good products, and the resulting products are a more
authentic assessment of the learning that has taken place. Teachers are right to select lessons
that will produce good results. There is nothing more frustrating to students than to have work
or performances turn out badly because they didnt have sufficient information or skills or the
proper materials or tools or coaching from their teachers. But students and teachers alike can
benefit from an understanding of the learning associated with process-based lessons. These
are lessons that explore the ideas and ways of working of a discipline but may not produce what

146
is typically on the wall. Those first exercises in using a Chinese paint brush, or mixing colors just
to see how they turn out, or making an imaginary animal with modeling clay and then squishing it
up, dont produce products; but they are very important for developing familiarity with a material
and understanding its expressive possibilities. Performing arts teachers know that lots of what
they do is process, not product. It is skill-building and learning the traditions of the discipline until
someone decides to make it public and then a concern for product becomes important. When
arts lessons are part of integrated instruction, the arts many times are vehicles of learning; ways
to demonstrate information (the weather dance, the illustrated journal), and thus the emphasis
is on the process side.

Portfolios and Assessment

Portfolios (in all their forms) promote conversations between teacher and student. If students
keep their visual artworks for the whole year, they have a record of how they have progressed.
At the end, they can create an end-of-grade portfolio that is more than just a collection of artwork.
Consider providing the students with a series of reflective questions about their work over the
year. Such questions might include, What pieces represent your work at its best? What pieces
presented the greatest challenge? Which ones did not work? Pick one or two and describe
how you would improve them if you were to do them again, or, Which piece of artwork repre-
sents your greatest growth and why? Always ask why. All of this is student self-assessment.

Portfolios of a different kind can be created for the performing arts, although it takes more technol-
ogy. Teachers or students can make short video clips of student work in theatre or can construct
tasks specifically for assessment and record each students response. More likely, teachers will
tape class or group performances, and individual students can comment on their work or use a
rubric to self-assess. Performing arts students can always make comparisons between earlier
and later work of the same kind to judge progress. For dance, teachers can also videotape small
group and/or individual student work. Whenever students share their solutions to the artistic prob-
lem set by the teacher, the work can be video taped for assessment purposes. Music teachers
have always assessed their students skill levels. They use a wide variety of specific tasks and
rating systems and have developed very complete self-assessment forms for upper elementary
students. Classroom teachers are more likely to make audiotapes at points during a unit of in-
struction to demonstrate student progress and have students respond to their own growth, chal-
lenges and successes.

What about Report Cards?

A school or district may make a philosophical choice not to grade the arts at the primary level, or
at K-5. At the sixth-grade level, the arts are usually graded, as it is typically an elective, but not
always. Not assigning grades is not the same thing as not assessing the learning. Assessment
is a part of all good unit and lesson plans; and, in fact, is the starting point of units developed
though the backwards mapping process that is part of Understanding By Design. Assessment,
and self-assessment is embedded in all good performing arts lessons. The theatre standards
emphasize, from the third grade forward, developing and applying appropriate criteria or rubrics
for evaluating theatrical experience. There is constant teacher feedback on the performance of
skills in dance and music. Teachers observe students responses to all aspects of arts learning
and use that information to plan future instruction.

147
Grading is different. It depends on establishing a system of evaluation. In the arts, it may or may
not be appropriate for younger students. Some classroom teachers, when they do grade the arts,
tend to include ideas not specific to the arts, but important in a general way such as effort or
finishing projects or participation. When the arts, usually visual arts and music, do appear on
the report card, often the only criteria is effort and participation thus the learning that may or may
not have taken place isnt reported.

Sometimes this evasion of judgment about what the students know and are able to do in dance,
music, theatre and/or the visual arts, is a result of a common misconception about talent. Some
think that talent makes all the difference. They may not think it is fair to grade music or visual
arts when some children are better than others due to their talent, but teaching the arts is about
growth and every child can learn and improve their skills and their understanding of the discipline.
It is possible to assess progress and growth, but letter or number grades may not be the best way
to report that growth.

Recently there have been efforts to indicate student progress in the arts by using a rubric that
acknowledges how well the student knows and is able to do the tasks at his/her age and stage
of development. The language may include a continuum such as not there yet, emerging,
confident and accomplished for his/her age. Or it might have fewer levels, such as exceeds,
meets (or does not meet), expectations and/or novice. If and how the arts are included in a
report to parents is usually a district-level decision and needs to reflect an approach that teachers,
students and parents are comfortable with.

Parent Conferences and Individual Education Plan Meetings/Evaluations

In the face of the pressures of teaching to the test, schools are increasingly trying to create a
balance for students. They are moving toward educating the whole child and for many that
specifically includes the arts. Thus, when it comes time to report learning progress to parents
at parent conferences, teachers often include insights about the students skills and intellectual
development made apparent by their work in and through one or more of the arts. Sometimes
such information is about accomplishment in terms of skills and understandings, and sometimes
its about those habits of mind issues such as cooperation, focus, craftsmanship, enthusiasm
and engagement that the arts bring out. In either case, teachers can present a more whole and
balanced picture of student growth and progress by including artwork they have saved in portfo-
lios, videotapes of performing arts engagement and/or notes and observations they have made
about students as they work in the arts. It is an opportunity to talk to parents about how their child
works in an area where there are no absolutes and where creativity and personal expression are
encouraged and valued.

For children with specific learning issues that require an individual education plan, the more infor-
mation a teacher has, the better. It should be an exciting and encouraging thing for both parents
and teachers to find that a child with difficulties in certain academic or behavioral areas, might
shine in one or more of the arts disciplines. If such a student proves to be extremely good at
dance or visual arts, then teachers and parents might consider the kind of thinking and problem
solving involved (visual or kinesthetic) and make adjustments in teaching methods along those
lines. It is also important to identify areas of potential success for these students as these areas
might provide a sense of direction for the future.

148
Informal Ways to Share Arts Learning with Parents
Newsletters: Many teachers use more informal ways to report to parents about what their children
are learning in the arts. These tend to report how the whole class achieved goals, rather than
individual accomplishments.

If the students are working on storytelling, or writing scenes for a classroom play, or are planning
any kind of a performance, the newsletter helps the teacher explain the learning that is taking
place on a day-to-day basis. Parents can be informed about what kinds of music the students
are singing, playing and/or listening to, where it comes from and what they are learning about the
culture in which it was produced. Students can write about (or be quoted about) the skills they
are learning. If students are working in dance, teachers can list some of the dance vocabulary to
introduce the discipline to the parents. Newsletters may feature the content standards that are be-
ing addressed by the lessons in all of the arts. That way, parents understand that the instruction
is standards-based and that the content standards are broad, deep and challenging.

Classroom newsletters can easily include information about the latest visual arts lessons and
projects. The steps of the lesson can be summarized along with student comments and descrip-
tions of their processes, which, for upper grades, students can write themselves. Teachers can
also use the occasion to describe artists and styles of art they are studying and how that connects
to what the students are doing in visual arts and in integrated applications.

Letters from Home: Another effective approach in educating parents about the learning that is
taking place in visual arts is to prepare a short, informative statement about the project or lesson,
make copies and glue it on the back of every piece of work that goes home. This information might
include a lesson overview (to put the activity in context), the content standards the lesson ad-
dresses, and the learning objectives. Parents are much more likely to ask their child about what
they did and what they learned with this information in hand. As part of an excellent third grade
visual arts lesson from the Arts For Learning web site, there is a sample of a letter to go home
about the lesson. It is called, Tell Me About Your Art and the lesson title is Making Shapes Pop
With Color.

Dear Family,

We balanced shapes and then made them pop with color in a collage. We looked at two paint-
ings to find colors that contrasted with each other. We also looked for those same colors on
the color wheel. We discussed the effects of complementary colors in combination. We found
that colors opposite on the color wheel created high contrast. We decided that placing different
shapes in different positions on either side of a central axis, especially if they visually weigh the
same, can create informal balance. We cut many geometric and organic shapes from colored
paper. We arranged them for informal balance and paired complementary colors for contrast.

The last section of the letter is about suggestions for Art at Home, with an activity that students
can do with their family, followed by two related questions that could be discussed at home. The
last, bolded sentence at the bottom of the letter summed up the whole lesson and expressed the
larger ideas quite clearly, placing complementary colors adjacent to each other can create
contrast in a work of art. Arranging shapes in space in relation to an axis can create informal
balance.
149
 2. OTHER WAYS TO SHOWCASE ARTS LEARNING
The Familiar Formats
Teachers have always used back-to-school night and especially open house to display student
learning and accomplishments in the arts. With just a bit more planning ahead, open house dis-
plays could move steadily toward interpretative exhibitions. Use the occasions when parents visit
the schools to show them all the ways in which their children have been learning. Many times,
performances are part of the evening. Again, parents generally see the end product of the prac-
ticed and rehearsed dance, scene or musical performance. Those are examples of authentic
assessment to be sure. They are the performance tasks. They show exactly what the students
can do, but not how they got there, which is equally important. Teachers might consider revising
performances from time to time to include student-led discussions, and descriptions of process
and demonstrations of the skills that, put together, became the finished piece. Before presenting
a theatre piece, the students might demonstrate one or two theatre games and then explain what
skills the game developed and how they contributed to the finished work. They might follow the
scene with a sample critique of their performances. This kind of presentation deepens the ap-
preciation for the learning involved and tends to turn parents into arts advocates.

In order to have the work necessary to display at various times, particularly at the end of the year,
teachers will need to keep portfolios of visual arts work and make some video and audio tapes
of selected work in the performing arts. Video or audiotapes might be made at the beginning and
end of a unit of instruction to show where a specific student or group or the whole class started
and how far they came. Again, this is proof positive that teaching matters, that it is not about tal-
ent, and the arts can be taught and that children can learn and improve. For all the arts disciplines,
students can keep journals, notebooks, reflections, research, tests and quizzes, rubrics and self-
assessments.

Family Arts Nights

Beyond making the most of back-to-school night and open house, and including more information
on process at performances, teachers and administrators are developing other creative ways to
celebrate student learning and accomplishments in the arts. Some elementary schools have tak-
en the model of Family Math Night and applied it to the arts. The Arts For Learning Web Library
has a very comprehensive piece on Arts Program Planning that includes Tips for a Successful
Family Arts Night. They point out that, schools are using Family Arts Nights as a way to share
the vibrancy of arts in education with parents and the local community. These exciting evenings
offer students an opportunity to show their work and can be a time for teachers, parents and stu-
dents to connect and celebrate creativity. These events take a variety of forms that are respon-
sive to the needs and values of particular schools. The events are built around hands-on activities
in which students demonstrate, or teach their parents how to do some of the things they have
been learning. Students and parents may be involved in printmaking, theatre games, or making
and using rhythm instruments from found materials, or learning a dance. Parents might rotate
through several activities or classrooms. Family Arts Nights can be combined with performances
and visual art shows or with other events where students can act as docents for the public.

150
School-Wide Thematic Events
The arts can be the centerpiece of other events such as a Multicultural Celebration, other arts
infused seasonal or thematic celebrations or special events planned for individual classrooms.
The curriculum in all of the arts can be directed toward selected themes for a period of time, say
a month (or even a quarter). Classes at selected grade levels can work on the theme through
different arts (as well as academic) disciplines. In a multicultural context, perhaps classes pick
a culture or country that is related to their social studies curriculum or literature and explore the
culture through songs and ethnic dance, visual arts, puppets, and drama in the style of the culture.
All of the arts can be aligned with writing, research, reports and other presentations. Parents are
invited to one or more days of the festival. The work can be displayed in individual classrooms
and/or in the multi-purpose room, library or a combination of all of these. Such arts-infused events
can also be built around academic themes such as Oceans Week or The Worlds Weather or
Transformations. (See the thematic planning model in Part Three of the guide)

Individual classrooms can have their own mini-arts nights with Meet the Artist events that high-
light the visual arts the students have done in the style of many artists. Students also do research
on those artists, and prepare presentations about the life and times of the artist. On the night par-
ents come, the students dress as the artist and present the work in the dramatic character of the
artist. Parents see how the arts can be a focus, as well as point of integration for the curriculum.
Other kinds of in-class, informal performances of all kinds can be held for parents during the day,
after school or in the evenings.

Use Technology
One of the most efficient ways of communicating learning in the arts to parents is through the web.
If the school has a web site, teachers can develop an arts page that features an up-to-date cal-
endar of arts events throughout the school including performances, visual arts shows, arts-based
assemblies, arts field trips and visiting artists, etc. The school web site can then link to individual
classrooms. Teachers may decide the format and content of their site. Upper grade students
can be taught to design and manage the site. Students can write about performing arts lessons,
special projects, residencies and field trips. It is generally not a good idea to post recognizable
pictures of students on-line and many schools have policies that guide what can and cannot go
onto a school web site. However, photos of groups of students taken at a distance where faces
are not clear, or from the back, or in costume and make-up or masks are usually allowed. Musi-
cal audio clips are part of some more sophisticated sites. For the visual arts, pictures of hands at
work during the process of creating the finished pieces are fine. Showing student artwork on-line
is very easy through the use of digital images.

Music, theatre and dance usually require space for performances where large parent/community
audiences come and everyone is enthusiastic and excited to see their students on stage. It takes
space to exhibit students visual art. The typical locations available to show the artwork are usu-
ally small, such as classrooms or some walls in the library. Turning the multi-purpose room into a
school-wide gallery for an art show is effective if it doesnt have to come down the next day. The
on-line gallery is an effective way to share students visual art if there isnt wall space available.

One approach is for teachers to feature particularly successful lessons throughout the year for
posting. The images of student work, flat or 3-D can be captured with a digital camera for direct

151
importing to the site. It is extremely effective to show all the work from a particular lesson together
(perhaps excluding those that were not finished). By posting all the work, the entire range of
student response is on view. The more examples, the more obvious it is how unique each childs
work is and how broad the interpretation, which is always the mark of a good lesson. Work posted
on-line usually has only the childs first name under it. Teachers can refer parents to the on-line
classroom gallery in the newsletters they send home. Lessons posted on-line are bright and col-
orful and make a wonderful statement about learning. The work needs to be accompanied by a
brief description of the lesson and the learning goals. Parents, and others, should know exactly
what concepts, skills and ideas the students were working with to complete the artwork. Student
comments can also be included.

152
 A BRIEF GUIDE TO QUALITY ARTS INSTRUCTION
FOR ADMINISTRATORS
1. THE PRINCIPAL AS INSTRUCTIONAL LEADER FOR
ARTS EDUCATION
What is the most important thing a principal can do to support arts instruction
for students?
What do administrators need to know to evaluate the arts instruction provided
by teachers?

The principal is a critical piece of the arts education puzzle. This guide has been primarily for K-6
elementary classroom teachers and has examined the full range of challenges and opportunities
associated with making the arts a viable and vibrant part of our students comprehensive educa-
tion. However, without the leadership and support of the school principal, bringing the arts into
the curriculum in a meaningful way becomes extremely difficult if not impossible. Principals are
used to being the instructional leaders for the parts of the curriculum that are tested. Yet, many
times including the arts is up to the individual teacher. The recent State of California arts and
music block grant funding has encouraged some principals to become more involved, particularly
through supporting and participating in district or school-based arts education planning. The
resulting plans are developed in order to guide the strategic and effective spending of the block
grant funds and all other funding available to the arts in a district or school. In schools where the
arts flourish, there is almost always a principal who has taken an active part in guiding the direc-
tion and implementation of the programs offered to students. The principal must become a true
educational leader for this vital part of the curriculum.

Walking into Arts Lessons

For the sake of discussion, lets assume that classroom teachers are teaching one or more of the
arts as part of their curriculum on a scheduled basis and that they are being held accountable
for such instruction. And, there are many schools where there are music specialists and once in
awhile, an art specialist. In these cases, the principal would have the responsibility for some kind
of evaluation of the quality of the teaching. Does the principal know what to look for? How can
a principal recognize quality arts instruction? What if the principal misses the introduction? What
if it looks like minor chaos? What if it looks like the kids are doing nothing? What if the principal
only sees the product and not all the learning that it took to get there?

Principals will need to have some sense of the instructional sequence of lessons in the visual and
performing arts in order to evaluate teaching and learning accurately and fairly. It matters when
an administrator walks into an arts lesson. It probably matters in other kinds of lessons as well,
but it is even more important when observing a discipline with which the observer is likely to be
unfamiliar. The ideal is to have the principal come at the very beginning of a lesson and stay for
the whole time or nearly the whole time. But whenever the arrival in the classroom, the principal
may wonder what is going on. What are the students doing? Why is it so noisy? No matter how

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organized and well-planned the lesson, there is usually an element of openness in most arts
lessons that tends to make it look like the students are off-task, especially if observers are expect-
ing to see all students doing the same thing at the same time. Teachers would be well-advised to
share with their administrators, the outlines of the instructional sequence of dance, music, theatre
and visual arts lessons to be found in this guide. That would give the principal (and any other ob-
server) a sort of map to help create informed understanding of whats happening in the classroom,
the visual arts room, music room, stage, dance room or gym.

Teachers sometimes complain that administrators, when observing an arts lesson, concern them-
selves with things like following directions, clean-up procedures and management of materials
and equipment. All of this is important, but these things do not carry the essence of instruction in
the arts. They support instruction. So what should a principal focus on? As indicated previously,
it depends on when the principal walks in and on whether the administrator is observing instruc-
tion in the visual arts or in the performing arts. The key to understanding the pedagogy of a well-
taught arts lesson is an understanding of the instructional sequence of the arts disciplines.

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 2. A GUIDE FOR ADMINISTRATORS: THE VISUAL ARTS
Visual arts take time. Students need sufficient time to complete the artwork after the concepts
have been introduced and modeled by the teacher. Students will spend the greatest amount of
time in a visual arts class working on their individual art; but if that is all that is observed, it may
appear that the teacher has done no teaching, certainly no direct instruction, and that is not the
case. Lessons must be completed, or brought to a close to be continued another day, in a timely
way in order for students to have enough time to clean up. The clean-up should proceed in an
orderly fashion. It is easy for an administrator to assume that the management of time and the
clean-up is the most important part of teaching art, and/or the administrator might be impressed
with the materials management skills of the teacher. But time or materials management or clean
up, as important as they are, are only part of the necessary skills involved in teaching a visual
arts lesson well. The lesson introduction and the motivation of the students through modeling and
demonstration are the essential parts, as is the questioning, individualized teaching and encour-
agement during the time students are working on their own. The guide for administrators below
focuses on the visual arts classroom from two points of view, asking first, What is the teacher
doing? and next What are the students doing? when visual arts is being well taught.

FOR THE VISUAL ARTS:

WHAT IS THE TEACHER DOING?

In the first few minutes, the teacher is:

Gathering the students around art images, examples, a white board or flip chart or a
big table set up with materials; and

Talking about past lessons and visual arts experience and what they will be doing
today, asking questions, listening to student response and exciting children about the work
to come.

In the next few minutes, the teacher is:

Showing art images, student examples or examples of the steps of a process;

Demonstrating/modeling skills, processes or visual concepts for students or having

students demonstrate possible solutions for the class, or sometimes showing video clips
of processes and methods;

Explaining the lesson steps and giving directions as to how the materials will be
organized and distributed; and

Asking clarifying questions, then sending the students to their places to do their
independent work.

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In the middle of the class time, the teacher is:

Identifying and responding to individual student needs;

Circulating around the room, providing specific praise (using the vocabulary of the
lesson) and encouragement for all students;

Picking up student work and sharing good ideas and approaches with the class;

Continuing an on-going dialogue with the whole class about what they are doing; and

Managing the use of materials and supplies, managing the use of time.

At the end of the class time, the teacher is:

Monitoring the clean-up and placement of finished or in-process artwork (especially if this
is the first of several lessons it will take to complete the work);

Or gathering the students around finished artwork to look at what has been
accomplished (a gallery walk and talk); and/or

Asking questions that allow students to talk about, reflect on or evaluate the work
they have done.

FOR THE VISUAL ARTS

WHAT ARE STUDENTS DOING?

In the first 5-10 minutes students are:

Looking, listening and talking about their own experiences and giving their own
opinions about artwork, artists or art ideas and processes; and

Asking questions or making predictions about the new lesson and about what they will
be doing.

In the next few minutes, students are:

Looking at images and asking questions and/or giving their personal opinion;

Observing a demonstration of processes or art ideas and perhaps taking part in the
demonstration; and

Asking all kinds of questions about the steps or ideas involved.

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In the middle of the class time, students are:

Working individually (sometimes in small groups) on their artwork, sometimes quietly

and sometimes with lots of conversation;

Looking at their neighbors work to see what they are doing (perfectly OK);

Stopping and starting, but making progress on their own artwork;

Asking for teacher assistance and sometimes stopping while they wait; and

Giving (positive) opinions about what they and others are doing.

At the end of the class time, students are:

Bringing their work to a close or, if finished early, working in a sketchbook, cleaning up
their own work area and helping with the general clean-up;

Placing their work in specified areas to dry or to be out of harms way; and/or

Talking about what they did, using appropriate visual arts vocabulary, about what was
easy and what was hard, what they would do differently, and/or how they will finish the
work, how successful they were and what they learned.

The Learning Environment for Visual Arts Instruction

Students have space to work, other materials are safely out of the way;
There is a visually rich environment: reproductions of famous work, posters, a variety
of interesting objects for drawing, art time lines, color wheels, etc.;
Student art work is on display;
Materials are in order, stored properly and safe to use;
There is a place to put finished or in-process artwork;
There is a word wall of collected terms used in visual arts over time;
Students have art portfolios and a place to store them in the classroom; and
Students keep sketchbooks and use them whenever they finish early or to work out
ideas for current work.

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 3. A GUIDE FOR ADMINISTRATORS: THE PERFORMING ARTS
Instruction in the performing arts has a certain rhythm to it. Performing arts are usually more
physical than visual arts; and classes generally start with a warm-up of some kind, especially
critical for dance and very typical for theatre and music. Theatre games many times proceed the
main part of the lesson, and the teacher makes sure the purpose of the games and of the lesson
aligns. But if all the administrator sees are theatre games, there may be some question about
the seriousness of the content. Dance students of all ages need to warm up their muscles before
engaging in vigorous movement, but administrators should not judge this as another form of PE.
Even music, which is usually more obviously structured, has, especially at the younger grades, a
period of fairly open exploration, especially if introducing or using classroom instruments, (all that
noise to be made!) before they get into the more structured part of the lesson. Theatre and dance
in particular, can look very unstructured at the mid point of the lesson when students are typically
working in small groups, sometimes quite nosily, to solve the artistic problem set by the teacher.
It is quite a teaching skill to manage these lively groups while they are creating. Movement can
be exuberant, but the teacher who understands dance instruction can always bring a class back
to quiet attention. In all well-taught performing arts classes, things come back together very nicely
after exploration, when the groups perform. Developing audience skills is also a necessary goal
for performing arts teachers. At the end of the time, the skilled teacher takes the students through
a reflection and self-assessment of their work. The guides below focus on the performing arts
classroom what teachers and students are doing.

FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

WHAT IS THE TEACHER DOING?

In the first 5-10 minutes, the teacher is:

Reminding students about past lessons and experience and introducing what they will
be doing today, asking questions, listening to student response, exciting the students
about the lesson to come;

Focusing the students through a physical warm-up of body and/or voice or musical
instrument

And/or playing musical, movement or theatre games that focus on the skills that will
be needed to be successful in the lesson; and

Reminding the class, or asking students to identify the protocols of behavior and
participation expected.

In the next several minutes, the teacher is:

Introducing the new concepts for the session by demonstrating/modeling or explaining

in detail, the skills, processes or concepts students will need to learn;

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 Or having students demonstrate concepts for the class, or sometimes showing video
clips of processes and skills (or CDs for music);

Guiding the students as they try out and practice the new ideas, individually, in small
groups or as a whole class; and

Explaining the artistic problem (dance and theatre in particular) for the students to
solve and, for older students, the rubric upon which it will be assessed.

In the middle of the class time, the teacher is:

Monitoring students as they work on the artistic problem (or musical composition or skill)
as individuals, or in small groups, checking that students are incorporating the new skills;

Moving from group to group asking questions, correcting technique, side-coaching,

giving specific praise (using the vocabulary of the lesson and the discipline) and always
giving encouragement;

Keeping groups on task and informing students about time;

Continuing an on-going dialogue with the whole class about what they are doing; and

Checking on proper use of the space, the instruments, props, costumes or other
equipment.

Toward the end of the class time, the teacher is:

Selecting individuals, pairs, small groups (or calling on the whole class) to perform what
they have practiced and/or their solutions to the artistic problem;

Providing constructive feedback and/or asking students to self-assess or give positive

feedback to their peers;

And/or asking questions that allow students to talk about, reflect on or evaluate the
work they have done.

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 FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
WHAT ARE STUDENTS DOING?

In the first 5-10 minutes, students are:

Recalling and talking about what they have learned in previous lessons;

Participating in physical and/or voice warm-up and becoming more focused;

Actively participating in musical or theatre or movement games with good humor,

concentration and purpose; and

Stating, when asked, the agreed upon rules for behavior in the space, with the instruments
and/or equipment.

In the next phase, students are:

Watching the demonstration and/or listening attentively to the instructions and new
information;

Practicing, playing around with, exploring, or trying out the new movements, ideas, or
techniques (or classroom instruments to see what they will do/sound like), individually,
in pairs, small groups or as a whole class; and

Attending to and asking questions about how they are to apply the skills and what they
are to create and perform for peers.

In the next phase of the class time, students are:

Working individually, in pairs, or in small groups, on creating their solution to the

artistic problem;

Making suggestions, showing ideas to other group members, taking the lead and
following the lead of others;

Or practicing what they have come up with, editing, refining and rearranging, etc.;

Stopping and starting but making progress and staying engaged in the process from
beginning to end; and

Asking for teacher assistance when needed and sometimes stopping while they wait.

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Toward the end of the class time, students are:

Performing their work individually or with their group (or class);

Looking and listening attentatively and responding appropriately to the performances

of peers;

Answering questions about what they saw and heard and providing positive feedback;

Talking about what they (and their group) did, what was easy and what was hard, what
they would do differently, how successful they were and/or where they could go from
here; and

Describing what they did, what they learned, and why it is important in learning
about dance, music or theatre.

The Learning Environment for Performing Arts Instruction

In the classroom:

Students have space to work, with tables, chairs and desks moved back;
There is a vocabulary list or word wall of all the terms students have used to date in
the discipline;
The current lesson information is on the white board or flip chart, including the steps;
Materials, props, musical instruments are in order, readily available, stored properly
and safe to use; and
Sound systems, boom boxes, video monitors, etc. are in place or readily available.

In specialized spaces (music rooms, the stage, the gym or multiple purpose room or extra, empty
classroom):

The space is cleared, open and safe for the activities planned;
Built-in sound and light systems are maintained and working properly;
There are portable or fixed boards for writing, taking notes, diagrams, lesson steps,
and displaying word walls;
Other people are not setting up or taking down equipment, lunch tables or the like
during class time;
Other classes (such as PE) are not being taught in the same space at the same time;
and portable sound systems, boom boxes, video monitors, etc. are in place or
readily available.

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 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IMPLICATIONS
1. THE GUIDE AS A STARTING POINT FOR BROAD-BASED
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Beyond K-6 classroom teachers, who would find this guide useful?
What kind of professional development could be built on the ideas in this guide?

The purpose of this guide is to provide pragmatic, practical, current information for K-6 classroom
teachers who are concerned about maintaining, strengthening and improving current arts pro-
grams or who are ready to begin building visual and performing arts instruction where there has
been none. Most elementary teachers, along with the parents of their students, strongly support
the arts as part of a comprehensive education for their students. They are just looking for ways to
make it happen. Perhaps this guide will provide some starting points.

Multiple Entry Points

The guide provides multiple entry points for teachers, depending upon their needs and point of
view. There are sections that will be helpful to the individual teacher working more or less alone,
looking for those good ideas in their favorite art form, do-able lessons in unfamiliar arts disciplines,
or approaches to designing longer, integrated units of instruction to be put into effect right away.
For those teachers, the discussion about the sources of lessons will be a good starting point, and
the subsequent discussion of all the ways teachers can make existing material their own might
provide the specifics that make it happen. Teachers develop enough expertise to provide effective
instruction in areas of the curriculum, including those they have a strong affinity for and those they
do not. The focus on instructional sequence in the guide is intended to help classroom teachers
see how lessons in dance, music, theatre and the visual arts are structured and how they parallel
good instruction in any discipline.

It is usually even more productive for teachers to work together in planning new instruction, devel-
oping units of instruction, or new approaches to time or to program development. It can be excit-
ing and fun to work with colleagues on a new and promising challenge. Most elementary teachers
already work in grade-level groups or clusters, so this is an excellent venue to do anything from
exchanging lessons to planning programs. If some grade-level meetings over the school year
were devoted to the arts, this guide could provide some structure to the discussion. Schools that
are poised to develop partnerships and collaborations with local and regional arts agencies could
benefit from the ideas, sample programs and criteria presented in the guide. Teachers might also
meet with parent groups interested in beginning a docent program, where many of the ideas in
the guide might prove useful.

A New Way to Understand the Standards

One of the most helpful things this guide can bring to teachers is a new way of looking at the
visual and performing arts content standards. The Visual and Performing Arts Framework for
California Public Schools contains the standards, as well as a complete description of the goals
for a well-developed arts education program for California schools. The format for the standards
used in that document lays out what students are to understand and be able to do across all four

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arts disciplines, for each strand, at each specific grade level. But for the standards to be useful on
an everyday basis for generalist teachers, they need to be seen in a different way. In the guides
re-viewed content standards they are taken apart and reorganized in a way that shows the strong
sequence of knowledge that is built into them over the grades. This is especially important in the
arts because there is so little sequence in the reality of arts instruction in our schools today. It is
essential that teachers see the standards as a continuum and understand that they may need to
go back to previous grades to pick up skills and concepts and, at times, go forward to the next
level when their students are ready. Also, in separating the verb-driven students will . . . from
the tasks, teachers will see that none of the standards are as daunting as they first appear. This
re-viewed look at the standards could provide a starting point for professional development for
classroom teachers in the arts. Once the standards are seen as a realistic, useful and flexible
guide to instruction, many things become possible.

The Guide and Arts Education Planning

Perhaps one of the best uses of this guide would be in schools that have undertaken arts edu-
cation planning or are poised to do so. Because of the state arts and music block grant fund-
ing, many schools (not just elementary) have understood the great benefit that can come from
developing a long-range arts education plan at the school or district level. Such plans guide the
strategic use of those new funds, as well as all of the funding available or potentially available to
the school or district for arts education. The planning process at its best is collaborative and em-
powering. Best practice suggests that districts form arts education teams, consisting of teachers,
administrators, parents, board members, community arts providers and other community mem-
bers, who come together to define the vision and priorities for the arts over the next three to five
years. The planning culminates with an implementation plan, which spells out the details of what a
school or district will do to make the vision come alive. It would be extremely useful to have some
of the models and specific approaches outlined in the guide as a reference for such planning. The
examples might provide a number of pragmatic approaches that could be explored and modified
to meet the specific needs and conditions at hand. There are certainly enough ideas presented in
the guide to start the conversation about the specifics of a long-range arts education plan.

The Different Aims of Professional Development in the Arts

Any professional development based on this guide would be intended for elementary classroom
teachers and administrators and their collaborative partners. The work could be narrowly focused
on determining what to teach, where to find good existing lessons, how to make sure they are
aligned with content standards and how to sequence lessons and instruction to create coherent,
engaging, units of instruction based on important ideas in each arts discipline. Professional de-
velopment based on this guide could also be very broad based, using the sections on planning for
a school year and partnerships and collaborations, focusing on the integrated and project-based
models and methods of delivery over time.

These kinds of approaches are quite different than the in-depth, discipline-specific work of The
California Arts Project (TCAP). TCAP is the subject matter project for the visual and performing
arts and as such, its first responsibility is increasing teacher knowledge in each of the arts dis-
ciplines. The work is grounded in the ways of working, thinking, understanding and interpreting
the world that come from dance, music, theatre and the visual arts. It is about deepening content
knowledge, particularly for secondary arts specialist teachers. There are carefully designed, en-

163
gaging TCAP programs that parallel that process for elementary generalist classroom teachers.
And, if elementary teachers are lacking the basic knowledge to begin to even think about teaching
an arts discipline, then professional development intended to increase skills, understandings and
methodologies must come first. For TCAP and many other arts education professional develop-
ment models developed by outstanding cultural organizations, teachers come from their schools,
as individuals or in small teams, and attend institutes or an in-depth workshop series over a con-
centrated period of time, supported by regular follow-ups over the academic year. Teachers take
the work they have done back to their classrooms and use it. Sometimes they share the work
with colleagues.

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 2. WHAT THE WORK BASED ON THE GUIDE MIGHT LOOK LIKE
The kind of professional development that might be built on this guide would work in a different
way. First it would involve teachers in their environment and with their colleagues, as a staff, or in
grade-level groups or through work with arts education leadership committees. It would focus on
using available and pre-existing materials rather than generating original units of instruction. And,
it would be linked to defining delivery systems that would provide time for instruction in the arts. It
could involve having teachers and teaching artists work together on both curriculum development
and program delivery. It would take teachers where they are and support small, incremental steps
for initiating, sustaining and improving arts teaching at the school. It could focus on instructional
strategies that are the most supportive of arts instruction and the ways in which good lessons from
good sources can help teachers learn along with their students.

Who Should Use This Guide?

The guide is intended for K-6 elementary classroom teachers. It would also be useful for the fol-
lowing:

At the school level

credentialed elementary arts specialists music and art teachers
elementary administrators, especially the sections on planning for a school year
representative of agencies who might be potential partners with the school

At the district level

arts coordinators
directors or coordinators of elementary education
those in charge of curriculum and instruction

At the county office level

the arts coordinator
whoever counts the arts as part of their job description
others engaged in providing support or professional development in the arts

Beyond the district/school

non-profit arts providers
arts agencies that train artists to work in the schools
other providers of professional development for teachers in the arts

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Finding an Entry Point that Addresses Particular Needs and Realities
What kind of workshops, seminars, working groups, or other structured approaches might be built
on this guide? Let the sections organize the topics:

Workshop topics using this guide could focus on the following:

Determining what to teach:

understanding the quality, point of view and potential usefulness of lesson sources;
working through the web of the web; and
understanding and working with a lesson/unit criteria.

Seeing the VAPA standards in a new light:

getting at sequence;
understanding the connections and common themes among the arts; and
seeing how the strands are different and yet are mutually supportive.

Working with pre-existing seed ideas, activities, lessons, units of instruction and state-adopted
curriculum series:
seeing how to get from ideas to lessons to units to curriculum;
working with the big three: modifying, adapting and sequencing;
focusing on instructional sequence; and
understanding the possibilities of integrated instruction.

Working with partnerships and collaboration:

learning about creative collaboration;
establishing the schools agenda, needs and goals;
finding quality programs that can advance school-defined outcomes; and
learning about different models for collaborative work.

Making the arts happen in a school year:

analyzing different models based on different needs;
determining current reality and finding a place to start to planning;
working with staff committees and administrators to match potential models to reality; and
developing specific delivery systems that will work for the arts at a particular school.

Reporting learning outcomes in the arts:

finding out what students currently know and are able to do;
exploring different ways to report student learning in the arts;
forming study groups to look carefully at student work to inform teaching and learning;
learning how to document student learning; and
earning how to educate parents and the community on the learning required by the arts.

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REFERENCES
About the Resources
As teachers well know, for every refined, successful lesson, there are dozens and dozens of
lessons behind it. For every pedagogical path taken, there were many possible paths, not yet
taken. The same is true for resources and references behind a document like this guide. The
guide would not have been possible without consulting a huge variety of resources. For every
document, organization, or lesson source listed here (because they were directly mentioned or
discussed in the text of the guide), there are 20 or more that are not listed. This is especially true
for web-based resources. The range of information now available on the web is amazing from
broad-based to esoteric, from simple to scholarly, from amateur to highly professional, across is-
sues of policy, theory, research, best practice, in education and arts education and across all four
arts disciplines. The web will take teachers far and wide, but it requires discipline to select and
organize what is useful, depending on ones intent and purposes.

The Selected References and Resources from the VAPA Framework

An extremely useful list of references is to be found in the last few pages of the current Visual
and Performing Arts Framework for California Public Schools. The section begins with Califor-
nia Organizations (such as the professional organizations and the arts council, etc.) and each of
those sites opens up to many, many more sites related to the arts disciplines themselves, as well
as policy, research and advocacy issues. All of the resources available on-line from the CDE are
listed, as well as all of the national organizations and resources. That is followed by more than
three pages of general arts references and resources, including all of the essential books and
papers in the field, some of which are available on-line. There is a separate section on resources
and references for arts assessment. Finally, what might prove to be the most useful for class-
room teachers are the sections specifically devoted to each of the arts disciplines: dance, music,
theatre and the visual arts. They include everything from theory to how to teach books and ev-
erything useful in between. Teachers would do well to find these pages in the VAPA Framework,
and keep a copy for future reference.

Note: All web site references (URLs) are current and correct at the time this document was pre-
pared.

Resources directly mentioned in the text of the Guide

Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten
Through Grade Twelve. http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp

Visual and Performing Arts Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through
Grade Twelve. http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/vplcfl

Learning, Arts, and the Brain: The Dana Consortium Report on Arts and Cognition. New York/
Washington D.C.: Dana Foundation, 2008. http://www.dana.org/news/publications/publication.
aspx?id=10760

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The Arts and the Creation of Mind. Eisner, Elliot W., New Haven and London.: Yale University
Press, 2002.

Understanding by Design. Wiggins, Grant and Jay McTighe. Alexandria, Va.: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1998.

Interdisciplinary Learning Through Dance. Overby, Lynette Young, Beth C. Post, and Diane
Newman. Human Kinetics, 2005.

Authentic Connections: Interdisciplinary Work in the Arts. National Art Education Association,
Reston, Virginia, 2002.

Creative Collaboration: Teachers and Artists in the Classroom. Lind, Vicki R. and Elizabeth Lind-
sley. California Alliance for Arts Education and the San Bernardino City Unified School District,
2003.

An Unfinished Canvas. Arts Education in California: Taking Stock of Policies and Practices. Wood-
worth, K. R., Gallagher, H. A., and Guha, R. Summary Report. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International
web site. http://www.hewlett.org/Programs/Education/CA+Reform/Publications/An+Unfinished+
Canvas-+Arts+Education+in+California.htm

Web Resources

California Statewide Organizations

California County Superintendents Educational Services Association (CCSESA)

Arts Initiative Web Site, www.ccsesaarts.org

The California Arts Education Association (CAEA). www.caea-artseducation.org

The California Arts Project (TCAP). http://csmp.ucop.edu/tcap

California Association for Music Education (CMEA). http://www.calmusiced.com

California Dance Educators Association (CDEA). http://www.cdeadans.org

California Educational Theatre Association (CETA). http://www.cetaweb.org

Offices of Education or District Offices

Alameda County Office of Educations Arts IS Education. www.artiseducation.org

San Diego Unified School District Visual and Performing Arts. www.sandi.net/depts/vapa/

168
Hawaii Arts Alliance Toolkit. www.arts.k12.hi.us

Cultural Organizations

Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE). www.capeweb.org

The Kennedy Center ArtsEdge. http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org

Crocker Art Museum. www.crockerartmuseum.org

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. www.sfmoma.org

DSO Kids/Dallas Symphony Orchestra. www.dsokids.com/2001/rooms/musicroom.asp

National Young Audiences: Arts For Learning Web Library. www.arts4learning.org

Other

American Orff-Schulwerk Association. www.aosa.org

BBC Interactive Body. www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/index.interactivebody.shtml

Public Broadcasting System: Jazz Kids. www.pbs.org/jazzkids

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). www.ascd.org

(for Understanding by Design information and related sites)

Human Kinetics Dance K12 resources. www.humankinetics.com

Waltz the Hall: The American Play Party. www.upress.state.ms.us/books

Kinderart.com. www.kinderart.com

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