Performing Arts Content Standards
4th thru 5th Grades

Creative Expression: Students develop knowledge and skills in acting, directing and script writing through their own experience and imagination as well as through their research of literature and history. They create and perform theatrical productions and explore the elements and technology of theatrical production through varied media. The students will demonstrate understanding of various creative activities of people in theatre. They will create original works of theatre and perform works created by others. The students will create theatre by participating in the planning and performance of stories, improvisations and classroom dramatizations.

Historical and Cultural Context: Students research relationships between theatre and dramatic literature, history and culture. They investigate major themes, historical periods, and styles of theatre in various cultures throughout the world. The students will identify some major traditions and themes in stories and theatre. They begin to understand the relationship between theatre, history, and culture. The students identify some styles of theatre in different cultures and time periods.

Aesthetic Values: Students describe, analyze, interpret, and derive meaning from works in theatre. They develop criteria and then make critical judgments about and determine the quality of theatre experiences and performances based on elements and principles of theatre. The students demonstrate an understanding that specific criteria can be developed and used to assess the merits and qualities of works in theatres. They will apply appropriate criteria when evaluating theatrical experiences and electronic media productions. The students will demonstrate an understanding of the form (how a work in theatre looks) and content (what a work communicates) in works of theatre. And, the students will talk about meaning, images, and mood conveyed by performances.

Artistic Perception: Students perceive the environment and respond, using movement and voice. They observe informal productions, films, and electronic media and respond to them, using the vocabulary of theatre. The students refine the use of their senses to perceive the world in an artistic way. They observe objects, animals, and people and re-create their characteristics using movement and voice. The students demonstrate understanding of works in theatre by exploring, analyzing, making choices, and talking about what is pretended through voice, movement, and visual effects. And, students will use basic theatre vocabulary to talk about their response to a play or other theatrical experience.

Students learn to express themselves using their imagination, memory and observation, together with the tools used in theatre expression. Students learn to value self-expression without fear; through continues opportunities in public speaking and learning the artistic process. The drama program places experience at the center; aesthetics, criticism, and theatre history grow out of the many creative experiences.

The elementary drama curriculum is student centered emphasizing broad, equal and frequent opportunities to express oneself through the varied aspects of theatre education, public speaking, reader’s theatre, oral presentations, historical simulations, and the various components of theatre (improvisation, being an audience, reading lines, etc.)

Students begin by practicing reading skills, developing sensory motor skills, learning to read and retell stories, and experience public speaking opportunities.

In the upper-elementary grades, students continue to build on the basic movement and dramatic skills learned in grades K-3.

FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS EXPERIENCE THE FOLLOWING:

Creative Expression
Use improvisation skills to create or retell a story
Improvise dialogue to tell stories

Artistic Perception
Identify and discuss the five senses as they relate to objects, animals, and people they have observed.
Observe and discuss performances by students.
Identify body language that expresses emotion.

Aesthetic Values
Develop and apply a few criteria to use in critiquing his or her own work and the work of others in classroom dramatizations.

Historical and Cultural Context
Discuss, compare and contrast, then act out or improvise stories and plays.
Identify, compare and contrast different forms of theatre.

Other Activities
May include the following:
Dramatic Readings
Poetry
Character role-playing

Students learn to express themselves using their imagination, memory and observation, together with the tools used in theatre expression. Students learn to value self-expression without fear; through continues opportunities in public speaking and learning the artistic process. The drama program places experience at the center; aesthetics, criticism, and theatre history grow out of the many creative experiences.

The elementary drama curriculum is student centered emphasizing broad, equal and frequent opportunities to express oneself through the varied aspects of theatre education, public speaking, reader’s theatre, oral presentations, historical simulations, and the various components of theatre (improvisation, being an audience, reading lines, etc.)

Students begin by practicing reading skills, developing sensory motor skills, learning to read and retell stories, and experience public speaking opportunities.

In the upper-elementary grades, students continue to build on the basic movement and dramatic skills learned in grades K-3.

FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS EXPERIENCE THE FOLLOWING:

Creative Expression
Collaborate with other students to write a script and identify the plot, conflict and resolution of the story.
Participate in group play-acting
Research, create, and perform in pantomimes, monologues, dialogues, and/or plays
Use voice to convey emotive content, emotion, and character
Demonstrate an understanding of basic stage directions and blocking/movement notation
Appreciate the value of the technical artists in the theatre

Artistic Perception
Describe and analyze short dramatizations in terms of the visual elements, vocal elements, movement elements, setting and script
Discuss production values after attending or viewing a tape of the performance
Clarify and refine movements that specify objects, animals or people
Identify the introduction, conflict, climax, and resolution of a play or story
Use observation skills to inspire improvisation

Aesthetic Values
Identify and discuss basic playwriting elements such as character, conflict and resolution

Historical and Cultural Context
Investigate the dramatic form of various ceremonies and celebrations from world cultures
Identify, compare, and contrast similar characters and situations in stories and dramas from various cultures
Identify and discuss reasons for creating theatre (and films, television, etc.)
Identify and discuss reasons for attending theatre (and films, television, etc.)

Other Activities
May include the following: ETF Speeches, historically-based simulations, and Reader’s Theatre