Performing Arts Content Standards
Kindergarten thru 3rd 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.

KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS EXPERIENCE THE FOLLOWING:

Creative Expression
Express real activities, such as bouncing a ball, in pantomime.

Artistic Perception
Replicate the sound and movement of objects, animals and people
Retell a short story

Aesthetic Values
Discuss the effect that a story has on its audience

Historical and Cultural Context
Identify similar characters in stories from different cultures

Other Activities
Sensory motor development
Recognizing and repeating patterns
Reading together
Rhythmic performance opportunities
Show and Tell

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.

FIRST GRADE STUDENTS EXPERIENCE THE FOLLOWING:

Creative Expression
Memorize and expressively recite short poems

Artistic Perception
Move like an object, an animal, or a person doing a job, using changes in height, size or stance
Describe a favorite character from a classroom dramatization, film or television program

Aesthetic Values
Identify the meaning and emotions in stories, and describe his or her personal reactions
Talk about their responses to presentations and/or classroom dramatizations

Historical and Cultural Context
Participate in dramatizations that reflect cultural traditions
Perform folktales

Other Activities
Practice being an audience
Participate in Author’s Chair
Retelling stories in various modes: finger puppets, etc.
Participate in choral readings

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.

SECOND GRADE STUDENTS EXPERIENCE THE FOLLOWING:

Creative Expression
Use costumes and simple props to create classroom dramatizations

Artistic Perception
Perceive and discuss mechanical and natural sounds in the environment
Identify and talk about the five “W’s” as used in theatre (who, what, when, where, why)

Aesthetic Values
Study and talk about how a specific actor uses drama to create images, mood, and feelings in the performance

Historical and Cultural Context
Retell stories as a dramatic form

Other Activities
May include the following:

Reader’s Theatre
Oral presentations: Student of the Week; Project Sharing; Author’s Chair
Role play
Class play
Improvisation activities
Theatre games

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.

THIRD GRADE STUDENTS EXPERIENCE THE FOLLOWING:

Creative Expression
Students use their imaginations to explore multiple views of a specific scenario

Artistic Perception
Students carefully observe and describe events and situations in theatre activities

Aesthetic Values
Talk about what he or she sees in a dramatic presentation, including the quality of the acting, sets, props, and lighting
Evaluate the merits of a pantomime

Historical and Cultural Context
Retell or act out stories from various cultures and periods of history

Other Activities
Informal oral book reports
Puppets
Poetry readings
Skits