The Arts Learning Area

The Arts Learning Area provides an opportunity for students to gain an aesthetic understanding and arts practice through the art forms of music, dance, drama,

media, visual arts and a combination of these forms.

To develop an aesthetic understanding allows students to appreciate and critically

respond to these arts forms through a variety of activities and experiences.

By participating in arts practices they develop skills and knowledge of art techniques

and processes and are encouraged to create their own ideas and express their feelings.

 
At Westfield Park Primary School the music specialist is responsible for the music
program and where possible works with classroom teachers to provide integration of
other learning areas.  Opportunities for the students to participate in dance, drama,
visual art and media does take place through working in this manner and an example of combinations of the art forms took place through the Year 7 musical which encompassed
the four major outcomes.
The Scope of the Arts forms provides information regarding the key activities, elements, skills and processes and contexts.

If students are working with line in visual art it can be likened to melody in music,
pathways in dance, dialogue in drama, and communication in media etc.  Working with classroom teachers to integrate the arts forms not only provides links for the students
but also reinforces these forms. An example of this was when the Year 6 teacher said
she was going to work with line with her students in visual art.  I carried out activities
in melody and created discussions with the students after explaining that melody is
similar to line, which they were working on in visual art.
I continued to link the activities to reinforce these terms and understanding of the
Arts as a whole.  With the assistance of the Curriculum Framework and handouts received over the years I have created a grid that may help teachers in understanding The Arts
as a whole.

With a limited knowledge of terms in the forms other than music I stand to be corrected and
would appreciate being informed if this is the case.   Margaret Cotton - Music Specialist 2000

Some classroom teachers may find this helpful:
Below are examples of the type of activities that could be carried out covering the four Major Outcomes and the five Art Forms.  These activities are not set at a particular level.
 

1. Communicating Arts Ideas:	Students use their own ideas and imagination to produce an Arts form.
Music	Students select an appropriate instrument that will represent sound of horses galloping, mice scampering etc.
Visual Art	Use imagination to draw or paint an event or image showing some attention to detail.
Drama	From events in their own lives students tell a story.
Dance	Make movements/create basic dance steps in response to music.
Media	Create a story about what might be happening in a photograph.
2. Arts Skills and Processes:	Provides opportunities for students to develop the skills of music, visual art, dance, drama and media.
Music	Clap or play on untuned percussion a simple ostinato to accompany a song.
Visual Art	Select a range of materials to make a greeting card.
Drama	Act out/mime a short story or song using facial expression and gesture.
Dance	Isolate parts of the body in movement to music, use levels of high and low.
Media	Order pictures from magazines to tell a story.
3. Arts responses:	Students can reflect on how art forms affect other people and how they feel or think about music, visual art, dance etc.
Music	Respond to recorded music through movement, dance or body percussion.
Visual Art	Discuss how they feel about their own art-making.
Drama	Talk/write about their experiences during and after drama.
Dance	Talk about how they felt while making their own movements in class.
Media	View and discuss their pre-recorded performance.
4. Arts in Society:	Students gain an awareness of art in our society.  How it is used for example on special occasions, for entertainment or advertising.
Music	Discuss the appropriate places to sing special songs eg. Advance Australia Fair.
Visual Art	Identify the different forms of artworks eg. paintings, sculptures, costumes etc.
Drama	Discuss drama in their community/where did they go to see it.
Dance	Discuss places in their community where people dance eg. parties, weddings etc.
Media	Discuss/write/draw about the different forms of media.

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