Maine Learning Results:
Parameters for Essential Instruction

 
Visual and Performing Arts
  The visual and performing arts are an essential part of every child’s education. Engagement in the visual and performing arts deepens students’ overall knowledge and skills, as well as their social and emotional development. Research shows that students involved in the visual and performing arts are more successful in school, more involved in their communities, and perform better on standardized tests.  
  The National Standards for Arts Education includes separate standards for dance, music, theatre, and visual arts. In 1997, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Arts assessment was developed with separate assessments in these disciplines. These four visual and performing arts disciplines are uniquely different from each other in literacy as well as creation and performance. Standards A and B of the Visual and Performing Arts Standards of the Maine Learning Results each include four separate strands (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts). In contrast, standards C, D, and E are representative of skills and knowledge in all four disciplines of the visual and performing arts. This format best represents both the unique and common aspects of the visual and performing arts. The decision about the breadth of the programming in the visual and performing arts resides with the School Administrative Units (SAU).  
  These Visual and Performing Arts Standards outline a comprehensive pathway to enable every high school graduate to exhibit proficiency in one or more of the visual and performing arts disciplines. The key to success is local commitment to the visual and performing arts. Staffing, scheduling, and resources vary from SAU to SAU. Research supports the implementation of a comprehensive visual and performing arts education curriculum to meet the learning needs of all students. Connecting the visual and performing arts with other content areas of the curriculum improves teaching and learning.  
  This document guides SAUs in developing comprehensive and sequential standards-based visual and performing arts curricula for student learning. The use of these standards may assist in the improvement of instruction generally, and impact student learning, not only in the visual and performing arts but in other content areas, as well.  

 

 

Outline of Visual and Performing Arts Standards and Performance Indicator Labels
   
  A. Disciplinary Literacy
    Music:
      1. Music Difficulty
      2. Notation and Terminology
      3. Listening and Describing
  B. Creation, Performance, and Expression
    Music:
      1. Style/Genr
      2. Composition
  C. Creative Problem-Solving
      1. Application of Creative Process
  D. Aesthetics and Criticism
      1. Aesthetics and Criticism
  E. Visual and Performing Arts Connections
      1. The Arts and History and World Cultures
      2. The Arts and Other Disciplines
      3. Goal-Setting
      4. Impact of the Arts on Lifestyle and Career
      5. Interpersonal Skills

 

  1. Disciplinary Literacy – Music: Students show literacy in the discipline by understanding and demonstrating concepts, skills, terminology, and processes.

A1. Music Difficulty
Performance Indicators & Descriptors
Pre-K-2 3-5 6-8 9-Diploma
Students accurately perform a short musical selection, both instrumentally and vocally, while modeling proper posture and technique, alone or with others. Students accurately perform music in easy keys, meters, and rhythms with limited ranges, both instrumentally and vocally, while modeling proper posture and technique, alone or with others. Students accurately perform music that includes changes of tempo, key, and meter in modest ranges with moderate technical demands, modeling proper posture and technique, alone or with others. Students perform music that requires well-developed technical skills, attention to phrasing and interpretation, and the ability to perform various meters and rhythms in a variety of keys while modeling proper posture and technique, alone or with others.

A2 Notation and Terminology
Performance Indicators & Descriptors
Pre-K-2 3-5 6-8 9-Diploma
Students identify and read musical notation, symbols, and terminology of dynamics.
  1. Read whole and half notes in 4/4 meter signatures.
  2. Identify symbols and traditional terms referring to dynamics.

 Students identify and read musical notation, symbols, and terminology of dynamics.
  1. Read whole, half, dotted half, quarter, and eighth notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 meter signatures.
  2. Identify symbols and traditional terms referring to dynamics, tempo, and articulation

 Students apply accumulated knowledge of musical notation, symbols, and terminology to a music performance.
  1. Read whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and dotted notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 6/8, and 3/8 meter signatures.
  2. Read simple melodies in both the treble and bass clefs.
  3. Apply notation symbols for pitch, rhythm, dynamics, tempo, articulation, and expression.


Students apply accumulated knowledge of musical notation, symbols, and terminology to perform music with greater complexity and variation including sudden dynamic contrasts
A3 Listening and Describing
Performance Indicators & Descriptors
Pre-K-2 3-5 6-8 9-Diploma
Students listen to and identify elements of music including meter and simple form and attributes including loud/soft, fast/slow, high/low, and long/short beat and steady/strong beat. Students listen to and describe simple examples of the elements of music including pitch, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, form, timbre, meter, phrases, style, and major/minor harmony. Students listen to and compare elements of music, including pitch, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, form, timbre, texture, harmony, style, and compound meter. Students listen to, analyze, and evaluate music using their understanding of pitch, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, form, timbre, texture, harmony, style, and compound meter.
 
B.  Creation, Performance, and Expression – Music: Students create, perform, and express through the art discipline.
B1 Style/Genre
Performance Indicators & Descriptors
Pre-K-2 3-5 6-8 9-Diploma
Students create or perform short musical selections of various styles and genres accurately applying selected knowledge and skills of: proper posture and technique; notation; symbols; and terminology of dynamics. Students create or perform music of various styles and genres in easy keys, meters, and rhythms with limited ranges accurately applying the knowledge and skills of: proper posture and technique; notation; symbols; and terminology of dynamics. Students perform music of various styles and genres that includes changes of tempo, key, and meter in modest ranges with moderate technical demands accurately applying the accumulated knowledge and skills of: proper posture and technique; musical notation; symbols; and terminology. Students perform music of various styles and genres that requires well-developed technical skills, attention to phrasing and interpretation and various meters and rhythms in a variety of keys, accurately applying the accumulated knowledge and skills of: proper posture and technique; musical notation; symbols; and terminology.
B2 Composition
Performance Indicators & Descriptors
Pre-K-2 3-5 6-8 9-Diploma
Students use knowledge and skills of standard and non-standard notation, symbols, and terminology of dynamics. Students create their own compositions by applying the knowledge and skills of notation, symbols, and terminology of dynamics. Students compare musical ideas expressed in their own compositions or the compositions of others. Students analyze and evaluate musical ideas expressed in their own compositions or the compositions of others.
 
C. Creative Problen Solving: Students approach artistic problem-solving using multiple solutions and the creative process.
C1. Application of the Creative Process
Performance Indicators & Descriptors
Pre-K-2 3-5 6-8 9-Diploma

Students identify and dmonstrate creative problem-solving skills.

  1. Improvise to solve problems in the performing arts.
  2. Imagine and share possible solutions to apply to challenges in creating art.

Students describe and apply steps of creative problem-solving.

  1. identify problem.
  2. Define problem.
  3. Generate a variety of solutions.
  4. Implement solution(s).
  5. Evaluate Solution.

 

Students describe and apply creative-thinking skills that are part of the creative problem-solving process.

  1. Fluency
  2. Flexability
  3. Elaboration
  4. Originality
  5. Analysis
 Students apply and analyze creative problem-solving and creative-thinking skills to improve of vary their own work and/or the work of others.
 
D. Aesthetics and Criticism: Students describe analyze, interpret, and evaluate art (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts).
D1 Aesthetics and Criticism
Performance Indicators & Descriptors
Pre-K-2 3-5 6-8 9-Diploma
Students observe, listen to, describe and ask questions about art forms.
  1. Describe the art form by applying grade span appropriate arts concepts, terminology, skills, and processes as referenced in Standard A: Disciplinary Literacy
  2. Ask questions about the art form to further understand how the artist created/performed the work of art
  3. Recognize a variety of purposes for making/performing art works, including telling a story and communicating emotions and ideas


 Students describe and compare art forms.
  1. Describe and compare art forms by applying grade span appropriate arts concepts, terminology, skills, and processes as referenced in Standard A: Disciplinary Literacy
  2. Ask questions about an art form to further understand the concepts, skills, and processes used to create/perform the work of art.
  3. Explain purposes for making art in different times and places, including cultural traditions, personal expression, and communication of beliefs.


 Students compare and analyze art forms.
  1. Compare and analyze art forms by applying grade span appropriate concepts, vocabulary, skills, and processes as referenced in Standard A: Disciplinary Literacy.
  2. Compare the quality and effectiveness of art works using multiple criteria from observations, print and/or non-print resources
  3. Compare the effectiveness of selected media, techniques, and processes in communicating ideas.
  4. Explain and compare different purposes of artists and art work in the context of time and place.


 Students analyze and evaluate art forms.
  1. Describe, analyze, interpret, and evaluate art forms by applying grade span appropriate arts concepts, vocabulary, skills, and processes as referenced in Standard A: Disciplinary Literacy.
  2. Analyze and evaluate varied interpretations of works of art using evidence from observations and a variety of print and/or non-print sources.
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of the difference between a personal opinion and an informed judgment.
  4. Research and explain how art and artists reflect and shape their time and culture.
 
E. Visual and Performing Arts Connections: Students understand the relationship among the arts, history and world culture; and they make connections among the arts and to other disciplines, to goal-setting, and to interpersonal interaction.
E1 The Arts and History and World Cultures
Performance Indicators & Descriptors
Pre-K-2 3-5 6-8 9-Diploma
Students identify family or community symbols and celebrations in the visual/performing arts from different world cultures. Students explain that the visual/performing arts help people understand history and/or world cultures. Students compare products of the visual/performing arts to understand history and/or world cultures. Students analyze the characteristics and purposes of products of the visual/performing arts to understand history and/or world cultures.
E2 The Arts and Other Disciplines
Performance Indicators & Descriptors
Pre-K-2 3-5 6-8 9-Diploma
Students identify connections between and among the arts and other disciplines. Students describe characteristics shared between and among the arts and other disciplines. Students explain skills and concepts that are similar across disciplines. Students analyze skills and concepts that are similar across disciplines.
E3 Goal-Setting
Performance Indicators & Descriptors
Pre-K-2 3-5 6-8 9-Diploma
Students identify choices that lead to success in the arts. Students identify and demonstrate choices that will lead to success in the arts including time management, interpersonal interactions, skill development, and goal-setting. Students set goals related to time management, interpersonal interactions, or skill development that will lead to success in the arts Students make short-term and long-term goals based on rigorous criteria and related to time management, interpersonal interactions, or skill development that will lead to success in the arts.
E4 Impact of the Arts on Lifestyle and Career
Performance Indicators & Descriptors
Pre-K-2 3-5 6-8 9-Diploma
Students identify the arts in life experiences.
  1. Identify the activities and careers of a visual or performing artist
  2. Describe common arts activities.
  3. Describe the way the arts can make people feel.
 Students describe the contribution of the arts on lifestyle and career choices.
  1. Identify the various roles of, and requirements to become, artists.
  2. Describe the benefit of participation in the arts on a healthy lifestyle including the use of leisure time.
Students explain the impact of artistic and career choices on self, others, and the natural and man-made environment. Students explain how their knowledge of the arts relates to school-to-school and school-to-work transitions and other career and life decisions including the recognition that the arts are a means of renewal and recreation.
E5 Interpersonal Skills
Performance Indicators & Descriptors
Pre-K-2 3-5 6-8 9-Diploma
Students identify positive interpersonal skills that impact the quality of their art and participation in the arts.
  1. Getting along with others
  2. Respecting differences
  3. Working as a team/ensemble
  4. Managing conflict
  5. Accepting/giving/using constructive feedback
  6. Accepting responsibility for personal behavior
  7. Demonstrating ethical behavior
  8. Following established rules/etiquette for observing/listening to art
  9. Demonstrating safe behavior
 Students identify and demonstrate the positive interpersonal skills necessary to get along with others and participate in the arts.
  1. Getting along with others
  2. Respecting differences
  3. Working as a team/ensemble
  4. Managing conflict
  5. Accepting/giving/using constructive feedback
  6. Accepting responsibility for personal behavior
  7. Demonstrating ethical behavior
  8. Following established rules/etiquette for observing/listening to art
  9. Demonstrating safe behavior

Students demonstrate positive interpersonal skills and analyze how interpersonal skills affect participation in the arts.

  1. Getting along with others
  2. Respecting differences
  3. Working as a team/ensemble
  4. Managing conflict
  5. Accepting/giving/using constructive feedback
  6. Accepting responsibility for personal behavior
  7. Demonstrating ethical behavior
  8. Following established rules/etiquette for observing/listening to art
  9. Demonstrating safe behavior
 Students demonstrate positive interpersonal skills and reflect on the impact of interpersonal skills on personal success in the arts.
  1. Getting along with others
  2. Respecting differences
  3. Working as a team/ensemble
  4. Managing conflict
  5. Accepting/giving/using constructive feedback
  6. Accepting responsibility for personal behavior.
  7. Demonstrating ethical behavior
  8. Following established rules/etiquette for observing/listening to art
  9. Demonstrating safe behavior