Grade 3 Fine Arts Ontario Curriculum Standards

Visual Arts

Music

Drama

Dance

Creating and Presenting: apply the creative process to the composition of dance phrases, using the elements of dance to communicate feelings and ideas

imitate movements found in their natural environment in a variety of ways and incorporate them into a dance phrase (e.g., modify the movements of animals, snow falling to the ground, ice melting, plants growing; connect a series of insect-like movements together to make a phrase)

use dance as a language to represent ideas from diverse literature sources, with a focus on time and energy (e.g., interpret stories, poems, and texts from other subject areas through dance; respond to a story about insects by depicting the sustained lifting and pulling actions of ants versus the sustained floating actions of butterflies)

create dance phrases using a variety of pattern forms (e.g., create dances with distinct, self-contained sections that share movement qualities using AB form, ABA form, or ABBA form; demonstrate a pattern physically by making "A" a soft and fluid section and "B" a fast and percussive section)

demonstrate how dance elements can be used to create and expand the movement vocabulary within different sections of a larger pattern (e.g., A: varying the use of space while marching quickly; B: changing levels while waving arms slowly; A: varying locomotor and non-locomotor percussive movements while marching quickly)

Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing: apply the critical analysis process to communicate their feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of dance pieces and experiences

demonstrate an understanding of how the elements of dance can be used in their own and others' dance phrases to illustrate or explore learning in other subject areas (e.g., show and explain how the elements of body and relationship can be used to depict the science concept of magnetic attraction)

identify, using dance vocabulary, the elements of dance used in their own and others' dance phrases and explain their purpose (e.g., the use of body, space, time, and energy to create variety and interest; the use of levels, relationship, pathways, and shape to emphasize a mood; the use of canon, direction, grouping contrast, and repetition to explore pattern)

identify and give examples of their strengths and areas for growth as dance creators and audience members (e.g., share with a partner what they did well; write in a journal about what they need to improve)

Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of dance forms and styles from the past and present, and their social and/or community contexts

describe, with teacher guidance, a variety of dances from communities in Canada and around the world that they have seen in the media, at live performances and social gatherings, or in the classroom (e.g., dance numbers in animated movie musicals such as Happy Feet and Ice Age; First Nation dances at a powwow; folk dances of the early settlers; the farandole of France)

identify and describe the role of dance in the community (e.g., performances as entertainment; community dances as a way of socializing; traditional dances as a way of maintaining cultural connectedness; dance classes for learning and communicating)

Creating and Presenting: apply the creative process to dramatic play and process drama, using the elements and conventions of drama to communicate feelings, ideas, and stories

engage in dramatic play and role play, with a focus on exploring themes, ideas, characters, and issues from imagination or in stories from diverse communities, times, and places (e.g., act out moments from "a day in the life" of a main character from a story; improvise a short dialogue between two characters who are seeking a solution to a problem [as in Aboriginal teacher/trickster stories])

demonstrate an understanding of how the element of time and place can support the development of role (e.g., present tableaux, with transitions and thought tracking, that show differences between urban and rural settings and/or lifestyles to convey information about the characters)

plan and shape the direction of a dramatic play or role play by building on their own and others' ideas, both in and out of role (e.g., In role: respond in role to extend the developing storyline in the drama [as townsfolk, plead with the mayor to save their town]; Out of role: in partners or small groups, combine their ideas to create a plan for how the characters will solve the problem in the drama)

communicate feelings and ideas to a familiar audience (e.g., classmates) using audio, visual, and/or technological aids to support or enhance their drama work (e.g., use items found in the classroom to create a feeling or a mood suggested by the teacher; use sound effects or music to create an element of surprise or tension)

Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing: apply the critical analysis process to communicate feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of drama works and experiences

express thoughts, feelings, and ideas about a variety of drama experiences and performances (e.g., in a journal response, in a think-pair-share activity, in class discussion, by writing in role, in a four corners activity, in a small group improvisation or drawing)

describe, using drama terminology, how elements and conventions of drama are used to shape their own and others' work (e.g., describe how different characters' actions help create suspense or tension; identify effective elements in a drama presentation; explain how setting highlights theme)

identify and give examples of their strengths, interests, and areas for growth as drama participants and audience members (e.g., describe how their understanding of role play is developing; identify a role they would like to play, and explain why)

Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of drama and theatre forms and styles from the past and present, and their social and/or community contexts

identify some distinct stylistic features of a few drama and theatre forms they experience in their home, school, and community, and in the media (e.g., puppet shows and mask plays use easily recognizable character types to tell a story; actors in live theatre productions use exaggerated gestures and reactions designed to project beyond the footlights; street festivals use amplified live and/or recorded music, costumes, emcees, and amplified announcements to celebrate special events; clown acts use mime featuring clumsy gestures and comical accidents)

demonstrate an awareness of ideas and emotions expressed in drama works from communities around the world (e.g., ideas about friendship or loyalty or power or perseverance in dramas based on fairy tales or myths from different countries; ethics and values found in Aboriginal plays)

Creating and Performing: apply the creative process to create and perform music for a variety of purposes, using the elements and techniques of music

sing, in tune, unison songs, partner songs, and rounds, and/or play accompaniments from a wide variety of cultures, styles, and historical periods (e.g., sing or play an instrument accompanied by body percussion or found sounds; sing or play a rhythmic or melodic ostinato)

apply the elements of music when singing, playing an instrument, and moving (e.g., timbre: sort sound sources by the way their sound is produced and make choices about which instruments will play in specific sections; form: change direction in a circle to show A and B sections of a song in ABA form; duration: sing a song first very quickly then very slowly, and explain how the different tempi change their experience of the music)

create compositions for a specific purpose and a familiar audience (e.g., create musical accompaniments for poems, stories, or dances they have created; create rhythmic ostinati based on significant words in a poem or words from a classroom topic or theme, then play them using instruments, body percussion, or found sounds; make changes to the rhythm and/or melody in a simple song that they know)

use the tools and techniques of musicianship in musical performances (e.g., determine where breaths should be taken in a song; given the shape of a melody, suggest where a change in dynamics would be effective; use available technology such as software, electronic instruments, or recording devices)

demonstrate an understanding of standard and non-traditional musical notation (e.g., design melody maps based on the direction of the melody; demonstrate various ways of representing sounds using devised symbols; perform melodic patterns based on the notes "do", "re", "mi", "so", and "la" by using solfège hand signs; create soundscapes illustrating dynamics and timbre)

Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing: apply the critical analysis process to communicate their feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of music and musical experiences

express personal responses to musical performances in a variety of ways (e.g., create a graphic or text response to a musical selection featuring a Latin American dance style)

describe ways in which the elements of music are used in the music they perform, listen to, and create (e.g., use a Venn diagram to compare how the elements of two contrasting pieces create mood)

identify and give examples of their strengths and areas for growth as musical performers, creators, interpreters, and audience members (e.g., singing in tune, breathing at the end of phrases, watching the conductor or teacher while rehearsing and performing)

Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of musical genres and styles from the past and present, and their social and/or community contexts

identify and describe ways in which music can be used in the community (e.g., to celebrate events, to bring people together, to dance to, to communicate, to entertain, to help people remember product names or telephone numbers in advertising, to help people remember concepts)

identify, through performing and/or listening, a variety of musical forms or pieces from different communities, times, and places (e.g., songs, instrumental pieces, and dances in social activities or celebrations of early settlers and First Nation communities in Upper Canada)

Creating and Presenting: apply the creative process to produce a variety of two- and three-dimensional art works, using elements, principles, and techniques of visual arts to communicate feelings, ideas, and understandings

create two- and three-dimensional works of art that express personal feelings and ideas inspired by the environment or that have the community as their subject (e.g., make a symmetrical sculpture of an insect or a flower, using natural materials such as wood, pebbles, dry seed pods, feathers; draw a picture depicting a solution to the problem of litter in their community; make a painting of nature, focusing on a feature of personal interest or meaning to themselves)

demonstrate an understanding of compo­sition, using principles of design to create narrative art works or art works on a theme or topic (e.g., use shapes of various sizes, in the foreground, middle ground, and background, to create an illusion of depth [perspective] in a painting about a make-believe world; create a mural to express a response to a community celebration, using a variety of lines and shapes; using a scratchboard that has a layer of various colours covered by india ink, make a high-contrast line drawing about a story by scratching the black surface to reveal the colours beneath the surface)

use elements of design in art works to communicate ideas, messages, and understandings (e.g., use asymmetrical cut-paper composite shapes to depict a Canadian landscape, with a clear foreground, middle ground, and background; use colour values and shapes in a "What's inside me?" painting in the X-ray style of Norval Morrisseau to create contrast between the inside and the outside of the figure)

use a variety of materials, tools, and techniques to respond to design challenges (e.g.,<ul><li>drawing: use a variety of lines and shapes, drawn with pencil and marker, to show movement in a flipbook about weather</li><li>mixed media: use wax crayons, oil pastels, paint resist, and materials of various textures [e.g. yarn, found objects] to depict a tree or plant above ground, and use the technique of elaboration to depict what is hidden below ground</li><li>painting: create a watercolour or tempera painting of animals, using colour in a non-representational and expressive way</li><li>printmaking: paint stencil prints in warm and cool colours, creating a simplified pattern inspired by a favourite fruit</li><li>sculpture: use modelling clay to create organic forms that are inspired by nature, such as shells, seed pods, and water-worn stones, and that show some kind of metamorphosis or transformation into another form or figure)</li></ul>

Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing: apply the critical analysis process to communicate feelings, ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of art works and art experiences

express personal feelings and ideas about art experiences and images (e.g., create a poster for an exhibition, using words of different sizes and colours to show their excitement about the event; express thoughts and ideas about an art work while in role as the artist in a peer artist interview)

explain how elements and principles of design are used to communicate meaning or understanding in their own and others' art work (e.g., colour value in Emily Carr's Indian Church; organic shapes to make the monsters look less frightening and more like stuffed animals in Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak)

demonstrate an awareness of the meaning of signs and symbols encountered in their daily lives and in works of art (e.g., fonts or logos that remind them of specific companies, messages, or moods; the meaning of animals such as the orca in Aboriginal clan symbols or the Inukshuk in Aboriginal art)

identify and document their strengths, their interests, and areas for improvement as creators of art (e.g., keep an art journal to record what they think they have done well in their art works, or learned about in their art works, as they complete them; use the strategy of matching word and image to share their feelings about an art work or its creation)

Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of art forms, styles, and techniques from the past and present, and their social and/or community contexts

identify and describe a variety of visual art forms they see in their home, at school, in the community, and in visual arts experiences (e.g., original paintings at a community gallery, sculptures in a local park, art reproductions in offices, murals or sculptural monuments in the community, mixed media art works at arts festivals)

demonstrate an awareness of a variety of works of art and artistic traditions from diverse communities, times, and places (e.g., a picture book that tells a story about people and the time and place in which they work, play, and build their community; George Littlechild's book This Land Is My Land; Daphne Odjig's historical mural The Indian in Transition; Jacob Lawrence's paintings of African-Americans working, playing, and interacting; classical Greek sculptures of sports figures, and contemporary sports sculptures, such as the fans in Michael Snow's The Audience)