The Arts

In this unit you will build on what you learned in Grade 2. In dance, you will imitate movements from nature and change them, tell stories with time (freeze, slow, sustained, fast) and energy (strong or light; pressing or gliding; smooth, careful, jumpy or hitting), build dances with patterns like ABA and ABACA, use dance to show what you are learning in science, give specific feedback, and learn about the role of dance in communities, from First Nations, Métis and Inuit dances to dances at barn-raising bees in Upper Canada long ago and festivals today.

In music, you will read 3/4 time, the dotted half note and ti-ka-ti-ka (sixteenth notes), learn presto and largo, sing low so and low la and draw melody maps, sing rounds and partner songs, hear ABA (ternary) form, read music symbols, write soundscapes, sort instruments by how they make sound, compose for a purpose, perform with good musicianship, and discover how music is used in communities, then and now.

You will need a little open space and some kitchen instruments (a pot, wooden spoons, glasses of water, a container of rice). Every lesson has hands-on activities, practice questions and a short quiz.

Curriculum expectations covered: Dance A1.1–A1.4, A2.1–A2.3, A3.1–A3.2; Music C1.1–C1.5, C2.1–C2.3, C3.1–C3.2 (The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1–8: The Arts, 2009).

In this unit you will act and make art! In drama, you will build characters that fit a time and place, change your voice with pace, volume, pitch and enunciation, and stay in role. You will plan dramas with others in and out of role, explore themes and issues from more than one side, build tension, and use conventions like tableau, thought tracking and soundscape. You will share your drama with a familiar audience using audio, visual and technology aids, reflect on your strengths and goals, and discover drama forms near and far: mime, puppetry, readers' theatre, radio drama, Beijing opera, Kathakali, Noh, Bunraku, commedia dell'arte, and First Nations, Métis and Inuit storytelling traditions.

In visual arts, you will use a variety of lines, composite, symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes, real and illusory texture (with a crayon etching!), warm and cool colours, tints and shades, and foreground, middle ground and background to show depth. This year's principle of design is variety. You will read symbols, compare art from long ago and today, explore art traditions from many communities, including works by First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists, and make a community art project with a print.

You will need paper, crayons (including black), washable paint (red, yellow, blue, white and black), a glue stick, a clean new foam tray, a wooden craft stick, a flashlight, recycled boxes and a few simple props. Every lesson has hands-on activities, practice questions and a short quiz.

Curriculum expectations covered: Drama B1.1–B1.4, B2.1–B2.3, B3.1–B3.2; Visual Arts D1.1–D1.4, D2.1–D2.4, D3.1–D3.2 (The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1–8: The Arts, 2009).