New York State Learning Standards for the Arts

Standard 2: Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources

Students will be knowledgeable about and make use of the materials and resources available for participation in the arts in various roles.


Dance

Key Idea 1

Students will know how to access dance and dance-related material from libraries, resource centers, museums, studios, and performance spaces. Students will know various career possibilities in dance and recreational opportunities to dance. Students will attend dance events and participate as appropriate within each setting.

Performance Indicators (Benchmarks)

Elementary Level Students:

  • demonstrate knowledge of dance resources in video, photography, print, and live performance
  • understand the concept of live performance and appropriate conduct
  • demonstrate a knowledge of dance-related careers (e.g., dancer, choreographer, composer, lighting designer, historian, teacher).

Middle Level Students:

  • demonstrate knowledge of sources for understanding dance technologies: live, print, video, computer, etc.
  • demonstrate knowledge of how human structure and function affect movement in parts of dances and dances that they know or have choreographed
  • demonstrate knowledge of audience/performer responsibilities and relationships in dance
  • demonstrate knowledge of differences in performance venue and the events presented in each.

Commencement Level Students:

  • use dance technologies without significant supervision
  • are familiar with techniques of research about dance
  • know about regional performance venues which present dance and how to purchase tickets and access information about events
  • know about educational requirements of dance-related careers
  • identify major muscles and bones and how they function in dance movement.

Commencement Major Sequence:

In addition to the General Education performance indicators, students:

  • use technologies to research, create, perform, or communicate about dance
  • understand the roles of dancers, audience, and creators in a variety of dance forms and contexts
  • participate in, or observe, dance events outside of school
  • know about educational requirements of dance-related careers and how to prepare for possible entrance into those fields
  • know about good nutrition, injury prevention, and how to care for the body.

Music

Key Idea 1

Students will use traditional instruments, electronic instruments, and a variety of nontraditional sound sources to create and perform music. They will use various resources to expand their knowledge of listening experiences, performance opportunities, and/or information about music. Students will identify opportunities to contribute to their communities’ music institutions, including those embedded in other institutions (church choirs, industrial music ensembles, etc.). Students will know the vocations and avocations available to them in music.

Performance Indicators (Benchmarks)

Elementary Level Students:

  • use classroom and nontraditional instruments in performing and creating music
  • construct instruments out of material not commonly used for musical instruments
  • use current technology to manipulate sound
  • identify the various settings in which they hear music and the various resources that are used to produce music during a typical week; explain why the particular type of music was used
  • demonstrate appropriate audience behavior, including attentive listening, in a variety of musical settings in and out of school
  • discuss ways that music is used by various members of the community.

Middle Level Students:

  • use traditional or nontraditional sound sources, including electronic ones, in composing and performing simple pieces
  • use school and community resources to develop information on music and musicians
  • use current technology to create, produce and record/playback music
  • identify a community-based musical interest or role and explain the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to pursue the interest or adopt the role
  • demonstrate appropriate listening and other participatory responses to music of a variety of genres and cultures
  • investigate some career options related to their musical interests.

Commencement Level Students:

  • use traditional, electronic, and nontraditional media for composing, arranging, and performing music
  • describe and compare the various services provided by community organizations that promote music performance and listening
  • use print and electronic media, including recordings, in school and community libraries to gather and report information on music and musicians
  • identify and discuss the contributions of local experts in various aspects of music performance, production, and scholarship
  • participate as a discriminating member of an audience when listening to performances from a variety of genres, forms, and styles
  • understand a broad range of career opportunities in the field of music, including those involved with funding, producing, and marketing musical events.

Commencement Major Sequence:

In addition to the General Education performance indicators, students:

  • develop a classified and annotated directory of nearby music-related establishments such as instrument and music retailers, instrument makers and repair persons, recording studios, union representatives, etc.
  • identify ways that they have contributed to the support of the musical groups of which they are members
  • explain opportunities available to them for further musical growth and professional development in higher education and community institutions.

Theatre

Key Idea 1

Students will know the basic tools, media, and techniques involved in theatrical production. Students will locate and use school, community, and professional resources for theatre experiences. Students will understand the job opportunities available in all aspects of theatre.

Performance Indicators (Benchmarks)

Elementary Level Students:

  • visit theaters, theatre-related facilities, and/or touring companies to observe aspects of theatrical production
  • use the library/media center of their school or community to find story dramatization material or other theatre-related materials and to view videotapes of performances
  • attend theatrical performances in their school and demonstrate appropriate audience behavior
  • speak with theatre professionals about how they prepare for and perform their jobs.

Middle Level Students:

  • visit theatre technology facilities, including the local high school facility, and interact with professionals and theatre students to learn about theatre technology (e.g., lighting, staging, sound, etc.)
  • use the school or community library/media centers and other resources to develop information on various theatre-related topics
  • know about local theatrical institutions, attend performances in school and in the community, and demonstrate appropriate audience behavior
  • discuss vocations/avocations with theatre professionals and identify the skills and preparation necessary for theatre vocations/avocations.

Commencement Level Students:

  • use theatre technology skills and facilities in creating a theatrical experience
  • use school and community resources, including library/media centers, museums and theatre professionals, as part of the artistic process leading to production
  • visit local theatrical institutions and attend theatrical performances in their school and community as an individual and part of a group
  • understand a broad range of vocations/avocations in performing, producing, and promoting theatre.

Commencement Major Sequence:

In addition to the General Education performance indicators, students:

  • identify current technologies, published scripted material, and print and electronic resources available for theatrical productions
  • identify college and/or community opportunities in theatre after graduation and the requirements for application or participation
  • cooperate in an ensemble as performers, designers, technicians, and managers to create a theatrical production
  • design an individualized study program (i.e., internship, mentorship, research project) in a chosen theatre, film, or video vocation/avocation and share the information with the class.

Visual Arts

Key Idea 1

Students will know and use a variety of visual arts materials, techniques, and processes. Students will know about resources and opportunities for participation in visual arts in the community (exhibitions, libraries, museums, galleries) and use appropriate materials (art reproductions, slides, print materials, electronic media). Students will be aware of vocational options available in the visual arts.

Performance Indicators (Benchmarks)

 Elementary Level Students:

  • understand the characteristics of various mediums (two-dimensional, three-dimensional, electronic images) in order to select those that are appropriate for their purposes and intent
  • develop skills with electronic media as a means of expressing visual ideas
  • know about some cultural institutions (museums and galleries) and community opportunities (art festivals) for looking at original art and talking to visiting artists, to increase their understanding of art
  • give examples of adults who make their livings in the arts professions.

Middle Level Students:

  • develop skills with a variety of art materials and competence in at least one medium
  • use the computer and other electronic media as designing tools and to communicate visual ideas
  • take advantage of community opportunities and cultural institutions to learn from professional artists, look at original art, and increase their understanding of art
  • understand the variety of careers related to the visual arts and the skills necessary to pursue some of them.

Commencement Level Students:

  • select and use mediums and processes that communicate intended meaning in their art works, and exhibit competence in at least two mediums
  • use the computer and electronic media to express their visual ideas and demonstrate a variety of approaches to artistic creation
  • interact with professional artists and participate in school- and community-sponsored programs by art organizations and cultural institutions
  • understand a broad range of vocations/avocations in the field of visual arts, including those involved with creating, performing, exhibiting, and promoting art.

Commencement Major Sequence:

In addition to the General Education performance indicators, students:

  • develop Commencement Portfolios that show proficiency in one or more mediums and skill in using and manipulating the computer and other electronic media
  • prepare a portfolio that meets the admission requirements of selected institutions
  • understand the preparation required for particular art professions and acquire some skills of those professions through internships with local galleries, museums, advertising agencies, architectural firms, and other institutions.