Itegratig Arts Learig with the Commo Core State Stadards Produced by: CCSESA Arts Iitiative
About CCSESA Califoria Couty Superitedets Educatioal Services Associatio (CCSESA) www.ccsesaarts.org The Califoria Couty Superitedets Educatioal Services Associatio (CCSESA) serves as the statewide orgaizatio of the 58 Califoria Couty Superitedets of Schools with the missio of stregtheig the service ad leadership capabilities of Califoria s 58 Couty Superitedets i support of studets, schools, districts, ad commuities. The primary aim of the Couty Superitedets is to work collaboratively with schools ad districts to esure that every studet beefits from a quality educatioal experiece, regardless of their circumstaces, icludig studets with disabilities, juveile offeders, ad studets at risk of droppig out of school. CCSESA works with state policymakers icludig the Goveror, Legislature, State Board of Educatio, ad the Califoria Departmet of Educatio to esure that the statutory resposibilities of the Couty Superitedets are carried out i a cosistet ad equitable maer across the state. Support for this paper is provided by 2014 Califoria Couty Superitedets Educatioal Services Associatio (CCSESA)
Itegratig Arts Learig with the Commo Core State Stadards This paper was prepared by Patty Taylor, cosultat for the Califoria Couty Superitedets Educatioal Services Associatio s (CCSESA) 1 Arts Iitiative. Patty Taylor served as the Visual ad Performig Arts Cosultat for the Califoria Departmet of Educatio ad was a key leader i developig the Visual ad Performig Arts Framework for Califoria Public Schools. This paper focuses o how the arts itegrate ito the curriculum ad explores the Commo Core State Stadards (CCSS) ad the Visual ad Performig Arts Stadards through the les of CCSESA Arts Iitiative s Core Priciples.
Itroductio The visio of the CCSESA Arts Iitiative is that the visual ad performig arts are a itegral part of a comprehesive curriculum ad essetial for learig i the 21st cetury. All Califoria studets from every culture, geographic regio ad socioecoomic level deserve quality arts learig i dace, music, theatre, visual arts ad media arts as part of the core curriculum. With this positio i mid, the CCSESA Arts Iitiative also supports ad recogizes the importat advatages of itegratig learig i the arts with learig i the Commo Core State Stadards (CCSS). The adoptio of the CCSS provides a opportuity for teachers at all grade levels to itegrate cotet ad strategies used i arts educatio ito their classroom pedagogy. This documet describes how learig i the arts coects to the CCSS ad how the CCSS coect to the arts, which leads to a discussio of itegratig the arts with learig i the commo core. I this documet, learig i the arts is based o the guidig priciples ad cotet stadards foud i the Visual ad Performig Arts Framework for Califoria Public Schools Kidergarte Through Grade Twelve 2 ad the CCSESA Arts Iitiative Guidig Priciples. At the ceter of the CCSESA Arts Iitiative is a set of eight guidig priciples distilled from research o the eeds of, ad effective approaches for, comprehesive arts istructio ad research o school chage. No sigle priciple stads aloe. The priciples are iter-related. Reachig high levels of studet success i the arts requires implemetatio of all eight priciples. By usig the guidig priciples as a frame i this paper, we focus o areas critical to implemetig quality learig that itegrates the CCSS ad the visual ad performig arts i order to icrease studets academic achievemet ad egagemet. The CCSESA Arts Iitiative Core Priciples iclude: Eriched ad affirmig learig eviromets Empowerig pedagogy Challegig ad relevat curriculum High quality istructioal resources Valid ad comprehesive assessmet High quality professioal preparatio ad support Powerful family ad commuity egagemet Advocacy-orieted admiistrative ad leadership systems For a full descriptio of the Core Priciples, see the iside back cover of this documet. 4 Itegratig Arts Learig with the Commo Core State Stadards
Part 1 Learig i the Commo Core ad The Arts The Commo Core State Stadards (CCSS) are a result of a volutary state-led effort begu i 2009 with stakeholders from early every state i the coutry cotributig to their developmet. The goal of the project was to develop a set of K-12 stadards that would help prepare studets with the kowledge ad skills eeded to succeed i educatio ad careers after high school. The Califoria State Board of Educatio adopted the CCSS i 2010. The stadards address the cotet areas of Eglish Laguage Arts (ELA) ad Mathematics. The stadards are research ad evidece based, aliged with college ad work expectatios i multiple disciplies, rigorous, ad iteratioally bechmarked. Withi the ELA stadards are literacy stadards for history/ social studies, sciece, ad techical subjects. These K-12 stadards provide a progressio of kowledge ad skills that prepare studets to graduate from high school ready for college ad careers. The CCSS defies "techical subjects" as courses devoted to a practical study, such as egieerig, techology, desig, busiess, or other workforce-related subjects; a techical aspect of a wider field of study, such as art or music." 3 Literacy stadards for grades 6-12 are predicated o teachers of ELA, history/social studies, sciece, ad techical subjects usig their cotet area expertise to help studets meet the particular challeges of readig, writig, speakig, listeig, ad laguage i their respective fields. The grades 6-12 literacy stadards are ot meat to replace cotet stadards i those areas but rather to supplemet them. The CCSS for ELA are divided ito four sectios: Readig, Writig, Speakig ad Listeig, ad Laguage. Each sectio cotais a series of College ad Career Readiess Achor Stadards, which are overarchig stadards that apply to all grade levels. Each achor stadard has a correspodig grade-level stadard, defiig what it meas for studets to meet that stadard i a grade-level-appropriate way. "these skills rest o importat processes ad proficiecies. 3 I brief form, mathematically proficiet studets: Make sese of problems ad persevere i solvig them Reaso abstractly ad quatitatively Costruct viable argumets ad critique the reasoig of others Model with mathematics Use appropriate tools strategically Atted to precisio Look for ad make use of structure Look for ad express regularity i repeated reasoig Beig college ad career ready is defied by the Partership for 21st Cetury Skills 4 as preparig studets with the followig skills: Commuicatio sharig thoughts, questios, ideas, ad solutios Collaboratio workig together to reach a goal by puttig talet, expertise, ad smarts to work Critical Thikig lookig at problems i a ew way, likig learig across subjects ad disciplies Creativity tryig ew approaches to get thigs doe equals iovatio ad ivetio While the CCSS at this time oly iclude ELA ad Mathematics, it is clear that these stadards exted ito all of the curricular areas. For example, as childre ethusiastically describe all of the details they see ad aalyze why the artist used the colors ad lies he or she did i a well-kow paitig such as Starry Night by Vicet Va Gogh, they are hoig their ELA skills. Whe they calculate what percet of the paitig is blue, they are usig mathematical skills. Whe they do all of this, they are learig i the visual arts. The CCSS for math outlie a set of skills expected of math studets of all levels. The Stadards for Mathematical Practice state that Itegratig Arts Learig with the Commo Core State Stadards 5
Part 1 Learig i the Commo Core ad The Arts LEARNING IN AND THROUGH THE ARTS AND IN THE COMMON CORE Essetial to this discussio is the College Board s research report The Arts ad the Commo Core: A Review of Coectios betwee the Commo Core State Stadards ad the Natioal Core Arts Stadards Coceptual Framework. 5 The report was produced i collaboratio with the Natioal Coalitio for Core Arts Stadards (NCCAS) ad is divided ito two parts. Oe part is a cotet-based aligmet study that focuses o artsbased examples ad refereces already preset i the ELA CCSS. Part two ivestigates areas of overlap betwee skills ad habits emphasized i the CCSS ad those outlied i NCCAS s Coceptual Framework. Oe oteworthy sectio looks at all four groups of the ELA College ad Career Readiess Achor Stadards ad their correspodig grade-level stadards, aalyzig the fuctio of specific refereces to the arts (dace, music, theatre, visual arts, ad media arts) i these stadards. For example, amog the 220 Readig stadards reviewed, the study foud that 50 utilized arts-based cotet as a tool for stregtheig aalysis ad observatio skills. The arts cotet stadards i the Visual ad Performig Arts Framework for Califoria Public Schools (VAPA Framework) are grouped uder five strads: artistic perceptio; creative expressio; historical ad cultural cotext; aesthetic valuig ad coectios; relatioships ad applicatios. These strads parallel the learig described i the NCCAS s core arts stadards. The VAPA Framework, which icludes State Board of Educatio adopted cotet stadards i dace, music, theatre, ad the visual arts states that, Curriculum based o the arts cotet stadards requires active learig through the study, practice, creatio, or performace of works of art. This is accomplished through a educatioal program i which the arts are studied as discrete disciplies, the arts are related to each other, ad the arts are related to ad/or itegrated with other areas i the curriculum. May of the goals ad outcomes stated about the CCSS are echoed i the VAPA Framework i regards to learig i ad through the visual ad performig arts. As oe reads through the strads ad cotet stadards i the arts, it is obvious that learig i the arts requires may core curriculum skills such as egagig i readig, researchig, aalyzig, writig, reflectig ad speakig. May CCSS math stadards are essetial to learig i the arts such as problem solvig, estimatig, uderstadig patterig, represetig symbolically, represetig symmetry ad asymmetry, ad applyig mathematical skills to solve problems arisig i everyday life. Strategies, habits of mid, ad processes used i arts learig ca be effective i teachig core curriculum cocepts ad skills ad helpig studets acquire the 21st cetury skills. For example, alog with creatig works i the arts, the arts cotet stadards require: readig about the arts ad artists; researchig the arts from the past ad preset; writig ad talkig about the arts ad artists to reflect o oe s ow observatios, experieces, ad ideas about the arts ad the world. Studets use clear criteria while participatig i arts criticism based o sigificat, recogized works i the arts ad o the studets ow work i the arts. May documets that describe the CCSS iclude statemets that referece the visual ad performig arts. Examples iclude addig drawigs or other visual displays to descriptios to clarify ideas, thought, ad feeligs, icludig multimedia compoets (e.g., graphics, soud). Also metioed is usig visual displays i presetatios to ehace the developmet of mai ideas or themes, creatig egagig audio recordigs of stories or poems that demostrate fluid readig at a uderstadable pace, ad readig text icludig scripts or musical scores. There is a iterdepedet relatioship betwee applyig what is leared i the CCSS to learig i the arts ad usig strategies ad cotet leared i the arts to teach the CCSS. 6 Itegratig Arts Learig with the Commo Core State Stadards
Part 1 Learig i the Commo Core ad The Arts THE BENEFITS OF INTEGRATING THE ARTS AND COMMON CORE Itegratig the arts promotes active ad egagig projectbased learig ad assessmet becomes performace based. It ca be a ew visio for all educators as to how the arts ca be itegrated ito each of our everyday lives. While usig arts strategies ad processes i itegrated lessos to support learig i the core curriculum does ot provide a comprehesive ad sequetial curriculum i each of the arts disciplies, it does, however, ope the doors to the arts for both teachers ad studets. The challege is to esure that the arts are ot used oly as a tool to focus o other cotet, but are treated as a major cotet area (with idetified skills, kowledge, ad capacities) as i other curricular areas. This requires teachers to have cotet kowledge i the arts, a uderstadig of the sequetial aspects of learig i the arts, ad some experiece with the pedagogy. With the itegratio of the arts comes studet motivatio ad egagemet. This paper icludes refereces to the uique ways i which the arts allow studets to process iformatio. This iformatio comes from study ad practice withi the arts disciplies themselves ad from all of the o-arts disciplies i the curriculum. For example, uderstadig ad aalyzig a variety of text is a key to achievemet i the ELA CCSS. What might egage a studet as much as writte text is a script for a play, a well-recogized sculpture or paitig, a musical score or perhaps lyrics ad the dace that portrays those lyrics from a Broadway productio. Studets ca egage i aalysis of these varied texts. Aalysis of these varied texts provides studets with a egagig ad creative approach to learig. The great ews is that the commo core stadards call o so may thigs the arts do well, wrote David Colema, a lead writer of the ELA stadards ad presidet of the College Board. The traditio of careful observatio, attetio to evidece ad artists choices, the love of takig a artist s work seriously lies at the heart of these stadards. Careful aalysis of specific scees i drama, he added, provides a particularly promisig opportuity to explore at oce textual evidece ad visual iterpretatio (Erik W. Robele, Educatio Week). DEFINING INTEGRATION Dictioaries defie itegratio as a act or istace of combiig ito a itegral whole. A itegral whole is oe that is composed of parts that together costitute a whole with each part beig ecessary to the completeess of the whole. Whe this defiitio is applied to itegratig the arts ito the curriculum, we fid a deeper approach to learig. I their paper, Defiig Arts Itegratio, Lye B. Silverstei ad Sea Laye ote that the Joh F. Keedy Ceter for the Performig Arts has provided programs ad resources i both discrete arts istructio ad i arts itegratio for over 34 years. They have recogized the growig iterest i arts itegratio sice 1999 ad offer this defiitio of arts itegratio: Arts Itegratio is a approach to teachig i which studets costruct ad demostrate uderstadig through a art form. Studets egage i a creative process, which coects a art form ad aother subject area ad meets evolvig objectives i both. 6 The Southeast Ceter for Educatio i the Arts offers this defiitio: Arts Itegratio is istructio combiig two or more cotet areas, wherei the arts costitute oe of the itegrated areas. The itegratio is based o shared or related cocepts, ad istructio i each cotet area has depth ad itegrity reflected by embedded assessmets, stadards, ad objectives. 7 I their book Itegratig the Arts Across the Cotet Areas 8 authors Lisa Doavo ad Louise Pascale iclude the followig defiitio: Arts itegratio is the ivestigatio of curricular cotet through artistic exploratios. I this process, the arts provide a aveue for vigorous ivestigatio, represetatio, expressio, ad reflectio of both curricular cotet ad the art form itself. They sum up these defiitios Itegratig Arts Learig with the Commo Core State Stadards 7
Part 1 Learig i the Commo Core ad The Arts ad state what itegratig the arts ca do for studets i a way that explais the what ad the why of arts itegratio: "Itegratig the arts is about deepeig learig ad about reachig all studets of every ability, ethicity, ad liguistic backgroud. It is most defiitely about teachig studets who lear i a variety of ways, ot just through readig ad writig. I the classroom, the arts are a vehicle for stregtheig the core curriculum, ad deepeig ad assessig learig. Whe the arts are itegrated, learig is experieced i a variety of ways, allowig every studet to be successful i various cotet areas." 8 Itegratig Arts Learig with the Commo Core State Stadards
Core Priciples to Guide The Itegratio Process While the CCSESA Arts Iitiative calls for a comprehesive ad sequetial arts educatio program for all studets, it is recogized that there are may steps alog the way to this goal. Cosiderig the followig eight Core Priciples alog with makig coectios betwee the visual ad performig arts cotet stadards ad the CCSS is a step i the right directio. The core priciples help us focus o the big picture that icludes all of the factors that cotribute to academic achievemet ad deeper learig for the studets. Uder each core priciple are guidelies, cosideratios, ad/ or examples that support ad exemplify the Core Priciple. You will fid brief descriptios of lessos/uits that are icluded i depth o the CCESSA Arts Iitiative website. 9 ENRICHED AND AFFIRMING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS A rich ad affirmig learig eviromet promotes participatory ad iclusive learig i ad through the arts for all studets. I the arts classroom, the eviromet is ope to creativity, iovatio, ad practice. Whe studets lear the laguage of the arts, they grow artistically ad cogitively. They experiece accomplishmet ad self-cofidece as diverget, creative, ad iovative learers. Learig i ad through the arts builds solutio seekers ad problem solvers ad allows for a diversity of learig styles ad abilities. Whe participatig i the arts, studets collaborate as well as express their uique ad persoal style. I a eviromet that is safe, studets affirm their uderstadig of respect ad acceptace of others. This eviromet is where studets thrive ad lear the 21st cetury skills that they will eed for their future. Guidelies, Cosideratios, ad Examples Learig I ad Through the Arts Learig i ad through the arts requires study, practice, ad the creatio ad/or performace of works of art. The arts disciplies of dace, music, theatre, ad the visual arts, icludig media arts, as with the cotet i ay other curricular area, each have their ow cotet stadards ad sequece of learig as detailed i the Visual ad Performig Arts Framework for Califoria Public Schools, 2004. While credetialed arts istructors deliver this program i middle ad high schools, few elemetary school classroom teachers have had the uiversity courses or professioal developmet to prepare them to teach the arts as discrete disciplies or to relate the arts to each other withi the educatioal program for every studet. All teachers should be able to itegrate the arts with the CCSS ad use arts strategies i teachig CCSS. The book Itegratig the Arts Across the Cotet Areas provides a effective startig place for all teachers to explore arts itegratio ad use arts strategies i their teachig. 8 Studio Habits of Mid "Studio thikig or Eight Habits of Mid developed by Harvard Project Zero ad the learig skills embodied i the CCSS are closely aliged. 11 Project Zero is a educatioal research group at the Harvard Graduate School of Educatio composed of multiple, idepedetly-sposored research projects. The eight studio habits of mid iclude developig craft, egagig ad persistig, evisioig, expressig, observig, reflectig, stretchig ad explorig, ad uderstadig the art world. 10,11,12 Three Aspects of Comprehesive Arts Istructio 1. Teachig the Discrete Arts Disciplie - Studets lear the methods ad techiques of the arts disciplies through active practice, creatio ad expressio. I quality stadards-based arts classrooms studets read, research, commuicate, reflect ad critique the artistic process. Studets uderstad the historical cotexts of art works ad cultural cotributios of idividual artists. Itegratig Arts Learig with the Commo Core State Stadards 9
Core Priciples to Guide The Itegratio Process 2. Itegratio With Other Core Subjects - I arts itegrated istructio there is clarity about discipliary learig goals i the arts ad i other cotet areas. Istructio is desiged to itegrate stadards-based learig i both the arts ad o-arts cotet areas. Studets are egagig i the arts i discipliary ways that develop, deepe ad demostrate their learig i other cotet areas. 3. Differetiated Istructio to Access No-Arts Cotet - Arts learig istructioal strategies provide teachers with multiple ways to egage studets across all cotet areas. I differetiated istructio, studets have multiple optios for takig i iformatio ad makig sese of ideas. This delivery model requires flexibility o the part of the teacher to adjust the curriculum ad presetatio of iformatio to learers. Differetiated istructio is iteded to address idividual ad diverse learig styles. I order for studets to explore ad deepe their uderstadig i the arts ad o-arts cotet, the teacher must be able to recogize misuderstadigs ad redirect, modify or repeat istructio so that every child ca demostrate progress towards specific learig goals. Learig Styles May people recogize that each perso prefers differet learig styles ad techiques. Learig styles group commo ways that people lear. Everyoe has a mix of learig styles. Oe of the most widely used categorizatios of the various types of learig styles is Flemig's VARK model, 13 which icludes visual learers, auditory learers, ad kiesthetic/tactile learers. Visual learers have a preferece for seeig i pictures ad other visual aids ad are supported through the visual arts. Auditory learers best lear through listeig, which is supported through music. Kiesthetic/ tactile learers prefer to lea through experiece such as movig, touchig, ad doig, which is supported by dace. Theatre ad the media arts cross the boudaries of each of the learig styles. Other learig styles may be added to this list such as verbal (liguistic), logical (mathematical), social (iterpersoal), ad solitary (itrapersoal). The poit is that icludig learig i the arts i the curriculum, helps meet the eeds of all studets. Project-Based Learig Project-based learig (PBL) is a istructioal method that provides studets with complex tasks based o challegig questios or problems that ivolve a studet's problem solvig, research, desig, decisio-makig, ivestigative skills, ad reflectio. It icludes teacher facilitatio, but ot directio. PBL is focused o questios that drive studets to ecouter the cetral cocepts ad priciples of a subject i a hads-o method formig their ow ivestigatio of a guidig questio. Through PBL, studets lear from these experieces ad apply them to the world outside their classroom. PBL emphasizes creative thikig skills by allowig studets to fid that there are may ways to solve a problem. May defiitios ad examples of project-based learig icludig those that ivolve the arts ca be foud o the Edutopia web site. 14 A Project-Based ad Itegrated Uit of Study Example Michael Watorek, a teacher i Souther Califoria, developed a uit of istructio which provides a example of a 3rd ad 4th grade arts itegrated, project-based uit of study focused o the eviromet. This uit ca be foud i the CCSESA Arts Iitiative Compedium of Teacher Learig. 9 Usig what they kow about gree architecture, studets evisio ew techologies that could solve critical evirometal issues i the future. Studets create a pop-up model of their buildig with emphasis o foregroud, middle groud ad backgroud, ad explore creatig a three-dimesioal form (VAPA cotet stadards). Studets are ecouraged to reflect o their work usig the Studio Habits of Mid. This lesso itegrates visual art, literacy ad sciece. Studets use readig, writig, listeig, ad speakig skills throughout the project, aligig to the core achor stadards i the CCSS. 10 Itegratig Arts Learig with the Commo Core State Stadards
Core Priciples to Guide The Itegratio Process 21st Cetury Learig Skills - The 4 Cs As the Partership for 21st Cetury Learig advocates states, Learig ad iovatio skills icreasigly are recogized as the skills that separate studets who are prepared for icreasigly complex life ad work eviromets i the 21st cetury, ad those who are ot. A focus o creativity, critical thikig, commuicatio ad collaboratio is essetial to prepare studets for the future. They list the followig skills as essetial for 21st cetury college ad career readiess ofte called the 4 Cs: Creativity ad Iovatio Critical Thikig ad Problem Solvig Commuicatio Collaboratio Whe lookig at the visual ad performig arts cotet stadards with a eye also o the CCSS, ote how the pedagogy of the arts resembles what is asked for i the commo core stadards ad the 21st cetury learig skills. This is evidet i the followig examples of Key Cotet Stadards foud i the VAPA Framework: EMPOWERING PEDAGOGY Empowerig pedagogy is culturally ad liguistically resposive, maximizig learig i ad through the arts while developig studet voice ad opportuities for leadership for all studets. Makig coectios to studets lives is a major compoet of effective istructio. The arts do just that sice they require the expressio of the idividual s life experiece i solvig artistic problems such as writig lyrics for a sog, commuicatig his/her thoughts or feeligs i a paitig, becomig a character i a improvisatio, or creatig a series of dace movemets. These experieces promote expressio of a studet s voice. Pedagogy that ecourages ad supports studets to brig their experieces, culture, heritage, ad laguage ito the classroom maximizes both learig i the CCSS ad arts learig. Oce egaged, the door is ope for complex, hads-o learig experieces that call for active processig, deep ad critical thikig, ad persoal reflectio. Disciplie/ Grade Level Theatre, Grade 2, Creative Expressio Strad Music, Grade 3, Aesthetic Valuig Strad Visual Arts, Grade 4, Creative Expressio Dace. Grade 5. Aesthetic Valuig Strad Example of 21st Cetury Learig Perform i group improvisatioal theatrical games that develop cooperative skills ad cocetratio. Describe how specific musical elemets commuicate particular ideas or moods i music. Use accurate proportios to create a expressive portrait or a figure drawig or paitig. Apply specific criteria to aalyze ad assess the quality of a dace performace by well-kow dacers or dace compaies (e.g., techical skill, musicality, dyamics, mood). Guidelies, Cosideratios, ad Examples Culturally Resposive Pedagogies Marguerite Vade Wygaard offers a four-part theory i her article, Culturally Resposive Pedagogies that supports the learig commuity as a whole while empowerig each studet itellectually, socially, emotioally, ad politically by usig cultural referets to impart kowledge, skills, ad attitudes. 15 The 4 Rs Theory icludes: Relatioship Educators establish strog relatioships with studets ad offer opportuities to reflect ad lear together. Respect ad Resposibility Studets respect a teacher who is resposible for creatig a safe learig eviromet ad hoors, listes to, ad respects each studet s voice. Itegratig Arts Learig with the Commo Core State Stadards 11
Core Priciples to Guide The Itegratio Process Relevacy The teacher makes a lik betwee the ew learig ad prior kowledge; uderstads ad uses each studet s life outside the classroom; ad fids ways to help their studets see future possibilities for themselves ad others. History ad Culture Strad The Historical ad Cultural Cotext strad i the VAPA Framework provides may opportuities for teachers to itegrate learig i the arts ad the CCSS i literacy ad to uderstad the historical cotributios ad cultural dimesios of the arts. Studets aalyze the role of the arts i past ad preset cultures; they ote huma diversity as it relates to the arts ad i the process they lear about their ow heritage ad about uiversal cocepts. Studets lear by applyig their literacy skills to the preset ad the past cultural cotext ad diversity of the arts. For example, i the 4th grade, studets idetify, sig, play, ad compare musical styles from diverse cultures ad time periods. I theatre they idetify theatrical or storytellig traditios i the cultures of ethic groups throughout the history of Califoria. the Folklorico Dace Compay, ad the Black Studet Uio (BSU). Studets from HDR, Folklorico, ad BSU taught their specific gere of dace to members of the Dace Repertory. After learig all three styles of dace icludig Asia Dace, Folkloric Dace, ad West Africa Dace, members of the Dace Repertory created origial daces to perform i class. Dace Repertory studets icorporated more traditioal Wester styles of dace such as ballet, hip-hop, moder, ad jazz, but had the opportuity to fuse the various cultural daces they leared ito their ow style. I additio to learig how to recogize the evolutio of dace, studets also leared tolerace ad uderstadig of studets who are differet from them. The arts brig studets together who otherwise may ot have kow each other. Arts educatio, ad this project i particular, opes doors for lifelog learig such as the ability to successfully commuicate ideas to others, acceptace of those who are differet from oeself, ad the ability to questio what oe thiks oe kows about aother ad to have the cofidece ad kidess to fid the aswer. Multicultural Daces Istructioal Example Heather Karsevar, a dace teacher at Clovis East High School, teaches a studet Dace Repertory Compay. She submitted the followig project to the CCSESA Arts Iitiative Arts Assessmet Compedium 17. It exemplifies pedagogy that is culturally resposive while developig studet voice through dace. Photographs ad videos of the studet work are icluded olie. Learig Multicultural Daces - West Africa, Mexico, Hmog Through this project studets saw how ifluetial cultural daces ca be o developig their ow style of dace. I geeral, life experieces ifluece us as artists. It is based o the assumptio that oce studets uderstad this cocept they ca further uderstad the evolutio of dace. This dace project utilized members of the Clovis East High School Dace Repertory Compay, Hmog Dace Repertory (HDR), At the coclusio of this project the studets were able to do the followig: Recogize, ad be ope to learig about, the differeces i those aroud them Memorize ad perform daces i a gere outside their ow comfort zoe Collaborate with others to create a origial work Ask more i-depth questios about themselves, the differeces they see i others, ad the world aroud them Visually see how, as artists, every artistic experiece iflueces our ow persoal style ad as people every life experiece iflueces who we are 12 Itegratig Arts Learig with the Commo Core State Stadards
Core Priciples to Guide The Itegratio Process Opportuities for Studet Leadership Coects to 21st Cetury Skills The arts offer may opportuities for leadership. For example, a strategy i theatre called mii-dramas, offers opportuities for studet to develop cooperative, orgaizatioal, ad leadership skills alog with skills i literacy ad theatre. Each group of studets is assiged a portio of a text to iterpret, which ca be writte text such as a script, a portio of a video, a illustratio or art work, or a dace or musical piece. All group members act i the mii-dramas with each group member also takig o a specific role such as director, screewriter, special effects, stage maager, or uderstudy. They decide o a story lie, ad write the script ad perform for their classmates. All studets take otes while watchig other mii-dramas ad ask questios about the other groups iterpretatios of their assiged texts. 16 Studets lear key aspects of careers i theatre while actively egagig i the arts disciplie. CHALLENGING AND RELEVANT CURRICULUM A challegig ad relevat curriculum egages every studet at each grade level i the arts. It also builds a full rage of laguage, literacy, ad other cotet area skills. This curriculum is cogitively complex, coheret, relevat, challegig ad itegrated with the commo core. For academic success i the arts, studets eed a rigorous, sequetial, comprehesive, ad well-articulated stadards-based program with cosistecy i approach at each grade level each year. This will provide studets with the aesthetic kowledge, skills, ad capacities to live i ad take resposibility for our complex 21st cetury global world that requires high level commuicatio, iovatio, ad creativity as well as ecoomic, political, ad social kowledge about other cultures. While studets are learig i each of the arts disciplies they must become effective commuicators i order to work together i a supportive eviromet. Discussio ad reflectio i the arts is a rich ad compellig aspect of the creative process. The five strads that orgaize the visual ad performig arts cotet stadards reveal the challegig ad relevat cotet of the arts ad also the may itersectios of the arts ad the commo core. The strads are: Artistic Perceptio Creative Expressio Cultural ad Historical Cotext Aesthetic Valuig Coectios, Relatioships, Applicatios 17 I a coversatio about the arts cotet stadards, a high school dace teacher said, Studets take dace so they do t have to read ad write i class. After some reflectio o this statemet, she realized that eve though dace is a o-verbal meas of commuicatio, ELA ad mathematical skills are eeded to be successful i the process of creatig a dace. Her studets did egage i research, reflectio, ad critiques that deped o readig, writig, speakig, listeig, ad laguage skills as well as solvig problems relatig to the use of space, time, ad sequecig movemet to music, which relate to mathematical processes ad proficiecies. Teachers of theatre, choral music, ad those who teach studets to create ad perform poetry are acutely aware of these cross curricular coectios. Itegratig Arts Learig with the Commo Core State Stadards 13
Core Priciples to Guide The Itegratio Process Guidelies, Cosideratios, ad Examples Arts Itegratio Guide A first step i thikig about itegratig the arts ad the commo core might be to look at some of the documets i the CCSESA Arts Iitiative Toolbox. 9 Start with the K-6 Visual ad Performig Arts Curriculum Guide: Examples of Itegrated Lessos. This documet was developed to provide elemetary classroom teachers with a realistic ad useful tool for creatig arts itegrated lessos. The coectios made betwee disciplies are based o mutual cocepts beig taught. The guide icludes examples of stadards-based lessos i dace, music, theatre, ad visual art, itegrated with sciece, historysocial sciece, math ad laguage arts. Lesso Desig The lesso desig i the guide is based o the priciples of Uderstadig by Desig by Grat Wiggis ad Jay McTigue. Subjects ad stadards are chose based o shared cocepts or big ideas, from which essetial questios are formed. It is easy to icorporate the CCSS whe usig the lesso pla format provided. As you review a few of the lessos i the guide you begi to gai a uderstadig of how learig i each subject is eriched through the itegrated studet objective. For example, the first lesso is for Kidergarte ad the essetial questio is How do dacers ad writers use lies? The itegrated studet objective is stated i the followig statemet: Studets will be able to use lies to write letters of the alphabet, ad to create shapes with their bodies. A list of skills ad materials/resources is give before the step-by-step lesso is preseted. The Visual ad Performig Arts Cotet Stadards After reviewig the visual ad performig arts cotet stadards i the VAPA Framework, aother way to become familiar with the arts cotet ad how it spirals through the grade levels is to look at the reviewed Cotet Stadards outlied i two CCSESA Arts Iitiative documets o the CCSESA Arts Iitiative web site. Oe documet is The Arts i the Elemetary Classroom: A Visual ad Performig Arts Cotet ad Delivery Guide. The secod is the Middle Grades Visual ad Performig Arts Cotet ad Program Guide. 9 I these documets, the VAPA Cotet Stadards make the essetial ideas of the arts explicit i colums at each grade level. The presetatio format makes the sequece of the cotet, vocabulary, processes ad materials clear ad evidet, ad some suggestios for the teacher ad coectios to the core curriculum are made at each grade level. Reachable Objectives Whe developig itegrated curriculum, iclude reachable objectives i both the arts form ad the commo core stadards beig addressed i each lesso or uit. Cosider what ca be accomplished i oe lesso ad which objectives require the ogoig developmet of craft, practice, ad persistece over time. Clear Objectives i a Lesso Example A lesso titled From Fractios to Rhythm foud i the K-6 Visual ad Performig Arts Curriculum Guide: Examples of Itegrated Lessos icludes the followig essetial questio: Why is the cocept of fractioal equivalecy importat to both dacers ad mathematicias?" 17 The itegrated studet objective is writte i the followig way: Studets will demostrate a uderstadig of fractioal equivalecy by creatig rhythmic movemet phrases ad otatig those phrases with mathematical equatios. Studets have prior kowledge i rhythmic perceptio ad dace structure as well as fractios as parts of a whole. The ew cocepts are duratio ad ote value, rhythm, ad fractioal equivalecy. Prerequisite skills ad ew skills are listed for both dace ad mathematics. As the studets egage i the lesso, time is allowed for discussio, exploratio, ad practice i both subjects. It is assumed that after a assessmet, the teacher will determie if studets have met the objectives, or if further istructio beyod the oe lesso is eeded to fully achieve the objectives. 14 Itegratig Arts Learig with the Commo Core State Stadards
Core Priciples to Guide The Itegratio Process Mutually Reiforcig The visual arts are sometimes called overbal modes of commuicatio. While this is true, other steps are ivolved i the artistic process. For example, paitig a piece of artwork is a overbal activity. Ofte, other steps are ivolved such as research, reflectio, ad oral critique which deped o readig, laguage, ad literacy skills. The coectio betwee the arts ad literacy is mutually reiforcig. For example, script writig ad performace strategies from theatre provide creative ways for studets to demostrate their writig, speakig ad listeig skills. I his paper, Guidig Priciples for the Arts Grades K-12, David Colema, oe of the authors of the Commo Core Stadards, poits out coectios betwee the CCSS ad the arts. For example, the commo core i literacy requires that studets compare the evidece they see i a script, ad observe how differet productios draw o ad iterpret the script. Differet reditios of a musical score or a ladscape i a paitig also provide evidece of how artists iterpret the cotet. 18 New Media New media ad electroic techology ca be icorporated ito lessos, presetatios, ad exploratios i each of the arts disciplies ad utilized to coect the arts with other curriculum areas. For example, middle school studets create three-dimesioal figures usig aimatio software ad blueprit desig for a story they have writte usig their literacy skills. The media arts provide a perfect vehicle for studets to create visual evidece, stories, documetaries, teachig tools, ad performaces of cotet from other subject areas. I a recet article etitled More tha Comic Books, educator Bill Bowerma-Corell shares how he has icorporated graphic ovels to egage studets i literature ad the arts. 19 He utilizes techology i providig a way for studets to explore fictio/o-fictio through graphic desig ad techology. By usig multiple media, he opes the door for studets to thik about arrative works i differet ways. He writes that graphic ovels employ a variety of styles of art ad letterig, which make them a excellet subject for study of the arts as studets ofte iclude allusios to other works of arts by famous artists. This is ot see as supplatig regular readig methodologies, but to ehace relevace ad egagemet by studets. Marc Presky wrote i Our Brais Exteded that wise itegratio of our evolvig ad powerful techology demads that we rethik our curriculum.... As educators embrace these ew capacities, it s importat to uderstad that techology is t just a 'ew way to do old thigs' which is mostly how we use it i schools today. That is, i fact, the most trivial use of techology.... Techology s great boo to educatio is that it eables studets to do powerful ew thigs that they could t do before. 20 Coectig ELA ad the Arts The Arts ad the Commo Core Curriculum Mappig Project developed by Commo Core, Ic. 21 promotes the importace of all studets studyig the arts. I this project, they have highlighted places where ELA istructio could be ehaced by coectig a gere or particular text, or a theme of a uit, to works of art, music, or film. They suggest, for example, that studets study self-portraiture whe they are ecouterig memoirs. Studets might compare a ovel, story, or play to its film or musical reditio. Where a particular period of literature or the literature of a particular regio or coutry is addressed, works of art from that period or coutry may also be examied. I each case, coectios are made to the stadards i the CCSS themselves. Teachers Work Together ELA teachers who choose to use ELA Maps or other arts itegrated materials may do so o their ow, by team teachig with a art or music teacher or perhaps by sharig the materials with the art or music teacher, who could reiforce what studets are learig durig the ELA block. Usig itegrated curriculum should ot substitute for or ifrige i ay way o the istructio studets should receive i separate visual ad performig arts classes. Itegratig Arts Learig with the Commo Core State Stadards 15
Core Priciples to Guide The Itegratio Process Sapshots of Possibilities A look at the cotet of the arts gives a sapshot of possibilities for rich curriculum that itegrates the arts ad the CCSS. I each arts disciplie, studets participate i aesthetic valuig i which they describe, aalyze, ad do critiques of works i the arts, which leads to makig iformed judgmets i assessig artworks. Theatre requires fiely hoed speakig ad listeig skills. Music provides a excellet veue for applyig mathematical skills. Daces are choreographed i a sequece that requires careful physical ad visual cosideratios. I visual arts, studets express their thought ad feeligs i regard to the physical world they see as well as their persoal thoughts ad feeligs. HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES High-quality istructioal resources are aliged with the commo core stadards ad the visual ad performig arts stadards providig equitable access for all studets. The ELA CCSS provides may istructioal resources. Districts eed to adopt log-rage plas for providig these resources to be used both i the ELA curriculum ad i the arts curriculum. As learig i the arts progresses through the grade levels, so do the eeds for appropriate istructioal resources icludig facilities ad equipmet. The arts alog with other curriculum areas also require the use of ew media ad electroic techology for researchig, recordig ad editig studet work ad performaces, ad to use as a importat art form i today s high tech world. Guidelies, Cosideratios, ad Examples Criteria for Evaluatig Istructioal Materials The Califoria Visual ad Performig Arts Framework icludes Criteria for Evaluatig Istructioal Materials: Kidergarte through Grade Eight for use i Califoria Public Schools. 22 Providers of istructioal materials i the visual ad performig arts are ecouraged to reiforce, whe appropriate, the grade-level-desigated cotet stadards for mathematics, sciece, history-social sciece, or ELA to explai relatioships ad solve problems i the arts. It also calls for publishers to iclude recommedatios for readig ad writig about the arts that are aliged with the appropriate grade-level ELA stadards. This speaks to the iterdepedece of the curricular areas ad the stadards for those areas. Commo Core State Stadards Modules The Califoria Departmet of Educatio has produced a series of modules that help educators better uderstad CCSS ad how they fit ito the curriculum. Located o the Brokers of Expertise web site, these resources provide essetial iformatio regardig CCSS ad implemetatio. 23 Studet Access to the Arts as Text Whe studets are ivolved i readig ad uderstadig text or examiig evidece, the CCSS ecourage teachers to select text from the wide rage of materials icludig those that are a part of learig i the arts. A musical score is a text, as is a paitig, a script, a DVD of a piece of choreography ad a theatrical performace or script. 17 Learig i ELA is greatly ehaced whe studets have access to reproductios of major artworks, ad DVDs of performaces i music, dace, ad theatre to be used as a catalyst for learig to aalyze ad discuss text. 16 Itegratig Arts Learig with the Commo Core State Stadards
Core Priciples to Guide The Itegratio Process Selectig Works i the Arts As David Colema poits out, selectig works i the arts to use as text ad worthy of close study must be carefully cosidered. The Publisher s Criteria for the Commo Core State Stadards i Literacy i the state of New York offers the followig guidace: Give the emphasis of the Commo Core Stadards o close readig, the texts selected should be worthy of close attetio ad careful re-readig. To become career ad college ready, studets must grapple with a rage of works that spa may geres, cultures, ad eras ad model the kids of thikig ad writig studets should aspire to i their ow work. 24 School districts may be formig teams of ELA teachers to select texts that support learig i the CCSS. Those teams should iclude arts teachers, arts admiistrators, ad/or uiversity arts ad arts educatio professors. VALID AND COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT Valid ad comprehesive assessmet promotes reflective practice ad data-drive plaig i order to improve academic, liguistic, ad sociocultural outcomes for all studets i both the commo core stadards ad the visual ad performig arts. Iformal ad formal assessmets should be ogoig, iterative practices i the classroom ad desiged to improve learig. This ca be accomplished through observatio, performace, ad reflectio. Much of what is leared i the arts is demostrated i performace processes such as sigig a sog, creatig a sculpture, actig a scee, creatig ad performig a dace. However, learig i the arts also icludes skills ad abilities leared i the CCSS. Itegrated lessos ad uits that ivolve project based learig require studets to use may facets of the curriculum is powerful i that it reflects the itegrated way i which we live our lives ad it provides opportuities for assessmet of studet growth i multiple disciplies. Guidelies, Cosideratios, ad Examples Build o Prior Kowledge Learig must build o a studet s prior kowledge i each subject area so it is importat to assess studets prior kowledge ad ability i uderstadig arts kowledge ad skills. Studets uderstadig of cotet kowledge is ofte demostrated through a variety of activities such as improvisig a scee, drawig a picture, sigig a sog, or performig a dace sequece. Teachers should complete a rage of assessmets to determie both studets uderstadig ad applicatio of cotet. As teachers make the ecessary shifts to CCSS, they will be guided by a rage of assessmets that will help provide feedback ad data o studet learig ad achievemet. Evidece of Studet Performace: Formative ad Summative Assessmet Formative assessmet is a term for ay type of assessmet used to gather studet feedback ad improve istructio. Formative assessmets occur durig the learig process, ofte while studets are egaged i other activities. Aecdotal records, periodic quizzes or essays, diagostic tests ad i-class or homework assigmets are all types of formative assessmet because they provide iformatio about a studet's progress. Summative assessmet occurs at the ed of a uit of study i order to measure the amout of iformatio a studets has leared. Most traditioal assessmet types are cosidered summative. Alterative Assessmet Alterative assessmet, ofte called authetic, comprehesive, or performace assessmet, is usually desiged by the teacher to gauge a studet's uderstadig of material. Examples of these measuremets are opeeded questios, writte compositios, oral presetatios, projects, experimets, ad portfolios of studet work. Alterative assessmets are desiged so that the cotet of the assessmet matches the cotet of the istructio. Effective assessmets give studets feedback o how well Itegratig Arts Learig with the Commo Core State Stadards 17
Core Priciples to Guide The Itegratio Process they uderstad the iformatio ad o what they eed to improve, while helpig teachers better desig istructio. Assessmet becomes eve more relevat whe studets become ivolved i their ow assessmet. Studets takig a active role i developig the scorig criteria, self-evaluatio, ad goal settig more readily accept that the assessmet is adequately measurig their learig. Performace assessmets are atural to the arts. Performace assessmets require studets to perform as a meas of showig they uderstad class material. The types of performaces ca iclude actual performig, as i performig a moologue, or performace by creatig, as i creatig a political cartoo. These assessmets evaluate complex cogitive processes as well as attitude ad social skills, ad studets ofte fid them egagig. Whe developig performace assessmets of studet learig i a iterdiscipliary lesso or uit, iclude rubrics ad other assessmet tools that assess both studet learig i the CCSS ad i the visual or performig arts cotet or strategy used. Performace Tasks Smarter Balaced defied performace tasks i their Race to the Top applicatio as follows: "[Performace tasks] will provide a measure of the studet s ability to itegrate kowledge ad skills across multiple [cotet] stadards a key compoet of college- ad career readiess. Performace [tasks] will be used to better measure capacities such as depth of uderstadig, research skills, ad complex aalysis, which caot be adequately assessed with [selected respose] or costructed respose items." 25 These items are iteded to help admiistrators ad policymakers implemet CCSS ad prepare for ext-geeratio assessmets ad provide a early look ito the depth of uderstadig of the CCSS that will be measured through the ew assessmet system. While these items/tasks are ot iteded to be used as a sample test, they are helpful to educators so that they ca meet the requiremets of the ew assessmets. 26 The Califoria Office to Reform Educatio Arts by Desig Istitute puts a emphasis o Smarter Balaced Performace Task Specificatios. They frame the performace task process as providig a stimulus, processig iformatio, ad producig a product as see i the followig examples: Stimulus Graphs, charts, 2D ad 3D figures, models, maps, photos, readigs, audio clips, video clips, data, issue/ problem, artistic presetatio, etc. Iformatio Processig Comprehesio questios, research, ivestigatio, small group discussio, aalyses, etc. Product Essay, story, script, oral presetatio with graphics or media, displays, models, proof, desig, etc. A Compedium of Lessos ad Uits The CCSESA olie Compedium of Teacher Learig ad Exploratio i Arts Assessmet represets K-12 specialist ad geeralist teachers from across Califoria showcasig examples of teacher ad studet work i the arts. 9 The goal of this project is to ecourage K-12 arts specialist teachers ad classroom teachers to develop ad implemet authetic, classroom-based curriculum ad assessmets. The olie compedium features teacher practice, documets this curriculum developmet process ad features multiple assessmets that provide evidece of studet learig ad uderstadig i the arts. May of the lessos ad uits iclude iterdiscipliary learig ad istructio. Assessmet Example Christopher Lee is a high school filmmakig teacher. He documeted a uit of istructio for the CCSESA Arts Iitiative Compedium of Lessos ad Uits. 27 The uit is i filmmakig focusig o the art of dramatic storytellig i the arrative short format. From pre-productio to fial output, studets are expected to develop skills i screewritig, pre-productio plaig, digital video editig, ad post productio. Studets created a 2-3 miute film that ispires hope, love, ad/or triumph of the huma spirit. While this uit was developed before the ELA CCSS were released, oe ca see applicatios of the ELA stadards throughout. This 18 Itegratig Arts Learig with the Commo Core State Stadards