ALC1O / ALC2O

Integrated Arts

Grade: 9 or 10

Credits: 1.0

Type: Open

Prerequisite: None

Development Date: 2009

Most Recent Revision Date: 2013

Curriculum Policy Document: The Arts, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10, 2010 (Revised)

Course Developer: Virtual High School

Department: Arts

Department Head: Jeremy Clowater, B.A. (Hon), B.Ed., OCT

Course Description

This course integrates two or more of the arts (dance, drama, media arts, music, and visual arts), giving students the opportunity to produce and present integrated art works created individually or collaboratively. Students will demonstrate innovation as they learn and apply concepts, styles, and conventions unique to the various arts and acquire skills that are transferable beyond the classroom. Students will use the creative process and responsible practices to explore solutions to integrated arts challenges.

Units

Unit 1: What is Art?

Time Allocated: 25 Hours

In this unit students will be introduced to the four art disciplines that will be explored throughout the course. An introduction to some of the questions that surround the creative process, as well as a first look at the process of combining two or more art disciplines in an integrated way. This will provide the first opportunity for discussion. Students will finish the unit with a reflection on an integrated arts work. Assessment opportunities in this unit will include prompted discussion, process worksheets, written responses, artistic interpretations and peer reflection.

Unit 2: Art and You

Time Allocated: 25 Hours

In this unit, students will begin working through the art disciplines of dance and visual arts. Students will work through the artistic elements of space, movement and rhythm in order to develop an understanding of language, conventions, history and technique. Assessment opportunities in this unit include artistic expression, peer reflection, personal reflection, written responses, historical reports, performance, process worksheets and a quiz. Students will complete this unit with a choice of an integrated arts work with written reflection.

Unit 3: Art and Us

Time Allocated: 25 Hours

In this unit, students will explore the effect of art on culture and the effect of culture on art. Using the disciplines of drama and visual art, students will explore the artistic elements of value, character and tension. By the end of this unit, students will complete an integrated arts work based on their understanding of the works studied throughout the course. Assessment opportunities in this unit include written responses, performances and reflections, historical reports, discussions, artistic works, style analysis and a quiz.

Unit 4: Art and the World

Time Allocated: 25 Hours

In this unit, students will explore the role of the arts outside of the classroom. Identifying career opportunities, the role of the environment in various works, and how community can work to create a culture of art will allow students to examine the practical uses of art disciplines. Students will work within the discipline of media arts to create a series of integrated projects which relate to the outside world. Assessment opportunities in this unit include an analysis of green art, written reflections, discussion, career graphic organizers, performances and reviews, written responses to articles and works, a quiz and multimedia creations.

Final Assessments

Project

Time Allocated: 8 Hours

In this unit, students will complete a culminating project which will ask them to use the language, conventions, style and technique associated with integrated arts. Students will submit the project as part of their portfolio. This project is worth 15% of the student's final mark.

Exam

Time Allocated: 2 Hours

This is a proctored exam worth 15% of your final grade.

Resources Required By The Student

Note: This course is entirely online and does not require or rely on any textbook.

A scanner, smart phone camera, or similar device to upload handwritten or hand-drawn work
A digital video camera, a web camera, or similar device to record and upload video recordings
A computer microphone, smart phone microphone, or similar device to record and upload audio recordings
Drawing materials such as pencils, paint, pastels for a variety of visual art activities
Room to move about when planning a short dramatic presentation and experimenting with some dance steps
Ability to interview a local artist
A copy of Michel Tremblay's, Les Belles Soeurs

Overall Curriculum Expectations

A. Creating and Presenting

A1 - The Creative Process: apply the creative process to create integrated art works/productions, individually and/or collaboratively;

A2 - Elements and Principles: apply key elements and principles from various arts disciplines when creating, modifying, and presenting art works, including integrated art works/productions;

A3 - Tools, Techniques, and Technologies: use a variety of tools, techniques, and technologies to create integrated art works/productions that communicate specific messages and demonstrate creativity;

A4 - Presentation and Promotion: present and promote art works, including integrated art works / productions, for a variety of purposes, using appropriate technologies and conventions.

B. Reflecting, Responding, and Analysing

B1 - The Critical Analysis Process: demonstrate an understanding of the critical analysis process by applying it to study works from various arts disciplines as well as integrated art works/productions;

B2 - The Function of the Arts in Society: demonstrate an understanding of various functions of the arts in past and present societies;

B3 - Values and Identity: demonstrate an understanding of how creating, presenting, and analysing art works has affected their understanding of personal, community, and cultural values and of Canadian identity;

B4 - Connections Beyond the Classroom: describe the types of skills developed through creating, presenting, and analysing art works, including integrated art works/productions, and identify various opportunities to pursue artistic endeavours outside the classroom.

C. Foundations

C1 - Terminology: demonstrate an understanding of, and use proper terminology when referring to, elements, principles, and other key concepts related to various arts disciplines;

C2 - Contexts and Influences: demonstrate an understanding of symbols and themes associated with art works produced by various cultures, and describe past and present influences on various arts disciplines;

C3 - Conventions and Responsible Practices: demonstrate an understanding of conventions and responsible practices associated with various arts disciplines, and apply these practices when creating, presenting, and experiencing art works.

Teaching & Learning Strategies

Education in the arts involves students intellectually, emotionally, socially, and physically stimulating a wide variety of learning styles and increasing a student’s learning potential. Hands-on materials and activities challenge students to move from the concrete to the abstract. The arts can be enjoyable and fulfilling, but they are also intellectually rigorous disciplines involving the use of complex symbols to communicate. Arts education provides a way of perceiving, interpreting, organizing, and questioning. Through the arts, we can record, celebrate, and pass on to future generations the personal and collective stories, values, and traditions that make us unique as Canadians.

The arts broaden young minds and exalt our spirits; they help us understand what it is that makes us human by validating our commonalities and celebrating our differences – which is so important in a multicultural society like Canada. Artistic expression involves clarifying and restructuring personal experience. It engages students in perception, production, and reflection. Learning in, through, and about the arts involves using the mind, body, heart, and soul to achieve intellectual, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Students will be engaged in reading, writing, viewing and identifying images, watching some drama and dance performances, writing a script, making journal entries, performing a dramatic presentation, listening to music, planning dance steps, accessing print and internet resources, and using self and peer assessments as well engaging in class discussions. Students will have to develop an understanding of the new content and then make their own efforts to apply it.

Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting Strategies of Student Performance

Our theory of assessment and evaluation follows the Ministry of Education's Growing Success document, and it is our firm belief that doing so is in the best interests of students. We seek to design assessment in such a way as to make it possible to gather and show evidence of learning in a variety of ways to gradually release responsibility to the students, and to give multiple and varied opportunities to reflect on learning and receive detailed feedback.

Growing Success articulates the vision the Ministry has for the purpose and structure of assessment and evaluation techniques. There are seven fundamental principles that ensure best practices and procedures of assessment and evaluation by Nimbus Christian Education teachers. Nimbus Christian Education assessments and evaluations,

are fair, transparent, and equitable for all students;
support all students, including those with special education needs, those who are learning the language of instruction (English or French), and those who are First Nation, Métis, or Inuit;
are carefully planned to relate to the curriculum expectations and learning goals and, as much as possible, to the interests, learning styles and preferences, needs, and experiences of all students;
are communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the course and at other points throughout the school year or course;
are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over a period of time to provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning;
provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and achievement;
develop students’ self-assessment skills to enable them to assess their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for their learning.

For a full explanation, please refer to Growing Success.

The Final Grade

The evaluation for this course is based on the student's achievement of curriculum expectations and the demonstrated skills required for effective learning. The final percentage grade represents the quality of the student's overall achievement of the expectations for the course and reflects the corresponding level of achievement as described in the achievement chart for the discipline. A credit is granted and recorded for this course if the student's grade is 50% or higher. The final grade will be determined as follows:

70% of the grade will be based upon evaluations conducted throughout the course. This portion of the grade will reflect the student's most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration will be given to more recent evidence of achievement.
30% of the grade will be based on final evaluations administered at the end of the course. The final assessment may be a final exam, a final project, or a combination of both an exam and a project.

Program Planning Considerations

Teaching Approaches

It is also very important to incorporate different teaching/learning strategies so that every student has the opportunity to access and demonstrate learning according to their own learning style, whenever possible.

This course will be delivered in an online learning environment which will incorporate regular online discussions with the instructor and online learning material through Nimbus Christian Education online learning. This affords students a more individualized approach as the learning material is accessible anytime and anywhere.

Inquiry projects will also be given to the students (either as groups or individuals) to help promote self-learning as well as higher level thinking and application of previous knowledge. These projects allow students to explore and represent abstract mathematical ideas as teacher’s gain insightful knowledge of student understanding.

Planning Programs for Exceptional Students

Program planning for exceptional students can be implemented by accommodations, modifications, or modified expectations with the possibility of accommodations.

If there are students with special needs identified (IEP) in this class, accommodations will be administered based on individual needs. For specific support that Nimbus Christian Education is prepared to provide please refer to this document.

Students Requiring Accommodations Only

The accommodations required to facilitate the student’s learning must be identified in his or her IEP, which will likely reflect similar accommodations for many, or all courses. Accommodations may include instructional, environmental, and/or assessment.

Students Requiring Modified Expectations

Modified expectations that differ from regular course expectations, will be provided and monitored by the course instructor. These modifications will reflect the recommendations of the student’s IEP and the principal will determine whether achievement of the modified expectations constitutes successful completion of the course.

English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development (ESL/ELD)

While most ELL students will begin studying in ESL or ELD classes, the goal is to transition these students to English classes. Teachers must incorporate appropriate adaptations and strategies for instruction and assessment to facilitate the success of ELLs in their classroom. These may include:

Modifying some expectations so that they are challenging and attainable
Using a variety of instructional strategies and learning resources
Pre-teaching vocabulary
Using assessment modifications (e.g. extra time, simplifying language, oral interviews)

Antidiscrimination Education

The learning activities presented within this course are created from a Christian worldview perspective that promotes respect for varying cultural backgrounds, abilities, interests, and learning styles. By providing historical influences on theories and principles, the teacher enlightens students regarding the variety of cultural groups that have influenced society over the centuries.

Literacy and Inquiry/Research Skills

Students are encouraged to develop terminology and implement this vocabulary when asking and answering inquiry questions. Opportunities to develop the ability to locate relevant information within statistical databases, primary and secondary sources, and reported documents; will be provided.

The Role of Information and Communication Technology

Nimbus Christian Education courses will include opportunities to make use of technology like graphing tools; such as graphing calculators and online graphing programs (Desmos, Geogebra), spreadsheets, and others as needed throughout the course. Students will be given exposure to the many ways that technology can be used.

Career Education

Opportunities to consider the many varieties of careers will be given to students. This will occur primarily in the many application questions that students will complete during their lessons as well as the inquiry based projects included in each course.

Cooperative Education and Other Forms of Experiential Learning

Cooperative education helps to broaden students’ knowledge of employment opportunities in a wide range of fields. Nimbus Christian Education recognizes opportunities for students to explore their career interests; however, cooperative education initiatives are not available at this time. Teachers do provide support in the creation of work related documents appropriate for the workplace in an experiential learning environment.

Health and Safety

When the learning involves fieldwork or investigations based on experimentation, teachers will ensure that the activities planned are done so with consideration given in order to protect student’s health & safety.