In Art 4, students begin thinking about the meaning behind works of art. They work both independently and collaboratively to brainstorm ideas for visual art, set artistic goals, and create meaningful artistic pieces. Students experiment with oil pastels and nontraditional art-making approaches and materials. They explore how regional influences can inspire an artist and create their own art based on regional inspirations. Students observe the various ways in which art can be displayed, where it can be displayed, and how its placement can impact the artist’s message. Students compare and contrast works from different cultures and create art to reflect their own cultural traditions. They also learn to use context to interpret artwork and infer information about the time, place, and culture in which works were created.

This course is scheduled for the fall semester.

In Music 4, students identify how the elements of music (melody, harmony, timbre, dynamics, and tempo) affect what a piece of music communicates to a listener. Students label or perform three different examples of rhythm in addition to musical notes such as the eighth note and the sixteenth note. They identify notes on the bass and treble clef. Students learn the difference between sharps and flats and major and minor scales. They create simple melodies with chords and mark tempo, time signature, and signature key. Students explore different musical characteristics and instruments from Africa in addition to Latin American and Celtic music and dance. Finally, students explain how social and cultural contexts influence a musical performance.

This course is scheduled for the spring semester.