MONTANA STANDARDS FOR ARTS
Arts have intrinsic value. They cultivate the whole child, building many kinds of literacy while developing intuition, reasoning, creativity, imagination, and dexterity into diverse forms of expression and communication.
The Arts enable students to make decisions and seek multiple solutions. They improve perception, reflection, and creative thought. They advance higher order thinking skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. The Arts provide powerful tools for understanding human experiences and cultures—past, present and future.
Arts education engages students in a creative process that helps them develop the self-motivation, discipline, cooperation and self-esteem necessary for success in life.
The Arts consists of Dance, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts. The content and performance standards for the Arts describe what all Montana students should know and be able to do in the Arts. Although literary arts are generally considered a part of the Arts, standards for the literary arts are integrated throughout the Communication Arts.
Content Standards indicate what all students should know, understand and be able to do in a specific content area.
Benchmarks define our expectations for students’ knowledge, skills and abilities along a developmental continuum in each content area. That continuum is focused at three points—at the end of grade 4, the end of grade 8 and grade 12.
Content Standard 1—Students create, perform/exhibit, and respond in the Arts.
Content Standard 2—Students apply and describe the concepts, structures, and processes in the Arts.
Content Standard 3—Students develop and refine arts skills and techniques to express ideas, pose and solve problems, and discover meaning.
Content Standard 4—Students analyze characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others.
Content Standard 5—Students understand the role of the Arts in society, diverse cultures, and historical periods.
Content Standard 6—Students make connections among the Arts, other subject areas, life, and work.
Arts Content Standard 1
Students create, perform/exhibit, and respond in the Arts.
Rationale
Students understand and express themselves in depth through an art form by:
• generating original art;
• participating, re-creating, and exhibiting; and
• reacting and placing value.
As a result, they arrive at their own knowledge and beliefs for making personal and artistic decisions.
Benchmarks
Students will:
End of Grade 4
1. identify their own ideas and images based on themes, symbols, events and personal experiences.
2. use a variety of materials and sources to experiment with an art form.
3. present their own work and works of others.
4. collaborate with others in the creative process.
5. describe how a variety of materials, techniques and processes cause different responses.
End of Grade 8
1. create a work from their own ideas and images based on themes, symbols, events and personal experiences.
2. select a variety of materials and sources to demonstrate a specific art form.
3. prepare and/or revise works for presentation.
4. collaborate with others to make artistic choices.
5. describe and analyze artistic choices in their own work and works of others.
Upon Graduation—End of Grade 12
1. conceive and create works of art.
2. demonstrate imagination and technical skill in a minimum of one art form using traditional and nontraditional resources.
3. select or adapt the elements of a presentational style.
4. apply artistic discipline (e.g., concentration and focus) to complete a collaborative work.
5. articulate meaning by describing and analyzing artistic choices in their own work and works of others.
Arts Content Standard 2
Students apply and describe the concepts, structures, and processes in the Arts.
Rationale
The ability to use and share knowledge is fundamental to human experience. The Arts: Dance, Music, Theatre, Visual Arts, provide many of the tools for students to successfully interact with their world.
Benchmarks
Students will:
End of Grade 4
1. COMPOSITION—
Dance: apply the elements of space (shape, level, path in space, pattern, form), time (duration, rhythm), and energy (movement quality) to compose dance phrases.
Music: apply the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, timbre/tone color, and form.
Theatre: apply the elements of plot, character and setting.
Visual Arts: apply the elements of line, shape, form, color, space, value, and texture to compose works of art and the principals
of design-pattern, balance, contrast, rhythm, proportion, economy, movement, dominance.
2. TECHNIQUES—
Dance: identify and apply the techniques of body awareness (e.g., control, flexibility, dynamics, expression, musicality) in class and performance.
Music: identify and apply the techniques of expressive devices, dynamics, tempo, phrasing, accompaniment, interpretation and improvisation.
Theatre: identify and apply techniques to develop scenarios, direct and act.
Visual Arts: identify and apply the techniques common to drawing, painting, sculpture, design, printmaking, and indigenous/
traditional arts.
3. MEDIUM—
Dance: demonstrate the human body in motion.
Music: perform vocal and/or instrumental solos, or in ensembles.
Theatre: perform in ensemble (e.g., live, film, video productions).
Visual Arts: select a course of action using two-dimensional processes (e.g., paint- ing, drawing, printmaking) and the three dimensional processes (e.g., sculpture and indigenous/traditional arts).
4. FUNCTION—
Dance: identify examples of social, theatrical, and traditional dance.
Music: identify examples of music (e.g., ceremonial, celebration, concerts, theatre, dance, film, social, community, entertainment).
Theatre: perform in classroom or school programs/productions.
Visual Arts: identify examples of cultural, political, communication, expressive, commercial, and environmental visual arts.
5. STYLE—
Dance: identify examples of folk, popular, and contemporary (e.g., ballet, jazz, modern, tap) dance.
Music: identify examples of music (e.g., folk, jazz, ethnic, popular, classical, time period).
Theatre: identify and perform examples of theatre (e.g., comedy, melodrama).
Visual Arts: identify examples of historical, contemporary, and traditional visual arts, including American Indian art.
6. PRESENTATION—
Dance: show dance composition with peers, emphasizing focus and concentration.
Music: participate in performances.
Theatre: demonstrate storytelling and creative dramatics.
Visual Arts: exhibit craftsmanship, completion, and develop a body of work.
End of Grade 8
1. COMPOSITION—
Dance: apply the elements of space (shape, level, path in space, pattern, form), time (duration, rhythm), and energy (movement
quality) to compose dances.
Music: apply the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, timbre/tone color, and form.
Theatre: apply the elements of plot, character, setting and mood.
Visual Arts: apply the elements of line, shape, form, color, space, value, and texture to compose works of art and the principals
of design-pattern, balance, contrast, rhythm, proportion, economy, movement, dominance.
2. TECHNIQUES—
Dance: apply the techniques of body awareness (e.g., control, flexibility, dynamics, expression, musicality) in class and performance.
Music: apply the techniques of expressive devices, dynamics, tempo, phrasing, accompaniment, interpretation, and improvisation.
Theatre: apply techniques to write, direct, act, and design.
Visual Arts: apply knowledge of techniques to create works (e.g., painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, computer arts,
graphic design, sculpture, and indigenous/traditional arts).
3. MEDIUM—
Dance: demonstrate the human body in motion.
Music: perform vocal and/or instrumental solos, or in ensembles.
Theatre: perform solo and in ensemble (e.g., mime, live, film, video productions).
Visual Arts: select a course of action using two-dimensional processes (e.g., painting, drawing, printmaking, photography,
computer arts) and the three-dimensional processes (e.g., sculpture, indigenous/traditional arts).
4. FUNCTION—
Dance: identify examples of social, theatrical, and traditional dance.
Music: perform examples of music (e.g., ceremonial, celebration, concerts, theatre, dance, film, social, community, entertainment).
Theatre: perform in classroom or school programs/productions.
Visual Arts: demonstrate and compare examples of cultural, political, communication, expressive, commercial, and environmental visual arts.
5. STYLE—
Dance: identify examples of folk, popular, historical, and contemporary (e.g., ballet, jazz, modern, tap) dance.
Music: perform examples of music (e.g., folk, jazz, ethnic, popular, classical, time period).
Theatre: perform examples of theatre (e.g., comedy, melodrama, plays from historical periods).
Visual Arts: demonstrate examples of historical, contemporary, and traditional visual arts, including American Indian art.
6. PRESENTATION—
Dance: rehearse, perform, and critique dance.
Music: rehearse, perform, and critique musical performances.
Theatre: rehearse, perform, and critique storytelling and improvisation.
Visual Arts: exhibit craftsmanship, completion, and develop a body of work.
Upon Graduation—End of Grade 12
1. COMPOSITION—
Dance: apply the elements of space (shape, level, path in space, pattern, form), time (duration, rhythm), and energy (movement quality) to compose dances.
Music: apply the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, timbre/tone color, and form.
Theatre: apply the elements of character and plot as exposition, action, climax, and resolution.
Visual Arts: apply the elements of line, shape, form, color, space, value, and texture to compose works of art and the principals
of design-pattern, balance, contrast, rhythm, proportion, ecomony, movement, dominance.
2. TECHNIQUES—
Dance: apply the techniques of body awareness (e.g., control, flexibility, dynamics, expression, musicality) in class and performance.
Music: apply the techniques of expressive devices, dynamics, tempo, phrasing, accompaniment, interpretation, and improvisation.
Theatre: apply techniques to write, direct, act, design and produce.
Visual Arts: apply techniques to create works (e.g., painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, computer arts, graphic design,
sculpture, and indigenous/traditional arts).
3. MEDIUM—
Dance: demonstrate the human body in motion.
Music: perform vocal and/or instrumental solos, or in ensembles.
Theatre: perform solo and in ensemble (e.g., mime, live, film, video productions).
Visual Arts: select a course of action using two-dimensional processes (e.g., painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, computer arts, graphic design) and three-dimensional processes (e.g., sculpture, indigenous/traditional arts).
4. FUNCTION—
Dance: identify examples of social, theatrical, and traditional dance.
Music: perform and compare examples of music (e.g., ceremonial, celebration, concerts, theatre, dance, film, social, community, entertainment).
Theatre: perform in classroom or school programs/productions.
Visual Arts: demonstrate and compare examples of cultural, political, communication, expressive, commercial, and environmental visual arts.
5. STYLE—
Dance: identify examples of folk, popular, historical, and contemporary (e.g., ballet, jazz, modern, tap) dance.
Music: perform examples of music (e.g., folk, jazz, ethnic, popular, classical, time period).
Theatre: perform examples of theatre (e.g., comedy, tragedy, melodrama plays from historical periods).
Visual Arts: demonstrate examples of historical, contemporary, and traditional visual arts, including American Indian art.
6. PRESENTATION—
Dance: rehearse, perform, and critique dance.
Music: rehearse, perform, and critique musical performances.
Theatre: rehearse, perform, and critique improvisation and performances.
Visual Arts: exhibit craftsmanship, completion, and develop a body of work.
Arts Content Standard 3
Students develop and refine arts skills and techniques to express ideas, pose and solve problems, and discover meaning.
Rationale
Artistic expression is a critical form of self-expression and communication requiring specific skills, knowledge, and techniques. In the Arts there is no one correct answer. Students must exercise judgment. This helps to develop the ability to weigh the benefits among alternative courses of action. This process yields multiple rather than singular solutions.
Benchmarks
Students will:
End of Grade 4
1. use art materials, techniques, technologies, and processes to create general responses.
2. communicate meaning through the art forms from selected subject matter.
3. explore potential solutions to a given problem through the Arts.
4. use technical skills.
Dance—perform movements and rhythm patterns.
Music—sing and play music using dynamics, phrasing, and interpretation.
Theatre—use mind, voice, and body to create characters and tell stories.
Visual Arts—create works of art with content that is consistent with media possibilities.
5. identify and use an appropriate symbol system.
Dance—use dance elements (space, time, energy) to discuss movement and produce movements demonstrated and/or described in words.
Music—use standard symbols to identify meter, rhythm, pitch, and dynamics.
Theatre—recognize and use stage direction.
Visual Arts—recognize and use symbol language appropriate to media used to create works of art.
End of Grade 8
1. use art materials, techniques, technologies, and processes to create specific responses.
2. communicate intended meaning based on their own ideas and concepts from other sources.
3. use improvisation/experimentation to determine solutions.
4. use technical skills.
Dance—perform movements and rhythm patterns with control and expression.
Music—use accepted performance and expressive techniques (e.g., breath control, posture) while singing and playing music in small and large ensembles.
Theatre—use scenery, properties, sound, costume, and make-up to communicate locale and mood.
Visual Arts—experiment and practice with a variety of media to achieve clarity
of expression.
5. understand and use symbol systems.
Dance—use dance elements (space, time, energy) to discuss movement and produce movements demonstrated and/or described in words.
Music—identify and define standard notation symbols including pitch, rhythm, dynamics, tempo, articulation, and expression.
Theatre—understand and apply stage direction and ground plans.
Visual Arts—examine the breadth and depth of possible responses presented by media and media techniques.
Upon Graduation—End of Grade 12
1. use art materials, techniques, technologies, and processes to create specific products and responses to ideas.
2. communicate intended meaning through the interpretation of a subject.
3. use improvisation/experimentation to predict potential solutions to problems and pose new problems.
4. use technical skills.
Dance—perform movements and rhythm patterns with appropriate range of dynamics and expression.
Music—sing or play music with expression and technical accuracy exhibiting a large and varied repertoire of vocal or
instrumental literature.
Theatre—use scenery, properties, sound, costume, make-up, and lighting to communicate locale and mood.
Visual Arts—explore and practice skills to enhance communication with consistency.
5. understand and use symbol systems.
Dance—use dance elements (space, time, energy) to discuss movement and produce movements demonstrated and/or described in words.
Music—read and use standard and nonstandard notation symbols through participation in small and large ensembles.
Theatre—understand and apply stage direction and ground plans.
Visual Arts—understand and apply appropriate symbol language to maximize expression in a specific media.
Arts Content Standard 4
Students analyze characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others.
Rationale
Reflecting on the Arts heightens critical thinking and qualitative judgment. Students practice and use higher order thinking skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation to understand works of art.
Benchmarks
Students will:
End of Grade 4
1. use vocabulary of the discipline to describe a variety of works of art.
2. describe personal works to others.
3. devise criteria for evaluation.
4. recognize a variety of different responses to specific works of art.
End of Grade 8
1. evaluate the quality and effectiveness of their own and other art works by applying specific criteria appropriate to the style and
offer constructive suggestions for improvement.
2. describe the influence of personal experience on the interpretation of works of art.
3. develop and apply criteria for evaluating quality and effectiveness of the work of art.
4. describe and compare a variety of individual responses to works of art.
Upon Graduation—End of Grade 12
1. evaluate an art work by comparing and contrasting it to similar or exemplary works of art.
2. compare and contrast how meaning is communicated in two or more of the students’ own works and/or works of others.
3. refine specific criteria for making informed critical evaluation of the quality and effectiveness of a work of art.
4. analyze various interpretations as a means for understanding/evaluating works of art.
Arts Content Standard 5
Students understand the role of the Arts in society, diverse cultures, and historical periods.
Rationale
It is important for students to be knowledgeable about the nature, value, and meaning of the Arts in the context of their own humanity with respect to community, environment, and culture, including the distinct and unique cultural heritage of Montana’s American Indians.
Benchmarks
Students will:
End of Grade 4
1. recognize ways in which the Arts have both a historical and distinctive relationship to various cultures (e.g., American Indian) and media of expression.
2. identify and describe specific works of art belonging to particular cultures, times and places.
3. recognize various reasons for creating works of art.
4. recognize common emotions, experiences, and expressions in art.
5. demonstrate appropriate audience behavior for the context and style of art presented.
6. explore their own culture as reflected through the Arts.
End of Grade 8
1. demonstrate how history/culture and the Arts influence each other.
2. identify, describe, and analyze specific works of art as belonging to particular cultures, times and places in the context in which they were created.
3. compare various reasons for creating works of art.
4. describe how people’s emotions and experiences influence the development of specific art works.
5. demonstrate appropriate audience behavior for the context and style of art presented.
6. determine the connection of a work of art to societal and cultural change or preservation, including American Indian culture and art.
Upon Graduation—End of Grade 12
1. identify and describe the role of the artist in cultures and societies.
2. identify, describe and analyze specific works of art as belonging to particular cultures, times and places in the context in which they were created.
3. identify intentions of those creating art works, explore the implications of various purposes and justify analysis.
4. analyze contemporary and historic meanings and emotions in specific art works through cultural and aesthetic inquiry.
5. demonstrate appropriate audience behavior for the context and style of art presented.
6. investigate a variety of artworks from resources in the community and analyze and communicate cultural and historical context.
Arts Content Standard 6
Students make connections among the Arts, other subject areas, life, and work.
Rationale
Arts are part of everyone’s daily experience. The Arts reflect the culture that produces them. As students work in the Arts, it is important to understand how the Arts disciplines relate to one another, to other subjects, and to their life.
Benchmarks
Students will:
End of Grade 4
1. identify similarities and differences in the meanings of common terms/elements used in the various Arts.
2. identify interrelated elements among the Arts and other subject areas.
3. identify the role of the Arts in the world of work.
4. identify how art reflects life.
End of Grade 8
1. explain how elements, processes (e.g., imagination, craftsmanship) and organizational principles are used in similar and distinctive ways.
2. connect and analyze interrelated elements of the Arts and other subject areas.
3. experience the elements of art careers in a professional setting.
4. analyze how works of art reflect the environment in which they are created.
Upon Graduation—End of Grade 12
1. compare and explain how the characteristic materials of each art (e.g., sound in music, visual stimuli in visual arts, movement in dance, human interrelationships in theatre) correlate to similar events, scenes, emotions, or ideas.
2. utilize interrelated elements among the Arts and other subject areas.
3. explore vocational and avocational opportunities in the Arts.
4. identify how works of art reflect the environment in which they are created.