Course Preface

  Organization of the Standards

The Utah Core standards are organized into strands, which represent significant areas of learning within content areas. The Fine Arts have four strands: Create, Perform/Present/ Produce, Respond, and Connect. These four strands provide the framework for a comprehensive experience in each of the five art forms: Dance, Drama/Theatre, Media Arts, Music, and Visual Arts.

Within each strand are standards. A standard is an articulation of the demonstrated proficiency to be obtained. A standard represents an essential element of the learning that is expected. While some standards within a strand may be more comprehensive than others, all standards are essential for mastery.

Experiencing the Fine Arts

All students should have the opportunity to experience the fine arts as part of a well-rounded education. The study of drama, dance, music, media arts, and the visual arts helps students explore realities, relationships, and ideas that cannot be expressed simply in words or numbers.

Learning in the fine arts is valuable on its own, but it also engages students in learning in other subjects. Research has shown visual arts instruction to improve reading readiness. Performing and creating facilitates the acquisition of problem-solving skills and teamwork. Those skills then can be applied to other academic areas. All fine arts have academic content. Thus, the arts can help students learn essential skills in new and exciting ways.

In the global economy, creativity is essential. Creativity in students must be nurtured and allowed to have a place in the education of the whole child in order to prepare that child for the future. The study of visual arts, dance, drama, and music, as outlined in the Utah State Core Standards, provides a venue for creativity to flourish. The fine arts provide a place for students to explore new ideas, for appropriate risk-taking, for creative problem solving, for working together with others, for developing aesthetic awareness, for exploring and expressing the world, and for cultural awareness and representation, in addition to the benefits of study in the discipline of fine arts. The study of fine arts is a critical element of a well-rounded education for every student.

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http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - Tamara  Burnside and see the Fine Arts - Secondary website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - Jennifer  Throndsen.

These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Board of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Board of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.