Drama - Curriculum

1 Arts EducationDramaPrimary SchoolCurriculumCuraclam naBunscoileD U B L I NPUBLISHED BY THE STAT I O N E RY OFFICETo be purc h ased dire c t ly from theG OVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALE OFFICESUN ALLIANCE HOUSEM O L E S WO RTH ST R E E TDUBLIN 2or by mail order fro mG OVERNMENT PUBLICAT I O N SP O STAL TRADE SECTION4-5 HARC O U RT ROA DDUBLIN 2( Tel: 01 - 6476834-5; Fax: 01 - 4752760 )or through any booksellerD esign Consulta n cy :B ra d l ey McGurk Pa rt n e rs h i pD esigned by :The Identity Busines sTy p es e tt i n g :Spectrum Print ManagementP r i n ted by.

2 Mozzon Giuntina - Florence andOfficine Grafiche De Agostini - Nova ra 1999 Government of Ire l a n dDramaArts EducationCurriculumC o n te n tsIntroductionArts education2 The arts education curriculum2 Aims4 Drama5 Aims8 Broad objectives9 Infant classesOverview13 Content 14 First and second classesOverview19 Content 20 Drama CurriculumThird and fourth classesOverview25 Content 26 Fifth and sixth classesOverview33 Content 34 AssessmentAssessment42 AppendixGlossary50 Membership of the Curriculum Committee for Arts Education 52 Membership of the PrimaryCo-ordinating Committee 53 IntroductionThe arts are organised expressions of ideas, feelings and experiences ini m a g es, in music, in language, in ges t u reand in movement.

3 They providefor sensory, emotional, intellectual and creative enrichment andcontribute to the child s holistic development. Much of what is finest insociety is developed through a variety of art forms which contribute tocultural ethos and to a sense of education enables the child to explore alternative ways of communi-cating with others. It encourages ideas that are personal and inventiveand makes a vital contribution to the d evelopment of a range ofi n te l l i g e n c es .A purposeful arts education at primary level is life-enhancing and is invaluable in stimulating creative thinking and inpromoting capability and adaptability.

4 It emphasises the creative processand so ensures that the child s work is personal and has quality. Attemptsat a rtistic ex p ression are valued, self- es te e mis enhanced, sponta n e i ty andr i s k- ta k i n gareencouraged, and difference is celebrated. It is this affirmingaspect of the creative arts that makesp a rticipation such a positiveex p e r i e n c e .Arts education is integral to primary education in helping topromote thinking, imagination and sensitivity, and arts activities may be afocus for social and cultural development and enjoyment in education encompasses a range of activities in the visual arts, inmusic, in d rama, in dance and in lite ra t u re.

5 Thes eactivities andexperiences help the child to make sense of the world; to question, tospeculate and to find solutions; to deal with feelings and to respond tocreative arts education curriculumThe arts education Curriculum prov i d esfor a balance between expressionand the child s need to experience and respond to the visual arts, tomusic and to Drama . Dance is outlined within the physical educationcurriculum, and the contribution that literature makes to the emotionaland imaginative development of the child is described within thelanguage visual arts Curriculum comprises interrelated activities in making artand in looking at and responding to art.

6 It presents a range of activities inperceiving, exploring, responding to and appreciating the visual involves looking with awareness and understanding of thevisual elements and their interplay in the environment and in art education2 This awareness is fundamental to the development of visual expressionand to the child s personal response toc re a t i ve experience. Making arti nvo lves two and three-dimensional work in a range of media. Appreciating promotes understanding of the qualities inherent in artworks and aesthetic enjoyment.

7 In developing the pro g ramme, theex p res s i ve or makinga c t i v i t i es are balanced with opport u n i t i es to see and tomake a personal response to visual art forms of different styles, periodsand cultures. Regional craft traditions and their modern developments, aspart of the national heritage, are among those art music Curriculum compriseslistening and responding,performing andcomposing activities. Focused listening is emphasised, both for its sheerenjoyment potential and for its essential role in composing andperforming.

8 The child is encouraged to listen with attention to sounds inthe environment and to become gradually aware of how sound isorganised in music. Performance incorporates a balance of singing andinstrumental playing of his/her own work and the work of others. Ways ofusing sound are explored in composing, both with the voice and with awidening range of musical instruments. In the deve l o p m e n tof theprogramme, performance is balanced with opportunities to hear and tomake a personal response to music of different styles, periods andcultures, including the national repertoire in its varied national andregional forms.

9 Interrelated activities for listening, performing andc o m p o s i n ga re sugges ted in the Curriculum conte n t .The Drama Curriculum comprises interrelated activities which explorefeelings, knowledge and ideas, leading to understanding. It exploresthemes and issues, creates a safe context in which to do so, and providesfor opportunities to reflect on the insights gained in the process. It drawson the knowledge, interests and enthusiasm of the child. In Drama , thechild explores the motivations and the relationships between people thatexist in a real, imagined or historical context, to help him/her understandthe world.

10 The child is encouraged tom a ke decisions and to ta keres p o n s i b i l i ty for those decisions within the safe contex tof the provides the child with opportunities to organise and develophis/her natural enjoyment of expressive movement in dance h rough dance, the child is encoura g e dto ex p l o re and experiment with ava r i e ty of body move m e n ts and to commu n i c a tea range of moods andfeelings. The dance programme comprises activities in the exploration,3 Drama Curriculumcreation and performance of dance and in deve l o p i n gunderstanding ofdance literature, the child is guided to explore the world of theimagination and to discover how language brings it to life.