The Arts in the PYP Overview

Campus des Nations recognizes that the arts are important areas of learning in the Primary Years Programme. Students learn the disciplines of visual arts, music and drama, as well as learning about the arts (the skills and processes involved) and through the arts (artists, perspectives, themes and ideas using the arts).

The arts provide:

• A means of communication
• Opportunities for becoming skillful
• A means of expression of both emotional and intellectual perspectives
• Exposure to other cultures and other times
• A means of accessing other disciplines
• A vehicle for wondering, reflecting and consolidating

The creative process is seen as a driving force in earning through inquiry.

 

Drama

Drama is an important area of learning in the Primary Years Programme; it is closely connected to other areas in the arts and has strong links to other disciplines.

Drama is built into the curriculum as an essential area of learning and is seen as both an active and reflective process.
There are elements of role play in all children’s play and this entering of a make-believe world allows students to try out ideas and solve problems in a safe and secure way. The drama curriculum allows the student to explore and develop feelings and ideas in a way that may not be possible in other subject areas and because of this it contributes to personal, social and physical development.

As a discipline drama includes the development of creative skills, verbal and non-verbal expression, an awareness of the perspectives of others and aesthetic appreciation. Drama enables students, including EAL students, to communicate in powerful ways that go beyond their spoken language ability. Through drama, students can begin to construct an understanding of their community, their environment and their own feelings and emotions. They will also have opportunities to work cooperatively to put together a performance.

Art is:
• a way of stimulating creativity and imagination through visual and practical experiences;
• an understanding of colour, form, texture and pattern;
• a unique way of understanding and responding to the world;
• a process of communication of ideas, feelings and meanings;
• a way of making thoughtful judgements about life here and now and of life in different times and cultures;
• a way of shaping environments;

The Primary Art programme aims to give all students the opportunity to explore a range of art materials and media. Developing control and confidence in these areas and exploring the work of other artists will enable students to express ideas and make individual responses to stimuli.
Art is taught both as a discreet subject and as an integrated part of the units of inquiry; teachers may also use the PYP Organizing Theme: How We Express Ourselves to explore the arts in an inquiry-based research context.

Objectives
The students will be given opportunities to find out about the world they live in. These experiences might include: