What is the K-5 Spectra Art Program and how does it work?
Spectra Art is PAUSD's elementary art program. In PAUSD's K-5 classrooms, teaching artists with exceptional visual art skills provide sixteen bi-weekly lessons per year. These lessons are based on Visual Art Learning Targets that are aligned to the National Arts Standards. Students apply higher order thinking processes of imagining, decision-making, creating, and responding. Spectra Art lessons are scaffolded to build artistic confidence and risk-taking. Spectra Art gives students the tools to become artists, creative problem solvers, to build aesthetic language to articulate artistic understanding, and to engage in a rich tradition of current and past culture. Visual Art is critical to connecting students to visual literacy and their own individual creative resources. It's also a powerful way to foster critical thinking, creativity, informed exploration of personal expression and collaboration.
What is the Spectra Art Curriculum?
The Spectra Arts curriculum is a standards-based curriculum that is built upon PAUSD VAPA Department Sequential Learning Targets, and the National Visual Arts Standards. Spectra teachers participate in monthly professional development to collaborate and refine their teaching practice. Our lessons build in a number of areas, including exploring and applying the elements of art and principles of design, creating a foundational understanding of art making skills, and building strong aesthetic understanding. Students explore a wide variety of subjects, genre, artists, styles, and materials. Academic language is reinforced through art lessons. Additionally, the curriculum is designed to include open ended lessons, which foster personal creative responses and provide unique social emotional learning experiences using art.
What is the K-4 Music Program and how does it work?
In Kindergarten through 3rd grades, all students in the twelve elementary schools receive 30 minutes of music instruction each week taught by credentialed music teachers. Students learn to keep a steady beat, sing in a variety of styles, match pitch, learn to play small percussion instruments, and begin to sing and read solfege.
In 4th grade, students receive music instruction twice each week for 40 minutes. Students extend their musical skills by singing, practicing solfege, and learning to play the recorder. The district music curriculum is conceptual and sequential and is based on the National Core Arts standards. Students develop foundation skills in music and alternative ways to perceive and experience the world. Students learn through practice, active participation, creative expression and performance of works of art.
What is the 5th grade Instrumental music program and how does it work?
In the fifth grade, all students learn to play a Wind or String Instrument. Students start from the very beginning on their instruments. However, teachers differentiate their instruction to support students who are not beginners by allowing them to choose a different instrument, shift into a different position, play notes an octave higher, or serve as a mentor for beginners. To deliver this instruction, a team of music teachers travels to each elementary school at the same time. The "Music Team" consists of band and string teachers. If a student chooses a wind instrument: flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, or euphonium, they will participate in band. If a student chooses a string instrument: violin, viola, cello, and double bass, students will participate in the string orchestra. Instruction occurs twice a week for a total of eighty minutes.
What Visual and Performing Arts classes are available in Middle School?
In Visual and Performing Arts Middle School classes, students have the opportunity to explore music, theater, and various visual art forms. Students learn through active practice and performance of their work and strengthen their creative skills. For more information on classes offered, please visit the Middle School VAPA websites and school course catalogs.
What Visual and Performing Arts classes are available in High School?
The classes offered in our Visual and Performing Arts Department meet the fine arts requirements for graduation and most are approved by the A-G UC requirements. Our programs teach the skills to create and appreciate art through hands-on learning, theory, formal principles, and cultural history. Students explore beauty, the spectrum of human emotion, and how creativity connects us. Students complete our courses with enhanced skills in their chosen art discipline as well as gain insight into who they are, because every performance or piece of art is a reflection of the person(s) who created it. For more information on classes offered, please visit the High School VAPA websites and school course catalogs.
