The Exploratory Wheel is designed to provide Grade 6 students the opportunity to sample a variety of the electives offered at the middle school level. Students in the Exploratory Wheel will rotate through classes which reflect the fine arts, the practical arts and/or linguistics. The students travel as a group and rotate through the various classes offered. The possible combinations of offerings vary with the individual school’s schedule. Students may also participate in elective courses if they are offered through the after-school ACT II program. (See page 6.)
Grade 6 students who elect instrumental music and those students who are required to take Instructional Studies or opt to take another skill building course will participate in those classes on a daily basis instead of the Exploratory Wheel.
Visual Art, Music, and Theatre Arts classes all use an experiential approach to the creative process. Students in arts classes develop and refine the attitude, discipline, and necessary skills to produce visual art works and musical theatrical performances.
Students will:
- Demonstrate proper posture, breath control, and mouth shape for good tone.
- Understand the basics of reading music and corresponding musical interpretation for accurate performance of pitch, rhythm, time signature, key signature, tempo, and expressive markings.
- Develop the ability to match pitch accurately using a diatonic pitch system and maintain a part within the ensemble.
- Create simple rhythmic or melodic improvisations, 1 to 2 measures in length.
- Respond to conducting gestures.
- Demonstrate learning through appropriate performances and presentations.