Performance-Based Curriculum for Music and the Visual Arts

Beyond knowledge and content

Too often, students are not able to demonstrate what they have learned—especially in music and art. This book provides a unique model for transforming the instructional focus from content centered to student centered, using performance-based standards for music and the visual arts. The authors offer a concise, easy-to-understand framework of curriculum, instruction, and assessment built upon performance-based learning actions. Teachers can use these practical classroom applications to customize relevant and meaningful instruction around critical musical and artistic concepts.

Numerous real-life examples of performance-based fine arts are illustrated along with performance benchmarks for Grades 3, 5, 8, and 12. This framework can be used to guide the development of a music and visual arts curriculum throughout a family of schools, by an instructional team, or by individual teachers within one classroom.

This book is divided into five major sections:

• Overview with question-and-answer format
• Standards and performance benchmarks for the visual arts
• Standards and performance benchmarks for music
• Guide to using technology to support performance benchmarks
• Guide to planning and analyzing performances

Performance design templates and reproducible masters provide practical tools to empower students to "show what they know."