The arts are not mere diversions from the important business of education; They are essential resources.
Elliot W Eisner, “The Role of the Arts in Cognition and Curriculum” (2001)
Arts are integral to the PYP. They are a powerful mode of communication through which
students explore and construct a sense of self and develop an understanding of the world around them. Arts provide students with a wide range of opportunities and means to respond to their experiences and engage with historical, social and cultural perspectives. The students are stimulated to think and to articulate their thoughts in new ways, and through a variety of media and technologies. The PYP recognizes that not all learning can be supported solely through language, and that arts as a medium of inquiry also provide opportunities for learning, communication and expression. Learning about and through arts is fundamental to the development of the whole child, promoting creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving skills and social interactions.
In the PYP, arts are identified as dance, drama, music and visual arts. Each of these arts is a significant discipline in its own right, but the transdisciplinary nature of arts gives them relevance throughout the curriculum. Arts promote attitudes such as empathy and appreciation, and skills such as analysis, that help us to see the uniqueness of each person as well as explore the commonalities that connect us. Work in arts is a way of conveying meaning, sharing a culture, developing one’s sense of self, and expanding knowledge. It provides opportunities to reflect on aesthetic experience, to engage the imagination and explore what is uncertain. Through engaging with and creating artworks, learners are encouraged to reconsider familiar concepts and think about issues of culture and identity. By responding to the work of other artists, they are invited to situate their own creativity within a broader context.
Source: Making the PYP Happen
We at AIS teach Drama, Music and Visual Arts in all grades KG-Gr10. Art can be offered as an option in IBDP Gr 11&12 based on number of interested students.
Visual and performance arts news will be updated on our PSPE & The Arts Facebook Page.