Skyview Middle School Arts

  • Art  

    Sixth Grade (Quarter) - We will experiment with a variety of art media and techniques to sharpen skill with a variety of art media to include 2- and 3-dimensional projects. These might include drawing, painting, design, sculpture, printmaking, and ceramics.
     
    Seventh Grade (Semester) - This course will continue to build on art skills and knowledge gained in Elementary school and 6th grade. Students will be exposed to and further develop the ability to manipulate art media in ways that allows them success in creating individual art projects. We will focus on drawing skills, understanding and use of color and color mixing, painting techniques, design, historical and cultural expressions, proper use of tools and materials, paper Mache, 3-D projects, ceramics, and analysis.
     
    Eighth Grade (Semester) - We will continue to work on drawing skills, address color value and how to use it, paint, and use a variety of art techniques to understand various processes. We will understand how to draw in 2-point perspective and work in 3-D as well as mixed media.

    Theater (Drama)

    6th Grade

    Theatre 6: This quarter-length course is designed to introduce students to the big ideas and themes in theatre. Theatre 6 focuses on practicing and refining skills that promote and prepare excellence in performance, technology, professionalism, and self-motivation. This course is for any student with any level of experience; we will introduce and practice being comfortable in front of an audience, voice, movement, improvisation, technical theatre, and performance. Students will be expected to collaborate and work on their own in class participation and performances. 

    7th Grade

    Theatre 7: This semester-length course is designed to allow students to use previously learned skills and interests in a performance setting. This use of applying prior knowledge to the creative process will allow 7th grade students to explore how imagination and preparation can lead to a finished product in theatre. This semester, we will focus on collaboration, various acting techniques, tech-theatre skills, and problem solving. Refining and exploring these abilities will support students in performing in front of an audience, and tools one can utilize to reach for high expectations in the arts. 

    Tech Theatre (Advanced Course. Some requirements apply): This semester-long course is an introduction to technical theatre for any 7th grade student who has an interest in theatre: on or off stage. Students will begin this course by interacting with all elements of technical theatre such as lighting, sound, construction, scenic painting, and others. Once students have an understanding of each element, the Tech Theatre class will collaborate to design, construct, and create the technical elements for the mainstage play/musical, and other projects. During this hands-on unit of the course, students will experience, observe, and reflect upon what interests them about the creative technical process. This reflection will lead students to selecting one element of technical theatre (lighting, sound, etc.), and engage with an individualized-style learning process to interact with their chosen domain on a deeper level, and focused perspective.

    8th Grade

    Theatre 8: This semester-length course is designed to allow students to actively exercise the process of taking an original idea to a performance-ready piece through constant practice of self-reflection and self-motivation. Theatre 8 will allow students to explore various themes throughout different types and eras of the performing arts. An elaborate and collaborative breakdown of theatrical and technical skills will build upon the use and practice of both interpersonal and intrapersonal skills within all of the domains of theatre. Students will be expected to participate in activities, projects, and rehearsal atmospheres to work individually, in pairs, and in groups to accomplish a unified goal.

    Advanced Theatre (Advanced Course. Some requirements apply): This semester-long course is an acting and performance-focused class that is recommended for any 8th grade student who hopes to continue theatre when they are in high school. Students in Advanced Theatre will engage abilities in auditioning, creating in-depth characterization, and collaborate with a team to participate in rehearsal and creative processes to effectively perform in a selected scripted work. Doing so will expand each student’s acting skills necessary for growth and excellence in a theatrical environment from page to performance.

Fine Arts Department Overview

  • The fine arts are art forms that create works that are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, photography, video, filmmaking and architecture. These definitions should not be taken too strictly as many artistic disciplines (performing arts, conceptual art, textile arts) involve aspects of the visual arts as well as arts of other types. Also included within the visual arts are the applied arts such as industrial design, graphic design, fashion design, interior design and decorative art. The current usage of the term "visual arts" includes fine art as well as the applied, decorative arts and crafts.

    Teaching the arts disciplines is essential to developing creativity, synergistic thinking, empathy, expression and the ability to view the world through multiple perspectives. Whether students are learning individual skills or are applying skills to enhance a collaborative ensemble, the arts demand perseverance, diligence, flexible thinking and innovation. The 21st century, conceptual age requires people who are dynamic, multi-disciplined, global thinkers which are the fundamental benefits of a comprehensive arts education.
     
    Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch (which governs melody and harmony), rhythm (and its associated concepts tempo, meter, and articulation), dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture. The word derives from Greek μουσική (mousike; "art of the Muses"). The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of music vary according to culture and social context. Music ranges from strictly organized compositions (and their recreation in performance), through improvisational music to aleatoric forms. Music can be divided into genres and subgenres, although the dividing lines and relationships between music genres are often subtle, sometimes open to personal interpretation, and occasionally controversial. Within the arts, music may be classified as a performing art, a fine art, and auditory art. It may also be divided among art music and folk music. There is also a strong connection between music and mathematics. Music may be played and heard live, may be part of a dramatic work or film, or may be recorded.

Educational Content Areas

  • The power of Colorado’s education improvement efforts lies in having a comprehensive system consisting of relevant and rigorous standards, aligned and meaningful assessments, excellent teachers and school leaders, and high-performing schools and districts. All aspects of the system are continuously improving to advance student learning and prepare students to succeed in an increasingly competitive workforce The Colorado Academic Standards are the expectations of what students need to know and be able to do at the end of each grade. They also stand as the values and content organizers of what Colorado sees as the future skills and essential knowledge for our next generation to be more successful. State standards are the basis of the annual state assessment.

    Colorado has 10 content areas:
    • Colorado Arts
      • Music
      • Visual Arts
      • Theatre
      • Dance
    • Comprehensive Health and Physical Education
    • Mathematics
    • Reading, Writing, and Communicating
    • Science
    • Social Studies
    • World Languages