Programme Overview

Arts are integral to the IB Primary Years Programme (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.

The process of responding provides students with opportunities to respond to their own and other artists’ works and processes, and in so doing develop the skills of critical analysis, interpretation, evaluation, reflection and communication.

The process of creating provides students with opportunities to communicate distinctive forms of meaning, develop their technical skills, take creative risks, solve problems and visualize consequences. Students are encouraged to draw on their imagination, experiences and knowledge of materials and processes as starting points for creative exploration.

What does this look like in music?

• singing in unison and harmony
• music discussion that relates to the world around us
• composition – variety of forms and purpose
• communicating music vocabulary with traditional and non-traditional notation
• inquiry and exploration of tone, pitch, and articulation with recorder, xylophones, percussion, voice, and computer software
• listening to a variety of music from different times and places to compare and contrast
• exploring the aesthetic values of music and develop ways for students to respond to music

What does this look like in dance?  Activities that…

• teach students about the connection of rhythm and dance
• help students describe the ideas and feelings communicated through body movements
• explore body postures and movements to communicate ideas and feelings
• encourage students to respond to dance through spoken, written, visual and/or kinesthetic  mediums
• arouse a curiosity about live and recorded dance performances
• demonstrate to students that there is a dynamic relationship between the audience and performer

What does this look like in drama?  Activities that…

• help develop the use of the voice, posture, facial expression, and gestures
• expose students to creative movement, impersonation, improvisation, mime, role playing and skits
• encourage students to make links/connections between music, drama and dance
• invite students to reflect about ideas and feelings in response to dramatic performances