the arts
The Arts
WAB Arts Program Chart
Grade 9
All students study two Arts subjects; one for each semester.
Grade 10
All students study one Arts subjects for the whole year.
Grade 11 & 12
THE ARTS
IB MYP Visual Arts, Dance, Film, Drama, Music
IB DP Visual Arts
IB DP Dance
IBDP Theatre
IB DP Film
IB DP Music
HS Art and Design
IB MYP Visual Arts
The Visual Arts Program is designed cater to the needs and interests of students who may or may not choose to continue to study the subject formally. Regardless of future intentions, curiosity about art, passion for art, and open-mindedness towards creative learning are crucial elements required for an enjoyable, meaningful, and qualitative learning experience within the subject area of Visual Arts.
Grade 9 Visual Arts
Grade 9 Visual Arts is a semester-long course, during which students complete two units of study within which they focus on acquiring and developing knowledge, skills, and creative approaches by exploring a range of media, techniques, and creative strategies. The course is designed to enable learners to make connections between the conceptual world of ideas, the physical environment, and the world of images and objects created by artists. Students develop their ability to observe and record the world around them, which, in turn, provides them with an evolving framework of nowledge, understanding and skill within which their personal creative intentions and responses can be shaped. Their practical experience of studio-based art-making is supported by research into contextually relevant art history and theory. In addition to the specific insights which can be gained by such research, learners also acquire an understanding of the relationship between theory and practice and its implications for both the creation of art and its critical reception by society.
Grade 10 Visual Arts
Grade 10 Visual Arts is a year-long course, during which students engage more fully with the conceptual dimension of artmaking. Increased emphasis is placed on developing meta-cognitive awareness, particularlyin regard to artistic intentions and their creative realization. Assumptions about the definition, function, and purpose of art are examined, and learners are provided with a structured learning experience, within which explicit objectives and goals are presented, whilst experimentation and innovation are encouraged. An underlying, core objective of the course is the fostering of a deeper understanding of creative thinking, with explicit emphasis placed on the following:
- Identifying, evaluating and applying creative strategies in response to an intention or objective
- Evaluating the outcome(s) of a selected creative strategy in response to an intention or objective and responding as appropriately determined
- Identifying the implications of a creative strategy for future action (short- and long-term)
- Using insights gained to enhance understanding of art
- Using insights gained from art to inform and enhance an understanding of the world
During Grade 10, Visual Arts students are presented with false dichotomies, which they resolve through practical experience and reflective writing and discourse. They include the following:
- There are two types of art: “Realistic” and “Abstract” – the former is difficult and has content, while the latter is easy, and is purely formal. The quality of (objective) “Realistic” art can be judged, but (subjective) “Abstract” art can only be appreciated. The distinction is absolute and observable. The “two arts” cannot be combined or mixed.
- “Process” and “Product” can be separated, with the latter being more important.
IB MYP Assessment Objectives
Students are assessed on the quality of their studio and written work, and their participation in studio discourse with peers and their teacher, using all four MYP Arts Assessment Criteria:
A. Knowledge and Understanding
B. Developing Skills
C. Thinking Creatively
D. Responding
Both Grade 9 and 10 Visual Arts courses allow students to participate in learning experiences designed to nurture qualities and dispositions outlined in the IB Learner Profile as well as in its Approaches to Learning document. Creative risk-taking is strongly encouraged and students are challenged to observe, interpret, evaluate, and respond to creative stimuli from multiple perspectives. Learning to think iteratively, to embrace change and unexpected outcomes (including “failures”) and turn them into opportunities for growth and discovery are core objectives of the Visual Arts course. It is designed to help learners approach complex and ambiguous situations positively, and with confidence and curiosity.
IB MYP Assessment Objectives
The IB Diploma Programme visual arts course encourages students to challenge their own creative and cultural expectations and boundaries. It is a thought-provoking course in which students develop analytical skills in problem-solving and divergent thinking, while working towards technical proficiency and confidence as art-makers. In addition to exploring and comparing visual arts from different perspectives and in different contexts, students are expected to engage in, experiment with and critically reflect upon a wide range of contemporary practices and media. The course is designed for students who want to go on to study visual arts in higher education as well as for those who are seeking lifelong enrichment through visual arts.
Core Areas
Visual arts in context: Students examine and compare the work of artists from different cultural contexts and consider the contexts influencing their own work. Students make art through a process of investigation, thinking critically and experimenting with techniques. Students begin to formulate personal intentions for creating and displaying their own artworks.
Visual Arts Methods
Students look at different techniques for making art and develop concepts through processes that are informed by skills, techniques and media. Students evaluate how their ongoing work communicates meaning and purpose.
Communicating Visual Arts
Students explore ways of communicating through visual and written means and make artistic choices about how to communicate knowledge and understanding. Students produce a body of artwork, showing a synthesis of skill, media and concept, and select and present resolved works for exhibition.
Visual Arts Journal
Throughout the course, students at both SL and HL are required to maintain a visual arts journal. This is their own record of the two years of study.
Assessment
Comparative Study (External Assessment) 20%
• SL 10-15 screens
• HL 10-15 screens + an additional 3-5 (connections)
Process Portfolio (External Assessment) 40%
• SL 9-18 screens
• HL 10-15 screens + an additional 3-5 (connections)13-25 screens
Exhibition (Internal Assessment) 40%
• SL 10-15 screens
• HL 10-15 screens + an additional 3-5 (connections)
Grade 11 & 12 Art and Design
The HS Art and Design course is designed for students who have an interest in, and/or passion for, art and design. They may or may not intend to further their studies at higher educational level. It is a WAB- not an IB course. Students who choose this course have, typically, chosen not to take the full IB Diploma. Many students who choose this course do go on to study an art- or design- based discipline after graduation. The IB Diploma is not a global admissions requirement, as many art and design schools accept students based on the quality of their portfolio, accompanied by a High School Diploma. Students who have taken this course have been admitted into programmes at prestigious art and design institutions in Asia, Europe, and the United States.
Curriculum
Students identify learning objectives in consultation with their teacher and receive mentorship in the development of their technical and conceptual thinking skills. In some cases, this supports the creation of a coherent body of work, intended to be submitted as a portfolio for college application purposes. They are assessed on the demonstrated quality of their progress towards the attainment of their goals. Students choose a learning pathway that suits their learning preferences and goals, moving, with flexibility, between pathways, in accordance with their needs and demonstrated capacities and capabilities.
Pathway 1
This pathway is self-directed, with the teacher fulfilling a mentoring role and providing guidance and feedback as required.
Pathway 2
This pathway is co-constructed, with the student and teacher designing learning experiences relevant to the needs, capabilities, and interests, of the student.
Pathway 3
The curriculum is designed by the teacher. The student produces work in response to prescribed briefs.
NB: A diagnostic approach is taken at the outset of the course. A student may choose one pathway, but later on, switch to another, as required.
Assessment
Criterion A: Creative Thinking (35%)
Criterion B: Conceptual Understanding (25%)
Criterion B: Technical Application (25%)
Criterion C: Engagement (15%)
Grades 9 and 10 MYP Dance
Dance is a vital and integral part of human life. It exists over time in many forms and styles and is practiced in all traditions and cultures. Dance is an essential component of artist and cultural education and develops creative potential through physical expression. In dance, the integration of body and mind helps students learn skills that are transferable to other disciplines and to their daily lives.
IB MYP Dance covers the fundamental skills of Contemporary Modern Dance and is open to all students with an interest in dance. It aims to empower students to express themselves confidently through dance physically and creatively in a mindful, safe, and fun environment. Dance exercises and phrases will emphasize the development of strength, flexibility, coordination, rhythmic skills, dynamics, and movement through space. The elements of movements and the elements of choreography will be studied at length. Students will also experience a wide variety of choreography developing physical control of movement and a range of movement dynamics. In small groups, students will create and perform their own dance choreographies at the end of each semester. Group work and ensemble skills will be developed through exercises and workshops.
Grade 9
This is a foundation course aimed to introduce students to Dance as a creative art form where the body is the instrument of expression. The elements of dance will be introduced and studied. Understanding one’s own body structure helps develop range of motion, coordination, increased physical, mental, and emotional health. Understanding the concepts of Body, Time, Space and Energy and their application in Dance contributes to expand the way in which we construct dances.
Grade 10
In Grade 10, students will focus on the development of personal technical skills in strength, flexibility, and coordination along with studying various styles of dance. Students will be exposed to Chinese Traditional and Folk Dances, as well as Western dance forms such as Jazz and Hip-Hop. Students will be encouraged to expand their knowledge and explore movement possibilities to a variety of music styles. They will experience a wide range of choreography that is a result of improvisational exercises, learned sequences, and personal expression, to develop physical control of movement and a range of movement dynamics. Dance exercises and phrases will increase in length, and compositional and analytical skills will be applied more in this year’s study.
Assessment
Students will be assessed on:
- Participation in workshops, choreographies, and practical performances.
- Creation and performance of their original choreographies in various contexts.
- Research of dance traditions and styles based on the unit of study and presentation.
- Documentation of their creative thinking and choreographic process in their Dance Process Journal.
- Dance analysis written papers.
Grades 11 and 12 IB DP Dance SL and HL
All Dance is expressive movement with intent, purpose and structure, which communicates through the body and gestures of the dancer. Following the educational philosophy of the IB, the Diploma Programme dance curriculum aims for a holistic approach to dance and embraces a variety of traditions of dance cultures. Students are encouraged to create, analyse and perform while also appreciate dance as an essential part of our lives. With a liberal arts orientation to dance this course serves as platform for students who may be interested to pursue a career as dancers, choreographers or those who seek life enrichment through dance.
The aims of the dance course are:
- Understand dance as a set of practices with their own histories and theories and to understand that these practices integrate physical, intellectual, and emotional knowledge
- Experience dance as an individual and collective exploration of the expressive possibilities of bodily movement
- Understand and appreciate mastery of various dance styles, traditions, and cultures familiar and unfamiliar
- Recognize and use dance to create a dialogue among the various traditions and cultures in their school environment, their society, and the world at large.
Having followed the dance course at SL or HL, students will be expected to demonstrate the following:
Knowledge and understanding
- Identify the appropriate compositional processes and structures to support dances with different subject matter or content
- Describe the similarities and differences between the historical contexts of two dance cultures and/ or traditions
- In internal assessment, demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the selected dance(s) performed
Application and analysis
- Demonstrate the use of compositional craft to support the intention, form and content of the dances
- Apply in the analytical statement the key terms and concepts used in developing dance composition(s)
- Analyze the similarities and differences between the historical and the current context within each selected dance culture and/or tradition
- Analyse the similarities and differences in the dance elements of two dance cultures and/or traditions
- In internal assessment, demonstrate the ability to present an effective performance
Application and analysis
- Critically reflect upon the creative process of compositional problems encountered, including possible appropriate solutions for future development
- HL only: Demonstrate compositional contrast across two of the three dance works
- HL only: Analyse and evaluate the influence and significance of connections from all three components of the Diploma Programme dance course in the making of one dance composition
- HL only: Demonstrate an in-depth comparative discussion of two short dance excerpts from two dance cultures and/or traditions
- In internal assessment, demonstrate ability to interpret sensitively the intention of the dance(s)
Selection, use and application of a variety of appropriate skills and techniques
- Demonstrate control of compositional craft appropriate to each dance composition
- Demonstrate organization of written material, including use and attribution of appropriate sources
- In internal assessment, demonstrate control of technical skills appropriate to the dance
Core Areas
- Demonstrate control of compositional craft appropriate to each dance composition
- Demonstrate organization of written material, including use and attribution of appropriate sources
- In internal assessment, demonstrate control of technical skills appropriate to the dance
Core Areas
Students will study the following dimensions of dance:
- Performance and Technique
- Composition and Analysis
- World Dance Studies (Research and comparison)
Assessment
Drama and Theater
Drama is process-oriented; often physically based, improvisational and group oriented, while centered on experimentation and play. The curriculum is not product driven, although performance in various guises is a central part of the drama methodology. Commitment is key to participation, involvement, extending and developing individual talents in an ensemble atmosphere. The goals of the process are often less to do with the success of the end product and more to do with the journey of development that each student makes with their peers and teachers.
The curriculum reflects the cultural inheritances of students. Teachers are committed to exposing students to the great works of theatre that have left their mark in the Western canon as well as taking advantage of the rich cultural traditions available to us here in China. Asian and world-theatre form an important part of the Drama curriculum, particularly in the IB Theatre Course.
Grades 9 and 10 Drama (IB MYP)
Students choose two options from Music, Art, Drama, Film and Dance in Grade 9 and one option from Music, Art, Drama, Film and Dance in Grade 10.
Content
This two-year course is organized in broad topic groups:
- Study of the Elizabethan Theatre and Commedia dell’Arte world theatre traditions
- Practical skills in improvisation, characterization, and interpretation
- Group work and ensemble skills developed through improvisational games and theatre exercises
- Exploration of the nature and variety of stage spaces
In Grade 10 the course focuses on:
- Study of modern theatre practicioners such as Bertolt Brecht, Antonin Artaud, and Constantin Stanislavski
- A strong emphasis on ensemble skills and improvisation skills
- Exploration of the “page to stage” process is explored with the aim to take on the roles of Creator, Director, Designer, and Performer
- Exploration of technical theatre aspects such as costumes, lights, sound, and scenery. In both grade levels students present a theatre performance for a selected audience and participate in practical workshops and master classes presented by established theatre professionals.
Assessment
Students will be assessed on their participation in workshops, their practical performances and their written reflections and homework tasks in their Developmental Workbooks. In addition, in Grade 10 students will work together on a group performance project which demands trust, cooperation, and imaginative engagement with the content. Students will also produce an individual project in Grade 10, which encourages a depth of investigation in a chosen area.
Grades 11 and 12 IB DP Theatre SL and HL
The Theatre course aims to help students understand the nature of the theatre: to understand it by making it as well as by studying it; to understand it not only with their minds but with their senses, their bodies, and their emotions; to understand the forms it takes in cultures other than their own; and through this understanding be better able to understand themselves, their society, and their world.
Theatre in the Making
The focus of Theatre in the Making is on the process of theatre rather than the presentation of theatre. Exploratory in nature, it encompasses the acquisition and development of all skills required to create, present, and observe theatre.
Theatre in Performance
The focus of Theatre in Performance is on the application of skills developed in theatre in the making. This involves students in various aspects of presenting theatre where their practical skills can be applied in different roles (as performers and as part of the production team), while also building upon the knowledge they have acquired in other areas.
Theatre in the World
The focus of Theatre in the World is on a practical and theoretical exploration of a range of theatre traditions and cultural practices around the world. It allows students to explore the origins and traditions of a variety of theatre conventions and practices from diverse cultural and historical contexts.
Sample Topics
Greek Theatre, Shakespeare’s Theatre, 18th Century Acting Technique, The Theatre of the Absurd, Epic Theatre, Expressionist Theatre, Improvisation and the Commedia del’Arte, Butoh, Beijing Opera, Costume Design, Sound, Lighting Design, Stage Management
Topics will be determined each year depending upon the composition of the class and the availability of resources such as workshops, cultural conventions, productions and visiting artists.
Assessment
External Assessment
- Research investigation 25%
- Theatre performance and production presentations 25%
Internal Assessment
- Practical performance proposal 25%
- Independent project portfolio 25%
The HL course involves longer presentations and greater word limits than the SL course.
Grades 9 and 10 IB MYP Film
Students choose two options from Music, Art, Drama, Film and Dance in Grade 9 and one option from Music, Art, Drama, Dance or Film in Grade 10.
Film is a global medium of immense artistic and commercial importance. Its reach is everywhere, and its capacity to communicate thoughts, ideas, and feelings crosses cultures. MYP Film develops the students’ understanding of film as a power ful art form and as a tool of expression and investigation. This course gives students the opportunity to develop their own creative and technical skills as filmmakers, and it seeks to develop their critical and intellectual skills as viewers of films. Students will also be encouraged to think across disciplines and to see how their learning in other subjects may enhance their creative and intellectual practice in both Film and other disciplines.
Grades 9
Grade 9 Film is all about learning the foundations of filmmaking. Students will learn how to identify and interpret film language. They will also learn the basic uses of the camera and editing equipment, as well as the process of collaboration throughout the film production cycle. In unit 1, they will exercise their understanding of shots and angles through storyboarding, and in unit 2, they will explore cinematography and editing techniques. With their acquired knowledge and understanding, they will collaborate within student production teams to create three short film experiments.
Content
Students will develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of:
- How film can be used to express ideas
- The basic techniques of filmmaking including scriptwriting, cinematography, editing and sound editing;
- The effective composition of images;
- Working independently and collaboratively in defined roles and responsibilities;
- The planning processes for making film, for example, treatments, storyboards, scripts, shot logs, etc; and
- The role of genre in film production.
Assessment
Assessment will include:
- Practical film exercises
- Written documentation: research for, and reflections on, productions
- Large-scale final collaborative productions
Grade 10
The learning for MYP Film will be organized into modules. The modules build on students’ existing knowledge and develop their skills over time until they are able to work with a great deal of independence. Modules will change from year to year, but may include units on: The Foundations of Filmmaking, Dialogue Film, Silent Film History, Narrative Structure Theory, and Film Noir Conventions.
Assessment
Assessment will include:
- Practical film exercises
- Written analytical work and reflections
- Large-scale final productions
Students will produce many short films throughout the year and therefore the course emphasizes collaborative work and creative problem-solving.
Grades 11 and 12 IB DP Film Studies SL & HL
Film is a powerful and stimulating art form and practice. The DP film course aims to develop students as proficient interpreters and makers of film texts. Through the study and analysis of film texts, and through practical exercises in film production, the film course develops students’ critical abilities and their appreciation of artistic, cultural, historical and global perspectives in film. Students examine film concepts, theories, practices and ideas from multiple perspectives, challenging their own viewpoints and biases in order to understand and value those of others.
DP film students experiment with film and multimedia technology, acquiring the skills and creative competencies required to successfully communicate through the language of the medium. They develop an artistic voice and learn how to express personal perspectives through film.
The film course emphasizes the importance of working collaboratively. It focuses on the international and intercultural dynamic that triggers and sustains contemporary film, while fostering in students an appreciation of the development of film across time, space and culture. DP film students are challenged to understand alternative views, to respect and appreciate the diverse cultures that exist within film, and to have open and critical minds.
The aims of the IBDP Film Studies program are to:
- explore the various contexts of film and make links to, and between, films, filmmakers and filmmaking techniques (inquiry)
- acquire and apply skills as discerning interpreters of film and as creators of film, working both individually and collaboratively (action)
- develop evaluative and critical perspectives on their own film work and the work of others (reflection)
Having followed Film Studies at HL or SL, students will be expected to:
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of specified contexts and processes.
– Identify the film elements associated with conveying meaning in a variety of film texts.
– Formulate personal intentions for work, which arise from both research and artistic endeavor.
– Identify informative moments and examples from their own filmmaking work to support analysis.
– Present ideas, discoveries and learning that arise from both research and practical engagement with films, filmmakers and techniques.
• Demonstrate application and analysis of knowledge and understanding.
– Analyze film from various cultural contexts and explain links between areas of film focus and film elements employed by filmmakers.
– Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of films, filmmakers, and their various cultural contexts in order to influence, inform, and impact the creation of film work.
– Explore and experiment with a variety
of film-production roles in order to understand the associated skills, techniques, and processes employed by filmmakers.
• Demonstrate synthesis and evaluation.
– Critically interpret various sources of information in order to support analysis.
– Compare and contrast filmmakers, their films and their various cultural contexts in order
to further understanding of particular areas of film focus.
– Evaluate films created by themselves and others and articulate an informed personal response using appropriate cinematic language and vocabulary.
– Reflect on the process of collaboration and
on the successes and challenges encountered as a member of a core production team.
• Select, use and apply a variety of appropriate skills and techniques.
– Make appropriate choices in the selection of words, images, sounds and techniques when assembling their own work for presentation.
– Experiment in a variety of film-production roles in order to produce film work that conveys meaning on screen.
– Collaborate effectively with others in the creation of film work.
The film syllabus consists of the following core areas.
• Reading film
• Contextualizing film
• Exploring film production roles
• Collaboratively producing film (HL only)
Assessment
Grades 9 and 10 IB MYP Music
Students choose two options from Music, Art, Drama, Film or Dance in Grade 9 and one option from Music, Art, Drama, Film, or Dance in Grade 10.
The aims of the Grade 9 and 10 Music programs are to:
• Empower students to believe in themselves as musicians
• Develop their practical music ability and collaboration through performance
• Focus on relevant areas of history and theory
Grade 9 Music
Grade 9 Music is about learning and experiencing the fundamental elements that can serve as building blocks for students to create compositions and perform music. Through group ensemble collaboration, students will learn how to identify, understand, and communicate primary elements of music. The units will cover how to write a music analysis paper, compose a piece of music, collaborate in performance, and use basic music skills to reflect one’s music process.
Content
Students will develop their knowledge, skills, and understanding of:
• Basic elements of music theory and how to apply it in composition and performance
• How music can be used to express emotion through composition and performance
• Collaboration in ensemble performance – how to communicate with clarity using music language to reach a performance goal
• How context (music history) is essential when learning a music genre, form, and or style
Assessment
Assessment will be continuous and will include:
• Self, peer and teacher assessment of practical work
• Evaluation of the Development through works of composition and performance.
Grade 10 Music
Through the experience of playing music, students learn to appreciate and understand how music is created. The work done is by topic, group, or ensemble-based, while also focusing on music history and theory. In Grade 10, the course deals with more complex areas of music theory, music history, and its application and styles in an eclectic range of units, which will also focus on collaboration across the arts (e.g., units with Visual Arts, Film and Dance).
Content
Students will develop their knowledge, skills, and understanding of:
• Elements of music theory, basic music analysis skills, and how to apply it in composition and performance
• How music can be used to express emotion through composition and performance
• Collaboration in ensemble performance – how to independently prepare as well as collaboratively communicate with clarity using musical language to reach a performance goal
• How context (music history) is essential when learning a music genre, form, and or style
Assessment
Assessment will be continuous and will include:
• Self, peer and teacher assessment of practical work
• Evaluation of the Development through works of composition and performance.
Grades 11 and 12 IB DP Music
The first assessment will be in 2022. It is designed to cater to students who are passionate about music regardless of which area of music interests them. The course aims to engage all students with a wide range of music, broadening their outlook and experience whilst developing their abilities as thoughtful, knowledgeable musicians who are skilled in creating, performing, and discussing music from many different genres, cultures, and periods.
The below information has been written with the consultation of the new IBO Music Guide for the first assessment in 2022.
The aims of the arts subjects are to enable students to:
1. Explore the diversity of the arts across time, cultures, and contexts
2. Develop as imaginative and skilled creators and collaborators
3. Express ideas creatively and with competence in forms appropriate to the artistic discipline
4. Critically reflect on the process of creating and experiencing the arts
5. Develop as informed perceptive and analytical practitioners
6. Enjoy lifelong engagement with the arts
Music Aims
1. Explore a range of musical contexts and make links to and between different musical practices, conventions and forms of expression
2. Acquire, develop, and experiment with musical competencies through a range of musical practices
3. Evaluate critical perspectives on their own music and the work of others
Assessment
N.B. Students research, create and perform in each of these components.