What Ontario grade 3 students learn in the arts

Your child will be able to copy movements they see in nature, like animals moving or snow falling, and put them together to create a short dance.

Your child will be able to use dance to show ideas from different stories and poems, focusing on how movements can represent time and energy. For example, they might dance like ants working hard or butterflies floating gently.

Your child will be able to create short dances using different patterns, like an "A-B-A" pattern where "A" is one type of movement and "B" is another. For example, they might make "A" a soft, flowing movement and "B" a quick, sharp movement.

Your child will learn how to use different dance elements like space (how much room they use), levels (high or low movements), and types of movement (like walking or staying in place) to create and change dance patterns.

Your child will understand how to use the basic parts of dance, like body movements and how dancers relate to each other, to show ideas from other school subjects. For example, they might use dance to explain how magnets attract each other.

Your child will be able to talk about the different parts of dance, like how dancers use their bodies, move through space, keep time, and show energy. They will also understand how these elements help create different feelings or patterns in a dance.

Your child will be able to recognize what they are good at in dance, both when creating their own dances and when watching others, and also understand what they need to work on to get better.

Your child will be able to talk about different kinds of dances they've seen, whether it's in movies, at a show, or at a party, including dances from Canada and other countries.

Your child will learn about the different ways dance is used in the community, such as for fun, to socialize with others, to keep cultural traditions alive, or to learn and express themselves.

Your child will be able to act out different stories and situations, using their imagination or ideas from books. This helps them understand different people and cultures.

Your child will understand how the time period and location of a story can help them develop a character. They will be able to show this by creating frozen scenes (tableaux) that highlight differences between city and country life to tell us more about the characters.

Your child will be able to help guide a play or role-playing game by using their own ideas and listening to others, both while acting as a character and when planning outside of the character. For example, they might respond as their character to move the story along, or work with classmates to decide how characters will solve a problem.

Your child will be able to share their feelings and ideas with classmates using things like sounds, pictures, or technology to make their drama performances better.

Your child will be able to share their thoughts and feelings about different drama activities and plays they've seen or been a part of, using various ways like writing in a journal or talking with classmates.

Your child will be able to talk about how different parts of a play, like characters, setting, and plot, are used to create specific feelings or ideas in their own plays and plays by others.

Your child will be able to talk about what they're good at, what they enjoy, and what they need to work on when they're acting or watching a play. For example, they might explain how they're getting better at pretending to be different characters.

Your child will be able to recognize some of the unique ways different types of plays and performances, like puppet shows or live theatre, tell a story. They will understand how things like costumes, music, or how actors move their bodies help make each performance special.

Your child will be able to understand the different ideas and feelings shown in plays from various cultures, such as themes of friendship or courage in stories from around the world, or the values presented in Indigenous plays.

Your child will be able to sing songs in tune, either alone (unison), with a partner, or in a round (where different groups sing the same melody starting at different times). They will also be able to play along with songs from different cultures, styles, and time periods using instruments or even body percussion (like clapping) or found sounds (like tapping on a desk).

Your child will learn to use different musical ideas like sound quality (timbre), song structure (form), and how long notes last (duration) when they sing, play instruments, or move to music. For example, they might choose instruments based on their sound, change movements to show different parts of a song, or sing a song fast and slow to see how it changes the feeling.

Your child will be able to create simple musical pieces for a specific reason and for people they know, like adding music to a poem or story they wrote. They will also be able to change the rhythm or tune of a song they already know.

Your child will be able to use different musical techniques and tools when they perform. For example, they will learn to decide when to breathe during a song, suggest when to play louder or softer (this is called dynamics), and use technology like music software or electronic instruments.

Your child will be able to understand and use different ways to write down music, including regular musical notes and other creative symbols. They will also learn to sing simple melodies using hand signs (called solfège) and create soundscapes, which are like sound pictures that show how loud or soft sounds are and what they sound like.

Your child will be able to share their feelings about music in different ways, such as by drawing a picture or writing about a song, especially those with Latin American dance styles.

Your child will be able to explain how different parts of music, like rhythm or melody, are used in the songs they play, hear, and make.

Your child will be able to recognize what they are good at in music, such as singing in tune, and what they need to work on, like breathing correctly while singing or watching the teacher during practice.

Your child will be able to explain different ways music is used in our community, like for celebrations, dancing, or helping us remember things.

Your child will learn about different types of music from various cultures, time periods, and places, such as songs, instrumental pieces, and dances used in celebrations by early settlers and First Nations communities in Upper Canada.

Your child will be able to create art pieces, both flat (like drawings) and 3D (like sculptures), that show their feelings and thoughts about nature or their community. For example, they might make a sculpture from natural items or draw a picture about solving a local problem.

Your child will learn how to arrange elements in their artwork (this is called composition) to tell a story or express a theme. They will use different art techniques, like creating depth with foreground, middle ground, and background, or using contrasting colors, to make their art more impactful.

Your child will be able to use different art elements like lines, shapes, colours, and textures to share their ideas and feelings in their artwork. For example, they might use different colours to show depth in a painting or create a scene with a clear foreground (what's closest), middle ground, and background (what's furthest away).

Your child will be able to use different art supplies, tools, and methods to solve creative problems. For example, they might use pencils and markers to draw a flipbook that shows movement, or use crayons and paint together to show a tree above and below ground. They could also use watercolors to paint animals in an imaginative way, make stencil prints with warm and cool colors, or sculpt natural shapes from clay that change into something new.

Your child will be able to share their own thoughts and feelings about art they see or create. For example, they might make a drawing that shows how excited they are about a new art show, using bright colors and big letters.

Your child will be able to explain how artists use things like color, shape, and line (these are called "elements and principles of design") to show feelings or ideas in their own art and in the art of others.

Your child will be able to recognize that signs and symbols in everyday life and in art carry special meanings, like how a company logo represents that company, or how certain animals in Indigenous art have cultural significance.

Your child will be able to recognize what they are good at in art, what they enjoy doing, and what they can get better at. They might do this by keeping an art journal to write down their thoughts and feelings about their artwork.

Your child will be able to recognize and talk about different kinds of art they see around them, like paintings, sculptures, or murals in their home, school, or community.

Your child will be able to recognize and appreciate different kinds of art and art styles from various cultures, time periods, and places. For example, they might learn about art that shows people from different communities, or art from different historical times.