What Ontario grade 7 students learn in the arts

Your child will be able to create dances that match or respond to different rhythms and songs, using their body or even making sounds with their hands and feet.

Your child will be able to tell a story or share ideas through dance, using something they've written or created in other art forms as their inspiration.

Your child will be able to create dance pieces by taking a basic movement idea (theme) and changing it in different ways (variations), like doing it backward or with more people.

Your child will learn how to use different parts of dance, like movements and formations, to tell a story or show feelings. They will also understand how to use specific dance structures, such as repeating patterns or telling a story through movement, to make their message clear.

Your child will be able to understand the meaning behind dance performances, including those that touch on important local or global issues. They will also be able to share their thoughts about these dances in different ways, like writing, talking, or creating other art.

Your child will be able to talk about their own dances and the dances of others using dance words, explaining how different parts of a dance (like movements or shapes) and how the dance is put together help to show what the dance means. For example, using small, low movements might show a feeling of being trapped, or dancing in a specific place like a playground might show a connection to nature.

Your child will be able to recognize what they are good at in dance, whether it's creating, performing, or watching, and also understand where they can improve. They will be able to give examples of these strengths and areas for growth.

Your child will learn how dance and performance styles have changed over time as different groups of people moved to new places or interacted with other cultures. For example, they will explore how Acadian folk dances from Eastern Canada developed into Cajun dances in Louisiana, or how the Métis jig combines Indigenous and European dance styles.

Your child will learn how dance, including what they see in the media, can shape who a person becomes and how they see themselves. This includes understanding how dance role models can influence their values and attitudes.

Your child will participate in drama activities and pretend play, exploring different viewpoints on current topics and relationships from various cultures and backgrounds. For example, they might act out different opinions on something like environmental issues or family dynamics.

Your child will understand the basic parts of a play, like characters and setting, and be able to combine them to create a dramatic performance. This might include creating a "tableau" (a frozen picture with their bodies) or a "soundscape" (a collection of sounds to set a mood).

Your child will learn to work with others to develop and guide a drama, coming up with ideas and looking at situations from different angles. For example, they might think about a character's feelings or introduce a new viewpoint to help understand a character better.

Your child will be able to express emotions, thoughts, and complex ideas in their drama performances. They will use things like music, videos, and props to make the play more impactful and help the audience understand the story better.

Your child will be able to understand and share their own thoughts about plays or dramatic performances. They will connect the ideas and feelings in these performances to their own life and the experiences of others.

Your child will be able to explain how different parts of a play, like how actors stand or use their voices, help tell the story and show what characters are feeling. They will also learn to use specific drama words to talk about these things.

Your child will be able to recognize their own strengths and interests in drama, as well as areas where they can improve, whether they are acting, creating, or watching a performance. They will also be able to explain these observations with examples.

Your child will be able to compare how different types of plays from various times and places show social values, like how plays from the past and present portray relationships between colonists and Indigenous peoples, or how comedies and serious dramas deal with themes of loyalty.

Your child will learn how drama and theatre, like plays or festivals, are important in our world today. They will understand how these activities bring people together, create jobs, entertain us, and help us understand different cultures and social issues.

Your child will be able to sing or play music from different cultures, styles, and time periods, either by themselves or with others, using written music.

Your child will learn to use different parts of music, like rhythm (the pattern of sounds) or dynamics (how loud or soft the music is), when they sing, play instruments, or create their own music. They will understand how to use these musical elements to achieve specific effects or purposes, such as making a song to bring people together or creating background music for a video.

Your child will be able to create their own music for different reasons and people, using instruments, their voice, or even everyday objects. They will also learn to improvise, which means making up music on the spot.

Your child will be able to use musical techniques and tools when performing, such as changing how loud or soft they play (dynamics), the speed of the music (tempo), and how they connect or separate notes (articulation). They will also learn to control their breathing while singing.

Your child will understand how to read and write music using standard musical symbols, like those that show you to play a note higher or lower (accidentals) or to repeat a section of music. They will also learn about different musical scales, including the blues scale, and how some music is passed down by listening and teaching, rather than by reading written notes.

Your child will be able to share their thoughts and feelings about music in different ways, like creating art inspired by a song or writing in a journal about why they like a piece and how its musical parts (like rhythm or melody) are used.

Your child will be able to talk about how different parts of music, like rhythm or melody, are used in songs they play, hear, or create. They'll also understand how these musical choices can make them feel a certain way.

Your child will be able to recognize their musical strengths and areas where they can improve, whether they are creating music, performing, interpreting a piece, or listening as an audience member. They will set goals to get better and think about how well they met those goals.

Your child will understand how music and media help shape who they are and their cultural identity. They will explore how their own musical tastes are formed by the music they hear around them and how music can strengthen a person's connection to their culture, including how Indigenous students can feel pride through their cultural music.

Your child will be able to understand how history, culture, and new technologies have shaped different music styles, types of music (genres), and new musical ideas. For example, they'll learn how instruments like the piano or electric guitar changed music.

Your child will be able to make art using different materials and methods, including new technologies, to show their feelings, ideas, and even different opinions on a topic.

Your child will understand how to arrange elements in their artwork (this is called composition) using different design ideas and the "rule of thirds" (a way to divide an image for better balance). They will use these skills to create art that tells a story or explores a specific topic.

Your child will learn to use different art elements, like color and shape, to create artwork that shares a specific message or idea with others. For example, they might design a personal logo using positive and negative space to create balance.

Your child will be able to use different art supplies, tools, and techniques to solve more challenging art problems. For example, they might create a cubist still life (an artwork showing objects from many angles at once) using various drawing materials, or make a handmade book using different art forms.

Your child will be able to understand different artworks and talk about the feelings, ideas, and social messages they see in them.

Your child will be able to explain how artists, including themselves, use things like color, line, and shape (these are called elements and principles of design) to show ideas or feelings in their artwork. For example, they might talk about how an artist uses opposite colors to make something stand out, or how empty spaces in a picture can be just as important as the filled-in parts.

Your child will learn how to understand the meaning behind different signs, symbols, and artistic styles used in artworks, such as how a single tree can represent loneliness or how objects can be used to symbolize ideas. They will also explore how artists use and change symbols to send messages, even when borrowing images from other sources like advertisements.

Your child will be able to talk about what they are good at, what they like, and what they need to work on when they create, look at, or understand art. They will also be able to give helpful feedback about their own art and the art of others.

Your child will be able to explain how different kinds of art, from different cultures and time periods, show what people believed and how they lived. They will also understand how art can reflect or even challenge a society's ideas and traditions.

Your child will understand how visual arts and media arts (like photography or film) have been used in different ways throughout history and today. They will also learn how these art forms help shape who we are as individuals and as a society.