Canada · Ontario Curriculum Expectations
Grade 3 The Arts
An integrated arts curriculum that encourages Grade 3 students to explore visual arts, music, dance, and drama. Students develop technical skills while learning to interpret and critique various forms of artistic expression.
Visual Worlds: Elements and Design
Students explore the building blocks of visual art including line, shape, color, and texture through hands-on creation.
Investigating how different types of lines and geometric or organic shapes create structure in a composition.
Exploring primary, secondary, and warm/cool colors to understand how palette choices affect the viewer.
Developing techniques to create the illusion of depth and the feel of surfaces on a flat plane.
Rhythm and Sound: Musical Foundations
Students investigate musical notation, rhythm patterns, and the diverse sounds of instruments from around the world.
Understanding steady beats and complex rhythmic patterns using percussion and body movements.
Exploring high and low sounds and how they combine to create memorable musical phrases.
Identifying different families of instruments and their cultural significance across various regions.
Stories in Motion: Dance and Movement
An exploration of how the body moves through space to communicate ideas and tell stories.
Developing physical coordination and understanding the range of motion of the human body.
Navigating the performance area using levels, directions, and floor patterns.
Creating short movement sequences that represent a specific character or plot point.
The Stage: Drama and Character
Students step into different roles to explore human experiences and theatrical storytelling.
Using voice, facial expressions, and posture to inhabit a fictional persona.
Practicing the art of spontaneous response and listening to fellow performers.
Understanding how props, costumes, and simple sets create a theatrical world.
Art Through Time: History and Criticism
Students look at art through a historical lens and learn to provide constructive feedback.
Studying influential artists and the unique techniques that define their work.
Learning how to describe, analyze, interpret, and judge art respectfully.
Selecting and organizing artworks to tell a specific story or theme in a gallery setting.