Canada · Ontario Curriculum Expectations
Grade 8 The Arts
A comprehensive survey of the arts that challenges students to explore personal and cultural identity through diverse media. Students engage in rigorous studio practice, performance, and critical analysis across visual arts, music, dance, and theater.
Visual Narratives and Studio Practice
Exploration of two dimensional and three dimensional media to convey complex personal stories and social messages.
Developing technical skills in sketching and shading to create depth and emotional resonance in portraiture.
Constructing three dimensional forms that interact with the surrounding environment and challenge spatial perceptions.
Investigating how color relationships and palettes influence the mood and narrative of a visual work.
Rhythm, Culture, and Composition
Analyzing the structures of music and its role as a vessel for cultural heritage and modern innovation.
Understanding the mathematical and emotional foundations of rhythm, melody, and harmony.
Exploring how different cultures use music to preserve history and celebrate community identity.
Using technology to layer sounds and create original digital soundscapes.
The Dramatic Arc
Developing performance skills and script analysis to understand the mechanics of storytelling on stage.
Internalizing a script to portray authentic emotions and believable character arcs.
Studying technical theater elements like lighting, sets, and blocking to enhance the narrative.
Examining how theater has been used throughout history to challenge social norms and provoke thought.
Movement and Metaphor
Investigating dance as a form of communication that transcends language through physicality and choreography.
Mastering control and fluidity to express abstract concepts through movement.
Learning how to organize movement into sequences that engage and surprise an audience.
Researching history where dance served as a form of protest or cultural preservation.
Art History and Global Perspectives
Tracing the evolution of artistic movements and their connection to historical turning points.
Analyzing the shift from representational art to the expression of internal realities.
Honoring the artistic traditions of Indigenous peoples and examining the impact of colonialism on art.
Discussing ownership, repatriation, and the value assigned to creative works.
The Curator's Eye
Synthesizing skills to critique art and organize a public exhibition of student work.
Developing a vocabulary to provide constructive feedback and analyze the effectiveness of a work.
Learning how to group works of art to create a cohesive narrative for an audience.
Writing reflectively to bridge the gap between the creative process and the final product.