(a) General requirements. When Theatre, Middle School 1 is part of a departmentalized middle school, students may select the following theatre course: Theatre, Middle School 1.
(b) Introduction.
  (1) The fine arts incorporate the study of dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts to offer unique experiences and empower students to explore realities, relationships, and ideas. These disciplines engage and motivate all students through active learning, critical thinking, and innovative problem solving. The fine arts develop cognitive functioning and increase student academic achievement, higher-order thinking, communication, and collaboration skills, making the fine arts applicable to college readiness, career opportunities, workplace environments, social skills, and everyday life. Students develop aesthetic and cultural awareness through exploration, leading to creative expression. Creativity, encouraged through the study of the fine arts, is essential to nurture and develop the whole child.
  (2) Four basic strands--foundations: inquiry and understanding; creative expression; historical and cultural relevance; and critical evaluation and response--provide broad, unifying structures for organizing knowledge and skills students are expected to acquire. Through the foundations: inquiry and understanding strand, students develop a perception of self, human relationships, and the world using elements of drama and conventions of theatre. Through the creative expression strand, students communicate in a dramatic form, engage in artistic thinking, build positive self-concepts, relate interpersonally, and integrate knowledge with other content areas in a relevant manner. Through the historical and cultural relevance strand, students increase their understanding of heritage and traditions in theatre and the diversity of world cultures as expressed in theatre. Through the critical evaluation and response strand, students engage in inquiry and dialogue, accept constructive criticism, revise personal views to promote creative and critical thinking, and develop the ability to appreciate and evaluate live theatre.
  (3) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(c) Knowledge and skills.
  (1) Foundations: inquiry and understanding. The student develops concepts about self, human relationships, and the environment using elements of drama and conventions of theatre. The student is expected to:
    (A) develop characterization based on sensory and emotional recall;
    (B) expand body awareness and spatial perceptions using mime;
    (C) respond to sounds, music, images, and the written word, incorporating movement;
    (D) develop an understanding of the mechanisms of vocal production;
    (E) identify theatrical vocabulary and terminology, including basic anatomy of theatre spaces; and
    (F) identify the structure and form in examples of dramatic literature.
  (2) Creative expression: performance. The student interprets characters using the voice and body expressively and creates dramatizations. The student is expected to:
    (A) demonstrate safe use of the voice and body;
    (B) imagine and clearly describe characters, their relationships, and their surroundings;
    (C) select movements and dialogue to appropriately portray an imaginative character drawn from personal experience, cultural heritage, literature, and history;
    (D) dramatize literary selections and imitate life experiences through dramatic play;
    (E) express emotions and ideas using interpretive movements and dialogue; and
    (F) create environments, characters, and actions.
  (3) Creative expression: production. The student applies design, directing, and theatre production concepts and skills. The student is expected to:
    (A) create character, environment, action, and theme collaboratively through the safe use of props, costumes, and visual elements;
    (B) create suitable environments for dramatizations;
    (C) collaborate to plan brief dramatizations; and
    (D) use technology in theatrical applications such as live theatre, video, and film.
  (4) Historical and cultural relevance. The student relates theatre to history, society, and culture. The student is expected to:
    (A) demonstrate the role of theatre as a reflection of history, society, and culture through participation in dramatic activities; and
    (B) explore the influences of theatre, film, television, and electronic media such as key developments, figures, and works in society.
  (5) Critical evaluation and response. The student responds to and evaluates theatre and theatrical performances. The student is expected to:
    (A) identify and apply audience etiquette at all performances;
    (B) develop simple oral and written observations about the visual, aural, oral, and kinetic aspects of theatrical performances such as informal playmaking or formal theatre;
    (C) identify production elements of theatre, film, television, and other media; and
    (D) examine selected occupations in theatre such as director, stage manager, actor, designer, running crew, front of house, and educator.

Source Note: The provisions of this §117.211 adopted to be effective July 28, 2013, 38 TexReg 4575