(a) 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.
(b) 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) evaluate characterization using emotional and sensory recall;
    (B) explore preparation and warm-up techniques;
    (C) create expressive movement and mime to define space and characters;
    (D) demonstrate an increased understanding of the mechanisms of vocal production;
    (E) apply knowledge of theatrical vocabulary and terminology; and
    (F) explore and evaluate the structure and form 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) portray characters through familiar movements and dialogue;
    (C) create characters, dialogue, and actions that reflect dramatic structure in improvised and scripted scenes, individually and collaboratively; and
    (D) express thoughts and feelings using effective voice and diction.
  (3) Creative expression: production. The student applies design, directing, and theatre production concepts and skills. The student is expected to:
    (A) recognize and select specific technical elements to suggest environment, establish mood, and support character and actions for performance;
    (B) create theatrical elements such as scenery, properties, lighting, sound, costume, makeup, and publicity using the principles of design;
    (C) explore the director's role as a unifying force, problem solver, interpreter of script, and collaborator; 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 theatre as a reflection of life in particular times, places, and cultures through performance;
    (B) explore theatre heritage such as historical and cultural influences as it is preserved in dramatic text, traditions, and conventions; and
    (C) explore the roles of theatre, film, television, and electronic media such as key developments, figures, and works on American society.
  (5) Critical evaluation and response. The student responds to and evaluates theatre and theatrical performances. The student is expected to:
    (A) understand and demonstrate appropriate audience etiquette at various types of live performances;
    (B) develop a knowledge of the terminology and process of evaluation such as intent, structure, effectiveness, and value and apply this process to performances using appropriate theatre vocabulary;
    (C) demonstrate knowledge of production elements in theatre, film, television, and other media; and
    (D) explore career and vocational opportunities in theatre.

Source Note: The provisions of this §117.213 adopted to be effective July 28, 2013, 38 TexReg 4575