Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Sixth Grade Fine Arts Final Exam Study Guide
The exam is divided into four parts, one per Fine Arts subject area. Here's what you should know for each part.
In this section, you'll be asked to list some terms and examples of how you would use them in your writing. You'll also write some poetry.
Know the different types of figurative language and how to use each one. These include: alliteration, onomanopoeia, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, and personification.
Know the rhythm and rhyme schemes of haiku (17 total syllables, 5/7/5, no rhyme) and limericks (AABBA rhyme scheme). Know what a rhyming couplet is and how to write one. Know what a stanza is.
Think back on the different activities we did during the music unit. We watched some video from the documentary "Music From the Inside Out;" took a listening walk around the school; listened to, discussed, wrote about, and made music maps charting different selections of recorded music; clapped and made rhythmic noises together, created our own rhythms and instruments, and learned about graphic scores. Know your vocabulary from this unit:
tempo, rhythm, pitch, dynamics, tone, composer, musician, graphic score, orchestral instruments, music map
III. Visual Art
This section is mostly performance tasks - things you already know how to do, for which you will need to remember proper vocabulary. You will most likely spend the greatest amount of time on this section, since you will be asked to do some drawing. You should know:
Color wheel: primary, secondary, and tertiary/intermediate colors.
What is value, and what techniques can you use to create it?
Know your line and shape types! Organic, geometric, regular, irregular, broken, thick, thin, angular, wavy, etc.
Know line directions: vertical, horizontal, diagonal
We've done two types of drawing from life: contour and gesture. Know the difference.
You'll need to remember a lot of vocabulary for this section. It's all words that we used all the time in drama. You will be asked to fill in the blanks of a story about directing a play with the appropriate words, and occasionally to write short answers responding to questions about the story.
Vocabulary: pantomime, actor neutral, improvisation, projection, diction, ensemble, pace, props, stage directions, monologue, dialogue.
Review terms from the Greek Tragedy unit as well. Know the parts of a Greek theatre (orchestra, parodos, theatron, skene) as well as the parts of a Greek tragedy (prologue, parodos, episode, stasimon, exodos). Review your notes on the essential elements of Greek tragedy, including late pont of attack, tragic hero, tragic flaw, chorus, masks, etc. I know you know this!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Homework: On the sheet with the skeleton, use a colored pencil to mark head lengths down the length of the skeleton.
Classwork today: Students received their group and individual grades for the Greek tragedy project.
We looked at and discussed a slide presentation on Greek black figure and red figure pottery, examining artworks that depicted the Labors of Heracles. Many students pointed out the similarities they saw between Greek and Egyptian art: feet pointing in one direction while the torso faces forward, faces seen in profile with one eye visible. One big difference is that the Greeks used overlapping to show depth.
Some sections had time after the presentation to make some gesture drawings using willow charcoal on newsprint. Thanks to the student "models"! You did a good job of holding still.