Illinois Learning Standards
Stage D - Fine Arts—Drama
Students who meet the standard understand the sensory
elements, organizational principles, and expressive qualities
of the arts.
- Defend movement and vocal choices used to communicate
- Explain how music and sound are used to communicate emotion
- Identify conflict in a dramatic situation.
- Identify the elements of a scripted drama (e.g., dialogue,
narration, character lists, time, place listing).
- Analyze the choice of setting and characters used in a
- Identify the message, theme, and purpose of a drama.
- Analyze how different emotions affect an actor's movement,
facial expression, posture, walk, and gestures.
Students who meet the standard understand the similarities,
distinctions, and connections in and among the arts.
- Use the vocabulary of elements, principles, and tools
when describing a work of art.
- Plan and create a work of art that expresses a specific
idea, mood, or emotion using defined elements, principles,
Students who meet the standard understand processes,
traditional tools, and modern technologies used in the arts.
- Analyze the ways the mind, body, and voice are used to
communicate character, setting, and emotions.
- Identify support tools used in drama (i.e., costumes,
sets, lights, props, sounds, make-up).
- Demonstrate the process used to refine a drama (i.e.,
plan, practice, evaluate, revise, re-plan, re-practice).
- Compare puppeteering to acting and improvising.
Students who meet the standard can apply skills
and knowledge necessary to create and perform in one or more
of the arts.
- Use movement and voice to communicate characters, actions,
emotions, and setting.
- Demonstrate concentration, recall, and memorization of
sequencing to create a drama.
- Demonstrate teamwork (e.g., brainstorming, compromise)
when planning a drama.
- Use props and sound to enhance a drama.
- Demonstrate the use of a puppet to communicate a story.
Students who meet the standard can analyze how the
arts function in history, society and everyday life.
- Evaluate audience behaviors of self and others.
- React to performances/ art works in a respectful, constructive,
and supportive manner.
- Describe the roles of artists in society (e.g. historian,
critic, entertainer, inventor).
- Describe a variety of places where the arts are produced,
performed, or displayed.
- Explain ways dance, drama, music, and visual art play
a part in everyday life (e.g., architecture, landscape design,
political cartoons, fashion design, background music, television).
- Explain how the arts are used in commercial applications
(e.g., posters, TV commercials, package design, industrial
- Describe occupations that are related to the arts (e.g.,
landscape architect, political cartoonist, fashion designer,
Students who meet the standard understand how the
arts shape and reflect history, society and everyday life.
- Investigate the ways various people (present and past)
use the arts to celebrate similar events (e.g., celebrations,
- List significant contributions made by artists in several
Return to Fine Arts Classroom
Assessments and Performance Descriptors