Sudan Basic Education Grade 3 Curriculum - Expressive Arts (Music, Drawing, and Handicrafts)

The Expressive Arts curriculum in South Sudan for Grade 3 is part of a broader Arts curriculum that encompasses Visual Arts & Craft, Music and Dance, Drama, and Critical Appreciation of the Arts. The curriculum emphasizes an active approach to learning, focusing on understanding, skills, and practical application of knowledge.

Key Features of the Curriculum:

Three Approaches to Arts Education: The curriculum facilitates learning about the arts (celebrating art and artists), learning through the arts (using art as a learning tool across subjects), and learning in* the arts (examining cultural perspectives and developing the whole child).

• Lifelong Enjoyment: The curriculum encourages learners to develop independent skills and interests in the arts, potentially becoming artists themselves. It suggests visits to museums, galleries, and performances, and celebrates community artists.
• Inclusion: The curriculum emphasizes inclusive participation, incorporating diverse genres and styles. It focuses on independent inquiry and promotes each learner's creative talents, recognizing skills in planning, performing, presenting, responding, and evaluating artwork.
• Student Competences: The Arts curriculum develops student competencies applicable across subjects and throughout life. These competencies include critical and creative thinking, communication, cooperation, and cultural identity. These are developed through activities like investigating, designing, creating, and evaluating artwork.
• Cross-Cutting Issues: The curriculum integrates peace education, environmental awareness and sustainability, and life skills into all subjects. For example, learners might discuss human rights and gender equity through drama activities or explore environmental themes in visual arts.
• Subject Strands: The four strands of Visual Arts & Craft, Music and Dance, Drama, and Critical Appreciation are interconnected and should be considered together during planning.
• Progression and Assessment: Assessment considers not only the final product but also the process of creation, skill acquisition, knowledge of tools and techniques, understanding of the art world, and the ability to respond to and reflect on artwork. Assessment opportunities include observation, conversation, and product appraisal.

Grade 3 Specifics:

While the provided document does not offer specific details about the Grade 3 curriculum, it outlines the general framework for the Arts curriculum across all primary levels. In Grades 1-3, students have three 35-minute Arts lessons per week. The specific units covered in Grade 3 are not detailed in this document, but the general structure suggests a balance of activities across the four strands. An example unit breakdown for Primary 3, Unit 3 ("Drama in our Community") suggests activities such as discussing community plays, presenting themes for plays, and considering community issues that could be explored through drama. This unit also integrates peace education and life skills. Other potential topics and activities for Grade 3 could include:

• Visual Arts & Craft: Exploring different art materials (paint, clay, paper), creating patterns and pictures, learning basic drawing techniques, creating crafts using local materials.
• Music and Dance: Singing songs from different cultures, learning basic rhythms and dances, exploring different musical instruments (especially percussion), creating simple musical compositions.
• Drama: Role-playing simple stories, creating characters and settings, exploring different emotions through drama.
• Critical Appreciation: Discussing and comparing different artworks, expressing preferences, identifying different art forms.

This information provides a general overview of the Expressive Arts curriculum in South Sudan. Further research into specific Grade 3 resources would be needed for a more detailed understanding.