Zimbabwe Grade 1 Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Syllabus

This syllabus outlines the curriculum for Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) in Zimbabwean Grade 1. It encompasses theory and practical activities across music, dance, theatre, and visual arts, with a focus on developing creativity, performance, and originality, leading towards entrepreneurship. The syllabus follows a developmental approach, nurturing learners' growth into a mature relationship with the arts.

Aims

The syllabus aims to enable learners to:

• Become literate in visual and performing arts.
• Appreciate Zimbabwean history from pre-colonial, colonial, and chimurenga/umvukela eras.
• Develop confidence, self-esteem, and self-expression, practicing skills necessary for creative expression.
• Incorporate the use of technology in visual and performing arts.
• Develop psycho-motor skills.
• Value copyright.

Syllabus Objectives

By the end of Grade 1, learners should be able to:

• Perform in a chosen area of arts with consistency, artistry, technical ability, and proficiency.
• Attain creative skills that progress towards literacy in dance, theatre, visual art, and music.
• Express ideas and feelings through the arts.
• Acquire basic enterprise skills.
• Solve problems creatively through imaginative thinking.
• Develop natural abilities and potential to acquire techniques.
• Protect their own and other people's work.
• Familiarize themselves with characteristics of theme-based Zimbabwean dance, music, theatre, and visual art based on the themes of family, community, and school.
• Recognize works of art as a reflection of societal values and beliefs of Unhu/Ubuntu/Vumunhu.
• Determine the impact of significant contributions of individual artists from diverse cultures throughout history and Zimbabwean history.
• Evaluate the impact of technology and innovation.

Topics

The syllabus covers the following topics:

1. History and Culture: Exploring the historical and cultural context of Zimbabwean arts, including songs, games, and artistic expressions from various periods and cultures. This includes recognizing works of art as a reflection of societal values and beliefs.

2. Creative Processes and Performance: Engaging in creative activities and performances across different art forms. This includes developing skills in music (singing, playing instruments, creating melodies), dance (movement, rhythm, dance games), theatre (role-playing, storytelling, puppetry), and visual arts (modeling, drawing, painting, collage).

3. Aesthetic Values and Appreciation: Developing an understanding and appreciation of aesthetic values in the arts. This includes exploring and describing artworks, discussing elements of design, and expressing personal preferences.

4. Arts Technology: Utilizing technology and tools in artistic creation. This includes exploring various art tools and media, using technology for creating and recording art, and understanding the effects of technology on the arts.

5. Enterprise Skills (Entrepreneurship): Developing basic entrepreneurial skills related to the arts. This includes exploring career options, understanding copyright, and developing business ideas related to artistic creations.

Methodology and Time Allocation

The syllabus emphasizes learner-centered and multi-sensory methods, including animation, notation, song and dance, storytelling, group work, games, integrated learning, simulation, resource methods, educational tours, gallery walks, discussions, surveys, problem-solving, experimentation, research, poems, and rhymes.

The recommended time allocation for Grade 1 is eight 30-minute lessons per week.

Assessment

Assessment is continuous and covers practical skills, theoretical understanding, and creative expression. Assessment methods include checklists, rating scales, observation guides, exercises, and theory tests. Assessment criteria focus on the learner's ability to demonstrate skills, knowledge, and understanding in each of the syllabus topics. The assessment profile includes manipulative skills, hand and eye coordination, left to right orientation, foot and eye coordination, creativity, observation skills, listening skills, oral skills, speaking skills, communication skills, imaginative skills, collaborative skills, enterprising skills, cognitive skills, emotional skills, social skills, mathematical skills, scientific skills, psychomotor skills, visual skills, technological skills, tactile skills, kinaesthetic skills, aesthetic skills, confidence, concentration skills, leadership skills.