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LOVELADY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT LOVELADY INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
Jenny Hedrick's Classroom
4th Grade Fine Arts

The 4th Grade Fine Arts TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, 19 TAC Chapter 117) deepen technical skills, creative independence, and formal critique across all four disciplines: Art, Music, Theatre, and Dance. A major emphasis in 4th grade is connecting fine arts directly to Texas history and regional heritage alongside global traditions.

All four disciplines follow the same four foundational strands:

  1. Foundations: Observation, perception, and technical literacy

  2. Creative Expression: Production, performance, and creation

  3. Historical and Cultural Relevance: Connecting arts to history, Texas heritage, and global cultures

  4. Critical Evaluation and Response: Analyzing, reflecting, and critiquing using formal vocabulary

Summary by Discipline

1. Art (§117.114)

  • Foundations: Students identify and apply formal elements of art (line, shape, color, texture, form, space, value) and principles of design (emphasis, repetition/pattern, rhythm, balance, proportion, unity). They apply technical spatial rules such as foreground, middleground, background, and 1-point perspective concepts to create realistic depth.

  • Creative Expression: Children plan and produce original artwork in 2D and 3D media (drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, textiles). They expand color theory to include intermediate/tertiary colors, analogous colors, and complementary schemes.

  • Historical & Cultural Relevance: Students examine the role of art in Texas history, Indigenous cultures, Spanish colonial influence, and global art movements, recognizing how culture shapes artistic style.

  • Critical Evaluation: Children critique their own work, peer projects, and master artworks using formal art terminology to discuss intent, composition, and technical execution.

2. Music (§117.115)

  • Foundations & Literacy: Students read, write, and perform expanded rhythmic patterns—including dotted half notes, sixteenth notes, and combinations—in $2/*$, $3/4$, and $4/4$ meters. They read pitches on the treble clef staff across an expanded octave ($do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do'$), identify instrument families of the orchestra, and recognize complex musical structures like theme and variations, rondo ($ABACA$), and interlocking canons.

  • Creative Expression: Students sing with accurate pitch, diction, and breath control in two-part harmonies or rounds. They play pitched instruments (recorders, xylophones) and unpitched percussion, maintain independent parts in ensemble playing, and compose or improvise multi-measure melodies.

  • Historical & Cultural Relevance: Students perform and analyze music from Texas history (Texas folk songs, Tejano, Western swing), diverse ethnic traditions, and historical time periods.

  • Critical Evaluation: Children evaluate vocal and instrumental performances using formal musical vocabulary (dynamics, tempo, articulation, balance) and practice appropriate concert etiquette.

3. Theatre (§117.116)

  • Foundations: Students refine vocal projection, articulation, expression, and physical characterization, maintaining spatial awareness and stage presence.

  • Creative Expression: Children write, rehearse, and stage short original or adapted plays. They analyze character traits, motivation, and relationships, and integrate technical elements into scenes—including designing or selecting simple lighting, sound effects, props, costumes, and set pieces.

  • Historical & Cultural Relevance: Students explore Texas historical plays, folktales, myths, and dramatic traditions from diverse global cultures.

  • Critical Evaluation: Children evaluate live or recorded dramatic performances by identifying plot progression (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution) and offering constructive feedback based on theatrical criteria.

4. Dance (§117.117)

  • Foundations: Students build body alignment, flexibility, spatial control, and dynamic movement variations (weight, time, energy flow).

  • Creative Expression: Children choreograph original dance sequences with a clear structure (beginning, middle, end) using varied pathways, levels, and rhythms to express specific themes or narratives.

  • Historical & Cultural Relevance: Students learn and perform traditional Texas folk dances, square dances, and international cultural movement forms.

  • Critical Evaluation: Children observe and analyze dance performances, evaluating choreographic structure, technical execution, and artistic intent.