Fort Couch
Expressive Arts at Fort Couch
The Expressive Arts curriculum affords Fort Couch students the opportunity to learn skills needed to meet the challenges of living in today's global society. The Expressive Arts curriculum incorporates practical, fine and performing arts into one program blending the subject content in each area with required levels of student activity in the form of product and personal performance, fostering art awareness and self-esteem. Each area retains its identity as a unique discipline, but by unifying the program opportunities are provided for social interaction while integrating the skills and objectives of a more traditional program.
8th Grade Students will participate in each of the five rotations through either a set course or electives. All students will complete a six week course in Communication Arts and a six week course in CAPS: Consuming and Producing Successfully. For the areas of Art, Music, STEAM Design, and Band, students will select elective courses of either three or six week rotations.
Art
The focus of art at Fort Couch lies more in process than product. Students will have an opportunity to experience a variety of media and artistic processes, allowing for a more encompassing idea of what it means to create art. Working individually and collaboratively, students will investigate creative projects involving painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics and various forms of digital art.
Music
Vocal training is used as a basis to cultivate concepts of beat, rhythm, articulation, melody, harmony, tone color, dynamics, form and to develop an appreciation for a variety of styles of music. Students compose a melody. They study the four families of instruments and sound production through the use of oscilloscopes and balloon experiments. Students are encouraged to extend this musical training by joining such extracurricular activities as Band, Chorus or Orchestra.
STEAM Design
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) Design is a way to teach how all things relate to each other, in school and in life. Using the design process, students will follow a series of steps to come up with a solution to a problem. Incorporated in this process are creativity and innovation. Students will be given the opportunity to make and create in the Innovation Hub and the Maker Space. The Innovation Hub is a room designed to promote collaboration, communication, problem solving and creativity. The Maker Space allows students to create, make, test, and improve upon their designs.
CAPS: Consuming and Producing Successfully
In CAPS (Consuming and Producing Successfully), students become entrepreneurs by evaluating the world around them, identifying a problem to solve, then creating and building a product-based solution. Students then sell their product or service, evaluating the performance of their business idea, and iterating to incorporate learning. Students capture their learning in a portfolio of artifacts and reflections that document their journey from problem and solution ideation through evaluation of sales data. With 15involvement of local mentors and other volunteers, students experience authentic learning. Students leave CAPS having defined, built, and launched a product in the market. Evidence of learning includes a business model canvas, a budget and pricing model for the business, a product name and brand, a pitch deck, communications and marketing material, sales goals, reflections, and student portfolio. ·
Communication Arts
Students will complete a unit in Communication Arts each respective year. Course content may include studying, analyzing, and practicing different types of communication, including written forms, classroom discussions, the media, and speeches. Students will also develop skills such as fluency, interviewing, outlining, recitation, and presentation. Rhetorical techniques such as literary devices and persuasion techniques will be included.
Advisor Time
The advisor will assume a helping role as an advocate for assigned students by coordinating activities that will promote a sense of belonging, improve interpersonal relationships, and enhance the self-concept of every student.
Guidance
Students participate in a guidance class on a regular basis. During 7th grade, sample guidance class topics include study skills, computer safety, diversity and tolerance, drug and alcohol education, and peer pressure refusal skills. During 8th grade, sample guidance class topics include drug and alcohol education, diversity and tolerance, career exploration, human growth and development, and transitioning to high school.