4 2 10 artists in training (social studies)

A Family of ArtistsIn many ways, an arts high school is like other schools.. Many students want to go to an arts high school.. The school trains its students to become working artists..

by Deborah Akers

Artists

in Training

by Deborah Akers

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ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02323-6

ISBN-10: 0-547-02323-5

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Artists

in Training

Table of Contents

A Family of Artists

In many ways, an arts high school is like

other schools There are classes in math,

English, and science Many students want to

go to an arts high school However, only those who show skill and commitment are given

permission to be part of the school’s family

of artists

An arts school might look like any other school on

the outside.

At an arts school, each student has a chance

to explore many art forms There are classes in painting, drawing, and pottery Many students also take part in the music or theater programs After they have toured the variety of programs, most students choose one area of study The school trains its students to become working artists

Some students study unique dances that come from beyond the United States border The school teaches cultural dances such as

flamenco, a Spanish dance, and the can-can,

a type of dance that started in France

A Day at an Arts School

A day at an arts school starts like most other high schools Students arrive in buses or by car and rush to class when they hear the bell

When you peek inside the classrooms, you never know what you will see You might see

dancers leaping, artists hauling easels around,

or students spinning pottery wheels

Arts students are always involved in projects.

Getting Fired Up

Some classes meet in studios where students work on special projects The students in

pottery class make clay pots using a pottery wheel Then they bake the pots in a kiln

The kiln is a special kind of oven that gets

very hot and hardens the pots This process is called firing The kids have to wear gloves and facemasks when

working with a

kiln It is hot work

Using a pottery

wheel takes a

lot of practice

and skill.

In another class, students make metal

sculptures They use welding torches to make the metal softer Then they can shape the metal the way they want

Some students enjoy making small art

pieces Others build huge sculptures that tower

up to the ceiling! Luckily, the classroom is built with high ceilings and lots of space so that each

Students must wear gloves and a helmet when welding.

A theater can be an exciting classroom as well Students in this class dream of their big debut as an actor someday They work hard to learn and memorize their lines from the script This requires lots of practice

The teacher’s job is to help each actor build his or her skills Teachers often work with

students who get discouraged “An actor has to

be stubborn,” says one teacher “You must never give up.”

Actors must

practice and

practice

Several classrooms have been turned into

recording studios where student musicians and singers record their performances Then they can listen to them over and over again This

helps them improve

Students also learn to work the recording

equipment Learning all of these skills will help them get jobs in the music business

Students get a chance to record their music.

Dancing the World

In the dance studio, you may see two

students dance the flamenco Flamenco

students sweep onto the stage wearing colorful skirts and high dance shoes Flamenco music is sad and mournful

The dancers clap their hands and stomp

their feet They twirl with their arms up high The music gets louder, and the dancers dance harder

People began to dance the flamenco in

southern Spain hundreds of years ago It is one

of the most exciting dances in the world

Flamenco dancers show great emotion.

Flamenco is not the only dance taught in a dance class Many schools have a large ballet program In dance studios, you can also see students practicing the can-can, the tango, salsa, and even Irish step-dancing Students at

an arts high school

get the chance to

learn and share

the dances of the

world

Many dances are

taught at an arts

high school

Painting as a Team

You may see students mixing big cans of

paint in painting class They are getting ready

to paint a mural together They study many

famous artists The group begins by first

sketching out a plan for a large scene But where

is the canvas? There is no canvas These artists are painting the mural on the outside wall of

the school

Students work together to plan

a mural.

Artists at Work

Students at an arts high school learn that art is about more than the triumph of creating a beautiful painting or sculpture or dance They must also know how to support themselves

Many students get jobs as graphic artists and designers Theater arts students get jobs helping to make plays or movies

At an arts

school, young artists

learn the skills they

need to share their

art with the world

Some dance students

TARGET VOCABULARY Word Builder In the

word hauling, -ing is added to the end Think

of some other words that end with -ing Copy

and complete the word web below.

Write About It

Text to Self Write a paragraph describing your

experience learning a new art form Describe

the type of art form and where you learned it

Use a word from the Word Builder.

Words that end in -ing carrying walking

TARGET VOCABULARY

border

debut

discouraged

hauling

mournful

permission stubborn toured towered triumph

TARGET STRATEGY Analyze/Evaluate Think care-fully about the text and form an opinion about it.

Known for their bravery, lions are almost never described as

ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02323-6 ISBN-10: 0-547-02323-5

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

Online Leveled Books

Level: P

DRA: 38

Social Studies

Strategy:

Analyze/Evaluate

Word Count: 813

4.2.10 Build Vocabulary