Too often, students are not able to demonstrate what they have learned—especially in music and art. This book provides a unique model for transforming the instructional focus from content centered to student centered, using performance-based standards for music and the visual arts. The authors offer a concise, easy-to-understand framework of curriculum, instruction, and assessment built upon performance-based learning actions. Teachers can use these practical classroom applications to customize relevant and meaningful instruction around critical musical and artistic concepts.

Numerous real-life examples of performance-based fine arts are illustrated along with performance benchmarks for Grades 3, 5, 8, and 12. This framework can be used to guide the development of a music and visual arts curriculum throughout a family of schools, by an instructional team, or by individual teachers within one classroom.

This book is divided into five major sections:

• Overview with question-and-answer format
• Standards and performance benchmarks for the visual arts
• Standards and performance benchmarks for music
• Guide to using technology to support performance benchmarks
• Guide to planning and analyzing performances

Performance design templates and reproducible masters provide practical tools to empower students to "show what they know."