The other day I held a short workshop in my school district on arts integration. I called it a kick stART because it was a chance to learn or remember what it means to truly integrate the arts as well as learn and share ideas for how to do that. We looked at various art forms, discussed how we could use them in our teaching, looked at a lesson plan template that equated the objectives for the art and the content area and even started to look at the arts standards in our district to get our minds on what types of objectives we could include in our arts integrated lessons.
The highlight of the session was when I asked a group of volunteers to create a collection of tableaus inspired by a Norman Rockwell painting called “Swatter’s Rights“. The teachers really got into studying the painting as they discussed which part they would all play. One portrayed the old man, one the boy, another the cat and the fourth was the fly swatter. They froze themselves into a reenactment of the picture and while in pose, I asked them questions. “How do you feel?” “What are you doing?” This was a way of showing how in acting a part, students can dive deep into a character analysis before even putting a pencil to paper. The actors were then asked to create the scene before and then after this, each in tableau. We had created an entire story: beginning, middle and end, through visual art and drama. (For more ideas on integrating the works of Norman Rockwell, check out my ebook.)
Other teachers then chimed in with some things that they have done. A music teacher talked about a unit she created where her students integrated visual pieces of artwork with the study of major and minor modes. A fourth grade teacher shared her ideas about using art techniques as a way for students to learn and clarify the meanings and spellings of homophones. A teacher of a mixed class of first and second graders shared some of the wonderful projects she has done that integrated jazz and art techniques with writing response and art creation with the study of square numbers.
In our short time of 1 1/2 hours, our brains were cranking with ideas, including mine. One teacher summed it up when she said to me after the session, “I feel like I needed that to give myself permission to do more things like that. I need to take more risks.”
Plain and simple, we can’t go wrong with arts integration when you keep certain things in mind:
- Keep to the integrity of the art form. Be careful not to only use the arts as an add on or afterthought.
- Start with and follow your passions. When you start with an art form that you love, you are most likely to do it, succeed and try something more.
- Remember: it’s all about making connections and creating experiences for and with your students.
When the arts come alive in your classroom, great things start to happen. Trust yourself and try it!
So, go ahead, give yourself a kick stART, a sort of “kick in the pants” and dive into some arts integration.
For more posts, information and ideas on Getting Started with Arts Integration, follow the link or click on the tag in the sidebar.
~EMP
If people were as passionate about the arts as they are sports, we would have the most creative and innovative society. As more and more studies show, it is the creative people who will lead innovation and growth in the future. Art is important for so many reasons – it expresses our values, our ideas. Unfortunately, we have pushed it to the very margins of society. As someone once said, Art is like war itself, it is way too important to be ignored and left in the hands of just anyone.
Matt’s comment really hit home for me in many ways. I came from a non-sports oriented family. I grew up surrounded by my mom’s Elvis, my brother’s Beatles, and his rock band playing in our basement! It was a lively house to grow up in. As I watched my brother try to make ends meet as a local Boston actor (living off of Kraft dinner), I was struck by how little value Americans place on the arts. I can only imagine what it might do for our country if we placed as much importance on the arts as we did sports. We might be a leader in more ways than one!
Love, love, love that your district is moving forward with this – and what better leader than you to help them along the way! I just got finished visiting a private school that is completely arts integrated and our teachers walked away thinking more about using a project-based learning technique along with our own arts integration program. It’s amazing what we can come up with collaboratively! Thanks for sharing your process – and for using my lesson plan template as an example! FYI….I’m showcasing my latest version of a lesson plan template next Friday. I think this plain Jane one needed a little “artistic” touch! 🙂
Thanks, Susan. I love providing workshops small and large! The teachers in my district are very receptive to arts integration and I am building some very nice bonds with colleagues through the arts and through collaboration. I am actually going on a school visit next week to a private school that is arts integrated… I am excited. We’ll have to share stories. I’ll look forward to your updated lesson plan template. 😉
Matt, Thanks for your comment. This line: “As more and more studies show, it is the creative people who will lead innovation and growth in the future.” is so true! The message needs to be sent out that the arts can help students be better prepared for the workforce.
As I read your article something resonated with me….So up I jumped and ran out to the “classroom” area from the technology lab! A once empty, large piece of paper had slowly begun to dance with words, color and art. The first post was, “Why do you
CREATE?”. Six months ago I attended your Art Retreat and up until then I would have struggled with such a question. I would have stood back and been uneasy about what I thought; but tonight I was eager to put something on that paper. I wrote, “Because I feel great when I let myself take a risk…..and just do it!”. Allowing myself to take such a risks has in turn let my students take the same risk with their experiences with the arts.
That’s awesome! You have come such a long way!!!
Tori, I completely relate to your comment about how good it feels to take risks with the arts. It seems as teachers who might be a little out of our comfort zones with the arts, we need to get there ourselves before we ask our kids to take the same risks. If it’s hard for us, think of what it might be like for some of them! Thank to Elizabeth for the opportunity to take those risks. It DOES feel great!
Matt is totally correct when he stated that the creative people will be leading innovation in the workforce. These are the 21Century skills everyone is talking about. We need to teach collaboration and problem solving and these creative people who can think out of the box will be the leaders.