Arts Integration Unpacked
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- 06 Nov 2020
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Arts integration is a teaching strategy that connects the arts with other disciplines todeepen learning in both subjects. "Students construct and demonstrate understandingthrough an art form. Students engage in a creative process which connects an art formand another subject and meets evolving objectives" (The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts). Arts integration is not a substitute or replacement for regular artsinstruction. This strategy should mutually strengthen both non-arts and arts curricula, inspiring students' curiosity and love for learning.
A powerful characteristic of arts integration is that it makes learning accessible tostudents with differing learning styles and abilities. Arts integration creates alternativeways for students to receive and deliver information by creating, performing, responding, and connecting. Students are active participants in their learning, participating in authentic activities to express their thinking.
Planning an Arts-Integrated Unit
Select a big idea or thematic unit within your current curriculum. Design your integratedunit by making a connection from your theme to an arts concept. Remember that an artsintegrated lesson should meet dual objectives. Often, the art objective is diluted to meetobjectives in other disciplines. Design your unit to teach students about an artist, artistic process, or art concept that will support your big idea.
Look for connections when planning your arts-integrated unit. Explore how art relates to other disciplines. Once you start, it’s likely you’ll start seeing connections betweendisciplines everywhere you look. Capitalize on those connections, because they showstudents that knowledge lives beyond the classroom walls and can be applied in avariety of ways.
Embrace the Process
When incorporating the arts into your teaching, it is important to emphasize the creative process. Don’t expect your first arts integrated lesson to yield pristine art products. Rather, celebrate the deep learning and discovery that takes place as students explore anew artistic process. You may be surprised by the problem-solving and critical thinkingthat takes place through simple explorations of artistic materials and processes.
Creativity requires risk, so don’t be afraid to get messy and learn from your mistakes. By modeling this attitude, your students will be more likely to engage in their artmakingwith confidence. The lessons learned by trying something new can contribute to acollaborative community within your classroom.
Collaborate
Arts integration thrives on meaningful collaboration between teachers, students, community members, and local art institutions. Connect with your colleagues togenerate ideas and plan arts integrated instruction. Seek out an art teacher at yourschool if you are looking for ideas to engage students in meaningful artistic processes.
Expand your network by connecting with local artists in your area. Invite an artist orperformer to your classroom or plan an artist-in-residency for your school. Broaden your students’ exposure to art by taking them to a local art museum or musical production as a part of an arts-integrated unit. These experiences, whether big or small, will engage and inspire your students and foster their curiosity and love forlearning.
Arts Integrated Unit
Big Idea: Perspective
This arts-integrated science unit connects the big idea of perspective as it relates to theposition of the planets and stars within the solar system, and perspective with which artists view the world. Opportunities for kinesthetic learning help solidify this abstractconcept for young students. The goal is that by the end of the unit, students developthe knowledge that objects can appear different depending one’s unique perspective.
“Learning about our solar system can give students a sense of wonder and perspective. They can ponder and appreciate Earth’s crucial position in our solar system, which makes this planet such an ideal place for us to live. Students may also consider howsmall our entire world is compared to some of our fellow planets, the Sun, and the vastness of space. For some students, this perspective might provide a sense of scalefor their own panoramas and concerns. It may also help students understand why manypeople are excited about the prospects of discovering and exploring new solar systems, both within our galaxy and beyond” (The Solar System, David Dreier, Learning A-Z).
Enduring Understandings: We are a small but special part of a vast universe. Through art making, people make meaning by investigating and developing awareness of theirperceptions, knowledge, and experience.
Lessons within the Unit:
Perspective Embodied: Students explore perspective by interacting with conceptskinesthetically. Students position themselves in space as the planets are positioned inthe solar system using spherical balls or circular posters to represent planets and stars.
Perspective Drawing: Students use drawing to represent their perspectives of spheres inspace. Models guide visual learners toward understanding perspective as it relates to 3Dshapes. Students represent perspective using scale and overlapping shapes.
Perspective Discussion: Students discuss the vastness of their world. Students learn that they are a small but special part of a vast universe.
Perspective of Visionary Artists: Explore the diverse perspectives of a variety of selected artists. Students discuss the idea that each artist sees the world in a differentway. Students discuss Adam Logan's 8-foot mirrored "Cosmic Egg,” which was inspired by images from space. Students create their own mosaic artwork to represent theirperspective of their world. Lesson inspired by field trip to The American Visionary ArtMuseum.
Writing Extension: Through writing, students create an artist statement that describeshow their artwork represents their unique perspective of their world.
Solar System Model: Students collaborate to create a model that represents the position of the planets and stars within the Solar System.
