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Our small, rural district has been able to keep only band and publications in the secondary school curriculum, along with music appreciation for grades K-5. However, throughout the building we display artwork created by students for social studies, science, and language arts classes. Additionally, we encourage field trips to museums, plays, musicals, and concerts that tie in to the current course of studies.
Dana Compton
Superintendent
Owendale-Gagetown Area Schools
Owendale, Michigan
I have my geometry students choose one of M.C. Escher's works, research its medium, and do a short presentation on its attributes and the math concepts used. We discuss reflections, rotations, enlargements and dilations, and symmetry.
Sandy Riggle
Math teacher
New Albany High School
New Albany, Indiana
Kansas State University student teachers are using the arts in exciting ways: Students compose song lyrics to summarize the life of a famous individual. They draw objects and write a hieroglyphic cartouche for what those people want in their tombs. Students read about the Middle Ages and create mini-films with Microsoft Windows Movie Maker on a specific topic. A story corner is used each Friday to share original work. For math, the division dance is the favorite, performed in rap style with these movements:
- Divide (slash arm diagonally)
- Multipy (cross arms)
- Subtract (slash arm horizontally)
- Bring down (with one finger up, wiggle, and bend knees)
Catherine Jean Hedge
Clinical instructor
Junction City Middle School
Junction City, Kansas
Our school library is a place for creative, thoughtful learning. We use Kennedy Center drama techniques during story time to explore, share, and understand stories. Students use dramatic monologue, shadow puppetry, original illustrated books, radio plays, and videocasts to demonstrate their understanding of historical research.
Kristin Fontichiaro
Media specialist
Beverly Elementary School
Beverly Hills, Michigan
A combination of visiting and resident artists collaborate with our core academic faculty to create unique arts-based, cross-curricular learning experiences. These artistic endeavors challenge students to creatively experience math, science, language arts, and social studies learning through the lens of the artistic process. As a HOT (Higher Order Thinking) school, we find that this approach aligns with our theme, learning in and through the arts!
Leo Lavallee
Principal
Lincoln Middle School
Meriden, Connecticut
I play classical music when my students are doing independent work. When they're writing a report or a story, I have them draw a picture to go with it, varying the medium they use. Recently, we read Dogzilla, and the assignment was to make a volcano at home to erupt at school.
Pam Houdek
Third-grade teacher
LaCourte Oreilles Ojibwe School
Hayward, Wisconsin
Every year, we focus on a school theme. One year, our theme was folk, so the students studied folktales, folk dancing, folk art, and folk music. Another year, it was careers, and an assortment of presenters came to discuss their work, including a musician, a painter, and a photographer.