Arts Integration into Our Community

An Inspiration for Blending Arts
Integration Into Our Communities

As a former art educator, I have a huge passion for arts integration.

I love thinking outside the box and to consider curriculum that blends

multiple subjects together collectively, through project-based learning

and other methods to integrate the arts into the core subjects.
Most recently I wrote a course called, "Fostering Critical Inquiry
Through Arts Integration" for Teach and Kids Learn: https://www.teachnkidslearn.com/courses/fostering-critical-inquiry-through-arts-integration/

To be honest, it was one of the funnest courses I have written recently. Now I have the pleasure to facilitate participants who are taking the course and I absolutely LOVE what the teachers are sharing.

Take a moment to look at the example below from one of my students from

the New York City Public School district. I am so proud of the innovation and creativity this course inspires!

Kelly

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Originally written by Tara Silvestry

Grade Levels: Kindergarten-Second Grade

Theme: Learning About Communities

Ice Breaker Activity Description: Present photos of local murals
in our neighborhood. Here are 2 examples of local murals from
the New York City Area:

       

Ask the following questions:

• Where have you seen these murals?
• Who do you think made them?
• Why do you think they are there?
• Do they have a special meaning for you?
• How do these murals make you feel about your community?

Purpose of the Icebreaker:

The purpose of using these photos of art is to get the children
interested in learning about their community. They have most likely
all seen it many times and if they haven’t, they would be motivated to
ask their families to take them to see it. They are familiar with it and
it is something unique to this community.

What students will do for the next steps:

• Allow the children to share stories about their experiences with these murals (the neighborhood I work in has many murals including the examples I added and they are on the way to our school).
• Begin a KWL chart about what we know about our community and what we wonder about our community.
• Brain storm how we can take what we learn about our community and make art about it. 
• Learn about the community with  a neighborhood walk, visit the murals, discuss them. 
• Based on the arts interest survey- the child will works with others to create a skit, a song, a piece of art that tells the audience something important and meaningful about their community for this project. 
• There will be groups based on interests to work together in small groups. 
• The child will learn how to make a project that transfers information learned through a piece of art. The process is learning the facts and figuring out how to present them in a meaningful and interesting way through art. I will guide them through this process and they will create the product together.