K-6 Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Guide: Examples of Integrated Lessons Produced by: Los Angeles County Office of Education in cooperation with Los Angeles Unified School District Project Coordinator, Geraldine Walkup National Consultant, Karen Erickson

Before we open up the Arts Integrated Lesson Guide, let’s take a few minutes to look at some of the work and thinking that went into the guide. Elementary arts specialist teachers and elementary classroom teachers with experience in arts integration were brought together for a summer workshop to produce the arts integrated lessons in the guide. This work was facilitated by Los Angeles Unified and the Los Angeles County Office of Education. The group of teachers worked with a national consultant, Karen Erickson of Creative Directions. In their work together, they explored some of the underlying concepts of arts integration as well as the specific lesson planning needs for each arts discipline: dance, music, theatre and visual arts.

Underlying concepts in arts integration… There are essentially three ways that the arts are taught in schools. 1) The arts as the curriculum— standards-based lessons in dance, music, theatre and visual arts, usually taught by an arts specialist teacher. For example, a lesson on singing technique is taught by a credentialed music teacher.

2) The arts enhance the curriculum— the arts help to create understandings in other curricular areas. For example, a classroom teacher uses a song to teach the letters of the alphabet. Underlying concepts in arts integration…

3) The arts are integrated with another curriculum in a balanced way that supports learning in the arts discipline and in the other curriculum. For example, learning about meter and musical notation is integrated with the understanding of “parts to a whole” in mathematics. The arts and arts integration in the schools are enriched and supported when students are able to experience high quality artwork and high quality performances of dance, music and theatre. Underlying concepts in arts integration…

What types of arts lessons or activities have you taught in your classroom, if any? Have you had any experiences in using the arts (dance, music, theatre or visual arts) to enhance another curriculum? Have you tried to integrate the arts with another curriculum area? How did that go? In what ways do your students have access to high quality artwork and performances? Questions for reflection…

Here are two definitions of arts integration from organizations with many years of experience in this work… 1) Arts Integration is… an APPROACH to TEACHING in which students construct and demonstrate UNDERSTANDING through an ART FORM. Students engage in a CREATIVE PROCESS which CONNECTS an art form and another subject area and meets EVOLVING OBJECTIVES in both. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Underlying concepts in arts integration…

2) Arts Integration is instruction combining two or more contents, wherein the arts constitute one of the integrated areas. The integration is based on shared or related concepts, and instruction in each content area has depth and integrity reflected by embedded assessments, standards, and objectives… Continued on next slide. Underlying concepts in arts integration…

Integrated arts lessons can be extremely rich and deeply layered learning experiences for students who experience them. Teachers report that with an integrated curriculum that includes the arts, students have moments of exhilaration, personal transformation, and academic or life choice change…Many teachers, parents, students, and administrators believe that integrating the arts makes classrooms better learning environments. The arts provide a window to understanding the connections among all subject areas. Southeast Center for Education in the Arts (SCEA), University of Tennessee, Chattanooga Underlying concepts in arts integration…

What exciting ideas jump out at you about arts integration? How does this connect with your personal arts experiences or your work in the classroom? What do these two quotes make you wonder about? Do you have any “big idea” questions? Questions for reflection…

Now let’s open up the Arts Integrated Lesson Guide, and take a look at the table of contents…

What does each grade level have in common? What are the differences among the grade levels? How are the four arts disciplines: dance, music, theatre and visual art organized at each grade? --Click for answers after discussion-- You may have noticed that each grade level contains one lesson for each arts discipline and one lesson each for ELA, Math, Science and Social Studies. However, the combinations are different at each grade level. Also, the arts disciplines are listed in alphabetical order and color coded: dance dance, music music, theatre theatre, and visual arts Questions for discussion…

Now it’s time to dive into the Arts Integrated Lesson Guide! And discover how learning in the arts… Integrates learning throughout the curriculum.

And why is that important? I wonder…

This presentation was created by Robert Bullwinkel, VAPA Coordinator for the Fresno County Office of Education.. This work was funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation through a grant to the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association’s Arts Initiative. All images used in this work are non- restricted. This work may be used free of charge for all non-commercial applications. Please give appropriate credit as listed above.

K-6 Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum Guide: Examples of Integrated Lessons Produced by: Los Angeles County Office of Education In cooperation with Los Angeles Unified School District Project Coordinator, Geraldine Walkup National Consultant, Karen Erickson